سورة المؤمنون

Surah Al-Mu’minûn 23:12

The Believers · Verse 12 of 118

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ سُلَالَةٍ مِنْ طِينٍ

Abdul Mannan Omar

We create a human being from an extract of clay;

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Man We did create from a quintessence (of clay);

Ahmed Ali

We created man from the finest extract of clay,

12 more translations

Ali Unal

We created humankind (in the very beginning) from a specially sifted extract of clay.

Daryabadi

And assuredly We created man of an extract of clay.

Faridul Haque

Indeed We created man from a chosen soil.

Maulana Muhammad Ali

And certainly We create man of an extract of clay,

Maulvi Sher Ali

Verily, WE created man from an extract of clay;

Muhammad Asad

NOW, INDEED, We create man out of the essence of clay,

Muhammad Musin Khan

And indeed We created man (Adam) out of an extract of clay (water and earth).

Muhammad Pickthall

Verily We created man from a product of wet earth;

Muhammad Sarwar

We have created the human being from an extract of clay

Muhammed ali Shakir

And certainly We created man of an extract of clay,

Rashad Khalifa

We created the human being from a certain kind of mud.

Shabbir Ahmed

Indeed, We created the human being from the essence of clay.

Commentary 23:12-14 Sulâlah سُلَالَةٍ in its root expresses the process of evolution, starting from the inorganic state to the organic, then from a single cell to…

On 23:12–14

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ مِن سُلَالَةٍ مِّن طِينٍ

23:12-14 Sulâlah سُلَالَةٍ in its root expresses the process of evolution, starting from the inorganic state to the organic, then from a single cell to organized cells, then to the state of primitive animals, and, finally, a human being. The creation of the human being is here traced back to earth, as the life-germ in sperm is an extract of food that is drawn from earth in whatever form it may be. The verses show that the human soul is not implanted into the human body from outside but grows in the body as it develops.