37:11
Just ask their opinion: are they the more difficult to create, or the (other) beings We have created?
Them have We created out of a sticky clay!
Qurʾānic passages addressing human origins frequently describe the creation of human beings from various forms of earthly material. One verse instructs the Prophet to ask those who deny the Resurrection whether recreating human beings after death is more difficult than creating other beings that God has already brought into existence. Some commentators interpret the phrase “those whom We created” as referring to angels, jinn, and all entities within the heavens and the earth, while others understand it as referring to previous generations of humanity (as cited in The Study Quran). In this context, the verse emphasizes that the creation of the entire cosmos is greater than the creation of humankind, echoing the statement: “Surely the creation of the heavens and the earth is greater than the creation of mankind, but most people do not know” (Qurʾān 40:57).
Several Qurʾānic verses describe the formation of human beings using different terms associated with earthly substances. For example, human creation is described as originating from dust (Qurʾān 3:59), from dried clay formed from molded mud (Qurʾān 15:26), from clay similar to pottery (Qurʾān 55:14), and from viscous or sticky clay (Qurʾān 37:11). Exegetical discussions often interpret these descriptions as referring to different stages or aspects of the creative process. According to some commentaries, these terms collectively represent a progression of formation—from dust to moist or viscous clay, then to molded mud, and finally to dried clay resembling earthen vessels (as cited in The Study Quran).
The expression “dried clay” is sometimes interpreted literally as “sounding clay,” referring to the hollow sound produced when fired clay is struck. Within this interpretive framework, the sequence of materials symbolizes stages of preparation leading to the completion of the human form, after which the divine spirit is breathed into the human being. Qurʾānic verses referring to the breathing of the spirit into humanity further elaborate on this stage of creation (Qurʾān 32:9; 38:72). In this way, classical commentary presents these references as complementary descriptions that collectively outline the theological understanding of human creation in Islamic scripture (as cited in The Study Quran).
References:
Nasr, Hossein (2015). Study Quran.