ٱلَّذِىٓ أَحْسَنَ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ خَلَقَهُۥ ۖ وَبَدَأَ خَلْقَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنِ مِن طِينٍ 7
Translations
Who perfected everything which He created and began the creation of man from clay.
Transliteration
Alladhee ahsana kulla shay'in khalaqahu wa bada'a khalqa al-insani min teen
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah emphasizes Allah's perfect creation and wisdom, stating that He perfected everything He created and began the creation of mankind from clay (earth). Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir explain that this refers to Allah's comprehensive perfection in all creation and highlights the humble origins of humanity from clay, which was then animated with the soul (ruh), demonstrating both Allah's might and the dignity He bestowed upon mankind despite its earthly origins.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah As-Sajdah, a Meccan surah that emphasizes Allah's creative power and the signs of His creation visible in the natural world. The context here follows the description of creation over six days and serves to reinforce the theme that all of Allah's creation reflects His perfect wisdom and design.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'Allah created Adam in His image' (Sahih Bukhari 6227), which complements this ayah by showing that despite humanity's material origin from clay, it possesses a divine dignity. Additionally, the hadith in Muslim 2841 about the creation of mankind emphasizes the spiritual animation of the clay form with the soul.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that our humble material origin from clay should inspire humility and gratitude toward Allah, while simultaneously recognizing the extraordinary honor Allah has bestowed upon humanity through creation and the soul. It reminds us to observe and reflect upon the perfect design in all of creation as evidence of Allah's wisdom and power.