Moreover, Allah Most High has stated that He accepted Adam’s repentance and chose him while he was still in Paradise, before sending him down to earth. Thus, his punishment had been lifted before his descent.

As for the second interpretation, and his claim that it refutes the view of the Dahriyyah, who maintain that human beings can originate only from sperm and menstrual blood, the response is this: Allah has stated in His Book that He created Adam from water and dust, from clay, and from dark, fetid mud. These are clear, widely transmitted texts, heard by learned and laypeople alike. They demonstrate that he was not created from sperm and menstrual blood, and refute that view in a clear and self-evident manner.

By contrast, saying that Adam was created in Adam’s image does not in any way rule out his having been created from something else.