The Creation and Formation of Humankind; The first stage: Dust
Selections from the Book The Story of The Beginning of Creation and The Creation of Adam, peace be upon him …
Written by Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi...
Episode (93)
The beginning of human creation was with a handful of earth’s soil, as mentioned in several places in the Holy Quran. Allah Almighty says: {Indeed, the example of Jesus to Allah is like that of Adam. He created him from dust; then He said to him, "Be," and he was.} [Ali 'Imran: 59]. He also says; {And of His signs is that He created you from dust; then, suddenly you were human beings dispersing [throughout the earth].} [Ar-Rum: 20]. Though this verse addresses the descendants of Adam, who are born through marriage and procreation, it also applies to their forefather, Adam, who was created from dust; therefore, they too are considered created from dust.
In His wisdom, Allah willed that the earth's soil vary in color and nature, aligning with different regions of the earth and complementing each other to produce diverse types of plants and fruits. There is red soil, black soil, white soil, and gray soil; soft, loose soil and hard, rough soil; flexible soil and tough, solid soil. When Allah intended to create humanity as His vicegerent on earth, He took a handful of earth, embodying the variety of colors and characteristics found in its soil.
The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Allah created Adam from a handful which he took from the whole of the earth; so the children of Adam are in accordance with the earth, some red, some white, some black, some a mixture, also smooth and rough, bad and good.”
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) explains the reasons behind the diversity in human skin colors, as well as the differences in their dispositions and characteristics. This diversity originates from the varying colors of the soil from which Allah created their forefather, Adam. The handful of earth from which Adam was created contained various colors of soil—red, white, black, and others. These diverse colors transformed into genetic traits that are passed from parents to offspring. In His wisdom, Allah granted each region of the earth its unique skin color, assigning every person the color He chose for them. Thus, some regions are inhabited by people with black skin, others by people with white, red, or brown skin, and so on.
Allah, in His wisdom, chose each person’s skin color, and no one has the power to choose their own. He made the diversity of languages and skin colors a sign of His greatness, oneness, and power. Allah Almighty says; {And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your languages and your colors. Indeed in that are signs for those of knowledge.} [Ar-Rum: 22].
Since a person’s skin color is beyond their control, it should not be a basis for merit or superiority among people. It is unjust to favor one group over another for something they neither influenced nor chose. Instead, people should be distinguished based on choices they make, like their faith, good deeds, and piety. Many societies have strayed by making color a criterion for superiority, favoring those of a particular color while scorning others and subjecting them to extreme forms of racial discrimination.
The Nazis in Germany, for example, favored the Aryan race due to their fair skin and rejected others. Similarly, Anglo-Saxon Americans once regarded themselves superior and looked down upon Black Americans, not for any fault of theirs but because of the color of their skin. Just as humans differ in skin color due to the various hues of soil, they also vary in dispositions and personalities due to the earth’s differing nature. Some people have a gentle, cheerful disposition—approachable, amicable, and consistently vibrant. They are a pleasure to be around, bringing warmth to interactions. Others have a gloomy, stern nature, hard and unwelcoming, repelling others and making encounters challenging. Exalted is Allah, The Wise and All-Knowing, who created soil with different colors and characteristics and created people with varying colors and temperaments. This is among the clearest signs of Allah’s oneness.
Scientists have conducted a detailed analysis of the earth's components, discovering over a hundred known natural elements. They also analyzed the human body and found it composed of around twenty-three elements, which represent the essence or key elements of the earth. This aligns with the truth of Allah's words in His miraculous Quran: {And certainly did We create man from an extract of clay.} [Al-Mu'minun: 12], meaning from the very essence of the earth, which is indeed the reality. Blessed is Allah, the Best of creators. Allah Almighty also says: {He was most knowing of you when He produced you from the earth and when you were fetuses in the wombs of your mothers.} [An-Najm: 32].
- Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi, The Story of The Beginning of Creation and The Creation of Adam, peace be upon him, pp. 708-711.
- Biography of Adam, peace be upon him, Al-Khalidi, p. 33.
- Adam and Eve, Secrets and Facts, Abdel Baqi, p. 29.
- Sunan Abi Dawood, No. 4693, Book of Sunnah, Chapter on Destiny.
For further information and review of the sources for the article, see:
The Book of The Story of The Beginning of Creation and The Creation of Adam, peace be upon him on the official website of Sheikh Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi:
