precede his creation, such that one could say, “Adam was created in that form”? Furthermore, if the intended meaning were that he was created from that very clay form, rather than from two parents—though this is untenable—the wording would have been like Allah Most High’s words, “from dust,” or His words:

“I am creating a human being from clay.” (71) [Sād 71]

And His words:

“I am creating a human being from ringing clay, from dark, moulded mud.” (28) [al-Hijr 28]

The same applies if someone interprets it as referring to the form decreed for him—that which had already been established for him in Allah’s knowledge, speech, and Book—meaning that He created Adam in the form He had decreed for him. Although Allah created everything according to His prior decree, the hadith cannot validly be interpreted in this way, because Allah Most High created all things according to what He had decreed. There is therefore nothing unique to Adam in this.

Moreover, it would not make sense to say, “Do not revile the face, and let none of you say, ‘May Allah make your face ugly, and the face of anyone whose face resembles yours,’ for Allah created Adam according to what He had decreed for him.” For He created the face, all the other limbs, and indeed all created things according to His decree. This would therefore mean that nothing whatsoever should be reviled, since the stated reason applies universally. Furthermore, his words, “and the face of anyone whose face resembles yours,” preclude the possibility that