The Creation of Man

We created man from a quintessence (of clay).

(Al-Mu'minun 12. Verse)

The subject of man's creation can be examined under two headings in the Qur'an. The first is the creation of Adam, the ancestor of humanity, and the second is the creation of other people. Mâturîdî¹Mâturîdî, Te'vîlat, VIII, XI

He is the first of the two faith imams of Ahl as-Sunnah. His name is Mohammed bin Muhammad Maturidi. His tag is Abu Mensur. His birthplace is the Maturid township of Samarkand. He died in 333 (m. 944) in the Islamic calendar.

Imam-i Maturidi transferred the knowledge of Ahl al-Sunnah creed, which was reported and written by Imam-i a'zam Abu Hanifa, in books, explained and proved it by those who conveyed from him. Imam-i Maturidi, who was a mujtahid in the science of kalam, learned the science of kalam and fiqh from Abu Nasr Iyad.

Imam-i Maturidi, who grew up very well in the knowledge, spread the Sunnah of the People by writing various books and educating the student.makes a general assessment about the nature of this first substance of man as “clean soil from which benefit is obtained”. As in the verse, in places where the creation of soil or mud is described, the word "human being" is used as a plural pronoun or genus name instead of the name of Adam. He describes this narrative technique as follows: These statements may have been used to Adam, the common ancestor of mankind. In addition, the arrival of human existence from the soil can be explained by the provision of the basic nutrients that the body needs to live in from the soil.

A scientific study²https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131105132027.htmshows that clay may be the birthplace of life on Earth. Clay absorbs liquids like a sponge, and proteins serve as the perfect place for chemicals to react to each other to create DNA and eventually living cells.

Other commentators refer to the human body, which is composed of various chemical components such as iron, phosphorus, carbon, etc. These chemical components are also found in the soil. For this reason, Maurice Bucaille emphasizes that the "muddy essence" refers to the various chemical components that form the mud extracted from the water, the main element and source of all life as weight. To achieve a better meaning, we need to think about two additional verses that deal with the waterborne origin of life. God (p.v.t.) says, "God has created every animal from water" (Qur'an, 24:45). He added, "We have created every living thing from water" (Qur'an, 21:30). From these verses, we understand that water is the origin of every living organism and the main component that it cannot survive without it.

Then we placed it (the generation of Adam) in a nutfe (a little water-semen) in place of rest, firmly fixed (womb).

(Al-Mu'minun 13. Verse)

In Arabic; The word “nutfa”, which means “pure water, some water”, is used synonymously with semen (sperm) in tafsir terms. In the Qur'an, it is stated that this "pure water" consists of semen and is a part of it. In a hadith narrated from Abu Said al-Khudri (d.73/693), it is stated that the child was not created from all of the semen, but only from a part of it. In modern embryology, it is known that fertilization (fertilization) is carried out by only one of millions of spermatozoids. Based on these data, nutfa should be understood as "fertilizing sperm", which would be the definition that best fits the original of the translation. Another important point here is that, like the essence filtered from mud, this essence filtered from the semen, together with the zygote (fertilized cell) stage, which is a continuation of the nutfa stage, forms the basis for material creation.

In addition, Surat Al-Najm "Indeed, He created men, and the female from a small water when he was thrown (womb)." (45-46) confirms that the sex of a person is determined as a man or a woman when the semen drop is emitted. It is not possible to know that before the invention of microscopes in the last century, the embryo, which is a boy or girl, was determined only by sperm (nutfe) rather than ovum.

Then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood; then of that clot We made a (foetus) lump; then we made out of that lump bones and clothed the bones with flesh; then we developed out of it another creature. So blessed be Allah, the best to create!

(Al-Mu'minun 14. Verse)

The word "Alaka" is in the dictionary; it comes to meanings such as frozen blood that is hanged, and is passed on to something. Leeches that live in water and absorb the blood of the creature they cling to are also called "dûdet-u 'alak" in Arabic. This is an appropriate definition of the human embryo, 7-24. in the days of the uterine membrane, a leech sticks to the skin. Like leech, the human embryo takes blood from the inner membrane of the womb or the desidua. It is remarkable how similar the embryo is to a leech of 23-24 days. In the 7th century, there were no microscopes or lenses, so doctors did not know that the human embryo had this leech-like appearance.

Day 28, size= 4 mm

The Arabic word “mudga” means “chewed substance or chewed lump”. Towards the end of the fourth week, the human embryo looks like a piece of chewed meat. The chewy appearance is caused by somites that look like teeth marks. Somites represent the beginning or primordial of the vertebrae. The continuation of the verse shows that bones and muscles were formed from the chewed lump phase. This is suitable for embryological development. First the bones form as cartilage models and then the muscles (meat) around them develop.

Until very recently, embryologists assumed that the bones and muscles in an embryo developed simultaneously. Therefore, for a long time, some people claimed that these verses contradicted science. However, advanced microscopic research, thanks to new technological developments, has revealed that the revelation of the Qur'an is word for word correct. These observations at the microscopic level showed that the development inside the womb of the mother took place as described in the verses. First, the cartilage tissue of the embryo ossifies. Then the muscle cells selected from the tissue around the bones come together and wrap around the bones.

The next part implies that bones and muscles result in the formation of another creature. This may indicate a human-like embryo formed by the end of the eighth week. At this stage, it has distinctive human characteristics and has signs of all internal and external organs (primordia). After eight weeks, the human embryo is called foetus( fetus). This could be the new creature expressed by the verse.

Then He fashioned him and breathed into him of His spirit; and appointed for you hearing and sight and hearts. Small thanks give ye!

(As-Sajda 9. Verse)

This verse shows that the senses of hearing, sight and feeling develop in this order, which is true. Traces of the inner ears appear before the beginning of the eyes, and the brain (area of understanding) differentiates last.

He makes you, in the wombs of your mothers, in stages, one after another, in three veils of darkness.

(Az-Zumar 6. Verse)

The fact that the human embryo develops in stages was not discussed and depicted until the 15th century. After the discovery of the microscope by Leeuwenhook in the 17th century, explanations were made about the early stages of the chick embryo. The staging of human embryos was not described until the 20th century. “Threefold darkness” may refer to: (1) anterior abdominal wall; (2) uterine wall; and (3) the amniocorionic membrane. While there are other interpretations of this statement, the explanation presented here seems the most embryologically plausible.

In the 7th century, or even a hundred years ago, it was not possible to interpret the verses in the Qur'an referring to the creation of man. We can interpret them now because the modern science of Embryology provides us with a new understanding. Undoubtedly, there are other verses in the Qur'an about human development that will be understood in the future as our knowledge increases.

The Qur'an tells us about the creation of a child in a mother's womb and its chronological evolution in full life. Parents play only a instrumental role in this creative process.

We have certainly created man in the best of stature.

(At-Tin 4. Verse)

Allah knows best in everything.

• 1
  Māturīdī, Ta'wīlat, VIII, XI
  
  He is the first of the two imams of the Ahl al-Sunnah. His name is Muhammad bin Muhammad Maturidi. His tag is Abu Mensur. His birthplace is Maturid district of Samarkand. He died in Samarkand in 333 AH (944 AD).
  
  Imam al-Maturidi wrote down, explained and proved the theological knowledge of the Ahl al-Sunnah creed, which Imam al-A'zam Abu Hanifa had reported and written, through those who transmitted it from him. Imam al-Maturidi, who was a mujtahid in theology and theology, learned theology and fiqh from Abu Nasr Iyad.
  
  Imam al-Maturidi, who grew up very well in science, spread the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah by writing various books and raising students.
• 2
  https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131105132027.htm