Embryology In The Quran pdf download

Embryology In the Quran

EMBRYOLOGY IN THE QURAN

Book Contents

• ABSTRACT 
• WHAT IS THE QUR’AN? 
• THE SCIENCE OF QUR’ANIC EXEGESIS SCIENCE IN THE QUR’AN 
• ANALYSIS OF CHAPTER VERSES – . ESSENCE/EXTRACT OF CLAY 
• THE HUMAN BODY IS NOT MADE OF CLAY 
• . DROP OF FLUID 
• ARISTOTLE, GALEN & NUTFAH 
• . IN A SAFE PLACE 
• . A CLINGING FORM 
• GALEN & ‘ALAQAH 
• MISREPRESENTING THE EMBRYO’S APPEARANCE .
• A LUMP OF FLESH 
• A CHEWED SUBSTANCE? 
• . BONES 
• FROM A LUMP TO BONES? 
• NOT REAL BONES? 
• . AND WE CLOTHED THOSE BONES WITH FLESH ARISTOTLE & MUSCLE FORMATION 
• WHY USE FLESH AND NOT MUSCLE? 
• WHAT WAS CREATED FIRST, BONES OR FLESH? . WE MADE HIM INTO OTHER FORMS 
• WAS ALHARITH BIN KALADA THE SOURCE OF THE PROPHET’S MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE? 
• DID THE PROPHET DISSECT HUMAN AND ANIMAL EMBRYOS? 
• IS THE QUR’AN INACCURATE CONCERNING WHERE SPERM COMES FROM? 
• DO THE PROPHETIC TRADITIONS UNDERMINE THE SCIENTIFIC ACCURACY OF THE QUR’AN? 
• A NOTE ON USING TRANSLATIONS CONCLUSION 
• GLOSSARY 
• REFERENCES

ABSTRACT 

From the book: This paper is an analysis of chapter 23 verses 12 to 14 of the Qur’an in light of modern embryology.

This study will provide a linguistic breakdown of the relevant verses and correlate these linguistic items to modern science.

 To ensure a comprehensive understanding of this study, an overview of qur’anic exegesis will be provided to appreciate how the Qur’an is made accessible and intelligible to the reader.

This study will also address various contentions, which attempt to challenge the credibility of the qur’anic discourse and its concurrence with modern embryology.

Among these responses will be a refutation of both the ancient Greek plagiarisation thesis and the accusation that al-Harith bin Kalada, a 7^th century physician, was the source of the Prophet’sصلى الله عليه وسلم medical knowledge. 

In chapter 23 verses 12 to 14 the Qur’an provides eight meaningful points describing the process of the developing human embryo: 

We created man from an essence of clay, then We placed him as a drop of fluid in a safe place. Then We made that drop of fluid into a clinging form, and then We made that form into a lump of flesh, and We made that lump into bones, and We clothed those bones with

flesh, and later We made him into other forms. Glory be to God the best of creators. ¹ 

WHAT IS THE QUR’AN? 

Linguistically the word Qur’an means ‘reading’ and came to be referred to as ‘the text which is read’.

The Qur’an also calls itself al-kitab, which lexically implies a written book.

Thus the significance of writing, reading and reflecting upon the Qur’an has been emphasised from the very beginning of Islam. The qur’anic material is divided into suwar², meaning ‘chapters’ in Arabic.

According to the historian Phillip Hitti, the collected written text of the Qur’an is one of the youngest epoch-making books and the most widely read book ever written.³ 

The Qur’an is the supreme authority in Islam as it is the fundamental and essential source of the Islamic creed, ethics, laws, and guidance.

For Muslims, the Qur’an is of Divine origin.

It is the speech of the Creator and not the word of the Prophet Muhammadصلى الله عليه وسلم⁴.

Rather, it was revealed to him, and through him to mankind, in word and meaning. Az-Zarqani, a 9^th century scholar of the Qur’an, summarises the description of the book.

He writes:

The Qur’an is the Arabic speech of God, which He revealed to Muhammad^{صلى الله عليه وسلم} in wording and meaning, and which has been preserved in the compiled written pages of the Qur’an, and has reached us by recurrent reporting.⁵ 

THE SCIENCE OF QUR’ANIC EXEGESIS 

The Qur’an, like any other legislative and spiritual book, requires exegesis. Qur’anic exegesis, known as tafsir in Arabic, is essentially the knowledge through which one increases an understanding of the Qur’an and a comprehension of its command ments and wisdom.⁶

 Qur’anic exegesis is a branch of knowledge dealing with “the method of the delivery of the words of the Qur’an, their interpretation, their indi vidual and composite forms and expediencies.” ⁷

It is this science by which the Qur’an is understood, its meanings explained and its rulings derived. Thus the Qur’an is made accessible and intelligible to the reader. 

What follows are the sources of qur’anic exegesis used by exegetes to interpret the Qur’an:1. THE QUR’AN:

The first source of exegesis is the Qur’an itself. Many verses in the Qur’an complement and clarify the meaning of other verses⁸. This use of intertextuality is considered significant in the study of linguistics⁹. The following is an example of the Qur’an explaining itself through relevant verses: 

 a. “The path of those you have favoured” is here unexplained but then elaborated upon in a verse elsewhere in the Qur’an. ¹⁰ [See below] 

 b. “Those whom God has favoured, such as the Prophets, loyal persons, martyrs and honourable men. How fine are such companions”

THE PROPHETIC TRADITIONS:

The second source is the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم.¹² The Qur’an often mentions the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم role of expounding upon the Qur’an in word and deed. ¹³ 

THE STATEMENTS OF THE COMPANIONS:

The third source is the explanations of the companions of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ,who learnt the Qur’an directly from him. Many of them devoted their entire lives to studying the Qur’an, its exegesis and related knowledge. ¹⁴ 

THE ARABIC LANGUAGE:

Another source of exegesis is the Arabic language in which the Qur’an was revealed. A verse is interpreted using the Arabic language as a tool for analysis if the other sources do not offer an interpretation. 

SCIENCE IN THE QUR’AN 

The Qur’an’s relationship with science has been discussed for centuries, with scholars debating whether to use science as an exegetical tool to elucidate its meanings. The 14^th Century scholar Al-Shatibi was against using science.

 He argues the Qur’an is a religious book which is mainly focused on the manifestation of the Divine will in the human sphere of existence. Al-Shatibi writes: 

Many people have overstepped all bounds and made undue claims about the Qur’an when they assigned to it all types of knowledge of the past and the present such as the natural sciences, mathematics and logic.¹⁵ 

However, the 11^th Century theologian and philosopher, Al-Ghazali advocates using science to elucidate the meanings of the Qur’an. Al-Ghazali views the Qur’an as providing the foundations to all types of knowledge. He states, for example, that all knowledge is implied “in the signs and indications in the Qur’an”¹⁶ and in his book The Jewels of the Qur’an he argues that the principles of various sciences “are not out side the Qur’an.” ¹⁷ 

Scholars also claim the Qur’an is an intrusive text engaging with the inner dimensions of man.

Communicative strategies employed by the Qur’an to achieve this include the technique of asking questions and

referring to sign-posts to God i.e. its allusions to the natural world.

There are an estimated 750 verses concerning science and natural phenomena.¹⁸ 

Science, as defined by the philosopher Bertrand Russell, is “the attempt to discover, by means of observation and reasoning based upon it, …particular facts about the world, and the laws connecting facts with one another…”19 

Although there is no consensus over the definition of science, it seems that Russell’s definition applied to the Qur’an offers an array of verses pointing to scientific study. Some examples include:

And who created all things and made them to an exact measure.²⁰ 

We shall show them Our signs in every region of the earth and in themselves, until it becomes clear to them that this is the Truth.²¹ 

There truly are signs in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of the night and day, for those with understanding.²² 

In the creation of the heavens and earth; in the alternation of the night and day; in the ships that sail the seas with goods for people; in the water which God sends down from the sky to give life to the earth when it has been barren, scattering all kinds of creatures over it; in the changing of the winds and clouds that run their appointed courses between the sky and earth: there are signs in all of these for those who use their minds.²³ 

This, however, does not imply the Qur’an is a book of science; rather it is a book of ayaat, which is commonly interpreted as ‘verses’ and linguistically conveys various meanings, such as: sign, proof, evidence and miracle.²⁴

Thus, the qur’anic verses pertaining to the natural world are not meant to provide detailed descriptions of nature, but they encourage thinking and reflection. 

Moreover, the Islamic creedal position maintains that the Qur’an does not negate established realities, and there is a scholarly consensus that its statements pertain ing to the natural world are not confined to a 7^th century understanding of nature.

 This is explained by Shaykh Mohar Ali in his book The Qur’an and the Orientalists: 

Far from reproducing or reflecting the erroneous world-view prevailing in the seventh century Arabia, the Qur’an indeed goes far beyond the scientific knowledge of the time and speaks of scientific facts and truths that have only recently been discovered by man.²⁵ 

In considering this, the fact that a 7^th century document contains statements rejecting the established scientific assertions of its time, and complying with modern-day science and its discoveries, makes evident the nature of the Qur’an as a sign-post to the transcendent.

This encourages contemplation, and facilitates the arrival at a conclusion that God is One and qur’anic discourse is Divine. This paper will take one of these signs found in chapter 23 verses 12 to 14, and provide a linguistic breakdown correlating each key word with modern embryology. 

ANALYSIS OF CHAPTER 23 VERSES 12 – 14 

The Qur’an provides a concise and eloquent account of the developing human embryo. 

We created man from an essence of clay, then We placed him as a drop of fluid in a safe place. Then We made that drop of fluid into a clinging form, and then We made that form into a lump of flesh, and We made that lump into bones, and We clothed those bones with flesh, and later We made him into other forms. Glory be to God the best of creators. ²⁶ 

ESSENCE/EXTRACT OF CLAY 

We created man from an essence of clay 

This verse mentions that the first stage of the human-developmental process is that man is formed from an ‘essence’ or ‘extract’ of clay.²⁷ 

The classical exegetes of the Qur’an understood the words sulaalatin min tin (an essence of clay) to specifically refer to Adam.

These exegetes include the famous 13^th century scholar from Cordoba, al-Qurtubi²⁸; the 9^th Century Persian historian and scholar, al-Tabari²⁹; and the 12^th century Iraqi physician and historian al-Baghdadi.³⁰ 

Significantly, other exegetes suggest these words refer to the essential elements of the human body, which consist of various chemical components found in clay. Both meanings are intelligible and therefore either can be adopted. 

SCIENTIFIC INTERPRETATION 

By applying a scientific analysis to this verse it becomes clear that this stage appertains to certain essential chemical components.

It is significant that these chemical components are found in clay.

They include: Oxygen, Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sulfur, Chlorine, Sodium, Magnesium and Silicon; all of which are required for human functioning and development ³¹ 

This is explained by the jurist and exegete Shafi Usmani in his eight volume exegesis of the Qur’an. He writes:

The words sulaalah means ‘extract’ and tin means ‘wet earth’ or ‘clay’ and the verse means that man was created from some special elements extracted from earth.³² 

THE HUMAN BODY IS NOT MADE OF CLAY? 

Contemporary critics state that the Qur’an is inaccurate concerning the development of the human being, as the human body is not made from clay.

This argument stems from a misunderstanding of the Arabic language, as the key word allowing for the above interpretation is sulaalah (extract).

This clearly indicates that it is not clay from which the human is created but an extract of clay, which alludes to the necessary chemical components required for human life. 

SUMMARY

 The sulaalatin min tin stage: the essential elements required for human life and functioning, found in clay.

2. DROP OF FLUID then We placed him as a drop of fluid 

The next stage of the development of the human embryo is nutfah. This word has various meanings: 

1. By looking at the Arabic language, it can mean a dribble, a trickle, a drop or semen³³.

Nutfah can also mean a singular entity which is a part of a bigger group of its kind. Therefore, a nutfah could be a single sperm from a collection of millions of sperms contained in semen, or a single female egg from a group of many other eggs in the Ovaries.³⁴ 

2. According to Prophetic tradition, the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم explained the nutfah as a combination of liquids “from a male nutfah and from a female nutfah”.³⁵ 

3. In the Qur’an the nutfah is described as a combination of mingled (al-amshaj) fluids: “We created man from a drop (nutfah) of mingled fluid.” ³⁶

This verse, from a grammatical perspective, portrays an image of the nutfah as an entity made up of a combination of fluids coming from the mother and the father.

The word al-amshaj (mingled) is a plural adjective and it is used here with the singular noun nutfah. Grammatically, this highlights the verse’s concept of nutfah as being a single entity or drop produced by a combination of substances.

SCIENTIFIC INTERPRETATION 

The principles put forward by both the Qur’an and the Prophetic tradition coincide with what is known today of modern embryology.

The nutfah stage specifically implies the process of fertilisation, which requires the ‘mingling’ of components from the mother and the father.

 These components form a single cell known as the zygote.

 In regard to this, embryologists John Allen and Beverley Kramer state: 

The human individual arises from the conjugation of two minute structures called cells, one from the mother (oocyte) and one from the father (spermatozoon). These are called gametes. Together, these gametes form a single cell, the zygote, from which the entire embryo, including its surrounding membranes, grows. ³⁷ 

From a physiological perspective, each one of the two cell structures from both the mother and the father need to be contained in fluids necessary for fertilization.

The spermatozoon is contained in fluid called semen³⁸, and the oocyte is coated in oviductal secretions required for its viability and fertilizability.

 Physiologists Bruce Koeppen and Bruce Stanton explain:

Oviductal secretions coat and infuse the cumulus-oocyte complex and may be required for viability and fertilizability.³⁹

Thus, the analysis of the word nutfah as a mingled entity formed as a result of single cells from the mother and the father (which are contained in fluids necessary for fertilization) corresponds with the physiological description of the zygote’s formation.

SUMMARY

 The nutfah stage: The formation of the zygote, via the mingling of two fluids from the mother and the father, which contains two small cell structures (the oocyte and the spermatozoon).

ARISTOTLE, GALEN & NUTFAH 

The stages of the developing human embryo described in the Qur’an have been examined by some commentators. They assert that the qur’anic discourse on human development is plagiarised from the works of the ancient Greek philosopher and polymath Aristotle, and the 2^nd century philosopher and physician Galen.

In light of the above analysis this allegation is baseless, as Aristotle believed only the male produces fluid responsible for the development of the embryo (the genetic material).

He supposes the male semen to be the active form and the female ovum as providing only the passive element for fertilization; an idea contradictory to modern embryology.

In fact, Aristotle was of the opinion that semen mixed with women’s menstrual blood, coagulating to form the embryo. Aristotelian accounts of human development are evidently incongruous with both the Qur’an and modern embryology, as illustrated in his own writings: 

…the female, though it does not contribute any semen to generation… contributes something, viz., the substance constituting the menstrual fluid… [I]f the male is the active partner, the one which originates the movement, and the female qua female is the passive one, surely what the female

contributes to the semen of the male will be not semen but material. And this is in fact what we find happening; for the natural substance of the menstrual fluid is to be classed as prime matter.⁴⁰ 

Classical exegetes of the Qur’an convey the disagreement between Aristotelian accounts of human development and the qur’anic narrative.

 Ibn al-Qayyim, the 14^th century jurist and commentator of the Qur’an, uses various Prophetic traditions to emphasise the fact that male semen alone is not responsible for generating a child.⁴¹

Furthermore, assertions of plagiarism are futile as the words used in the Qur’an are unlike Aristotle’s choice of words; the Qur’an is scientifically accurate and Aristotle is not.

 Aristotle’s discredited supposition (of menstrual blood being involved in the process of fertilisation) is further contrasted with the Qur’an and its use of the word nutfah, which is not the word for menstrual blood in Arabic. The word for menstrual blood in Arabic is haydh. 

Contrary to this, the Qur’an describes the nutfah as a mingled drop or fluid from both the male and the female, not just the male.

 It also stresses both the male and female as being responsible for the child’s genetic makeup.

This reasoning is further supported by Prophetic tradition with the Prophetصلى الله عليه وسلم affirming a woman’s responsibility for the genetic makeup of her child, as he proposes the question: “How else do their children resemble them?”⁴² Ibn al-Qayyim theorizes that if women do not have a type of semen, then their children would not look like them.

The male semen alone does not generate a child because conception only occurs upon the mixture of male sperm with another equivalent (ovum) from the female. ⁴³ 

The assertion that the Qur’an plagiarised from Galen is due to similarities between the Qur’an and the physician’s description of the process of fertilisation. In his book On Semen Galen states that both the male and the female contribute to the formation of the embryo – implying that they are both responsible for its genetic make-up. ⁴⁴ 

 However, it must be highlighted that similarity doesn’t imply plagiarism, and any such accusation requires evidence.

The only possible practical link between the views of Galen (and the other sources of Greek medicine) is the 7^th century physician al-Harith bin Kalada. However, this assertion has been proven to be baseless (see Was al-Harith bin Kalada the source of the Prophet’s medical knowledge?).

In absence of a formal link between Greek medicine and the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم ,the claim of plagiarisation remains speculative and conspiratorial.

This is further substantiated by the fact that knowledge of Galen’s views on the developing human embryo were not popularised in 7^th century Arabia.

These contrasts and explications contribute to a dismantling of the plagiarisation thesis, and it becomes necessary to pose the questions: If the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم plagiarised Aristotle’s work, why are the words used by Aristotle and the Qur’an to describe this stage dissimilar? And why is the Qur’an scientifically accurate when Aristotle is not?

Concerning Galen, why can’t we find any practical link between Galen’s view on the developing human embryo and the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم?