Church and the consequent branding of all religions to be
anti-science. This is however not the case with Islam. For Islam is
that religion, which emphasizes on the need to acquire knowledge form
the 'Cradle to the grave'. The Prophet of Islam considered the ink of
a scholar more precious than the blood of a martyr. He did not
discriminate between men and women in this regard and said,
"Acquisition of knowledge is compulsoryfor every believing man and
every believing woman. Although the number of literate people in the
whole of Arabia at the dawn of Islam could be counted on the fingers
of one's hands, the succeeding decades witnessed an enormous upsurge
in scientific development and learning. So much so that the Muslim
intellectuals and scientists surpassed even the ancient Romans and
Greeks. Modern science owes everything to the knowledge that they
obtained from the Muslims.
Moreover, Jabir bin Hayyan the father of Chemistry as he is known,was
from among one of the students of Imam Sadiq (a.s.), the 5th
generation of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.).
But how is it possible for a person brought up in a nomad environment
of the 7th century Arabia, tomention things unheard of at that time.
Some understood by the world only when science entered its infancy. It
wasnot for nothing that the Prophet (s.a.w.) said: "I am the city of
Knowledge."
His message was supposed to last till the day of the judgement.
Histeachings had to stand the test of time and hence in addition to
the above words: "I am the city of Knowledge."
He said, "And Ali is its gate."
So, this discussion is followed by an extract from the saying of lmam
Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s.) the great-grandson of Ali ibne Abi Talib
(a.s.). The saying is famous as Hadith-e-Mufazzal and the part that we
have quoted is regarding the development of the human embryo. When we
read the words of Imam, we find them in absolute consonance with the
Qur'an. Moreover they are in the language of a common man easily
understood byall.
Dr. Keith Moore of the University of Toronto wasamazed to find that
manymodern discoveries in the field of embryology must have been known
to the author of the Qur'an, for these facts areeither hinted at or
stated explicitly in the Qur'an. This is particularly significant
because the Qur'an claims to be the verbatim word of God. How could
these facts have been known to any human being living in the 7th
century? The presence of these in the Qur'an is proof enough that the
Qur'an did not come from the mind of any human but must have been
revealed from God whose knowledge is perfect and who therefore, knew
what scientists will discover in the 20th century.
Dr. Moore is not the only scientist to have discussed the Qur'anic
verses we will look at in this article. But the fact that he is not a
Muslim puts what he has to say in a different light. No one can accuse
him of inventing things to defend Islam. His findingswill have to be
taken seriously by any seeker oftruth. In what follows weshall draw
from his article entitled "Highlights of Human Embryology in the Koran
and the Hadith" which was presented at the Seventh Saudi Medical
Meeting at King Faisal University on May 3-6, 1982. At the time, Dr.
Moore was Professor of Anatomy and Chairman of the Department, Faculty
of Medicine, at the University of Toronto.
In tracing the history of ideas in the field of embryology, Dr. Moore
observed that the absence of knowledge in this field and the
"dominating influence of superstition resulted in a non-scientific
approach to human development." He noted, for instance, that while
Aristotle made some contributions to the study of embryology, he also
promoted "the incorrect idea that the human embryo developed from a
formless mass that resulted from the union of semen with menstrual
blood."
Knowledge in this field could not progress significantly until the
microscope was discovered in the 17th century. "After it was possible
to examine cells under the microscope, it was reasoned in the
18thcentury that development resulted from growth and differentiation
of embryonic cells."
In view of the above, after Dr. Moore had the opportunity to study
certain statements in the Qur'an and statements of the Prophet (on
whom be peace) in the Hadith literature, he remarked, "I was amazed at
the scientific accuracy of these statements which were made in the 7th
century A.D."
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 wombsof your mothers, in stages, one after
another,in three veils of darkness.Holy Qur'an (39:6)
Referring to above verse in the Quran, Dr. Moore says: "This verse
from the Koran states that God makes you in the wombs of your mothers
in stages, one after another,within three veils of darkness." Then he
explains his amazement: "The realization that the embryo develops in
stages in the uterus was not discussed or illustrated until the 15th
century A.D.
"The staging of human embryos was not proposed until the 1940's, and
the stages used nowadays were not adopted worldwide until a few years
ago."
It is reasonable to interpret the three veils of darkness mentioned
inthe Koran as:
*.the mother's abdominalwall;
*.the wall of the uterus; and
*.the amniochorionic membrane composed of the fused amnion and
chorion.These three anatomical layers protect the embryofrom external
injury."
And certainly We created man of an extract of clay, Then We made him a
small seed in a firm resting-place, Then We made the seed a clot, then
We made the clot a lump of flesh, then We made (in) the lump of flesh
bones, then We clothed the bones with flesh, then We caused it to grow
into another creation, so blessed be Allah, the best of the creators.
Then after that you will most surely die. Then surely on the day
ofresurrection you shall be raised.Holy Qur'an (23:12-16)
Referring to the above verses in the Qur'an, Dr. Keith Moore says:
"This verse from the Koran states that God made you from a drop and
then changed the drop into a leech-like structure which soon changed
into a chewed like substance that then took the shape of bone and was
clothed with flesh."
To illustrate his point about the accuracy of theQur'an, Dr. Moore
lined up a picture of a leech and a picture of a humanembryo at 24
days old to show the striking similarity between the two. Similarly,
he compared the human embryo at 28 days with a plasticine model of the
embryo with teeth marksdeliberately impressed on it and found the two
to be quite Similar.
Then did he become a leech-like clot; then did (Allah) make and
fashion (him) in due proportion.Holy Qur'an (75:38)
And made his progeny from a quintessence of the nature of a fluid
despised:Holy Qur'an (32:8)
Dr. Moore then turns his attention to the mention in the Qur'an
(75:38) that humans are created froma nutfa, a tiny drop of fluid,
which gushed forth, and that God madethe progeny of men from"an
extraction of despised fluid (32:8)." He also refers to a hadith,
which says: "Not from all secretions is the child made." Then he
comments:
"It is well established thatonly a few hundred of the several million
sperms in the semen are able to pass through the uterus and surround
the ovum in the uterine tube."
Verily We created Man from a drop of mingled sperm, in order to try
him: So We gave him (thegifts), of Hearing and Sight.Holy Qur'an
(76:2)
Surah (76:2) says that a human being is created from a mixed drop. Dr.
Moore comments: "The mixed drop mentioned inthe Koran could refer to
the mixture of small quantity of sperms with the oocyte and its
associated follicular fluid.There are the other references in the
Koran to the origin of man froma small quantity of 'mingled fluids',
undoubtedly the male and female sexual secretions. As we know a
secondary oocyte is expelled from the ovary during a process known as
ovulation. The oocyte and the follicular fluid pass into the uterine
tube, where, if coitus has occurred, they are mixed with several
hundred sperms. The resulting mixture (drop) composedof the ovum and
the penetrating sperm, becomes the zygote or primordium of the
embryo."
Whereas the Qur'an had already mentioned this truth in the 7th
century, Dr. Moore noted that one thousand years later, as late as the
17th century, scientists held on to two misconceptions. Some believed
that a tiny human being is contained in the sperm; others believed
that it was contained in the ovum, and in either case that the tiny
human just simply grew larger. The scientist proved both of these
ideas wrong. Spallanzani in the 18th century when he "showed
experimentally that both male and female sex products werenecessary
for the initiation of development."
From a sperm-drop: He hath created him, and then mouldeth him in due
proportions;Holy Qur'an (80:19)
Turning to a new subject,Dr. Moore refers to Surah (80:19) and
comments: "This verse from the Koran states that from this drop He
(God) created him and soon planned his future characteristics and
features." Then he explained his amazement:
"The idea that development results froma genetic plan contained in the
chromosomes of the zygote was not discovered until the end of 19th
century. The verse from the Koran clearly implies that the nutfa
contains the plan or blueprint for the future characteristics
andfeatures of the developing human being."
That He did create in pairs, male and female, From a seed when lodged
(in its place);Holy Qur'an (53:45-46)
Then he mentions Surah (53:45-46) and says: "This verse states that
either a male or a female will be created from the nutfa and that the
sex of the embryo is determined at the beginning." This piece of
information in the Qur'an is way ahead of its time. "The realization
that sex was determined at fertilization was established about 60
years ago when the sex chromosomes were discovered," he says.
Your wives are a tilth for you, so go into your tilth when you like,
and do good beforehand for yourselves, and be careful (of your duty)
to Allah, and know that you will meet Him, and give good news to the
believers.Holy Qur'an (2:223)
There is more to marvel at. Dr. Moore explains that the blastocyst
(the early embryo) implants inthe uterus about 10 days after
fertilization. Then he compares this knowledge with what hefinds in
the Qur'an. "An understanding of the implantation process of the human
blastocyst is also implied in the Koran." Here Dr. Moore refers to
Surah (2:223) where the act of sex is compared with cultivation. He
says: "A tilth refers to the cultivation of land and the comparison of
implantation of the blastocyst to the plantingof a seed is a very
appropriate one. Just as soil covers the seed, the uterine epithelium
coversthe implanted blastocyst. The blastocyst soon develops chrionic
villi for acquiring nourishment from the maternal blood. Similarly the
embryo formed from the seed develops roots for acquiring nourishment
from the soil."
And certainly We created man of an extract of clay, Then We made him a
small seed in a firm resting-place, Then We made the seed a clot, then
We made the clot a lump of flesh, then We made (in) the lump of flesh
bones, then We clothed the bones with flesh, then We caused it to grow
into another creation, so blessed be Allah, the best of the creators.
Then after that you will most surely die. Then surely on the day
ofresurrection you shall be raised.Holy Qur'an (23:12-16)
Looking again at Surah (23:12-16), Dr. Moore points out that the
articlethumma (meaning furthermore) "indicates that there is a lag or
gap between the nutfa stage and the leech like stage." How does that
compare with modern scientific knowledge? Remarkably!Says Dr. Moore:
"It is well established that there is alag or delay in the development
of the embryo during the implantation...The agreement between the lag
or gap in the development mentioned in the Koran and the slowrate of
change occurring during the second and third weeks is amazing. These
details of human development were not described until about 40 years
ago."
O mankind! if ye have a doubt about the Resurrection, (consider) that
We created you out of dust, then out of sperm, then out of a
leech-like clot, then out of a morsel of flesh, partly formed and
partly unformed, in order that We may manifest (our power) to you; and
We cause whom We will to rest in the wombs for an appointed term, then
do We bring you out as babes, then (foster you) that ye may reach your
age of full strength;Holy Qur'an (22:5)
Moving to Surah (22:5) Dr. Moore says: "this verse states that you are
created from a chewed lump which is both differentiated and
undifferentiated." Then he says: "It is well established that the
brainand the heart are only partially differentiated atthe end of the
fourth week when the embryo resembles a chewed substance."
Then We made the sperminto a clot of congealed blood; then of that
clot We made a (foetus) lump;then we made out of thatlump bones and
clothed the bones with flesh; then we developed out of it another
creature. So blessed be Allah, the best to create!Holy Qur'an (23:14)
The sequence of stages mentioned in Surah (23:14) is strikingly
accurate. "This verse states that out of the chewed lump, bones are
made which are clothed with muscles." Dr. Moore relates the conclusion
of modern science: "After the chewed-like appearance, bones develop
which are soon clothed with muscles."
A hadith too is found to be remarkably accurate. The hadith states
that God sends an angel to the developing child "to create its
hearing, vision, skin, flesh and bones." "The ears and the eyes begin
to form in the fourth week", says Dr. Moore, "and are clearly visible
at six weeks, 42 days after the zygote or nutfa forms. Noting that in
the hadith the angel asks God whether the child is male or female, Dr.
Moore points out that the sex of the child is not distinguishable at
this stage. Males and females look alike at this stage and become
clearly distinguishable only in the 12th week. This he has clearly
documented with the help of a diagram culled from his book the
Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology, 3rdedn., 1982.
Finally, Dr. Moore concludes: "The agreement I have found between
statements in the Koran and sayings in the Hadith may help to close
the gap between science and religion which has existed for so many
years."
All of this go to show thatthe Qur'an could not have been the product
ofthe mind of Muhammad (on whom be peace) or any other human being
living in the 7th century. How could he access information that will
not be discovered until the 18th-2Oth century? How could he or anyone
else study the human embryo in its very early stages without using a
microscope? Impossible. But then the Qur'an must be from God as it
claims. The Qur'an says that you and every human being should consider
this bookwith care. Had it been from anyone other than God, you would
have found much discrepancy in it.
Do they not consider the Qur'an (with care)? Had itbeen from other
Than Allah, they would surely have found therein muchdiscrepancy.Holy
Qur'an (4:82)
CONCLUSION
Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s.) on the developmentof a Human being.
"The embryo in the worldis adjusted, though it is confined within
three distinct kinds of coverings- the outer wall,the womb and the
placenta. This is a time when the embryo can neither manage its
nutrition nor ward off any harm from itself. The menstrual flow is
diverted to serve him as anutriment, just as water carries nutriments
to the plants, so this process goes on till such time as its
constitution is perfected, its skin over itsbody gets tough enough to
stand the atmosphere and its eyes get the capacity to stand light.
When all this gets accomplished, its mother gets labor pangs, which
shake her severely, culminating in the birth of the infant. With the
birth of the infant, the menstrual flow... is diverted to its mother's
breasts. Its taste is altered, so is its color... it becomes a
nutriment of the first order...till such time as his body remains
delicate, his organs and bowels soft and weak. As he begins to move
about and requires tougher nutriment to build up a stronger
constitution, his molars appear to masticate food to facilitate
digestion. He carries on such nutrimenttill puberty... Who then
created man from nothingness and Who becomes the architect of his
worth? Who is ever vigilant to supply his needs from time to time..."
Finally, we may note that the Qur'an is not a Science textbook. Its
purpose is not to teach usscience, but to teach us guidance - the
guidance that will lead us to everlasting life in Paradise, which God
has prepared for those who believe in Him and do right. You can be one
of those. The evidence is before you, and the decision is yours.
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