The Human Embryonic development in the Quran... Wouldn't you agree its a miracle?

Question

In the Holy Quran, God speaks about the stages of man's embryonic development, 1,400 years before modern day scientists 'discovered' important information on creation of man and his development:

We created man from an extract of clay. Then We made him as a drop in a place of settlement, firmly fixed. Then We made the drop into an alaqah (leech, suspended thing, and blood clot), then We made the alaqah into a mudghah (chewed-like substance)...[Holy Quran 23:12-14]

Literally the Arabic word alaqah has 3 meanings:
leech
suspended thing
blood clot

1. "In comparing a leech to the embryo at the alaqah stage, we find similarity between the two." [The Developing Human p.8].
"Also, the embryo as this stage obtains nourishment from the blood of the mother, similar to the leech which feeds on the blood of others." [Human Development as Described in Quran and Sunnah p.36].

2. The second meaning of the word alaqah is 'suspended thing'. The suspension of the embryo, during the alaqah stage, in the womb of the mother very appropriately fits this description.

3. The third meaning of the word alaqah is 'blood clot'. We find that the external appearance of the embryo and its sacs during the alaqah stage is similar to that of a blood clot. This is due to the presence of relatively large amounts of blood present in the embryo during this stage. Also during this stage the blood in the embryo does not circulate until the end of the third week. So the embryo at this stage is like a clot of blood.

By examining a diagram of the primitive cardiovascular system in an embryo during the alaqah stage we would notice the external appearance of the embryo and its sacs is similar to that of a blood clot due to the presence of relatively large amounts of blood present in the embryo [The Developing Human, p. 65]

So the three meanings of the word alaqah correspond accurately to the descriptions of the embryo at the alaqah stage.

The next stage mentioned in the verse is the mudghah stage. The Arabic word mudghah means "chewed-like substance." If one were to take a piece of gum and chew it in his mouth, and then compare it with the embryo at the mudghah stage, we would conclude that they would be almost identical because of the somites at the back of the embryo that 'somewhat resemble teeth marks in a chewed substance.'

How could Muhammad, peace be upon him, have possibly known all this 1,400 years ago when scientists have only recently discovered this using advanced equipment and powerful microscopes which did not exist at that time? Hamm and Leeuwenhoek were the first scientists to observe human sperm cells using an improved microscope in 1677 A.D. (more than 1,000 years after Muhammad, peace be upon him].

They mistakenly thought that the sperm cell contained a miniature preformed human being that grew when it was deposited in the female genital tract [The Developing Human, p.9]

Check this site out to read more http://scienceislam.com/quran_human_embryonic_development.php

Answer 1

well brother what you say is true and as you can see this has really offened other faithed beings in this forum this however shows how dumb they really are as they have jus answered a whole load of ....@%+#....
however i probably get enough thumbs down for this but in this day and age and forever to be.. Islam will always be a miracle...
here come the thumbs down, well can only be expected ! as the truth can not always be tolerated by those who do not care to understand.

Answer 2

TO DEAZONE
You are shooting in the dark. You must be crazy to conclude that the mothers womb be one big blood clot even after nine months. Do we all look like sperms running around the city??

All creations of god starts of from something microscopic that recieves vital nutrients via some passage or vessel.

Edit : to JOHN F
There is a distinct difference between Modern and Western.
Islam and the Quran is modern ( not "ancient" )
A woman wearing mini skirt is western, which can also be called ancient because the caveman hardly wore any clothes

The Quran indeed is a mirical.

Answer 3

It is a miracle that you see a miracle here. The Arab knowledge of the human body was probably already much greater at the time you describe. You should keep your readiness to see miracles under every bush a little bit under control.

Answer 4

a lot of poeple on here are finding it a bit hard to swallow the truth

the miricale is that all these signs in the quran that are there were given to us so long a go that we are only discovering them today

allah is truly great and without him not a single leaf stirs

Answer 5

no ...think it may be clot on society ..are you it ...have chewed through your explanation and agree leech in suspension and blood clot ..yes and chewed up and maybe spat out when didn't like taste ..such is life but its just my opinion

Answer 6

perhaps you ought to read the work of galen, hippocrates, herophilus and erasistrates, who long pre-date islam then you would not be to surprised at seeing in the koran. the fact you speak of was already known and had been known for at least 800 years by the greeks and romans.

Answer 7

Muslims constantly make this nonsensical claim that the Quran anticipates modern scientific discoveries, thus proving its access to secret knowledge.

Nice try, but every one of these I've seen - and there have been many - requires grotesque bending of facts, and heavy spin, to work.

The description of embryonic development you claim is completely whacko. It bears not the slightest relationship to real embryonic stages at all - and only someone with a powerful agenda could possibly believe that it did.

CD

[later}
If this were a genuine divinely-given description of the first stages of an embryo, why couldn't it have had some real details in it: there's no mention of the fact that human women (and other viviparous animals) actually have EGGS. Mention of this would be a clincher. The function of the plancenta as a nutrient exchanger that isolates blood would also be good evidence.

But in fact, all of the details mentioned in the Quranic passage you quote are exactly what would be expected if ancient scientists had been able to dissect women in early stages of pregnancy: references to little lumps of tissue without real knowledge of what they were. The 'teeth marks' are a dead givaway - they're actually the developing spine. Real inside knowledge might have mentioned this, and not concentrated on their appearance. - CD

Answer 8

very interesting to see all prospectives on the meaning of life
that was the least boring for me numpty

Answer 9

Alhamdulillah it is a miracle..
because the Quran was revealed, as you say before modern scientific development..
So it couldn't just popped up somewhere..
Allah SWT revealed it to us all mankind..

Answer 10

Sorry, where as this might be considered to be close to the actual embryonic development, I'd want a more accurate description for it to be considered a miracle. This description is so vague and broad that if a "all knowing" deity had made it, I would feel that he is extremely patronizing.