Download Embryology in the Quran

The Quran and
Embryology
By Dr. Keith L. Moore
Slide Show by A.S. Hashim, MD
From http://www.quranandscience.com/human/135-drkeith-moore-confirms-embryology-in-quran.html
Dr Keith Moore C.V from Wikipedia,
 Keith L. Moore is a professor emeritus in the division of
anatomy (department of surgery),

former Chair of anatomy from 1974 to 1984 and associate dean
for Basic Medical Sciences (Faculty of Medicine) at the University
of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
 He has also worked at the King Abdulaziz University in
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
 Moreover, he is a founding member of the American
Association of Clinical Anatomists (AACA).
 He was President of the AACA between 1989 and 1991.
 He is most known for his textbooks on the subjects of
anatomy and human embryology.
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Embryology and the Quran
 Dr. Moore has written on "references to embryology in
the Quran“
 Article published The Journal of the Islamic Medical
Association, Vol. 18, Jan-June 1986, pp. 15-16.
 "A scientist's interpretation of references to
embryology in the Quran"
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Dr. Moore Writes:
 Statements referring to human reproduction and
development are scattered throughout the
Quran.
 It is only recently that the scientific meaning of
some of these verses has been appreciated fully.
 The long delay in interpreting these verses
correctly resulted mainly from:


inaccurate translations and commentaries and
from a lack of awareness of scientific knowledge.
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Interest in explanations
 Interest in explanations of the verses of the Quran is not
new.
 People used to ask the prophet Muhammad all sorts of
questions about the meaning of verses referring to human
reproduction.
 The Apostle's answers form the basis of the Hadith
literature.
 The translations of the verses from the Quran which are
interpreted in this paper were provided by Sheik Abdul
Majid Zendani, a Professor of Islamic Studies in King
Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
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ُ ‫فِي‬
ٍ ‫ت ث َ َاَل‬
ٍ ‫ظلُ َما‬
In three veils of darkness ٍ
ُ ‫ق فِي‬
ُ ُ‫… يَ ْخلُقُ ُك ْم فِي ب‬
ٍ ‫ت ث َ َاَل‬
ٍ ‫ظلُ َما‬
…ٍ
ٍ ‫ون أ ُ َّم َهاتِ ُك ْم خ َْلقًا ِم ْن بَ ْع ِد خ َْل‬
ِ ‫ط‬
"He makes you in the wombs of your mothers in stages,
one after another, in three veils of darkness." (Quran 39:6)
Dr. Moore says:
We do not know when it was realized that human beings
underwent development in the uterus (womb),
but the first known illustration of a fetus in the uterus was
drawn by Leonardo da Vinci in the 15th century.
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Dr. Moore Explains:
 In the 2nd century A.D., Galen described
 the placenta and fetal membranes in his book "On The Formation
of the Fetus."
 Consequently, doctors in the 7th century A.D. likely knew
that the human embryo developed in the uterus.
 It is unlikely that they knew that it developed in stages,

even though Aristotle had described the stages of development
of the chick embryo in the 4th century B.C.
 The realization that the human embryo develops in stages
was not discussed and illustrated until the 15th century.
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After the Microscope was Discovered

After the microscope was discovered in the 17th century by
Leeuwenhoek





descriptions were made of the early stages of the chick embryo.
The staging of human embryos was not described until the 20th
century.
Streeter (1941) developed the first system of staging
which has now been replaced by a more accurate system proposed
by O'Rahilly (1972).
"The three veils of darkness" may refer to:
1.
2.
3.
the anterior abdominal wall;
the uterine wall; and
the amnio-chorionic membrane (see next slide).
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Nutfa amshaj:
Nutfa means a drop and amshaj means mixtures
 The Zygote: with 46 chromosomes
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Pathway of fertilized Ovum
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The "veils of darkness" are: (1) the anterior abdominal wall; (2) the uterine
wall, and (3) the amnio-chorionic membrane.
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ْ ُ‫ن‬
A drop in a place of rest ‫ين‬
ٍ ‫طفَةً فِي قَ َر ٍار َم ِك‬
ْ ُ‫… ث ُ َّم َج َع ْلنَاهُ ن‬
… ‫ين‬
ٍ ‫طفَةً فِي قَ َر ٍار َم ِك‬
"Then We placed him as a drop in a place of rest."
(Quran 23:13)
Dr. Moore says:
ْ ُ‫ ن‬has been interpreted as the sperm
The drop or nutfah ً‫طفَة‬
or spermatozoon, but a more meaningful interpretation
would be the zygote which divides to form a blastocyst
which is implanted in the uterus ("a place of rest").
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ْ ‫ث ُ َّم َخلَ ْقنَا الن‬
A leech-like structure ً‫طفَةَ ََلَقَة‬
ْ ‫… ث ُ َّم َخلَ ْقنَا الن‬
… ً‫َلَقَة‬
َ َ‫طفَة‬
"Then We made the drop into a leech-like structure."
(Quran 23:14)
Dr. Moore says:
1. The word "alaqah ً‫َلَقَة‬
َ " refers to a leech or bloodsucker.
2. This is an appropriate description of the human embryo from
days 7-24 when it clings to the endometrium (lining) of the
uterus, in the same way that a leech clings to the skin.
3. Just as the leech derives blood from the host, the human embryo
derives blood from the decidua or pregnant endometrium
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Dr. Moore explains:
 It is remarkable how much the embryo of 23-24
days resembles a leech (See next slide).
 As there were no microscopes or lenses
available in the 7th century,


doctors would not have known that the human
embryo had this leech-like appearance.
In the early part of the fourth week, the embryo is
just visible to the unaided eye because it is smaller
than a kernel of wheat.
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Compare human embryo versus the leach
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A chewed lump ً‫ْضََة‬
ْ ‫فَ َخلَ ْقنَا ْالعَلَقَةَ ُم‬
… ً‫ْضََة‬
ْ ‫… فَ َخلَ ْقنَا ْال َعلَقَةَ ُم‬
"Then of that leech-like structure, We made a chewed
lump." (Quran 23:14)
Dr. Moore says:
The Arabic word "mudghah ً‫ْضََة‬
ْ ‫ " ُم‬means "chewed substance or
chewed lump."
1. Toward the end of the fourth week, the human embryo looks
somewhat like a chewed lump of flesh.
2. The chewed appearance results from the somites which
resemble teeth marks. The somites represent the beginnings
or primordia of the vertebrae
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Compare embryo with the chewed gum
Top, a drawing of a 28 day-old
human embryo showing several
bead-like somites
The somites resemble the teeth
marks in the model of chewed
piece of gum.
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َ ‫س ْونَا ْال ِع‬
The bones in flesh ‫ام لَ ْح ًما‬
َ ‫فَ َك‬
َ ‫ظ‬
َ ‫س ْونَا ْال ِع‬
َ َِ َ‫ْضََة‬
… ‫ام لَ ْح ًما‬
ْ ‫… فَ َخلَ ْقنَا ْال ُم‬
َ ‫ظا ًما فَ َك‬
َ ‫ظ‬
"Then We made out of the chewed lump, bones, and
clothed the bones in flesh." (Quran 23:14)
Dr. Moore says:
This indicates that out of the chewed lump stage, bones and
muscles form.
This is in accordance with embryological development.
1. First the bones form as cartilage models and
2. then the muscles (flesh) develop around them from the somatic
mesoderm.
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Another creature ‫ث ُ َّم أ َ ْنشَأْنَاهُ خ َْلقًا آخ ََر‬
… ‫… ث ُ َّم أ َ ْنشَأْنَاهُ خ َْلقًا آخ ََر‬
Then We developed out of it another creature.
(Quran 23:14)
Dr. Moore says:
This implies that the bones and muscles result in the formation of
another creature ‫ خ َْلقًا آخ ََر‬.
1. This may refer to the human-like embryo that forms by the end of
the eighth week.
2. At this stage it has distinctive human characteristics and possesses
the primordia of all the internal and external organs and parts.
3. After the eighth week, the human embryo is called a fetus. This may
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be the new creature to which the verse refers.
Hearing, Sight, and Understanding
ً ‫ار َو ْاْل َ ْفئِدَة َ ۚ قَ ِل‬
‫ياَل َما‬
َّ ‫وح ِه ۖ َو َج َع َل لَ ُك ُم ال‬
ِ ‫س َّواهُ َونَفَ َخ فِي ِه ِم ْن ُر‬
َ ‫ث ُ َّم‬
َ ‫س ْم َع َو ْاْل َ ْب‬
َ ‫ص‬
َ‫ت َ ْش ُك ُرون‬
"And He gave you hearing and sight and feeling and
understanding." (Quran 32:9)
Dr. Moore says:
This indicates that the special senses of hearing, seeing, and
feeling َ ‫ار َو ْاْل َ ْف ِئدَة‬
َّ ‫ ال‬develop in this order, which is true.
َ ‫ص‬
َ ‫س ْم َع َو ْاْل َ ْب‬
1. The primordia of the internal ears appear before the beginning
of the eyes,
2. and the brain (the site of understanding) differentiates last.
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َ ‫… ُمخَلَّقَ ٍة َو‬
..Partly formed and partly unformed ‫غي ِْر ُمخَلَّقَ ٍة‬
… ‫غي ِْر ُمخَلَّقَ ٍة‬
َ ‫ْضََ ٍة ُمخَلَّقَ ٍة َو‬
ْ ‫… ث ُ َّم ِم ْن ُم‬
“…Then out of a piece of chewed flesh, partly formed
and partly unformed..." (Quran 22:5)
Dr. Moore says:
This seems to indicate that the embryo is composed of both
differentiated and undifferentiated tissues.
1. For example, when the cartilage bones are differentiated, the
embryonic connective tissue or mesenchyme around them is
undifferentiated.
2. It later differentiates into the muscles and ligaments attached to
the bones.
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And to rest in the wombs for an appointed term
… ‫سمى‬
َ ‫… َونُ ِقر فِي ْاْل َ ْر َح ِام َما نَشَا ُء ِإلَ ٰى أ َ َج ٍل ُم‬
“…And We cause whom We will to rest in the wombs
for an appointed term..." (Quran 22:5)
Dr. Moore says:
This seems to imply that God determines ‫ َونُ ِقر فِي ْاْل َ ْر َح ِام‬which
embryos will remain in the uterus until full term.
1. It is well known that many embryos abort during the first
month of development,
2. and that only about 30% of zygotes that form, develop into
fetuses that survive until birth.
3. This verse has also been interpreted to mean that God
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determines whether the embryo will develop into a boy or girl.
Dr. Moore concludes:
 The interpretation of the verses in the Quran referring
to human development would not have been possible


in the 7th century A.D.,
or even a hundred years ago.
 We can interpret them now because the science of
modern Embryology affords us new understanding.
 Undoubtedly there are other verses in the Quran
related to human development that will be understood
in the future as our knowledge increases.
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Dr. Moore
In 1981, during the Seventh Medical Conference in
Dammam, Saudi Arabia, Moore said, “It has been a
great pleasure for me to help clarify some statements
in Quraan about human development. It is clear to me
that these statements must have come to Muhammad
from God (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 (Allah).
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Dr. Johnson
 Johnson, another Anatomist from USA was really
surprised and contradicted his own theories that
these statements from Holy Quran could be a
coincidence, or else Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH) had a powerful microscope and in the
end said that being a scientist and depending on
Quranic verses he believed that Muhammad was
receiving information from somewhere and felt
that Divine intervention was involved.
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In Conclusion
Embryology in the Quran by Dr. Keith Moore
ُ ‫فِي‬
ٍ ‫ت ث َ َاَل‬
ٍ ‫ظلُ َما‬
1. In three veils of darkness ٍ
ْ ُ‫ن‬
2. A drop in a place of rest ‫ِين‬
ٍ ‫طفَةً فِي قَ َر ٍار َمك‬
ْ
ً
ُ
ْ
3. A leech-like structure ‫َلَقَة‬
َ َ‫ث َّم َخلَقنَا النطفَة‬
4. A chewed lump ً‫ْضََة‬
ْ ‫فَ َخلَ ْقنَا ْالعَلَقَةَ ُم‬
َ ‫س ْونَا ْال ِع‬
5. The bones in flesh ‫ام لَحْ ًما‬
َ ‫فَ َك‬
َ ‫ظ‬
ْ
6. Another Creature ‫ث ُ َّم أ َ ْنشَأْنَاهُ خَلقًا آخ ََر‬
7. Hearing, Sight, and Understanding
8. ..Partly formed and partly unformed ‫غي ِْر ُمخَلَّقَ ٍة‬
َ ‫… ُمخَلَّقَ ٍة َو‬
9. And to rest in the wombs for an appointed term
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THANK YOU
Be in Allah’s Care
Dr. A.S. Hashim
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