The Quran on Human Embryonic Development

[Marshal86]

The miracle of embryonic development is mentioned in the Quran in such minute detail, much of which was unknown to scientists until only recently. It mentions the first stages of life after conception, the second stage of life after conception, and witnesses of scientists about these scientific facts of the Quran

Read
http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/216/

[BioWizard]

The Quran doesn't describe embryological development in minute detail. It describes it as general events in broad terms. How could people living in the desert have insight on how mammalian embryos develop? Well, they used to eat animals for food, so there was no shortage of objects for anatomical investigation. The Quran doesn't tell us anything more than what someone with a herd of cattle and a butcher's knife can't eventually learn on his own. You want minute detail? Check out a biology book.

Additionally, it doesn't get the order of tissue development right. It might be in a separate verse than the one you're alluding to, or maybe one dealing with creation, I can't remember. Either way, it says that bone develops and then gets covered by muscle and then skin. That is incorrect.

The Quran is an impressive collection of linguistically elegant verse, but it's no science book.

[Marshall]

Marshal86,
I have taken the liberty of moving your thread on embryonic development here to our Religion forum, because it involves the interpretation of Holy Text.

The online material that you reference http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/216/
is quite interesting. The textual passage apparently uses visual similarities to things like "leech", "blood clot", and tooth marks, to describe the embryo at various stages.

An anatomist/embryologist Dr. Keith Moore is quoted as confirming the visual accuracy of these descriptions. Here are some of Moore's qualifications:
"Dr. Keith Moore is Professor Emeritus of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. There, he was Associate Dean of Basic Sciences at the Faculty of Medicine and for 8 years was the Chairman of the Department of Anatomy. 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."

I can't immediately say what I think of all this, but I think seeing these quotes from Quran text, which some of us would not otherwise have seen, is educational. So your bringing them to our attention has an educational function.

[BioWizard]

Why would'nt a passage describing the shape and texture of something you can find out in nature, and examine visually with your naked eye, be descriptively accurate? Where exactly is the miracle?

Had it described gastrulation or inavgination of the blastomere, maybe then would've been a little impressed. Might just be me, but I feel that it takes a heck of a lot more than an "accurate" description to qualify something as a mircale.

[Marshall]

... Where exactly is the miracle?
... a lot more than an "accurate" description to qualify something as a mircale.

Well I for one see no evidence of a miracle---and I do not believe that miracles (violations of the laws of nature) occur.
But you are probably not addressing your question to me.

My personal feeling is that so far Marshal86 posts have been educational. I did not know, probably many of us did not know, that the Quran could be interpreted as providing this kind of information.

And let's be clear that we are not subscribing to any view as to its value and implications. You have given a perfectly adequate naturalistic explanation, which Marshal86 has not rebutted.

[BioWizard]

Actually, after rereading the OP, I realized that Marshal86 did not claim the description in the Quran to be itself the miracle, although I've seen others do that. In any case, my point remains that there's nothing extraordinary about the mentioned passage.

Unfortunately Marshal86 got banned because he did not heed warnings regarding not keeping religious topics out of SCF, so we won't be hearing from him. Maybe someone else will come along to pick this one up.

[sk123]

I'll give u texrt froma book
"A few years ago a group of Arabs collected all information concerning
embryology from the Qur’aan, and followed the instruction of the Qur’aan:
“If ye realise this not, ask Of those who possess the Message.” [Al-
Qur’aan 16:43 & 21:7]
All the information from the Qur’aan so gathered, was translated into English
and presented to Prof. (Dr.) Keith Moore, who was the Professor of
Embryology and Chairman of the Department of Anatomy at the University
of Toronto, in Canada. At present he is one of the highest authorities in the
field of Embryology. He was asked to give his opinion regarding the
information present in the Qur’aan concerning the field of embryology. After
carefully examining the translation of the Qur’aanic verses presented to him,
Dr. Moore said that most of the information concerning embryology
mentioned in the Qur’aan is in perfect conformity with modern discoveries in
the field of embryology and does not conflict with them in any way. He added
that there were however a few verses, on whose scientific accuracy he could
not comment. He could not say whether the statements were true or false,
since he himself was not aware of the information contained therein.
There was also no mention of this information in modern writings and studies
on embryology. One such verse is: “Proclaim! (or Read!) In the name Of
thy Lord and Cherisher, Who created – Created man, out of A (mere)
clot Of congealed blood.” [Al-Qur’aan 96:1-2]
The word alaq besides meaning a congealed clot of blood also means
something that clings, a leech-like substance. Dr. Keith Moore had no
knowledge whether an embryo in the initial stages appears like a leech. To
check this out he studied the initial stage of the embryo under a very powerful
microscope in his laboratory and compared what he observed with a diagram
of a leech and he was astonished at the striking resemblance between the two!
The Qur’aan and Modern Science: Compatible or Incompatible?
37
Distributed by AHYA Multi-Media http://www.ahya.org
In the same manner, he acquired more information on embryology that was
hitherto not known to him, from the Qur’aan. Dr. Keith Moore answered
about eighty questions dealing with embryological data mentioned in the
Qur’aan and Hadith. Noting that the information contained in the Qur’aan and
Hadith was in full agreement with the latest discoveries in the field of
embryology, Prof. Moore said, “If I was asked these questions thirty years
ago, I would not have been able to answer half of them for lack of scientific
information”
Dr. Keith Moore had earlier authored the book, ‘The Developing Human’.
After acquiring new knowledge from the Qur’aan, he wrote, in 1982, the 3rd
edition of the same book, ‘The Developing Human’. The book was the
recipient of an award for the best medical book written by a single author.
This book has been translated into several major languages of the world and
is used as a textbook of embryology in the first year of medical studies.
In 1981, during the Seventh Medical Conference in Dammam, Saudi Arabia,
Dr. Moore said, “It has been a great pleasure for me to help clarify statements
in the Qur’aan 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 a messenger of God or
Allah.” 12
Dr. Joe Leigh Simpson, Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and
Gynaecology, at the Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, U.S.A.,
proclaims: “...these Hadiths, sayings of Muhammad (pbuh) could not have
been obtained on the basis of the scientific knowledge that was available at
the time of the writer (7th century). It follows that not only is there no conflict
between genetics and religion (Islam) but in fact religion (Islam) may guide
science by adding revelation to some of the traditional scientific
approaches… there exist statements in the Qur’aan shown centuries later to
12 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.
The Qur’aan and Modern Science: Compatible or Incompatible?
38
Distributed by AHYA Multi-Media http://www.ahya.org
be valid which support knowledge in the Qur’aan having been derived from
God.”
MAN CREATED FROM A DROP EMITTED FROM BETWEEN
THE BACK BONE AND THE RIBS
“Now let man but think From what he is created! He is created from A
drop emitted – Proceeding from between The back bone and the ribs.”
[Al-Qur’aan 86:5-7]
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
female gonads (ovaries) stop in the pelvis while the male gonads (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.
HUMAN BEINGS CREATED FROM NUTFAH
(Minute Quantity of Liquid)
The Glorious Qur’aan mentions no less than eleven times that the human
being is created from nutfah, which means a minute quantity of liquid or a
trickle of liquid which remains after emptying a cup. This is mentioned in
several verses of the Qur’aan including 22:5 and 23:13. 13
Science has confirmed in recent times that only one out of an average of three
million sperms is required for fertilising the ovum. This means that only a
13 The same is also mentioned in the Qur’an in 16:4, 18:37, 35:11, 36:77, 40:67,
53:46, 75:37, 76:2 and 80:19.
The Qur’aan and Modern Science: Compatible or Incompatible?
39
Distributed by AHYA Multi-Media http://www.ahya.org
1/three millionth part or 0.00003% of the quantity of sperms that are emitted
is required for fertilisation.
HUMAN BEINGS CREATED FROM SULALAH
(Quintessence of liquid)
“And made his progeny From a quintessence Of the nature of A fluid
despised.” [Al-Qur’aan 32:8]
The Arabic word sulâlah means quintessence or the best part of a whole. We
have come to know now that only one single spermatozoon that penetrates the
ovum is required for fertilization, out of the several millions produced by
man. That one spermatozoon out of several millions, is referred to in the
Qur’aan as sulâlah. Sulâlah also means gentle extraction from a fluid. The
fluid refers to both male and female germinal fluids containing gametes. Both
ovum and sperm are gently extracted from their environments in the process
of fertilization.
MAN CREATED FROM NUTFATUN AMSHAAJ
(Mingled liquids)
Consider the following Qur’aanic verse: “Verily We created Man from a
drop Of mingled sperm.” [Al-Qur’aan 76:2]
The Arabic word nutfatin amshaajin means mingled liquids. According to
some commentators of the Qur’aan, mingled liquids refers to the male or
female agents or liquids. After mixture of male and female gamete, the zygote
still remains nutfah. Mingled liquids can also refer to spermatic fluid that is
formed of various secretions that come from various glands.
Therefore nutfatin amsaj, i.e. a minute quantity of mingled fluids refers to the
male and female gametes (germinal fluids or cells)"

[Marshall]

This is spam, much of which we saw before, so sk123 has been banned.
However it is a good educational example of someone trying to validate an out-of-date "sacred" book by arguing for a connection with contemporary science. You see, the Holy Book was right after all. Because, Lo, is it not a certainty, one that even the Infidel will admit, that Man is created from the NUTFAH? (the tiny drop of liquid)?

==quote==
MAN CREATED FROM A DROP EMITTED FROM BETWEEN
THE BACK BONE AND THE RIBS
“Now let man but think From what he is created! He is created from A
drop emitted – Proceeding from between The back bone and the ribs.”
... Even the lymphatic drainage and the venous return goes to the same
area.
HUMAN BEINGS CREATED FROM NUTFAH
(Minute Quantity of Liquid)
The Glorious Qur’aan mentions no less than eleven times that the human
being is created from nutfah, which means a minute quantity of liquid or a
trickle of liquid which remains after emptying a cup....

HUMAN BEINGS CREATED FROM SULALAH
(Quintessence of liquid)
“And made his progeny From a quintessence Of the nature of A fluid
despised.” [Al-Qur’aan 32:8]
... Both
ovum and sperm are gently extracted from their environments in the process
of fertilization.
MAN CREATED FROM NUTFATUN AMSHAAJ
(Mingled liquids)
Consider the following Qur’aanic verse: “Verily We created Man from a
drop Of mingled sperm.” [Al-Qur’aan 76:2]
...
==endquote==

This has the ring of truth. There is some message here. If no one objects, let's keep this around for a while. Do religions evolve in such a way that they have an intense concern with reproduction? My impression is that Abrahamic religions do (Judaism, Christian, Islam). What about Hindu/Buddhist? Maybe maybe not, I don't know enough about those to say anything. Anybody want to comment?

[rimshakhan42]

Awesome sharing thanks