7 Preface الَّذي أَحسَنَ كُلَّ شَيءٍ خَلَقَهُ ۖ وَبَدَأَ خَلقَ الإِنسانِ مِن طينٍYusuf AliHe Who has made everything which He has created1 most good: He began the creation of man with (nothing more than) clay,2God’s creation in itself is good; it is beautiful in proper proportions, and adapted for the functions it has to perform. There is no evil or disorder in it. Such evil or disorder as creeps in is due to man’s will (as far as the world of man is concerned), and spiritual Teaching is directed to train and cure that will and bring it into conformity with the Universal Order and Plan.Man is asked to contemplate his own humble beginning. His material body (apart from life) is a piece of earth or clay, which is another term for primeval matter. Matter is therefore the first stage, but even matter was not self-created. It was created by God.