26 Preface وَلَقَد خَلَقنَا الإِنسانَ مِن صَلصالٍ مِن حَمَإٍ مَسنونٍYusuf AliWe created man from sounding clay,1 from mud moulded into shape;Salsal: dry clay which produces a sound, like pottery, Cf. 55:14. Taking verses 26 and 29 together, I understand the meaning to be: that man’s body was formed from wet clay moulded into shape and then dried until it could emit sound (perhaps referring to speech); that it was then further fashioned and completed; that into the animal form thus fashioned was breathed the Spirit of God, which gave it a superiority over other Creation: and that the order for obeisance was then given.