Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
Allah, Glorified and Exalted, is capable of creating anything with the word “Be”, and nothing in the heavens or on earth is beyond His power. However, all His actions are based on wisdom. He may create something directly, or He may create it in stages for a wisdom known to Him.
What Were the Stages of Adam’s Creation?
The Quran explains that the creation of Adam passed through several stages:
He was created from dust.
It was then mixed with water and became clay.
Then it became altered black mud.
Then it became clay like pottery.
Then Allah breathed the soul into him, and he became a living human being.
These stages do not contradict Allah’s saying: “His command, when He wills something, is only to say to it, ‘Be,’ and it is.” This command is what brought those stages into existence and completed them.
What Is the Wisdom Behind This?
Scholars have mentioned several wisdoms, including:
Demonstrating the perfection of Allah’s power, as He brought forth from dust an intelligent and honored human being.
Showing the different origins from which creatures were created: the angels were created from light, the jinn from fire, and Adam from dust.
Honoring Adam (peace be upon him), as Allah created him with His Hand and breathed into him from the spirit He created, which is a distinction Allah granted him over the rest of humanity.
Conclusion
Allah’s creation of Adam in stages was not due to any inability to create him with the word “Be”, but rather due to profound wisdom that He willed. Allah is capable of creating whatever He wills, however He wills, and all His actions are based on knowledge and wisdom, even if some of their wisdoms remain hidden from His servants.
And Allah knows best.