“You both deny” — the dual address
فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ
The Surah repeatedly speaks in the dual form, calling out two audiences. Here and in the next ayah, that ambiguity is clarified.
Ayah 55:14 — Creation from Salsaal, like Fakhkhaar
خَلَقَ الْإِنسَانَ مِن صَلْصَالٍ كَالْفَخَّارِ
“He created the human from Salsaal (dried clay that makes a reverberating sound) like Al‑Fakhkhaar (baked clay or pottery)”.
Reverberation Pottery form Pride vs Humility Substance vs Show From simple matter
Who is being addressed by “you both”?
Seen and unseen adversaries
وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَا لِكُلِّ نَبِيٍّ عَدُوًّا شَيَاطِينَ الْإِنسِ وَالْجِنِّ يُوحِي بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَىٰ بَعْضٍ زُخْرُفَ الْقَوْلِ غُرُورًا
“And thus We made for every prophet an enemy, Shayaateen (devils) from the men and Jinn, inspiring to one another beautifying speech to deceive.”
There is a visible enemy among humans and an invisible one among jinn, supporting each other in opposition.
Creation focus, repeated with detail
From dried, crackling clay — like baked pottery
The ayah specifies both the source material and a comparative finished state: from Salsaal (dry, resonant clay), like Al‑Fakhkhaar (baked clay/pottery).
Ibn ‘Ashour: “Al‑Insaan” here refers to Adam, origin of humankind.
Salsaal — properties and linguistic resonance
Meaning and imagery
- Dry clay that rattles or crackles due to dryness; makes an echoing, resonant sound.
- Non‑fertile, does not absorb water — a stark contrast to earlier fertile imagery in the Surah.
- Evokes lifelessness before divine formation.
Root associations (ص لّ)
- Echoing sounds like striking metal or an empty container.
- Transformation and spoilage: water going bad (مُصِلّ), meat turning rotten.
- Sharp, resonant sounds from agitated animals (e.g., camels, horses).
Al‑Fakhkhaar — baked pottery and the theme of “pride”
Pottery as finished form
- Pottery reverberates louder when empty than when filled.
- Describes a formed, solid state — a comparative likeness to the human’s finished form.
Root Fakhr and “show without substance”
- الفَخور: camels with big udders but little milk — outward show, little yield.
- Al‑Fakhkhaar: empty pottery — loud when hollow; aligns with Salsaal’s resonance.
- Fakhoor: someone inflating self‑worth yet lacking substance.
Interpretive lenses
Ibn ‘Ashour
- “Al‑Insaan” refers to Adam, origin of humankind.
- “Like Al‑Fakhkhaar” can be a state: created from Salsaal, then became like pottery — a specific, solid form.
Ustadh Nu’man
The wording may imply a human propensity to posture and inflate self‑worth. Dried clay like pottery suggests a need for humility.
Ar‑Razi
When dust, prone to disintegrate, is transformed into a vessel that holds water, it is as though it has “pride” over its kind — an elevation of base matter through divine craftsmanship.
Human condition — images and lessons
Hollow loudness vs inner substance
- Empty pottery is loudest; emptiness corresponds to boastfulness without substance.
- The vessel imagery implies a need to be filled with meaning; otherwise, one is only for show.
Remember the origin; restrain pride
- Created from the simplest earthly material; like the most basic human craft (pottery).
- Pride stems from forgetting this origin.
- We are like a show piece until put to use with purpose.
- Noted implication: the most amazing, complex creation from the simplest, seemingly worthless material.
Contrasting images: fertile life vs dry resonance
Earlier: fertility and growth
Fruits, palms, crops — an image of richness and yield.
Here: dry, non‑absorbent clay
Salsaal presents lifeless dryness, heightening the contrast with living abundance.
Concise takeaways
The dual address calls out humans and jinn, who may support one another in denial.
Material origin: dry, resonant clay; comparative form: baked pottery — finished, yet hollow when empty.
The theme of pride warns against hollow show; true worth comes with being filled with purpose.