This verse mentions that the first stage of the human-developmental process is that man is formed from an ‘essence’ or ‘extract’ of clay.27

The classical exegetes of the Qur’an understood the words sulaalatin min tin (an essence of clay) to specifically refer to Adam. These exegetes include the famous 13th century scholar from Cordoba, al-Qurtubi28; the 9th Century Persian historian and scholar, al-Tabari29; and the 12th century Iraqi physician and historian al-Baghdadi.30.

Significantly, other exegetes suggest these words refer to the essential elements of the human body, which consist of various chemical components found in clay. Both meanings are intelligible and therefore either can be adopted.

By applying a scientific analysis to this verse it becomes clear that this stage appertains to certain essential chemical components. It is significant that these chemical components are found in clay. They include: Oxygen, Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sulfur, Chlorine, Sodium, Magnesium and Silicon; all of which are required for human functioning and development 31.

This is explained by the jurist and exegete Shafi Usmani in his eight volume exegesis of the Qur’an. He writes:

The words sulaalah means ‘extract’ and tin means ‘wet earth’ or ‘clay’ and the verse means that man was created from some special elements extracted from earth.32

Contemporary critics state that the Qur’an is inaccurate concerning the development of the human being, as the human body is not made from clay. This argument stems from a misunderstanding of the Arabic language, as the key word allowing for the above interpretation is sulaalah (extract). This clearly indicates that it is not clay from which the human is created but an extract of clay, which alludes to the necessary chemical components required for human life

The sulaalatin min tin stage: the essential elements required for human life and functioning, found in clay