His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "He created man from clay like pottery" and "And He created the jinn from a smokeless flame of fire" and "So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?" and "Lord of the two east and Lord of the two west" and "So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?"

Many of the commentators said: "Man" refers to Adam, blessings and peace be upon him. Others said: He meant the name of the species, and this is permissible because their father was created from clay. The people differed regarding the derivation of "clay". Makkī - as narrated - and al-Naqqāsh said: It is "from the clay that has a foul smell" when it becomes rotten, and this is an indication of the mud. Al-Tabarī and the majority of the commentators said: It is from "ṣalla" when it makes a sound, and that is in the clay for its nobility and quality. This is an indication of what was in the soil of Adam, blessings and peace be upon him, from pure clay and foul clay and different colors. At one time, He mentioned this in his creation and at another time, this. Everything in the Qur'an regarding that are descriptions that are repeated about the soil from which he was created. And "pottery" is the good clay when it is touched by water, it expands, meaning: it grows and becomes great. And "the jinn" is a name of a species like "the jinn". And "the smokeless flame" is the flickering flame of fire. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with both of them, said: It is the best of the fire mixed with various colors. And the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, said to Abdullah ibn Amr, may Allah be pleased with both of them: "How will it be for you when you are in a situation among the people whose covenants and trusts have become mixed?"

And He repeated His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?" for emphasis and to awaken souls and to stir them. This is a method of eloquence that is well-known, and it is from the Book of Allah, exalted and majestic is He, in places, and in the sayings of the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, and in the speech of the Arabs. A group among them, including Ibn Qutaybah and others, went to say that this repetition is due to the differing mentioned favors, so the call was repeated with each one of them, and this is better. Al-Husayn ibn al-Fadl said: The repetition is for driving away heedlessness and for emphasis.

And He specifically mentioned the two east and the two west for their honor in the addition of the Lord to them for their greatness among the creations, and that they are the two ends of a great sign and lesson, which is the sun and its course. Al-Naqqāsh narrated that "the two east" are the east of the sun and the moon, and "the two west" likewise, with what is in that of lessons. Each is a direction, and whenever the mention of the east and the west occurs, it is an indication of the two sides in general. And whenever the mention of the east and the west occurs, it is an indication of the east of each day and its west. And whenever the two east and the two west are mentioned, it is an indication of the ends of the east and the west; for the mention of the ends of a thing is a mention of all of it. Mujahid said: It is the east of summer and its west and the east of winter and its west.