Sura 15, al-Hijr, late Meccan

The Quranic text and Ali’s version

فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِي فَقَعُواْ لَهُ سَاجِدِينَ ﴿٢٩﴾   

15:29.  "When I have fashioned him (in due proportion) and breathed into him of My spirit, fall ye down in obeisance unto him."

C1968. Among other passages where the creation of Adam is referred to, cf. the following;

2:30-39; 7:11-25.

Note that here the emphasis is on three points:

1.     the breathing from Allah's spirit into man i.e., the faculty of God-like knowledge and will, which, if rightly used, would give man superiority over other creatures:

2.     the origin of evil in arrogance and jealousy on the part of Satan, who saw only the lower side of man (his clay) and failed to see the higher side, the faculty brought in from the spirit of Allah;

3.     that this evil only touches those who yield to it, and has no power over Allah's sincere servants, purified by His grace (15:40, 42).

Adam is not here mentioned by name, but only Man, whose symbol is Adam

Asad’s version

(15:29) and when I have formed him fully and breathed into him of My spirit, fall down before him in prostration!" 26

[[Asad’s note - 26 Cf. 2 : 30-34 and the corresponding notes, as well as 7:1 1-18. The allegorical character of all the passages bearing on the creation of man and on God's command to the angels to prostrate themselves before him is brought out clearly in God's saying, "I am about to create mortal man... ; and when I have formed him fully...", etc.: for it is obvious that, in reality, no lapse of time is required for God's completing His creation - since, "when He wills a thing to be, He but says unto it, 'Be'- and it is" (cf. 2:117, 3:47 and 59, 6:73, 16:40, 19: 35, 36:82 and 40: 68). God's "breathing of His spirit" into man is obviously a metaphor for His endowing him with life and consciousness: that is, with a soul. ]]