The Creation of Adam and Human Species: A New Study
By T.O. Shanavas, New Age Islam
10 September 2016
Author of Islamic Theory of Evolution The Missing Link between Darwin and the origin of species; Co-authored with Rabbi David Kay and Prof. Howard Van Till the book, And God Said, "Let There Be Evolution!” Reconciling The Book of Genesis, The Qur'an, And the Theory of Evolution, edited Prof. Charlie M.Wynn
God’s speech is never redundant or arbitrary. If anyone claims redundancy in letter and word in the Quran it undermines the divine authority of the book. It is impossible to take away or ignore a single word or to even remove single particle from the text without seriously damaging the integrity of its meaning. Likewise, every attempt to restructure the syntax of the text, for example by ignoring or moving a word forward or backward would significantly alter the meaning substantially. Every letter, word, and its location and the grammatical construction of sentences in the Divine Speech are precise and purposeful. All have a specific function and meaning. Within this precept, a close study of the narrative of the creation of human species and Prophet Adam reveals that human species were created and settled on the earth before Prophet Adam arrived on the earth with Divine Message.
The following verses present the creation of human species and also the elevation Adam to the status of Prophet.
1.Verses. 7: 10-11
2.Verses. 32: 7-9
3.Verses. 38: 71-72
4.Verses: 15: 28-29
Most Muslims agree that God began the creation of human physical body or the human species from clay. The grammatical construction of the verses suggests that God created and settled human species on the earth before Adam was presented as the first prophet to deliver Divine Message, i.e., Islam. According to verse 2:33, God taught Adam all the knowledge to become the prophet. And Prophet Adam brought human species out of animality to humanity by establishing rules laid out by God. Now let us analyze the above verses grammatically.
VERSE 7:10
TRANSLATION ARABIC Syntax and morphology
And certainly وَلَقَدْ.
We established youمَكَّنَّاكُمْV – 1st person plural (form II) perfect verb
subject pronoun
2nd person masculine plural object pronoun
in فِي
the earth رْضِالْأَ
and We made وَجَعَلْنَا
for you لَكُمْ2nd person masculine plural personal pronoun
in it فِيهَا
livelihood مَعَايِشَaccusative masculine plural noun
little قَلِيلًا
(is) what مَا
you (are) grateful تَشْكُرُونَ 2nd person masculine plural imperfect verb.
subject pronoun.
NOTE: In the initial segment of the verse "2nd person masculine plural object pronoun," i.e., "We established you on the earth (الْأَرْضِفِيمَكَّنَّاكُمْ)" is used. The livelihood, مَعَايِشَ, is also plural noun suggesting livelihood for many (لَكُمْ). Finally, at the end of the verse it says you are grateful, تَشْكُرُونَ,using plural imperfect verb. So, the grammatical composition of the verse with plural nouns, pronouns, and verbs suggests that verse 7:10 is not dealing with the topic of the creation and settlement of Adam but with the establishment of human species on the earth.
VERSE 7:11
TRANSLATION ARABIC Syntax and morphology
Certainly وَلَقَدْ
We created you خَلَقْنَاكُمْ2nd person masculine plural object pronoun
then ثُمَّ
We fashioned youصَوَّرْنَاكُمْ2nd person masculine plural object pronoun
thenثُمَّ
We said قُلْنَا
to the angels لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ
prostrate اسْجُدُوا
to Adam, لِآدَمَgenitive masculine proper noun → Adam
so they prostrated, فَسَجَدُوا
except إِلَّا
iblisإِبْلِيسَ
not لَمْ
he was يَكُنْ
of مِنَ
those who prostrated. السَّاجِدِينَ
NOTES
Here also the grammatical composition of verse 7:12 with 2nd person masculine plural object pronoun (خَلَقْنَاكُمْ and صَوَّرْنَاكُمْ) indicates that the beginning part of the verse is describing the creation of human species, not Adam. The coordinating conjunction," then (ثُمَّ)," between the narration of establishment of human species on the earth and the presentation of Adam to angels and Jinns in the verse is significant. The coordinating conjunction, ثُمَّ, chronologically places the creation and settlement of human species on the earth before the presentation of Prophet Adam.
The verbs, خَلَقْنَاكُمْand صَوَّرْنَاكُمْ, used in this verse and other verses and its meanings are highly significant to understand the creation of human species and Prophet Adam. According to Lane’s Lexicon,خَلَقَmeans "proportionating a thing into another thing." Next Lanes says:"This is the primary meaning." Example of such transformation something into another is clay to extract clay and then ultimately into human shell.
According to Lane, the verb, روص, means “sculpture and shape" a thing or image. So, one of the epithets of God isالْمُصَوِّرُ, sculptor, the One who carve a thing to a shape. The message of the divine use of these verbs is that His process of creation is not an instant event but is made of chronologically pertinent events. So, the above segment of the verse means the creation of human species or shell by transformation one thing to another in stages. Such an understanding is supported by the verse71:14. " It states And indeed He has created you through various stages (أَطْوَارًاخَلَقَكُمْوَقَدْ ).
VERSE 32: 7-9
…and he began وَبَدَأَ
(the) creation خَلْقَ
(of) man الْإِنْسَانِ
from مِنْ
clay طِينٍ
NOTES: The word, "began (وَبَدَأَ ),"in the verse indicates that subsequent series of events in the Divine Process of human creation.
then ثُمَّ
he made جَعَلَ
his progeny نَسْلَهُ
from مِنْ
extract سُلَالَةٍ
of مِنْ
waterمَاءٍ
despised مَهِينٍ
NOTES: Here a known fact is restated, i.e., the reproduction within species is by emitted sperm. Then verse 76:2 elaborates further that the process of human reproduction is by the sperm yoking with female ova. The verse 32:9 reveals that الْمُصَوِّرُsculptures(سَوَّاهُ ) the human embryo into fully grown baby with faculties of hearing, sight, and feelings.
Verse 32:9
Then ثُمَّ
He fashioned himسَوَّاهُ
and breathed وَنَفَخَ
into him فِيهِ
from مِنْ
His spirit رُوحِهِ
and made وَجَعَلَ
for you لَكُمُ
the hearing السَّمْعَ
and the sight وَالْأَبْصَارَ
and feelings وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ
little قَلِيلًا
[what ]مَا
thanks you give. تَشْكُرُونَ
NOTES: In verse 32:9, after (ثُمَّ) deposit of the male sperm, the development of the embryo progresses (سَوَّاهُ)and then the human specific soul is brown into it and then hearing, sights and feeling develops. Initially, Verse 32:7 recount the beginning of the creation of human species from clay and then describes in 32:8-9 the fertilization and finally the infusion of accountable individual soul. There is no mention of Adam in the verses and so the verses are not about the creation of Adam but about human procreation and infusion of individual soul.
VERSE 38:71-72
When إِذْ
said قَالَ
your lord رَبُّكَ
to the angels لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ
“indeed, I amإِنِّي
going to createخَالِقٌ
a human beingبَشَرًاaccusative masculine indefinite noun
from مِنْ
clay.طِينٍ
NOTES: The use of indefinite noun (بَشَرًا)in the verse38:71 suggest the creation of human species, not the creation of Adam.
So when فَإِذَا
I have proportioned himسَوَّيْتُهُ
Breathed وَنَفَخْتُ
into him فِيهِ
of مِنْ
my spiritرُوحِي
then fall downفَقَعُوا
to himلَهُ
prostrating.سَاجِدِينَ
NOTES: After recounting the creation of human species in 38:71, The Quran unfolds the intrauterine part of the creation of Prophet Adam in 38:72. The creation of human species and the narration of creation and presentation of Adam before Angels is told in the verse 15:28-29 also.
Based on the grammatical construction of the narratives of the creation of human species and Prophet Adam, human species were created and settled on the earth initially and then God sent Prophet Adam with rules of ethics to draw human species from animality to humanity. Being the prophet who draw human species from animality to humanity by preaching Islam, Adam is known as the spiritual parent of human species. Thereby, human species is described as “children of Adam” in the Qur’an.
Acknowledgement: corpus.quran.com used for syntax and morphology
T.O. Shanavas is a native of Kerala, but is now based in the USA.He is the author of “Islamic Theory of evolution of Evolution The Missing Link Between Darwin and The Origin of Species.” Co-author of the book, And God Said, "Let There Be Evolution!": Reconciling The Book Of Genesis, The Qur'an, And The Theory Of Evolution. Edited by Prof. Charles M. Wynn and Prof. Arthur W. Wiggins.
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-ideology/the-creation-adam-human-species/d/108527
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