Such is He who knows all that is beyond the reach of human perception, and all that can be witnessed, the Almighty, the Most Merciful, who makes most excellent everything that He creates. He begins the creation of man out of clay; then He causes his progeny to be begotten out of the essence of a humble fluid; then He fashions him and breathes into him of His spirit. Thus He endows you, mankind, with hearing and sight and hearts. Yet seldom are you grateful!(Prostration, Al-Sajdah: 31: 6-9)
In the verses that precede the ones we are discussing today, the surah speaks of the creation of the heavens and the earth in six days and points out some of God’s attributes, first of which His knowledge of everything in the universe. We pointed out that the six days are not to be compared to our earth days. These may be six stages of creation. The surah now speaks of the perfection of God’s creation: “Who makes most excellent everything that He creates. He begins the creation of man out of clay.” (Verse 7) One aspect of His excellent creation is the fact that man’s creation was begun from clay. The phraseology of this verse allows it to be understood as meaning that the clay was present at the beginning, in the first stage. No mention is made of the number, length or duration of the stages that followed this initial clay stage. Hence, the door is open for any accurate study, particularly when we join this statement to the one in Surah 23, The Believers, which says: “Indeed, We create man out of the essence of clay.” (23: 12) This statement allows the understanding that there was some sequence in the stages of human creation going back to the clay one.
This may be a reference to the start of the first living cell on earth, meaning that it started from clay, and which was prior to God breathing life into it. No one has unfathomed this secret yet: what it is or how it happened. It is from the living cell that man originated. The Qur’an does not mention how this took place, or how long it took to be accomplished, or how many stages it had to go through. Therefore, it is open to investigation. Such investigation, however, is by no means contrary to the accurate Qur’anic statement that man’s first origin was clay. Within these limits we can safely say that we rely on the definitive Qur’anic statement and accept the result of proper scientific investigation.
It is appropriate to refer here to Darwin’s theory of evolution which claims that all species have originated from one-cell organisms and progressed in consecutive stages up to that of man. It also claims that the stages of evolution are continuous, making man’s immediate ancestor a species of animal that is more advanced than the chimpanzee but lower than man. This theory is wrong on this point. The discovery of genes and chromosomes - which Darwin did not know about - makes progress from one species to another impossible. Every cell carries genes that preserve the distinctive characteristics of every species, and make it inevitable that it stays as a separate species, with no movement from one species to another. This means that cats will remain cats forever. The same applies to dogs, cows, horses, apes and man. According to genealogists, all that can happen is progress within the same species, but not to a different one. This invalidates the major part of Darwin’s theory, which people thought at one stage to be scientifically indisputable. How deluded they were!
“Then He causes his progeny to be begotten out of the essence of a humble fluid.” (Verse 8) This is a reference to semen, the fluid that represents the first stage of the fetus, going on to become a clinging cell mass, then an embryo that soon acquires bones and organs before the fetus reaches its complete form. It is a great journey when we consider the extraordinary development that this tiny drop of humble fluid goes through until it becomes a human being with perfect shape and constitution. The gulf between the first and the final stages is great indeed. This is expressed in the Qur’an in a single verse: “Then He fashions him and breathes into him of His spirit. Thus He endows you, mankind, with hearing and sight and hearts.” (Verse 9)
It is indeed a great miracle, but people are often heedless of it. How far removed is that tiny drop of fluid from the creature it develops into. No power could have done this other than God who directs the single cell along its way of growth and development to make such a highly complex creature.
Initially, one cell divides and multiplies. What happens then is a great diversification of cells with different natures and functions. Each multiplies so that each group of cells forms a particular organ with a specified function. This same organ incorporates parts with special functions and different natures, formed by more specialized cells. Once more, how does such division and multiplication happen, within the first single cell, producing such great diversity? Where were the characteristics and qualities that subsequently emerge in every group of specialized cells in relation to the first cell? Where were the distinctive qualities of the human fetus, rather than any other type of fetus? And where were those that distinguish every particular individual among all human foetuses? Where were those qualities that preserve all that appears later in each fetus of potentials, special functions and distinctive features for the rest of its life? Who could ever have thought that this miracle could happen, except for the fact that it did happen, and continues to happen all the time?
It is God that has made man and breathed of His spirit into him. This is the only explanation for this miraculous event. It is that breath of divine spirit that makes that biological entity a human being with hearing, sight and understanding, and which distinguishes it from all other biological entities: “Thus He endows you, mankind, with hearing and sight and hearts.” (Verse 9) Any other explanation of this miraculous event that fills us with wonder is inadequate. Despite all this, people are often ungrateful: “Yet seldom are you grateful! (Verse 9)
