Khalaqa al-insana min nutfatin fa-itha huwa khaseemun mubeen (surah Nahl: 4)

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(16:4) He created Man from an insignificant sperm-drop, and behold, by and by he became a manifest disputant *7 .

Khalaqal insaana min nutfatin fa izaa huwa khaseemum mubeen

*7) This has two meanings and both are meant here.
(1) Though Allah created man from an insignificant sperm-drop, he is capable of arguing and giving reasons in support of his claim.
(2) Man who has such an insignificant origin, has become so vain that he does not hesitate to dispute even with his Creator.
If considered in its first sense, it is a chain in the series of arguments given in many succeeding verses to prove the truth of the Message of the Holy Prophet. (Please refer to E.N. 15). If taken in the second sense, it is meant to warn man that he should not forget the insignificant origin of his existence while engaged in his rebellious arguments against his Creator. If he remembered the different stages of his humiliating birth and growth, he would consider many times before he assumed a haughty and rebellious attitude towards his Creator.