Is Man Created From Clay?

In the first place, we would like to make it clear that the Qur'an speaks in so many verses about the creation of man.
In one verse, we are told that man is created from dust.
Allah says, (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) clean 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.) (Quran, Surah Al-Hajj 22:5)

This is one stage of the creation in fact.
The Qur'an refers to another stage in the verse: (Verily We created man from a product of wet earth. Then placed him as a drop (of seed) in a safe lodging; 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 another creation. So blessed be Allah, the Best of Creators!) (Quran, Surah Al-Mu'minun 23:12-14)

Handling this issue in a more elaborate manner, here are the words of the late Sheikh Muhammad Mutwalli Ash-Sha`rawi, a prominent Muslim scholar and exegete:

If we take dust and add water to it, it will be mud. If it is left for some time, it will turn into clay. These are simply the stages of the creation of man. Man thus comes from dust, turned into clay after the addition of water. If we scrutinize this issue, we will find out that man, in his daily life, needs earth and depends on it in so many aspects. It is this earthy soil where we grow the plants upon which we live. Thus, preserving the materials of man depends on the source from which these materials are created.

Scientists have analyzed the human body and found that it is composed of 16 substances including oxygen and manganese. These elements are no more than the elements of the earth’s crust. This experiment was not meant for proving the credibility of the Qur'an; rather, it was solely for scientific research purposes.

In addition, death itself serves as a proof of creation. When we try to demolish a building, we follow the reverse order of building it; we start with the last floor. By the same token, since we have not eye-witnessed the creation of man, then we shall see how death occurs. Actually, we witness several deaths everyday. When man dies, his soul leaves his body, then the decline starts; his body becomes dry (which is similar to the stage of clay) and then decays and turns finally into dust which was his original substance. Life is given to man through the soul that is blown into his body. When the soul departs, man dies and starts his way back to his original form going through the stages of his first creation. Thus, death stands as a living proof for creation.

Here, we'd like also to cite the following:

Adam is the father of all mankind.
He was the progenitor of the human race.
He is reckoned to be the first prophet by Muslims.
He was also the first man whom Almighty Allah created from the elements of clay.
The gradual process of man's physical development has been referred to in the following verses of the Qur'an:
(He began the creation of man from dust. Then He made his progeny of an extract of water held in light esteem. Then He made him complete and breathed into him of His spirit and made for you ears and eyes and heart.) (As-Sajdah 32:7-9)

According to the latest scientific researches, man has been created from clay with all its elements and their inherent properties. It is discovered by a chemical analysis of the human body that a defect occurs in its normal functioning when the quantity of any of these element gets diminished. In such cases, minerals are used to supplement the deficiency and restore normal health.

ref: http://www.islamonline.net