The Sexual Reproduction Rule
As mentioned previously, the creation of Adam (peace be upon him) and his wife occurred by Allah’s power and cannot be explained by the natural sciences. However, the creation of their children, which also occurred by the power of Allah (Jalla Jalaluhu), can be explained and understood based on our knowledge on embryology, genetics, and other branches of biology. In sexual reproduction, a sperm (male gamete) fertilizes an egg (female gamete) to produce a zygote (fertilized egg). The zygote divides through mitosis into many cells, forming the tissues of the embryo. Thus the embryo is created through stages. Allah (Jalla Jalaluhu) mentions in the Quran [1] that a human being is created gradually in several stages: “When He created you by (diverse) stages?” (Quran 71: 14). Allah (Jalla Jalaluhu) regards the stages of human creation inside the womb as creation after creation: “He created you (all) from a single person (Adam); then made from him his wife [Hawwa' (Eve)]. And He has sent down for you of cattle eight pairs. He creates you in the wombs of your mothers, creation after creation in three veils of darkness, such is Allah your Lord. His is the kingdom, La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He). How then are you turned away? (Quran 39: 6). Allah (Jalla Jalaluhu) described the details of this creation of a human being in the Quran in the following stages: Nutfa, Alaqa, and Mudgha, bones, flesh, and other creation.
Nutfa:
The Quran states that a human embryo starts as a Nutfa that is emitted: “And that He (Allah) creates the pairs, male and female. From Nutfa when it is emitted” (Quran 53: 45-46). The Quran also states that the Nutfa is placed in a safe lodging: “Then, placed him as a Nutfa in a safe lodging” (Quran 23: 13). The word Nutfa was repeated in 12 verses of the Quran. Considering the meanings of these verses, the Nutfa stage can be seen, in some of these verses, as the equal of the gamete and the safe lodging is the uterus. In the following verse, the meaning of the word Nutfa exactly matches the male gamete, which normally carries either the X or Y chromosome and consequently determines the sex of the baby because the female gamete always carries the X chromosome: “And that He (Allah) creates the pairs, male and female; From Nutfa when it is emitted” (Quran 53: 45-46). In another verse of the Quran, Allah (Jalla Jalaluhu) describes the Nutfa as being Amshaj, which is an Arabic word meaning “mixed”: “Verily, We have created man from Nutfa Amshaj, in order to try him: so We made him hearer and seer” (Quran 76: 2). Modern science has shown that the gamete has mixed DNA as a result of crossing over, which occurs in meiosis when two homologous chromosomes form a tetrad and exchange genetic material. Therefore, crossing over recombines genetic material and produces a mix that ensures that the child has a different combination of genes than the parents. Independent assortments of chromosomes also result in different chromosome combinations.
Alaqa:
The Quran states that the Nutfa develops into an Alaqa: “He it is Who created you from dust, then from a Nutfa then from an Alaqa, then brings you forth as a child …” (Quran 40: 67). The word Alaqa in Arabic has three meanings: (1) a leech; (2) a suspended thing; and (3) a blood clot. All of these meanings apply to the early stage of the human embryo as it clings to the uterine wall and takes food from the blood of the mother. Additionally, the embryo in an early stage of development resembles a leech [2]. The Alaqa stage was mentioned in five verses in the Quran.
Mudgha:
This is the third embryonic stage according to the Quran: “Then, We made the Nutfa into Alaqa; then of that Alaqa We made a Mudgha …” (Quran 23: 14). The word Mudgha in Arabic means a chewed substance or lump. The Mudgha stage was mentioned in three verses in the Quran. The reason for providing the number of times in which each stage is mentioned in the Quran is to illustrate that the Quran talked about the embryonic stages in detail and that they were not mentioned in a rapid symbolic reference. Also, the Quran provides more details every time it repeats mentioning an embryonic stage. For instance, the Mudgha stage, which was mentioned above was described in one verse as “some formed and some unformed”: “O mankind! If you are in doubt about the Resurrection, then verily! We have created you (i.e. Adam) from dust, then from a Nutfah, then from Alaqa [clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood)], then from a Mudgha (little lump of flesh) some formed and some unformed …” (Quran 22: 5).
Bones, flesh, and other creation:
After the Mudgha stage, the Quran mentions the creation of the bones and flesh of the embryo, followed by what is called the “other creation”: “Then, We made the Nutfa into an Alaqa, then We made the Alaqa into a Mudgha, then We made out of that Mudgha bones, then We clothed the bones with flesh, and then We brought it forth as another creation. So blessed be Allah, the Best of creators” (Quran 23: 14). Furthermore, Allah (Jalla Jalaluhu) mentions that He creates the embryo and also shapes it: “He it is Who shapes you in the wombs as He likes; there is no God but He, the Mighty, the Wise” (Quran 3: 6). This is a confirmation that the creation of a human being is not merely a process of sexual reproduction that occurs on its own; rather, it is a process created and regulated by Allah (Jalla Jalaluhu). Allah (Jalla Jalaluhu) states in the Quran that He created human beings in good shapes: “He has created the heavens and the earth with truth, and He shaped you and made good your shapes, and to Him is the final Return” (Quran 64: 3); “Verily, We created man in the best stature (mould)” (Quran 95: 4). Useful articles about embryology and other scientific topics in the Quran can be retrieved via the internet using keywords such as Quran and science, scientific miracles of the Quran, and human creation in the Quran. In addition, more details with images and illustrations on human embryonic stages in the Quran are available on the internet [2,3].
Exception(s) of the Sexual Reproduction Rule
The creation through sexual reproduction applies to all of mankind except three humans: Adam (peace be upon him) because he was created from dust, Adam’s wife because she was created from Adam's body, and the Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) because he was created from a mother without a father. The Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) was created by Allah’s power inside the womb of Mary (his mother) without a father. Therefore, the rule of sexual reproduction does not apply to his creation, although he was a human being from Adam’s offspring. The Quran stated that Jesus (peace be upon him) was a human being like Adam (peace be upon him): “Verily, the likeness of 'Iesa (Jesus) before Allah is the likeness of Adam. He created him from dust, then (He) said to him: Be! - and he was” (Quran 3: 59). The details of the creation of Jesus (peace be upon him) are provided in chapter three of the Quran: “[And mention] when the angels said, O Mary, indeed Allah gives you good tidings of a word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary - distinguished in this world and the Hereafter and among those brought near [to Allah]. He will speak to the people in the cradle and in maturity and will be of the righteous. She said, My Lord, how will I have a child when no man has touched me? [The angel] said, Such is Allah; He creates what He wills. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, 'Be,' and it is. And He will teach him writing and wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel” (Quran 3: 45-48). In addition, more details are provided about the creation of the Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) in chapter nineteen of the Quran. (Details are also on page 5 on this website in: Creation by Allah's Power).
After talking about the creation of mankind [Adam (peace be upon him), his wife, and their offspring (generations of people over time)] it is the time to talk about the purpose of creating mankind. In fact, this purpose distinguishes the human beings from any other organism on earth especially apes and monkeys, which are true animals by all means and aspects (origin, behavior, and purpose of creation, just to name a few). Now it is the time to delve into the purpose of creating mankind. GO TO NEXT PAGE.
References
[1] Qur’an. Available online: http://quran.com/
[2] Ibrahim, I.A. A Brief Illustrated Guide to Understanding Islam. 2nd Edition. Houston: Darussalam, Publishers and Distributors, 1997, pp. 5-27. Available online: http://www.islam-guide.com/frm-ch1-1.htm
[3] Zindani, M.A., E.M. Johnson, G.C. Goeringer, J.L. Simpson, K.L. Moore, M.A. Ahmed, and T.V.N. Persaud. Human Development As Described In Qur’an And Sunnah: Correlation With Modern Embryology. 2nd Edition. Makkah: Commission on Scientific Signs of Qur’an and Sunnah, 2000, pp. 1-175. Available online:http://themwl.org/downloads/Human%20development%20As%20Describes%20in%20the%20Quran%20and%20Sunnah.pdf
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