HUMAN EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE QUR'AN

HUMAN EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE QUR'AN

Every human being begins life as a single cell, formed when father's sperm fertilizes mother's egg. Fertilization normally takes place in the mother's Fallopian tube, which connects the uterus (womb) with the ovary. The uterus is the size and shape of a large pear: it is made of muscle and it stretches to allow the baby's growth throughout the months of pregnancy. [1]

Human prenatal development is divided into an embryonic period and a fetal period. The embryonic period begins with fertilization and ends eight weeks later. The staging of human embryos was introduced in 1914 by Franklin P. Mall at the Department of Embryology of the Carnegie Institution of Washington. Mall's successor, George L. Streeter, later refined the classification of human embryos into 23 stages, or "developmental horizons". [2]

Qur’an on Human Embryo

accurately describe natural phenomenon in various fields such as embryology, meteorology, astronomy, geology and oceanography etc.

In the Qur’an, Allah (Glory be to Him) speaks about the stages of man’s embryonic development 1,400 years before modern day scientists 'discovered' important information on creation of man and his development.

Allah (Glory be to Him) articulates in the Qur’an, “We created man from an extract of clay. Then We made him as a drop in a place of settlement, firmly fixed. Then We made the drop into an alaqah (leech, suspended thing and blood clot), then We made the alaqah into a mudghah (chewed substance)…” Qur’an.Surah Mu’minun 23:12-14

The Arabic word “alaqah” has three meanings:
1. Leech
2. Suspended thing
3. Blood clot

Leech:
When comparing a leech to an embryo in the alaqah stage, similarities are found. Also, the embryo at this stage obtains nourishment from the blood of the mother, similar to a leech.

Suspended thing:
During the alaqah stage, the embryo is suspended in the womb (uterus) of the mother.

Blood clot:
The external appearance of the embryo and its sacs during the alaqah stage are similar to that of a blood clot. This is due to the large amount of blood present in the embryo during this stage.

After the alaqah stage comes mudghah. “Mudghah” means “chewed substance”. If one were to chew a piece of gum and compare it to the embryo at this stage, we would conclude that the embryo resembles a chewed substance. This is due to sometimes (cells that form the vertebrae) at the back of the embryo that, according to Dr. Moore and Persaud, “somewhat resemble teeth marks in a chewed substance.” The Developing Human, Moore & Persaud, 5th edition, p. 79.

The Qur’an is also correct in stating that a baby inside the womb develops in stages:
‘He makes you, in the wombs of your mothers, in stages, one after another in three veils of darkness…’ Qur’an.Surah Zumar39:6. [3]

Hadith

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Masud®, Allah’s Messenger (May Allah honour Him and Grant Him peace)said: Verily your creation is on this wise. The constituents of one of you are collected for forty days in his mother's womb in the form of blood, after which it becomes a clot of blood in another period of forty days. Then it becomes a lump of flesh and forty days later Allah sends His angel to it with instructions concerning four things, so the angel writes down his livelihood, his death, his deeds and whether he will be blessed or wretched (in religion). Sahih Al Bukhari Vol 4: 549 and Sahih Al Muslim 6390. [4]

Points to ponder

How could Muhammad (May Allah honour Him and Grant Him peace) have possibly known all this 1,400 years ago when scientists have only recently discovered this using advanced equipment and powerful microscopes which did not exist at that time? Hamm and Leeuwenhoek were the first scientists to observe human sperm cells using an improved microscope in 1677 C.E. (more than 1,000 years after Muhammad, May Allah honour Him and Grant Him peace). They mistakenly thought that the sperm cell contained a miniature preformed human being that grew when it was deposited in the female genital tract. [The Developing Human, p.9]

Professor Keith Moore is one of the world's prominent scientists in the fields of anatomy and embryology and is the author of the book entitled the "Developing Human", which has been translated into eight languages. This book is considered a scientific reference work and was chosen by a special committee in the United States as the best book authored by one person. Dr. Keith Moore is a Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. In 1984, he received the most distinguished award presented in the field of anatomy in Canada, the J.C.B. Grant Award from the Canadian Association of Anatomists. He has directed many international associations, such as the Canadian and American Association of Anatomists and the Council of the Union of Biological Sciences.

In 1981, during the Seventh Medical Conference in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, Professor Moore said; "It has been a great pleasure for me to help clarify statements in the Qur’an about human development. It is clear to me that these statements must have come to Muhammad from God, or Allah, because almost all of this knowledge was not discovered until many centuries later. This proves to me that Muhammad must have been the messenger of God.” (Video tape link below).

Consequently, Professor Moore was asked the following question, "Does this mean that you believe that the Qur’an is the Word of God?" He replied; "I find no difficulty in accepting this."

This fact alone has been the cause of a number of distinguished scientists embracing Islam.

Conclusion

Think about the humans. How did we all get here? What is the nature of mankind? What causes us to act as we do? Are we ungrateful to the One who created us and sustains us? What is this clue? Think about yourself. Did you create yourself? [5]
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