The Qur'an on Embryology

During the course of an online discussion last week, a non-Muslim acquaintance made a sweeping statement about the Qur’an needing to be updated. While I immediately corrected him about making a statement without having read it or knowing about it, it set me thinking.

So, from this post onwards, I’ll try for every alternate post on the Qur’an for a while. And at the end of a few posts, I’ll let him decide.

So, RD, this is for you!

In one of my earlier posts (July 09), I had written about the water cycle. In that, I had mentioned that I would write about human embryology later. So, let’s start with that.

In approximately 610 A.D., the first verse of the Qur’an was revealed. And it says-

Iqra/ bi-ismi rabbika allathee khalaqa. Khalaqa al-insana min AAalaqin

Proclaim! (or read!) in the name of thy Lord and Cherisher, Who created. Created man, out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood. (Qur’an 96:1-2; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

The word ‘alaq’ in Arabic has multiple meanings. One of them is a drop of congealed blood. Another meaning is something that clings – a leech-like substance.

Describes the state of the foetus in the first two weeks very succintly, doesn't it?

There is another verse, which says-

Inna khalaqna al-insana min nutfatin amshajin nabtaleehi fajaAAalnahu sameeAAan baseeran.

Verily We created Man from a drop of mingled sperm, in order to try him: So We gave him (the gifts), of Hearing and Sight. (Qur’an 76:2; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

Mingled? Now what’s that?

Possibility one – we know that the zygote is formed from the mingling of the sperm with the egg. And most people even in the ancient times knew this. So what’s new?

But consider the word – mingled sperm. Sperm. Not mingled liquids, but mingled sperm.

Only in the past half a century or so, with advances in medical research and the invention of powerful microscopes, do we know that the semen doesn't just contain sperm, but fluids secreted by several glands during ejaculation.

During the sexual act, semen travels from the epididymis through the vas deferens, where it picks up a fluid rich in fructose - a sugary substance that acts a bit like rocket fuel. Other fluids kick in along the way to the urethra, from the prostate gland, the Cowper's glands and the seminal vesicles - each one having a role to play.

The finished product contains approximately just 10% sperm. The rest consists of enzymes, vitamin C, calcium, protein, sodium, zinc, citric acid and fructose sugar.

It gets more interesting.

Khalaqakum min nafsin wahidatin thumma jaAAala minha zawjaha waanzala lakum mina al-anAAami thamaniyata azwajin yakhluqukum fee butooni ommahatikum khalqan min baAAdi khalqin fee thulumatin thalathin thalikumu Allahu rabbukum lahu almulku la ilaha illa huwa faanna tusrafoona.

He created you (all) from a single person: then created, of like nature, his mate; and he sent down for you eight head of cattle in pairs: He makes you, in the wombs of your mothers, in stages, one after another, in three veils of darkness. Such is Allah, your Lord and Cherisher: to Him belongs (all) dominion. There is no god but He: then how are ye turned away (from your true Centre)? (Qur’an 39:6; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

Three veils of darkness.

Modern studies in embryology have proved that the foetus in the womb is covered first by the anterior abdominal wall of the mother, the uterine wall and then the amnio-chorionic membrane.
Let’s look at a couple more verses before I end.

Walaqad khalaqna al-insana min sulalatin min teenin. Thumma jaAAalnahu nutfatan fee qararin makeenin. Thumma khalaqna alnnutfata AAalaqatan fakhalaqna alAAalaqata mudghatan fakhalaqna almudghata AAithaman fakasawna alAAithama lahman thumma ansha/nahu khalqan akhara fatabaraka Allahu ahsanu alkhaliqeena.

Man We did create from a quintessence (of clay). Then We placed him as (a drop of) sperm in a place of rest, firmly fixed. Then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood; then of that clot We made a (foetus) lump; then we made out of that lump bones and clothed the bones with flesh; then we developed out of it another creature. So blessed be Allah, the best to create! (Qur’an 23:12-14; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

4 stages clearly mentioned: Alaqah (leech-like) - which is how the foetus implants itself in the uterus; then a mudghah (lump) – which is really how it looks after a couple of weeks of absorbing nutrients; then flesh and bones – which starts from about week four onwards; and then finally the birth.

Falyanthuri al-insanu mimma khuliqa. Khuliqa min ma-in dafiqin. Yakhruju min bayni alssulbi waalttara-ibi.

Now let man but think from what he is created! He is created from a drop emitted. Proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs (Qur’an 86:5-7; Translation by Yusuf Ali)

Let me copy from Dr. Zakir Naik on this - In embryonic stages, the reproductive organs of the male and female, i.e. the testicles and the ovaries, begin their development near the kidney between the spinal column and the eleventh and twelfth ribs. Later they descend; the ovaries stop in the pelvis while the testicles continue their descent before birth to reach the scrotum through the inguinal canal. Even in the adult after the descent of the reproductive organ, these organs receive their nerve supply and blood supply from the Abdominal Aorta, which is in the area between the backbone (spinal column) and the ribs. Even the lymphatic drainage and the venous return goes to the same area.

There are many more verses, but not many people read long posts (or even long news articles) nowadays. Hence, in reader interest, let me stop here with two thoughts that I leave behind.

How could an unlettered – illiterate – person living in the desert of Arabia could have known all this?

More importantly, if this book, revealed between approx. 610-633 A.D., contains such verses that are in perfect harmony with modern medical science, does it need to be updated, or does our knowledge of it needs to be improved?

More on Cosmology in the next post, Insha Allah. Till then, just think about this!

(References: The Qur’an; ‘The Bible, The Qur’an and Science by Dr. Maurice Bucaille; The Qur’an and Modern Science by Dr. Zakir Naik; The Qur’an, Knowledge and Science by A. Abdallah; www.thesite.org)