# Does the Quran say Adam was made from clay or from a drop of sperm?

*Surat al-Mu'minun again: clay, a drop of sperm, and DNA*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hiu1gjszg1e/s/11/
- Date: 2020-10-13 · Kind: discussion · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Discussion on Miracles: A fallacy against God | Mufti Abu Layth (50:36–55:00)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIU1GJSzg1E&t=3036s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hiu1gjszg1e/

**Topics:** Quran and evolution; Adam and the creation of humans; How to read the Quran

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Taking 23:12-14 entirely literally leaves one stuck, since the same insan made from clay is then a drop of sperm; the clay may refer to something like DNA.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says taking the whole of Surat al-Mu'minun 23:12-14 literally leaves one stuck.

**Evidence, his words at 53:06:** “so to take that entire verse literally you're stuck you know it's a very difficult thing most people don't take it absolutely literally” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIU1GJSzg1E&t=3186s)

## Longer summary

The caller says 23:12-14 speaks of humans in general, not Adam. Mufti Abu Layth asks whether the caller knows any human made of clay, and says the pronoun of the next verse, made into a drop of sperm, goes back to the same insan, so God has not lost His train of thought. He says he did suggest the clay may refer to DNA, made of elements found around us, and that many who understand DNA would read it so, but that a fully literal reading leaves one stuck, since the one made of mud then becomes a drop of sperm, and most people do not take it absolutely literally. The caller asks why God would make Adam from clay if He could simply say 'be', and Mufti says the verse concerns the physical body.

## Sources and names cited

- Quran 23:12-14 (insan from an extract of clay, then a drop in a firm lodging, then the stages of the embryo): https://quran.com/23/12-14
- Adam
- insan (human being)
- kun fa-yakun (be, and it is)

## Transcript (machine tier, 50:36–55:00)

[50:14] nature around you are saying that what what is bothering you to believe that allah created adam and eve out of nothing they would they don't have wombs they didn't have mothers or fathers they were created just the way that allah tell you what's stopping me i'll tell you what's stopping me reason i'll tell you no surat minoon i've read the verse to you verses 12 to 14.

[50:36] but that's talking about humans not uh who is he talking about human beings do you know any humans that were just created out of thin out of nothing you mean no the verse begins with wallach is the who is this talking about who is it talking about i believe that's the uh the humans not adam alaihissalam do you know any humans that were mated made out of thin that were made out of clay so is allah

[51:14] lying then is allah lying is that what he's doing what was it when he's talking about clay he's talking about uh uh adam salaam then we made him this hymn is a different hymn well islam was created different than how we are created no this is the same this is the same surah is the next verse then we made him a a drop of sperm what is allah just saying this he doesn't know what he's saying he's lost his train of thought i mean what what's going on here what's allah is saying that this is how insane was created and he was created as a drop of sperm then

[51:53] why does it uh why did they specifically say adam why did satan what's the difference because in quran there's a reason behind everything yes sure but do you know any insane that was made athene that was made out of clay do you know any incense that were made out of clay i don't know no but it doesn't mean it didn't so so do you assume there are human beings that i just made what i found was made out of clay out of the back they finished the verse but he was made a drop of sperm then

[52:28] who is the who going back to he's going back to that same person that was made out of bean so and okay so if you want to get more precise the clay what does clay consist of what does clay consist of now i did not say i did not a lot does not say i created him out of clay means and i did say that this refers to dna i did say that now you can take a different interpretation that's fine many people that today understand dna would say that this is what it's most likely referring to what is dna made of phosphorus carbon and

[53:06] isn't this something that's found in clay or in everywhere around us no so the thing is the thin resemblance that's being given is about something murky in its existence it's not if you're taking it as a literal explanation that when it's been mentioned it is literal then that's okay that's fine that's your understanding but you're still stuck because if he's being made out of mud and clay then how is he a drop of sperm in the as it follows so to take that entire verse literally you're stuck you know it's a very difficult thing most people don't take it absolutely literally

[53:44] they don't tell me if allah can make adam just like this why make him out of clay well again that question goes by what is what is meant by clay no so why not just why not box is it no so why not make him out of thin air in a way everything is made of thin air if you think about it no it isn't it is i don't mean in the atomic kind of space between the molecular structures at a sub-atomic level i'm talking about when allah says that he created

[54:21] adam that he mentions that you see he says that about kun fayakun but he says he first of all created him then said kun fayakum why why create him why not just say kung fu so the uh in this verse the creation is it talking about the soul or is it talking about the physical body no it seems to be talking about the physical body because this is where they are saying well what about jesus then they're trying to and and by the way

[54:59] this was where i began i was going to explain why the quran did not immediately dis disbelief it didn't diss it it did not refuse not refuse but it did not it seems to circumvent dissing the christians now the question is is that because islam felt it was true so that's obviously what you're arguing you're arguing that when islam circumvents not openly refuting the virgin birth or not openly refuting that adam was created from you know when they asked what about jesus then says

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment HIU1GJSzg1E/s/11. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/hiu1gjszg1e/s/11/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.