The Quran and Science

Fingerprints

“Does man think that We Cannot assemble his bones? Nay, We are able to put Together in perfect order The very tips of his fingers.” [Al-Quran 75:3-4]

Unbelievers argue regarding resurrection taking place after bones of dead people have disintegrated in the earth and how each individual would be identified on the Day of Judgement. Almighty Allah answers that He can not only assemble our bones but can also reconstruct perfectly our very fingertips.

Why does the Qur’aan, while speaking about determination of the identity of the individual, speak specifically about fingertips? In 1880, fingerprinting became the scientific method of identification, after research done by Sir Francis Golt. No two persons in the world can ever have exactly the same fingerprint pattern. That is the reason why police forces worldwide use fingerprints to identify the criminal. 1400 years ago, who could have known the uniqueness of each human’s fingerprint? Surely it could have been none other than the Creator Himself!

(from "The Quran and Modern Science, Compatible or Incompatible?” by “Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik”)

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Sense of Hearing and Sight

The first sense to develop in a developing human embryo is hearing. The fetus can hear sounds after the 24th week. Subsequently, the sense of sight is developed and by the 28th week, the retina becomes sensitive to light. Consider the following Qur’anic verses related to the development of the senses in the embryo: 

“And He gave you (the faculties of) hearing and sight and feeling (and understanding).” [Al-Qur’an 32:9]

“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.” [Al-Qur’an 76:2]

“It is He Who has created for you (the faculties of) Hearing, sight, feeling and understanding: little thanks it is you give!” [Al-Qur’an 23:78]

In all these verses the sense of hearing is mentioned before that of sight. Thus the Qur’anic description matches with the discoveries in modern embryology.

(from "The Quran and Modern Science, Compatible or Incompatible?” by “Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik” published by Darussalam)

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Embryo Partly Formed and Partly Unformed

At the mugdhah stage, if an incision is made in the embryo and the internal organ is dissected, it will be seen that most of them are formed while the others are not yet completely formed.
According to Prof. Johnson, if we describe the embryo as a complete creation, then we are only describing that part which is already created. If we describe it as an incomplete creation, then we are only describing that part which is not yet created. So, is it a complete creation or an incomplete creation? There is no better description of this stage of embryogenesis than the Qur’anic description, “partly formed and partly unformed”, as in the following verse:

“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.” [Al-Qur’an 22:5]

Scientifically we know that at this early stage of development there are some cells which are differentiated and there are some cells that are undifferentiated – some organs are formed and yet others unformed.

(from "The Quran and Modern Science, Compatible or Incompatible?” by “Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik” published by Darussalam) 


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Embryonic Stages

“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 (fetus) 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 qarârin makîn 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 fetus 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 fetus 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. In 1677, Hamm and Leeuwenhoek were the first scientists to observe human sperm cells 

(spermatozoa) using 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 De Graf and others that the fetus 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 fetus and chewed it between the teeth to make it into a ‘Mudgha’. He compared this with the photographs of the early stage of fetus. 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 is one of the leading scientists in US, and is the head of the Department of Anatomy and Director of the Daniel Institute at the Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia in US. He was asked to comment on the verses of the Qur’an dealing with embryology. He said that the verses of the Qur’an describing the embryological stages cannot be a coincidence. He said 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 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.”

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 I, stage II, etc. 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 prenatal development and provide elegant scientific descriptions that are comprehensible and practical.

Similar embryological stages of human development have been described in the following verses:

 “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]

“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] 

(from "The Quran and Modern Science, Compatible or Incompatible?” by “Dr. Zakir Abdul Karim Naik” published by Darussalam)