Did Allah Create and Fashion Mankind Before Angels Prostrated to Adam?

 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

يا نبي سلام عليك

Allah, holy and exalted is He, says:

وَلَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنٰکُمۡ ثُمَّ صَوَّرۡنٰکُمۡ ثُمَّ قُلۡنَا لِلۡمَلٰٓئِکَۃِ اسۡجُدُوۡا لِاٰدَمَ

And We created you then fashioned you then We said to the Angels, ‘Prostrate to Adam’

(Surah 7, Ayah 11)

The verse is interesting as, on the surface, it indicates that humans as a collective were created and fashioned by God prior to His ordering the Angels to prostrate to Adam. Ordinarily, the Arabic word thumma means then, indicating what comes next in chronological sequence.

The preceding verse establishes that Allah is addressing mankind collectively when He says “We created you then We fashioned you”, and not referring specifically to Adam as some commentators have said.

وَلَقَدۡ مَکَّنّٰکُمۡ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ وَجَعَلۡنَا لَکُمۡ فِیۡہَا مَعَایِشَ ؕ قَلِیۡلًا مَّا تَشۡکُرُوۡنَ

And We established you in the Earth and We made for you therein the means of subsistence. Little are you grateful

(Surah 7, Ayah 10)

As I have explained elsewhere, the Holy Quran suggests that prior to the creation of the individual Adam there were already homo sapiens present on the Earth.

Adam’s immediate progeny may have mixed with some of those homo sapiens, and all humans today are descended from Adam as the other homo sapiens which did not mix with Adam’s immediate progeny simply died out.

The idea prevalent among some Muslims that Adam’s immediate sons and daughters procreated through incest does not seem justified from the Holy Quran or authentic Ahadith of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.

And Allah and His Apostle know best.