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Creation of life stands as a unique wondrous act of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala (SWT) that puzzles our mind and surpasses our capability of comprehension.
This awe-inspiring and special act of Allah showcases His infinite wisdom and power. He is the Creator of humans and all the other living things such as the animals, plants, fungi, bacteria and any other life forms including the ancient and the current ones. It signifies that Allah Jalla Jalaluhu has complete and perfect knowledge of all things, both manifest and hidden, past, present, and future.
The authority to bring forth the living from the nonliving is a demonstration of the ultimate power and infinite creative ability of Allah SWT. The Qur'an describes the creation of life as a profound sign of Allah's power, wisdom, and benevolence.
In many verses of the Qur'an creative power of Allah SWT has been emphasized. In one such verse the Qur'an asserts:In this verse Allah Jalla Jalaluhu affirms His infinite power of bringing forth living out of nonliving and vice versa. This concept is not limited to the creation of life from inanimate matter but also extends to the resurrection of the dead on the Day of Judgment and the cyclical process of life and death in the natural world. The Qur'an further states:يُخْرِجُ الْحَيَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَيُخْرِجُ الْمَيِّتَ مِنَ الْحَيِّ وَيُحْيِي الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَكَذَلِكَ تُخْرَجُونَ
"He brings the living out of the dead and brings the dead out of the living and brings to life the earth after its lifelessness. And thus will you be brought out." - Qur'an (30:19).
إِنَّ اللّهَ فَالِقُ الْحَبِّ وَالنَّوَى يُخْرِجُ الْحَيَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَمُخْرِجُ الْمَيِّتِ مِنَ الْحَيِّ ذَلِكُمُ اللّهُ فَأَنَّى تُؤْفَكُونَHere, the Qur'an emphasizes the cyclical nature of life and death, where one gives way to the other, and Allah SWT is the one who orchestrates this process. Modern biology also confirms that life emerges from what is lifeless: for example, living plants grow from seemingly dead seeds in soil, and life's building blocks (elements like carbon, nitrogen) come from nonliving matter."Indeed, Allah is the cleaver of grain and date seeds. He brings the living out of the dead and brings the dead out of the living. That is Allah; so how are you deluded?" - Qur'an (6:95).
Dead organisms decompose and return nutrients to the earth, which in turn nourish new life. Ecologically, the entire ecosystems rely on recycling of dead into new life. The following verse also gives a similar account of the majestic power of Allah Jalla Jalaluhu:
تُولِجُ اللَّيْلَ فِي الْنَّهَارِ وَتُولِجُ النَّهَارَ فِي اللَّيْلِ وَتُخْرِجُ الْحَيَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَتُخْرِجُ الَمَيَّتَ مِنَ الْحَيِّ وَتَرْزُقُ مَن تَشَاء بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍIn this verse, alongside alluding Allah's power to bring forth living from nonliving things and to reverse the process, the Qur'an also emphasizes another natural process in Allah's creation where night merges into day and day merges into night cyclically. Allah is the One who controls this process. He is also the sustainer of all the creatures and giver of unlimited provisions to anyone He wills. This belief is rooted in the Qur'an, which describes Allah as the Ultimate Creator and Sustainer of life, capable of bringing forth life from nonlife and causing it to return further to a nonliving state."You cause the night to enter the day, and You cause the day to enter the night; and You bring the living out of the dead, and You bring the dead out of the living. And You give provision to whom You will without account." - Qur'an (3:27).
أَوَلَمْ يَرَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَنَّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ كَانَتَا رَتْقًا فَفَتَقْنَاهُمَا وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمَاء كُلَّ شَيْءٍ حَيٍّ أَفَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَIn the above two verses (21:30) and (24:45) the Qur'an states that every living thing has been created from water. This highlights Allah's power to bring forth life from a seemingly lifeless substance 'water'."Have those who disbelieved not considered that the heavens and the earth were a joined entity, and We separated them and made from water every living thing? Then will they not believe?" - Qur'an (21:30).
وَاللَّهُ خَلَقَ كُلَّ دَابَّةٍ مِن مَّاء فَمِنْهُم مَّن يَمْشِي عَلَى بَطْنِهِ وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَمْشِي عَلَى رِجْلَيْنِ وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَمْشِي عَلَى أَرْبَعٍ يَخْلُقُ اللَّهُ مَا يَشَاء إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
"Allah has created every [living] creature from water. And of them are those that move on their bellies and of them are those that walk on two legs, and of them are those that walk on four. Allah creates what He wills. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent." - Qur'an (24:45).
These verses align with scientific understanding of the origins of life. Science has established that water is the basic biological element of living matter. Cells are made of water and most cells contain on the average 70-80% water by mass. It is an astounding reality that cell is a living thing whose basic element is a nonliving matter 'water'. It is further surprising that without water there is no life.
Scientific theories strongly suggest that all life originated in an aquatic environment. Water is crucial for life and is the most abundant molecule in cells, acting as a solvent and medium for cellular processes. Water is essential for the function and survival of the living cells. Without water, life is not possible. For that reason whenever the possibility of life on another planet is discussed, the first question comes: Is there a sufficient quantity of water to support life?
About 71% of the surface of our Earth is covered with water showing the predominance of water on our Globe. This supports the latest knowledge of biological science that all life began in water. Protoplasm is called the "physical basis of life" because it is the living substance within cells that contains all the essential biomolecules and organelles necessary for life processes like metabolism, growth, and cell division.
The average water percentage in protoplasm is 70-80% and the human body as a whole consists of about 60% water. Water is composed of two inorganic elements hydrogen and oxygen. How can it be possible that an entity mostly made up of inorganic and inanimate matter comes to life? This is a manifestation of the omniscience of the Great Creator Allah SWT. His infinite power of creation and divine will have made it possible.
Allah Jalla Jalaluhu states in the Qur'an:This verse emphasizes that humans originate from dust, an apparently simple and inanimate substance.وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَكُم مِّن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ إِذَا أَنتُم بَشَرٌ تَنتَشِرُونَ
"And of His signs is that He created you from dust; then, suddenly you were human beings dispersing [throughout the earth]." - Qur'an (30:20).
The Qur'an also states that:The above verse asserts that humans are created from water. Therefore, summarizing the foregoing two verses of the Qur'an it can be concluded that human body has been made from two constituents- dust and water. In some other verses Allah SWT states that He has created humans from clay, for examples:وَهُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ مِنَ الْمَاء بَشَرًا فَجَعَلَهُ نَسَبًا وَصِهْرًا وَكَانَ رَبُّكَ قَدِيرًا
"And it is He who has created from water a human being and made him [a relative by] lineage and marriage. And ever is your Lord competent [concerning creation]." - Qur'an (25:54).
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ مِن سُلَالَةٍ مِّن طِينٍThese verses do not contradict with the previous verses in which the constituents of human body were separately mentioned to be dust and water respectively. The word in the Arabic text for clay is 'Teen' which means dust mixed with a quantity of water that makes it adhesive. Thus clay is not a new substance, but it is a mixture of dust and water. Sometimes the Qur'an highlights these elements separately and sometimes in combination as clay."And certainly did We create man from an extract of clay." - Qur'an (23:12);
الَّذِي أَحْسَنَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ وَبَدَأَ خَلْقَ الْإِنسَانِ مِن طِينٍ
"Who perfected everything which He created and began the creation of man from clay." - Qur'an (32:7).
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الإِنسَانَ مِن صَلْصَالٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ
"And We did certainly create man out of clay from an altered black mud." - Qur'an (15:26).
All these verses indicate very clearly that man's origin is from the mixture of dry earth and water, in the course of time by the will of Allah which developed step by step passing through a rudimentary form of life into a complete man with faculties of hearing, seeing and understanding. In the Qur'anic words:
ثُمَّ سَوَّاهُ وَنَفَخَ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِهِ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَشْكُرُونَAccording to the Qur'an, therefore, human life originated in a substance which was a mixture of dust and water, in the course of time that developed into a man. Allah SWT further says:"Then He proportioned him and breathed into him from His [created] soul and made for you hearing and vision and hearts; little are you grateful." - Qur'an (32:9).
الَّذِي أَحْسَنَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ وَبَدَأَ خَلْقَ الْإِنسَانِ مِن طِينٍ - ثُمَّ جَعَلَ نَسْلَهُ مِن سُلَالَةٍ مِّن مَّاء مَّهِينٍThis verse focuses on the fact that the creation of human species began with clay and the subsequent progeny of humans was created through the fertilization process of sperm & ovule from a pair of male and female."Who perfected everything which He created and began the creation of man from clay. Then He made his posterity out of the extract of a liquid disdained." - Qur'an (32:7, 8).
It is obvious that the Qur'an emphasizes Allah's power to create, shape, and form humans out of clay and later their progeny from sperm & ovum and turn into living and conscious entity introducing "Ruh" into it. All the verses mentioned above point to the creation of Adam Alayhis Salam and his progeny first from dust and then from sperm & egg; and it links all of the humanity back to the earth.
The Qur'anic statement "He began the creation of man from clay" resonates to be in line with the scientific view of "originating life from nonlife". The common elements in the human body - carbon, oxygen, iron, calcium, and so on - are literally the same elements found in the earth's crust (dust/soil) and were originally formed in stars. Astronomers often mention that nearly all the elements in the human body were stardust made in a star before becoming part of the Earth. Thus, science agrees that our material origin is literally earth itself.
Furthermore, the Qur'an describes that Allah created Adam Alayhis Salam from dust/clay and the progeny of humans from a single pair of male and female. It also presents an account of creation that can be interpreted to include a developmental process, suggesting life began from earthly materials and evolved over time with Allah SWT as the divine force guiding and enabling it. This evolutionary process to some extent aligns with the scientific concept of developing life with gradual evolution over a long period.
From the detailed analysis it has been found that the major constituent elements of the human body are: iron, calcium, oxygen, sodium, potassium, magnesium, hydrogen, chlorine, iodine, manganese, lead, carbon, zinc, sulfur, and nitrogen. Earth's dust also commonly contains these elements. The wisdom and artistry of Allah Jalla Jalaluhu was to combine this inanimate matter to create a human.
Human being is a special creature among all the creatures of Allah SWT. Humans are endowed with intellect, free will, and conscience that distinguish it from other creations. For this special status humans will be subject to answer for their deeds on the Day of Judgment.
It is a great surprise that the body constituents of such a superior creature, the human do not contain any element which is extraordinarily precious and unavailable. All the constituents are ordinary materials and are obtainable from the market at reasonable price.
The cost of all these elements may not be more than a few hundred dollars. A few hundred dollars is thus the basic price of the noblest creature, the human being!!! Does not it demonstrate the majestic creating power of Allah Jalla Jalaluhu Who created humans out of a combination of elements that cost almost nothing?
It is easy to collect all these elements and accumulate together. Is there anyone who can synthesize a human from these elements? Or is there any machine that can produce a man using these elements as raw materials? Here hides the mystery of the power of Allah Jalla Jalaluhu Who creates the most complex and noble creature, the human being from ordinary materials.
It is beyond the perception of the mankind how Allah creates life from lifeless substance. The creation of a human being, a master piece, out of a matter of simple aspect like clay, exhibits the majestic creative skill, wisdom and power of Allah Jalla Jalaluhu.
He programmed the creation process with such accuracy that the constituent elements were simultaneously and proportionately distributed in every organ of the body at birth. According to the divine program each organ makes use of the elements in due proportions and disposes of the surplus.
The ingredients out of which the human body is made are not only used for structural stability and physical appearance of the body, but some amounts of the ingredients are consumed and excreted by the body due to metabolic activities. It causes a deficiency of elements in the body. It is essential to supply the deficit amounts to the body on daily basis through food intakes for its proper functioning.
The elements out of which our body has been made by the Master Designer Allah SWT are very essential for its proper functioning and maintaining a good health. Deficiency of any element in the body may cause sickness and diseases. Let us focus on the necessity of some of the minerals in our body.
Calcium is vital for our body for healthy bones and teeth. It is also important for functioning of nerves and muscle tissue. The daily requirement of calcium for adults is generally 1,000 mg, increasing to 1,200 mg for women over 50 and men over 70. A decrease in calcium in our body may develop osteoporosis and brittleness of teeth. In the case of calcium deficiency, a simple bite on an apple may cause our teeth to break.
Potassium is another vital mineral for human health essential for various bodily functions like muscle and nerve function, and maintaining a healthy blood pressure. Adults generally need between 2,600 to 3,400 mg of potassium per day. A decrease of potassium in our body may cause muscle weakness, fatigue, numbness, intestinal troubles, and irregular heartbeat.
Also, zinc is a vital mineral for our body. For adult women, the recommended daily intake of zinc is 8 mg while for adult men it is 11 mg. Any lowering in these values may cause loss of memory, loss of hair, impotence, decrease of the capability to act and weakening of the senses of smell and taste.
Iodine is an important mineral that our body needs to make thyroid hormones. Too little iodine can cause iodine deficiency disorders and hypothyroidism.
The requirement of magnesium in our body is 400 to 420 mg per day for adult men and 310 to 320 mg for women. Lowering of magnesium content in the body may cause to feel numb and tingly, get muscle cramps, have seizures, or changes of heart rhythm.
All these data show that the Master Designer Allah Jalla Jalaluhu while making use of clay as raw material for humans combined its constituents in ideal proportions. Creating a living being such as man from such ordinary matter is one of the manifestations of the omniscience of Allah SWT. Careful combination in due proportion of all the constituents of the human body demonstrates matchless design of Allah SWT.
بَدِيعُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَإِذَا قَضَى أَمْراً فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُAlthough Allah can create things instantaneously only through uttering "Be", but usually He does not do that. Only in some miraculous events Allah SWT creates something instantaneously. Those creations are mostly for demonstrating the existence of Allah and making apparent the truth to the nonbelievers."The Originator of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it Be and it is" - Qur'an (2: 117).
Allah SWT creates everything in the nature gradually through physical processes for the lesson and knowledge of human beings. All the processes occur by His divine will according to some natural principles set forth by Him. When peoples know the physical stages involved in a creation process they can employ this knowledge to improve their understanding on that particular subject.
For example, Allah SWT has mentioned in the Qur'an about creation of the heavens and earth in six creation days (periods). It provides an opportunity to the mankind to reflect on creation of the universe and enrich knowledge on the creation process of the universe that helps in developing the cosmological science.
Allah SWT has also mentioned in the Qur'an various embryonic stages in the creation of the human beings like Nutfa, Alaqa, Mudgha, Ijwama (lump & bones), Lahma (covering bones by flesh), etc. during the pregnancy of women.
Understanding the embryonic stages mentioned in the Qur'an in the creation of the human beings during pregnancy facilitates the development of medical science. On the contrary, if it so happens that peoples see a human being is created instantaneously with no embryonic stages, nobody will be able to understand the mechanisms and causes of birth defects.
Thus, we should be grateful to Allah SWT for creation of everything in the universe through gradual and natural process. The natural process of human birth takes time and during that time physicians are able to observe, study, and understand birth defects and even in some cases can intervene and treat certain disorders and diseases.
The imagery of dust, a lowly and insignificant substance, signifies that humans are not autonomous self-originating beings but are dependent on the Creator for life and sustenance. It also underscores that humans are creatures of the earth, subject to its limitations and ultimately returning to dust, a fate shared by all people regardless of status.
In summary, the "dust" imagery serves as a constant reminder of our origin and limitations, promoting a humble recognition of our dependence on Allah Jalla Jalaluhu and the transitory nature of earthly existence. It also underpins the Islamic concept of human dignity tempered by humility - we are noble as bearers of Allah's spirit, yet humble in our earthly origin.
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