Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 22 Al-Haj, Ayat 5-5

يٰۤـاَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اِنۡ كُنۡـتُمۡ فِىۡ رَيۡبٍ مِّنَ الۡبَـعۡثِ فَاِنَّـا خَلَقۡنٰكُمۡ مِّنۡ تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ مِنۡ نُّـطۡفَةٍ ثُمَّ مِنۡ عَلَقَةٍ ثُمَّ مِنۡ مُّضۡغَةٍ مُّخَلَّقَةٍ وَّغَيۡرِ مُخَلَّقَةٍ لِّـنُبَيِّنَ لَـكُمۡ​ ؕ وَنُقِرُّ فِى الۡاَرۡحَامِ مَا نَشَآءُ اِلٰٓى اَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ثُمَّ نُخۡرِجُكُمۡ طِفۡلًا ثُمَّ لِتَبۡلُغُوۡۤا اَشُدَّكُمۡ ​ۚ وَمِنۡكُمۡ مَّنۡ يُّتَوَفّٰى وَمِنۡكُمۡ مَّنۡ يُّرَدُّ اِلٰٓى اَرۡذَلِ الۡعُمُرِ لِكَيۡلَا يَعۡلَمَ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِ عِلۡمٍ شَيۡـئًـا​ ؕ وَتَرَى الۡاَرۡضَ هَامِدَةً فَاِذَاۤ اَنۡزَلۡنَا عَلَيۡهَا الۡمَآءَ اهۡتَزَّتۡ وَرَبَتۡ وَاَنۡۢبَـتَتۡ مِنۡ كُلِّ زَوۡجٍۢ بَهِيۡجٍ‏ ﴿22:5﴾

(22:5) O mankind! If you have any doubt concerning Resurrection, then know that it is surely We Who created you from dust, then from a drop of sperm,5 then from a clot of blood, then from a little lump of flesh, some of it shapely and other shapeless.6 (We are rehearsing this) that We may make the reality clear to you. We cause (the drop of sperm) that We please to remain in the wombs till an appointed time. We bring you forth as infants (and nurture you) that you may come of age. Among you is he that dies (at a young age) and he who is kept back to the most abject age so that after once having known, he reaches a stage when he knows nothing.7 You see the earth dry and barren and then no sooner than We send down water upon it, it begins to quiver and swell and brings forth every kind of beauteous vegetation.

Notes

5. “We have created you from dust, then from a drop of sperm”: The first man Adam was created directly from clay and after him the process of procreation started by means of sperm-drop. This has been stated in Surah AsSajda, Ayats 7-8 as well. It may also mean that man is created from sperm-drop but his body is made of those elements which are all available in the earth.

6. This refers to the different stages of development of the child in the womb of its mother. This description is based on observation and not on scientific research, and there was no need for it for the purpose for which reference to this has been made here.

7. That is, in old age man is again reverted to the same condition in which he was in childhood. He loses his senses and knows little or nothing like a child.