Key Verses

1. 16:4An-Nahl
   خَلَقَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ مِن نُّطۡفَةٖ فَإِذَا هُوَ خَصِيمٞ مُّبِينٞ
   He hath created man from a drop of fluid, yet behold! he is an open opponent.
   In context

   He created man from a despised drop of fluid who then progressed from one form to another until he became a harsh contender using falsehood to attempt to invalidate with it the truth, being an obvious opponent in his arguing.

2. 18:37Al-KahfWarning
   قَالَ لَهُۥ صَاحِبُهُۥ وَهُوَ يُحَاوِرُهُۥٓ أَكَفَرۡتَ بِٱلَّذِي خَلَقَكَ مِن تُرَابٖ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطۡفَةٖ ثُمَّ سَوَّىٰكَ رَجُلٗا
   His comrade, when he (thus) spake with him, exclaimed: Disbelievest thou in Him Who created thee of dust, then of a drop (of seed), and then fashioned thee a man?
   In context

   His believing friend said to him whilst having this conversation: Do you reject the One Who created your father, Adam, from dust. Then He created you from sperm. Then He made you into a male human being and proportioned your limbs making you complete? The One who has power to do all of that is able to resurrect you.

3. 22:5Al-Hajj
   يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِن كُنتُمۡ فِي رَيۡبٖ مِّنَ ٱلۡبَعۡثِ فَإِنَّا خَلَقۡنَٰكُم مِّن تُرَابٖ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطۡفَةٖ ثُمَّ مِنۡ عَلَقَةٖ ثُمَّ مِن مُّضۡغَةٖ مُّخَلَّقَةٖ وَغَيۡرِ مُخَلَّقَةٖ لِّنُبَيِّنَ لَكُمۡۚ وَنُقِرُّ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡحَامِ مَا نَشَآءُ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٖ مُّسَمّٗى ثُمَّ نُخۡرِجُكُمۡ طِفۡلٗا ثُمَّ لِتَبۡلُغُوٓاْ أَشُدَّكُمۡۖ وَمِنكُم مَّن يُتَوَفَّىٰ وَمِنكُم مَّن يُرَدُّ إِلَىٰٓ أَرۡذَلِ ٱلۡعُمُرِ لِكَيۡلَا يَعۡلَمَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ عِلۡمٖ شَيۡـٔٗاۚ وَتَرَى ٱلۡأَرۡضَ هَامِدَةٗ فَإِذَآ أَنزَلۡنَا عَلَيۡهَا ٱلۡمَآءَ ٱهۡتَزَّتۡ وَرَبَتۡ وَأَنۢبَتَتۡ مِن كُلِّ زَوۡجِۭ بَهِيجٖ
   O mankind! if ye are in doubt concerning the Resurrection, then lo! We have created you from dust, then from a drop of seed, then from a clot, then from a little lump of flesh shapely and shapeless, that We may make (it) clear for you. And We cause what We will to remain in the wombs for an appointed time, and afterward We bring you forth as infants, then (give you growth) that ye attain your full strength. And among you there is he who dieth (young), and among you there is he who is brought back to the most abject time of life, so that, after knowledge, he knoweth naught. And thou (Muhammad) seest the earth barren, but when We send down water thereon, it doth thrill and swell and put forth every lovely kind (of growth).
   In context

   O people, if you have any doubt regarding My power to resurrect you after your death, think about your creation: I created your father Adam from soil; then I created his children from sperm which the man casts into the woman’s womb; then the sperm turns into solid blood; then the solid blood turns into a piece of meat; then the piece of meat turns into either a sound creation which remains in the…

4. 23:13Al-Muminun
   ثُمَّ جَعَلۡنَٰهُ نُطۡفَةٗ فِي قَرَارٖ مَّكِينٖ
   Then placed him as a drop (of seed) in a safe lodging;
   In context

   Then I created his progeny who procreate, by way of a drop of sperm that lodges in the womb until birth.

5. 23:14Al-MuminunConsolation
   ثُمَّ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلنُّطۡفَةَ عَلَقَةٗ فَخَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡعَلَقَةَ مُضۡغَةٗ فَخَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡمُضۡغَةَ عِظَٰمٗا فَكَسَوۡنَا ٱلۡعِظَٰمَ لَحۡمٗا ثُمَّ أَنشَأۡنَٰهُ خَلۡقًا ءَاخَرَۚ فَتَبَارَكَ ٱللَّهُ أَحۡسَنُ ٱلۡخَٰلِقِينَ
   Then fashioned We the drop a clot, then fashioned We the clot a little lump, then fashioned We the little lump bones, then clothed the bones with flesh, and then produced it as another creation. So blessed be Allah, the Best of creators!
   In context

   I then created the lodged drop of sperm into a red clot of blood, which I then created into a piece of flesh, which I then created into hard bones. I then covered those bones with flesh and then developed it into a completely different creation, by blowing a soul into it and bringing it out into life. Praised is Allah, the best of creators!

6. 35:11Fatir
   وَٱللَّهُ خَلَقَكُم مِّن تُرَابٖ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطۡفَةٖ ثُمَّ جَعَلَكُمۡ أَزۡوَٰجٗاۚ وَمَا تَحۡمِلُ مِنۡ أُنثَىٰ وَلَا تَضَعُ إِلَّا بِعِلۡمِهِۦۚ وَمَا يُعَمَّرُ مِن مُّعَمَّرٖ وَلَا يُنقَصُ مِنۡ عُمُرِهِۦٓ إِلَّا فِي كِتَٰبٍۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ يَسِيرٞ
   Allah created you from dust, then from a little fluid, then He made you pairs (the male and female). No female beareth or bringeth forth save with His knowledge. And no-one groweth old who groweth old, nor is aught lessened of his life, but it is recorded in a Book, Lo! that is easy for Allah.
   In context

   Allah is the one who created your father Adam from soil, then He created you from a sperm-drop, then He made you men and women who marry one another. And no female conceives a foetus nor does she give birth except with His knowledge. Nothing of that is hidden from Him. And the lifespan of any of His creation is not increased nor is it decreased except that it is written in the Preserved Tablet.

7. 36:77Ya-Sin
   أَوَلَمۡ يَرَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ أَنَّا خَلَقۡنَٰهُ مِن نُّطۡفَةٖ فَإِذَا هُوَ خَصِيمٞ مُّبِينٞ
   Hath not man seen that We have created him from a drop of seed? Yet lo! he is an open opponent.
   In context

   Does the human who rejects the resurrection after death not ponder that I created him from semen, then he went through different phases until he was born and developed, turning into an argumentative and quarrelling creation? Does he not ponder over that to conclude that resurrection is possible?

8. 40:67Ghafir
   هُوَ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن تُرَابٖ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطۡفَةٖ ثُمَّ مِنۡ عَلَقَةٖ ثُمَّ يُخۡرِجُكُمۡ طِفۡلٗا ثُمَّ لِتَبۡلُغُوٓاْ أَشُدَّكُمۡ ثُمَّ لِتَكُونُواْ شُيُوخٗاۚ وَمِنكُم مَّن يُتَوَفَّىٰ مِن قَبۡلُۖ وَلِتَبۡلُغُوٓاْ أَجَلٗا مُّسَمّٗى وَلَعَلَّكُمۡ تَعۡقِلُونَ
   He it is Who created you from dust, then from a drop (of seed) then from a clot, then bringeth you forth as a child, then (ordaineth) that ye attain full strength and afterward that ye become old men - though some among you die before - and that ye reach an appointed term, that haply ye may understand.
   In context

   He is the one who created Adam from soil, then He created you after him from a sperm-drop, then after a sperm-drop from clotted blood, then after that He takes you out of your mothers’ wombs as small children, then so that you reach the peak of your strength, then so that you grow older until you become elders.

9. 53:46An-Najm
   مِن نُّطۡفَةٍ إِذَا تُمۡنَىٰ
   From a drop (of seed) when it is poured forth;
   In context

   From a drop when it is placed in the womb.

10. 75:37Al-Qiyamah
    أَلَمۡ يَكُ نُطۡفَةٗ مِّن مَّنِيّٖ يُمۡنَىٰ
    Was he not a drop of fluid which gushed forth?
    In context

    Was this human being one day not a drop of sperm spilt into the womb.

11. 76:2Al-Insan
    إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ مِن نُّطۡفَةٍ أَمۡشَاجٖ نَّبۡتَلِيهِ فَجَعَلۡنَٰهُ سَمِيعَۢا بَصِيرًا
    Lo! We create man from a drop of thickened fluid to test him; so We make him hearing, knowing.
    In context

    I created man from a drop that was a mixture of the liquid of a man and a woman, to test him with the impositions I placed on him. I made him hearing and seeing to carry out the laws I imposed on him.

12. 80:19AbasaCommand
    مِن نُّطۡفَةٍ خَلَقَهُۥ فَقَدَّرَهُۥ
    From a drop of seed. He createth him and proportioneth him,
    In context

    He created him from a small amount of fluid, and managed his creation in stages.