The document discusses embryology from an Islamic perspective, referencing verses from the Quran. It provides historical context on theories of human development prior to the 18th century. It then examines stages of embryo development described in the Quran, including nutfah (fertilized ovum), alaqa (leech-like clot), mudghah (chewed-like lump), bones formation, and fleshing of bones. The document argues that Quranic descriptions from the 7th century match modern scientific understanding of embryonic development. It concludes the accurate embryological details in the Quran are evidence of its divine origin.

1. ‫بسم ال الرحمن الرحيم‬
‫ ‬

2. EMBRYOLOGY
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3. INTRODUCTION
Embryology, the science which deals
with the development of an embryo is
one of the many miracles in the holy
quran. It is evident that quranic verses
gives an accurate description of the
main stages the embryo encounters
during creation and formation until
delivery.

4. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
 Scientists at that time of prophet
(PBUH) believed that man was created
from menstrual blood
 Until the 18th century there were two
theories:
1- It was assumed by Aristotle that a
full dwarf
embryo exists in man's semen
2- full dwarf embryo created out of the
woman’s
menstrual blood coagulation

5. 
The dwarf embryo as imagined by
Leonardo da Vinci from the 15th
century (on the left)

The sperm as miniature human
being by Hartsoeker from the 17th
century (on the right)

6.  In 1775 Spallanzani suggested that man’s
sperm and woman’s ovum participate in the
creation of the embryo.
 In 1783, Van Beneden was able to confirm
this statement, and thus the idea of the
dwarf embryo had been discarded

7. THE QUR'AN
The Qur'an is the divine guidance for mankind,
and it is the final divine revelation of God. The
Qur'an was revealed to Muhammad (570 - 632) by
the angel Gabriel over a period of 23 years.

8. EMBRYOLOGY IN THE HOLY
QUR'AN
( 14-13 ‫) مرا لكم ل ترجون لِل وقرار ا .وقد خلقكم أطو ار ا () نوح‬
ً‫َّ راَ ْمُ َوْ راَ راَ َوْ ْمُ راَ َّ راَ راَ اً راَ راَ َوْ راَ راَ راَ ْمُ َوْ راَ َوْ راَ ا‬
ِ‫هَّل‬
“What is the matter with you, that
ye are not conscious of Allah’s
majesty,- Seeing that it is He that
has created you in diverse stages"
(71: 13-14)

9. TESTICLES AND
SPERMS
 The testicles, begin their development near the
kidney. Later they descend before birth to reach
the scrotum through the inguinal canal.
 Testicles form The mans fluid (semen ).
 Semen contains hundred million sperms (500-
600).
 Sperms should gushing in order to enter through
the vagina and uterine cervix
 Only one sperm fertilizes the ovum of woman.
 The sperm and not the ovum decides the sex of
the embryo

10. In QURAN
(‫) خلق من مراء د افق( )يخرج من بين الصلب و التر ائب‬
He is created from a drop emitted proceeding from
between the backbone and the ribs
‫خلق النسران من النطفة فأذ ا هو خصيم مبين‬
He has created man from a sperm(fluid-drop)and
beholds this same(man)becomes an open
disputer(16:4)

11. ( 6-5 ‫) فليظنظر الاَسنسان مم خلق . خلق م ن ماء دافقا)الطارق‬
ٍ)‫اَ إْ اَ لُ قِ قِإْ اَ لُ قِ اَ لُقِ اَ لُقِ اَ قِ َّ اَ قِ ا‬
“SO, LET MAN CONSIDER OF WHAT
HE WAS CREATED . HE WAS
CREATED OF GUSHING WATER” (86:
5-6)

13. NUTFAH
‫إن ا خلقن ا اإلنس ان من نطفة أمش اج نبتليه فجعلن اه سميع ا‬
ً‫عيِ اَّ مَمَ َنْ مَ عيِ مَ مَ عيِ َنْ ُ َنْ مَ ٍ مَ َنْ مَ ٍ مَ َنْ مَعيِ عيِ مَ مَ مَ َنْ مَ ُ مَ عيِ ا‬
‫))بصير‬
ً‫مَ عيِ ا‬
) 2:‫)اإلنس ان‬
“Verily We created man from a drop of a
mingled fluid-drop (nutfa amshaj), in
order to try him: so We gave him (the
gifts), of hearing and sight.” (76:2).
“Nutfa” in Arabic means “very little
water”
“Amshaj” means “mingling ” as man’s
water mingles with that of the woman ”

14. CLINGING OF EMBRYO IN THE
UTERUS
ALAQA
 This starts on the 15th day and ends on
the 23rd or 24th day, the embryo looks
like a leech. Blood is formed in the
vessels at the shape of closed islands,
having the image of clotted blood.

15.  Four cell embryo  Two cell oFertilized ovum
embryo

16. THE ZYGOTE DIVIDES QUICKLY WITHOUT
A CHANGE IN SIZE AND MOVE FROM THE
FALLOPIAN TUBE (CONNECTING THE
OVARY AND THE UTERUS) TOWARDS THE
UTERUS, WHERE IT IS IMPLANTED.

17. QURA’NIC DESCRIPTION OF
THIS STAGE
( 14‫)ثم خلقن ا النطفة علقة ( )سورة المؤمنون‬
ً‫ ُ اَّ مَ مَ َنْ مَ ُّ َنْ مَ مَ مَ مَ مَ ا‬
“then of that fluid-drop (nutfa) We created a
leech-like clot" (23:14) .
Alaqa, in Arabic, has several
meanings:
1- A leech that lives in ponds and sucks the blood of
other creatures.
2- A thing attached or clings to something else.
3- Clotted or coagulated blood.

18. (‫)أقرأ براسم ربك الذي خلق( )خلق النسران من علق‬
Proclaim!(or read!) In the name of thy lord
and cherisher , who created-created man ,out
of a (mere)clot of congealed blood (96:1-2)

19. THE LEECH AS IT APPEARS ON THE UTERINE SURFACE

20. MUDGHA STAGE
SCIENTIFICALLY THE EMBRYO IS TRANSFORMED
FROM THE STAGE OF ALAQA TO THE STAGE OF
MUDGHA ON THE 24TH DAY TO THE 26TH DAY.
(14 :‫)فخلقن ا العلقة مضغة ( )المؤمنون‬
ً‫مَ مَ مَ َنْ مَ َنْ مَ مَ مَ مَ ُ َنْ مَ ا‬
“then We changed the Alaqa (leech-like clot)
into a Mudgha (chewed-like lump) ” (23: 14).
Five weeks human embryo which looks like a piece of a chewed gum

21. BONES
A CARTILAGINOUS SKELETON STARTS
TO SPREAD IN THE BODY.
TRANSFORMATION FROM THE
MUDGHA FORM TO THE BEGINNING OF
THE SKELETON FORM OCCURS IN A
VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AT THE
END OF THE 6TH WEEK AND THE
BEGINNING OF THE 7TH WEEK.
In Quran
“then we made out of that mudgha
(chewed-like lump)bones”(23:14)

22. Muscle stage
This stage, which starts at the end of the
7th week and ends at the end of the 8th week
IN QURAN
“AND CLOTHED THE BONES WITH
FLESH”(23:14)

23. Until very recently, embryologists assumed that
the bones and muscles in an embryo develope at
the same time. Yet, advanced microscopic
research has revealed that first, the cartilage
tissue of the embryo ossifies. Then muscular cells
that are selected from amongst the tissue around
the bones come together and wrap around the
bones

24. EMBRYO STAGE AND FOETUS
STAGE
Scientific facts:
 By the end of the 8th week, a new stage
starts. The rate of developing accelerates
compared with the previous one.
 Between the 9th and 12th week, the embryo
starts to transform into another creature,
as the sizes of head, body and limbs start to
be balanced and regular.
 By the 16th week , it becomes a Foetus.

25. ‫مَ مَ مَ َنْ مَ َنْ عيِ مَ مَ مَ َنْ اً ُ اَّ مَ مَ َنْ مَ ُ مَ َنْ اً مَ مَ مَ مَ مَ مَ مَ ُ مَ َنْ مَ ُ‬
‫) فكسون ا العظ ام لحم ا ثم أنشأن اه خلق ا آخر فتب ارك ال أحسن‬
‫اَّ‬
‫الخ القين ))المؤمنون: 41 (‬ ‫َنْ مَ عيِ عيِ مَ‬
‫‪“And clothed the bones with flesh; then‬‬
‫‪We developed out of it another‬‬
‫‪creature. So blessed be Allah, the best‬‬
‫)41 :32( ”.‪to create‬‬

26. EMBRYONIC STAGE
THE IMAGE OF EMBRYO DOES NOT LOOK LIKE HUMANS
 Foetus stage( another creature’ ) 16th week ( 112 days)
Eyebrows, eyelashes and fine hair appear. The foetus can
grasp with his hands, kick, or even somersault. here the
unborn baby is sucking his thumb

28. CONCLUSION
 it is evident that these Quranic verses
give an accurate description of the main
stages the embryo encounters during
creation and formation until delivery.
 It is noticed that these changes coincide
with the remarks of modern embryology,
and truly expresses the external
phenomena of changes that result from
the internal changes.
 This proves the miraculous nature of the
Quran, which cannot be revealed except
from the Almighty Allah

29. IN QUR’AN
‫) سنريهم آياتنا في الفاق و في أنفسهم‬
(53 ‫حتى يتبين لهم أنه الحق ( ) فصلت‬
“Soon will We show them our signs in
the furthest horizons, and in their selves,
until it becomes manifest to them that
this is the Truth” (41: 53).

30. Thank you for your attention
and may Allah guide us to
what pleases Him
‫و آخر دعوان ا أن الحمد ل رب الع المين‬