"And indeed, We created man from salsal (dried clay)," Qatadah said: This means: dry earth that makes a sound (salsalah). "From black mud, altered (in form)," meaning: of changed odor.
Muhammad said: Al-hama' is the collective plural of ham'ah, and it is said regarding dry mud that has not been touched by fire: salsal; and if fire touches it, it is fakhkhar (pottery).
﴿وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الإِنْسَانَ مِنْ صَلْصَالٍ﴾ قَالَ قَتَادَةُ: يَعْنِي: التُّرَابَ الْيَابِسَ الَّذِي يُسْمَعُ لَهُ صلصلةٌ ﴿مِنْ حمإ مسنون﴾ يَعْنِي: الْمُتَغَيِّرَ الرَّائِحَةَ.
قَالَ محمدٌ: الْحَمَأُ جَمْعُ: حَمْأَةٌ، وَيُقَالُ لِلْيَابِسِ مِنَ الطِّينِ الَّذِي لَمْ تُصِبْهُ نارٌ: صلصالٌ؛ فَإِذَا مَسَّتْهُ النَّارُ فَهُوَ فخار.
