EMBRYOLOGY
EMBRYOLOGICAL STAGES
وَلَقَدْ
خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ مِن سُلَالَةٍ مِّن طِينٍ
23:12 ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَاهُ نُطْفَةً
فِي قَرَارٍ مَّكِينٍ 23:13 ثُمَّ
خَلَقْنَا النُّطْفَةَ عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقْنَا الْعَلَقَةَ مُضْغَةً فَخَلَقْنَا
الْمُضْغَةَ عِظَامًا فَكَسَوْنَا الْعِظَامَ لَحْمًا ثُمَّ أَنشَأْنَاهُ خَلْقًا
آخَرَ فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ
23:14
“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!”
[Al-Qur’ an 23:12-14]
In this verse Allah states that man is created from
a small quantity of liquid which is placed in a place
of rest, firmly fixed (well established or lodged) for
which the Arabic word qaraarin makeen is used.
The uterus is well protected from the posterior by
the spinal column supported firmly by the back
muscles. The embryo is further protected by the
amniotic sac containing the amniotic fluid. Thus
the foetus has a well protected dwelling place.
This small quantity of fluid is made into alaqah,
meaning something which clings. It also means
a leech-like substance. Both descriptions are
scientifically acceptable as in the very early stages
the foetus clings to the wall and also appears to
resemble the leech in shape. It also behaves like a
leech (blood sucker) and acquires its blood supply
from the mother through the placenta.
The third meaning of the word alaqah is a blood
clot. During this alaqah stage, which spans the
third and fourth week of pregnancy, the blood clots
within closed vessels. Hence the embryo acquires
the appearance of a blood clot in addition to
acquiring the appearance of a leech. Compare the
readily available Qur'anic knowledge with Man's
struggle with scientific findings:
In 1677, Hamm and Leeuwenhoek were the
first scientists to observe human sperm cells
(spermatozoa) through a microscope. They thought
that a sperm cell contained a miniature human
being which grew in the uterus to form a newborn.
This was known as the perforation theory. When
scientists discovered that the ovum was bigger than
the sperm, it was thought by scientists like De Graf
and others that the foetus existed in a miniature
form in the ovum. Later, in the 18th century,
Maupertuis propagated the theory of biparental
inheritance.
The alaqah is transformed into mudghah which
means ‘something that is chewed (having teeth
marks)’ and also something that is tacky and small
which can be put in the mouth like gum. Both these
explanations are scientifically correct. Prof. Keith
Moore took a piece of plaster seal and made it into
the size and shape of the early stage of foetus and
chewed it between the teeth to make it into a
mudghah. He compared this with the photographs
of the early stage of foetus. The teeth marks
resembled the ‘somites’ which is the early formation
of the spinal column.
This mudghah is transformed into bones (izâm).
The bones are clothed with intact flesh or muscles
(lahm). Then Allah makes it into another creature.
Prof. Marshall Johnson who is one of the leading
scientists in the USA, and is the head of the
Department of Anatomy and Director of the Daniel
Institute at the Thomas Jefferson University in
Philadelphia in the USA, was asked to comment on
the verses of the Qur’an dealing with embryology. At
first he said that the verses of the Qur’an describing
the embryological stages cannot be a coincidence. It
was probable that Muhammad (pbuh) had a powerful
microscope. On being reminded that the Qur’an was
revealed 1400 years ago, and microscopes were
invented many centuries after the time of Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh), Prof. Johnson laughed and
admitted that the first microscope invented could not
magnify more than 10 times and could not show a
clear picture.
Later he said: “I see nothing here in conflict with
the concept that Divine intervention was involved
when Muhammad (pbuh) recited the Qur’an.”
*** The reference for this statment is the video tape titled ‘This is the Truth’.
For a copy of this video tape contact the Islamic Research Foundation.
According to Dr. Keith Moore, the modern
classification of embryonic development stages
which is adopted throughout the world, is not
easily comprehensible, since it identifies stages
on a numerical basis i.e. stage 1, stage 2, etc. On the
other hand, the divisions revealed in the Qur’an are
based on distinct and easily identifiable forms or
shapes, which the embryo passes through. These
are based on different phases of pre-natal
development and provide elegant scientific descriptions that are
comprehensible and practical.
Embryological stages of human development have
also been described in the following verses:
أَلَمْ يَكُ
نُطْفَةً مِّن مَّنِيٍّ يُمْنَى 75:37
ثُمَّ كَانَ عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقَ فَسَوَّى
75:38 فَجَعَلَ مِنْهُ الزَّوْجَيْنِ الذَّكَرَ وَالْأُنثَى
75:39
“Was he not a drop
of sperm emitted
(in lowly form)?
Then did he become
a clinging clot;
then did (Allah) make
and fashion (him)
in due proportion.
and of him He made
two sexes, male
and female.”
[Al-Qur’an 75:37-39]
الَّذِي خَلَقَكَ
فَسَوَّاكَ فَعَدَلَكَ 82:7 فِي
أَيِّ صُورَةٍ مَّا شَاء رَكَّبَكَ 82:8
“Him Who created thee,
fashioned thee in due proportion,
and gave thee a just bias;
in whatever Form He wills,
does He put thee together.”
[Al-Qur’an 82:7-8]
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