Creation of Humans

what are humans ?

They are a creation that Allah fashioned in the best stature. Allah says: (Verily, We created man of the best stature.) [ 95:4 ]

He fashioned man perfectly and gave him due proportion. Allah says: (O man! What has made you careless concerning your Lord, the Most Generous. Who created you, fashioned you perfectly, and gave you due proportion. In whatever form He willed, He put you together.) [ 82:6-8 ]

He fashioned man in the best and most complete shape. Allah says: (Allah, it is He Who has made for you the earth as a dwelling place and the sky as a canopy, and has given you shape and has perfected and completed your shapes and has provided you with good things. That is Allah, your Lord, then blessed be Allah, the Lord of the all that exists.) [ 40:64 ]

He preferred and honored him above all other creations. Allah says: (And indeed We have honored the Children of Adam, and We have carried them on land and sea, and have provided them with lawful good things, and have preferred them above many of those whom We have created with a definite preference.) [ 17:70 ]

Allah subjected everything in the universe at the disposal of humans. Allah says: (And has subjected to you all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth; it is all as a favor and kindness from Him. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.) [ 45:13 ]

Humans are a distinct creation. They have not evolved from other beings. Allah says: (Who has perfected everything He has created, and He began the creation of man from clay.) [ 32:7 ]

What a difference between Qur’anic texts which honor man and raise his status and the theories which equate man with animals? The Qur’an does not describe man as an animal, except when he trails behind his lusts and desires without restriction; when he does not use his intellect, hearing or sight to ponder over the magnificent creation of the heavens and earth and his true purpose. Allah says: (And surely We have created many of the jinn and mankind for Hell. They have hearts wherewith they understand not, they have eyes wherewith they see not, and they have ears wherewith they hear not. They are like livestock, nay even more astray. Those! They are the heedless ones.) [ 7:179 ]

This is due to the fact that if one utilizes these senses properly - in pondering and contemplating - it would lead him to believe in Allah, after His grace. Ibn-ul-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: “Allah, the Exalted, chose man from among all creation and honored him such that He created them to worship Him. He created all things in the universe at their disposal. He also bestowed upon them knowledge, and chose them for His love. He gave them things which were not given to anyone else. He subjected for them all that is in the heavens and earth and what is in between, even the angels who are the nearest of His creation to Him. He used angels to protect man, while he is sleeping and awake, and while he is sitting and standing. He revealed to them His Books, and sent to them His Messengers, and spoke to them and addressed them. He chose some of them for His love, and He spoke to others, and others were very pious. He revealed to them His secrets, and made them the objects of His Wisdom and Love. He created Jannah and Hell-Fire for them; His creation and command, reward and punishment revolve around the human race, for he is the finest of creation. Man is charged with obeying the commands and abstaining from the prohibitions, and on account of that, he would be rewarded or punished.”

the different stages of the creation of humans

In the beginning, man was nothing to be mentioned. Allah says: (Has there not been over man a period of time, when he was nothing to be mentioned?) [ 76:1 ]

Al-Ghazali said: “Let man ponder the blessings of Allah, how He raised them from a state of humility, worthlessness and despicableness to a level of nobleness and stature. He came into existence after he was nothing; he came into life after he was dead, and spoke after muteness. He saw after he was blind, and became strong after he was weak, and gained knowledge after he was ignorant, and was guided aright after misguidance. He became rich after poverty. Therefore, he was nothing, and what is worse than being nothing? Then he became something by the command of Allah.” [ Ihyaa ‘Uloom-ud-Deen ]

what were humans created from ?

Allah has clarified that man is created when the male’s sperm enters the female’s egg. Allah says: (So let man see from what he is created! He was created from a fluid, ejected, proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs.) [ 86:5- 7 ]

Allah has clarified that humans procreate through this process. Allah says: (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].) [ 25:54 ]

He has clarified that the fetus is kept in a safe place, far from outside factors, until Allah decrees that it comes out. Allah says: (Did We not create you from a worthless water? Then We placed it in a firm lodging (The womb) for a known period? And We determined [it], and excellent [are We ] to determine.) [ 77:20-23 ]

Allah has clarified that the fetus passes through three stages of darkness. It passes through specific stages until it reaches, by the permission of Allah, its final stage, and then it exits the womb and enters into this world. Allah says: (He creates you in the wombs of your mothers, creation after creation, within three darknesses. That is Allah, your Lord; to Him belongs dominion. There is no deity except Him, so how are you averted?.) [ 39:6 ]

stages humans pass through

• The first stage

  A drop of mixed fluid which results from the mixing of male and female fluids. Allah says: (And that He creates the pairs, male and female. From Nutfah (Drops of semen, male and female discharges.) when it is emitted.) [ 53:45-46 ]

  If Allah wills, the sperm would mix with the female’s fluids and penetrate the ovary; the sperm and the female fluid upon mixing is called ‘Nutfah’, and is the first stage of human development. If it does not penetrate the ovary, the sperm would die. Allah says: (Verily, We have created man from a nutfah drops of mixed semen in order to try him, so We made him to hear and to see.) [ 76:2 ]

  In this stage, it starts taking on some human attributes. Allah says: (Cursed is man; how disbelieving is he. From what substance did He create him? From Nutfah He created him and destined for him.) [ 80:17-19 ]

  The gender of the fetus is also decided in this stage. Allah says: (To Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He creates what He wills. He bestows female [offspring ] upon whom He wills, and bestows male [offspring ] upon whom He wills. Or He bestows both males and females, and He renders barren whom He wills. Verily, He is the All-Knower and is Able to do all things.) [ 42:49-50 ]

  Allah also says: (He who forms you in the wombs however He wills. There is no deity except Him, the Exalted in Might, the Wise.) [ 3:6 ]

  If the mixed drop does not attach to the uterus, it would be removed from the womb, by the will of Allah (y). Allah says: (Allah knows what every female carries and what the wombs lose [prematurely ] or exceed. And everything with Him is by due measure.) [ 13:8 ]

  If Allah (y) wills, it would attach itself to the uterus, and the ‘nutfah’ would enter the ‘alaqah stage. It implants itself in the wall of the uterus and begins to nourish itself. Allah says: (And We cause whom We will to remain in the wombs for an appointed term, then We bring you out as infants.) [ 22:5 ]

• The ‘alaqah stage

  It is called an ‘alaqah (leach-like clot of coagulated blood) due to the fact that it attaches itself to the wall of the uterus and takes it nourishment from its blood. This is similar to a leach which also takes nourishment from other creatures to which it attaches. Allah says: (Read! In the Name of your Lord, Who created - created man from a clinging substance.) [ 96:1-2 ]

  Allah also says: (Was he not a Nutfah poured forth? Then he became an ‘Alaqa; then Allah shaped and fashioned him in due proportion. And made him two mates, male and female.) [ 75:37-39 ]

• The Mudghah stage (Literally, a mudghah is a lump of something which is chewed.)

  It is called a mudghah (lump of flesh) due to the fact that in this stage it looks like a chewed piece of flesh. Allah says: (We made the clot into a little lump of flesh, then We made out of that little lump of flesh bones.) [ 23:14 ]

  In this stage, the fetus starts to take the shape of a human until it reaches its true human form. Allah says: (Truly, nothing is hidden from Allah, in the earth or in the heavens. He it is Who shapes you in the wombs as He pleases. There is no deity except Him, the Exalted in Might, the Wise.) [ 3:5-6 ]

  In this stage, the spirit is also blown into the fetus. Allah says: (Then He fashioned him in due proportion, and breathed into him the soul and He gave you hearing, sight and hearts.) [ 32:9 ]

There is a certain time period for each stage, as is mentioned in the Hadeeth of Ibn Masood in which he said: “The Messenger of Allah (s) told us: ‘Verily, the creation of each one of you is brought together in his mother’s womb for forty days as a drop, then he is a clot for a similar period, then a morsel for a similar period, then there is sent to him the angel who blows the spirit into him and he is commanded regarding four matters: to write down his provision, his life span, his deeds, and whether he is happy or miserable....’.” [ Bukhari & Muslim ]