# Three Errors in Islamic Embryology

URL: https://islamsproblems.com/quran-embryology-errors/
Part: Core Arguments

---

### 4. Three Errors in Islamic Embryology

Quran’s and the hadith’s description of embryonic and fetal
development has at least three errors:

#### Error 1

[Quran 23:14](https://quran.com/23/14?translations=20) gives the order of embryonic development but
says **flesh comes after bones**.

> “Then We made the sperm-drop into a clinging clot, and We made the clot into a lump [of flesh], and
> We made [from] the lump, bones, and **We covered the bones with flesh**; then We developed him into
> another creation. So blessed is Allāh, the best of creators.” [Quran 23:14](https://quran.com/23/14?translations=20)

**But there is never a point where an embryo is just a skeleton without flesh.**

Scholarly Explanations (Islamic Scholars)

> “There is an **interval of forty days between each stage** of creation. {Then We clothed the
> bones with flesh} - meaning, We **covered them**.”
> [Tafsir al-Baghawi on 23:14 (d. 1122 AD)](https://shamela.ws/book/41/2096#:~:text=%D8%A8%D9%8E%D9%8A%D9%92%D9%86%D9%8E%20%D9%83%D9%8F%D9%84%D9%90%D9%91%20%D8%AE%D9%8E%D9%84%D9%92%D9%82%D9%8E%D9%8A%D9%92%D9%86%D9%90%20%D8%A3%D9%8E%D8%B1%D9%92%D8%A8%D9%8E%D8%B9%D9%88%D9%86%D9%8E%20%D9%8A%D9%8E%D9%88%D9%92%D9%85%D9%8B%D8%A7,%D8%A3%D9%8E%D9%8A%D9%92%20%D8%A3%D9%8E%D9%84%D9%92%D8%A8%D9%8E%D8%B3%D9%92%D9%86%D9%8E%D8%A7)

> “Then He **fashioned the lump of flesh into bones** - varying in size, shape, and function -
> **forming the foundation** upon which this remarkable structure stands; thereafter, He
> **clothed the bones with flesh**, serving them **just as a robe does the wearer**.”
> [Ibn al-Qayyim, Tuhfat al-Mawdud (d. 1350 AD)](https://shamela.ws/book/6266/1#:~:text=%D8%AB%D9%85%D9%8E%D9%91%20%D8%AE%D9%84%D9%82%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B6%D8%BA%D8%A9%20%D8%B9%D8%B8%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7,%D9%83%D9%8E%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AB%D9%8E%D9%91%D9%88%D9%92%D8%A8%D9%90%20%D9%84%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B3%D9%8A%D9%86)

> “{Then We created the nutfa [drop] into an alaqa [clot]} - that is, **congealed blood** - by
> transforming the white drop into a red clot; {then We created the alaqa into a mudgha [chewed
> lump]} - that is, a piece of flesh lacking distinct features or differentiation; {then We created
> the mudgha} - meaning the greater part, the majority, or the entirety of it - **{into bones} by hardening it and making it the structural framework** of the body, arranged in specific forms
> and positions dictated by Divine Wisdom; {then We clothed the bones} - the aforementioned ones -
> {with flesh} - derived from the remainder of the mudgha or generated upon them by Our power -
> meaning **We clothed each of those bones with the flesh befitting it**.”
> [Tafsir Abu al-Su’ud on 23:14 (d. 1574 AD)](https://shamela.ws/book/1429/4243#:~:text=%D8%AB%D9%8F%D9%85%D9%8E%D9%91%20%D8%AE%D9%8E%D9%84%D9%8E%D9%82%D9%92%D9%86%D9%8E%D8%A7%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D8%B7%D9%81%D8%A9%20%D8%B9%D9%8E%D9%84%D9%8E%D9%82%D9%8E%D8%A9,%D9%85%D8%A7%20%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%82%D9%8F%20%D8%A8%D9%87%20%D9%85%D9%86%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%8E%D9%91%D8%AD%D9%85)

Bones and Muscles Develop Together

**Muscle and skeletal development** occur **together**. **Muscle differentiation starts** in the **5th week** and **bone formation begins** in the
**6th week**.

> “**Myogenesis** [muscle formation] occurs **immediately adjacent to**, and
> **concurrent** [at the same time] with, the **development** of the **skeleton** during
> embryogenesis.”
> [DiGirolamo et al. (PMC/NIH)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4892934/#:~:text=Myogenesis%20occurs%20immediately%20adjacent%20to%2C%20and%20concurrent%20with%2C%20the%20development%20of%20the%20skeleton)

> “**During intrauterine development,** bone and muscle cells share a common mesenchymal
> precursor … so that **bone and muscle develop synchronously** [at the same time].”
> [Bonewald (PMC/NIH)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6360108/#:~:text=bone%20and%20muscle%20develop%20synchronously)

> “During the **fifth [5th] week** the myotomes give rise to a dorsoventral mass of
> **developing muscle tissue**.”
> [Hill (UNSW Textbook)](https://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php/Musculoskeletal_System_-_Muscle_Development)

> “Bone ossification, or osteogenesis, is **the process of bone formation**. This process
> **begins** between the **sixth [6th] and seventh [7th] weeks** of embryonic development.”
> [Breeland et al. (NCBI)](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539718/#:~:text=the%20process%20of%20bone%20formation.%20This%20process%20begins%20between%20the%20sixth%20and%20seventh%20weeks)

From Galen (2nd Century Physician)

> “And now the third period of gestation has come. After nature has made outlines of all the organs
> and the substance of the semen is used up, the time has come for nature to articulate the organs
> precisely and to bring all the parts to completion. **Thus it caused flesh to grow on and around all the bones**, and at the same time, sucking the fattest part out of them, it made them
> earthy and brittle and completely without fat; and causing the viscous matter that it drew from
> them in each case to grow out, it made at the ends of the bones ligaments that bind them to each
> other, and along their entire length it placed around them on all sides thin membranes, called
> periosteal, **on which it caused flesh to grow**.”
> [Galen, “On Semen I 10,12-13,” p. 101 (c. 170 AD)](https://digilib.bbaw.de/digilib/Scaler?fn=/silo10/cmg/cmg_05_03_01/&pn=101&dw=1500&dh=2100)

#### Error 2

Sahih (authentic) hadiths say **women have a “thin and yellow” discharge** and
that **the child resembles whoever discharges first or the most during intercourse**.

> “The **water** of the **man** is **thick and white** and the **water** of a **woman** is
> **thin and yellow**. Whichever of them **comes first** or predominates, the child will
> **resemble** (that parent).”
> [Sunan Ibn Majah 601](https://sunnah.com/ibnmajah:601) [Sahih Muslim 311](https://sunnah.com/muslim:311)

> “If a **man** has **sexual intercourse** with his wife and gets **discharge first**, the child
> will **resemble** the **father**, and if the **woman** gets **discharge first**, the child
> will **resemble her**.”
> [Sahih Bukhari 3329](https://sunnah.com/bukhari:3329)

**But women have no “thin and yellow” discharge that contributes to the child’s resemblance.**
**And the child’s resemblance is based on genetics not who discharges first.**

Quran Support

> “Indeed, We created man from a **sperm-drop mixture** that We may try him; and We made him
> hearing and seeing.”
> [Quran 76:2](https://quran.com/76/2?translations=20)

Scholarly Explanations (Islamic Scholars)

> “The **likeliest** of these statements **to be correct** is the statement of him who said: the
> **meaning** of from a **mingled sperm-drop** is the **man’s sperm-drop** and the
> **woman’s sperm-drop**.”
> [Tafsir al-Tabari on 76:2 (d. 923 AD)](https://shamela.ws/book/43/14007#:~:text=%D9%88%D8%A3%D8%B4%D8%A8%D9%87%20%D9%87%D8%B0%D9%87%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%82%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%20%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%A8,%D9%88%D9%86%D8%B7%D9%81%D8%A9%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A3%D8%A9)

> “From a sperm, meaning the **semen of the man** and the **semen of the woman**, mixed
> together, the singular of which is mashj or mashij, like khidn and khudin. **Ibn Abbas**,
> Al-Hasan, Mujahid, and Al-Rabi’ said: It means the **man’s fluid** and the **woman’s fluid mix** in the womb, and from them the child is formed. The **man’s fluid** is
> **white and thick**, and the **woman’s fluid** is **yellow and thin**, so
> **whichever prevails will determine resemblance**.”
> [Tafsir al-Baghawi on 76:2 (d. 1122 AD)](https://shamela.ws/book/12217/2460#:~:text=%D9%85%D9%90%D9%86%D9%92%20%D9%86%D9%8F%D8%B7%D9%92%D9%81%D9%8E%D8%A9%D9%8D%D8%8C%20%D9%8A%D9%8E%D8%B9%D9%92%D9%86%D9%90%D9%8A%20%D9%85%D9%8E%D9%86%D9%90%D9%8A%D9%90%D9%91%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D9%8E%D9%91%D8%AC%D9%8F%D9%84%D9%90%20%D9%88%D9%8E%D9%85%D9%8E%D9%86%D9%90%D9%8A%D9%90%D9%91%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%92%D9%85%D9%8E%D8%B1%D9%92%D8%A3%D9%8E%D8%A9%D9%90,%D9%81%D9%8E%D8%A3%D9%8E%D9%8A%D9%8F%D9%91%D9%87%D9%8F%D9%85%D9%8E%D8%A7%20%D8%B9%D9%8E%D9%84%D9%8E%D8%A7%20%D8%B5%D9%8E%D8%A7%D8%AD%D9%90%D8%A8%D9%8E%D9%87%D9%8F%20%D9%83%D9%8E%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8E%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D9%8E%D9%91%D8%A8%D9%8E%D9%87%D9%8F%20%D9%84%D9%8E%D9%87%D9%8F)

> “The **man’s water**, which is **white and thick**, **mixes** with the **woman’s water**,
> which is **yellow and thin**, and the child is created from them. What is sinew, bone and
> strength is from the man’s water, and what is flesh, blood and hair is from the woman’s
> water.”
> [Tafsir al-Qurtubi on 76:2 (d. 1273 AD)](https://shamela.ws/book/20855/7011#:~:text=%D9%8A%D8%AE%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%B7%20%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%A1%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%AC%D9%84,%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%A1%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A3%D8%A9)

> “This refers to the **male and female fluids** when they **meet and mingle**; it
> then transitions from one stage to another, from one state to another, and from one color to
> another. This is the view expressed by ‘Ikrimah, Mujahid, Al-Hasan, and Al-Rabi‘ ibn Anas.”
> [Tafsir Ibn Kathir on 76:2 (d. 1373 AD)](https://shamela.ws/book/8473/4331#:~:text=%D9%8A%D8%B9%D9%86%D9%8A%3A%20%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%A1%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%AC%D9%84%20%D9%88%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%A1%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A3%D8%A9,%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%B9%20%D8%A8%D9%86%20%D8%A3%D9%86%D8%B3)

Do Women Get Wet Dreams? Yes, Their Discharge Is Why Sons Resemble Their Mothers.

> “Um-Sulaim came to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and said, ‘Verily, Allah is not shy of (telling you)
> the truth. Is it necessary for a woman to take a bath after she has a wet dream (nocturnal
> sexual discharge?)’ The Prophet replied, ‘Yes, if she notices a discharge.’ Um Salama, then
> covered her face and asked, ‘**O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! Does a woman get a discharge?**’
> He replied, ‘**Yes**, let your right hand be in dust (An Arabic expression you say to a
> person when you contradict his statement meaning “you will not achieve goodness”),
> **and that is why the son resembles his mother**.’”
> [Sahih Bukhari 130](https://sunnah.com/bukhari:130)

Ibn Hajar’s Authoritative Commentary: Six Categories of Child Resemblance

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, the authoritative classical commentator on Sahih Bukhari,
systematized the “who discharges first” doctrine into **six categories** in his commentary on
[Sahih Bukhari 3938](https://sunnah.com/bukhari:3938):

> This divides into **six categories:**
> The **man’s fluid precedes and is more in quantity** - the child is male and **resembles the man**.
> The opposite - the **woman’s fluid precedes and is more** - the child is female and
> **resembles her**.
> The **man’s fluid precedes, but the woman’s fluid is more** - the child is male but
> **resembles the woman**.
> The opposite - the **woman’s fluid precedes, but the man’s fluid is more** - the child
> is female but **resembles the man**.
> The **man’s fluid precedes and they are equal** - the child is male but **without specific resemblance**.
> The opposite.
> [Ibn Hajar, Fath al-Bari 7/273](https://shamela.ws/book/1673/4101#:~:text=%D9%88%D9%8E%D9%8A%D9%8E%D9%86%D9%92%D9%82%D9%8E%D8%B3%D9%90%D9%85%D9%8F%20%D8%B0%D9%8E%D9%84%D9%90%D9%83%D9%8E%20%D8%B3%D9%90%D8%AA%D9%91%D9%8E%D8%A9%D9%8E%20%D8%A3%D9%8E%D9%82%D9%92%D8%B3%D9%8E%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%8D)

Also From Galen (2nd Century Physician)

> “Indeed it would have been much better to trust the visible evidence that **the semen of females exists** and to inquire by reasoning what its power is. The visible evidence was given before
> and will now be given again. Spermatic ducts, full of semen, secrete this semen apart from the
> union of female with male, **females experiencing effusions in sleep as males do**”
> [Galen, “On Semen II 1,33-34,” p. 153 (c. 170 AD)](https://digilib.bbaw.de/digilib/Scaler?fn=/silo10/cmg/cmg_05_03_01/&pn=153&dw=1500&dh=2100)

> “Even if the semen is homoeomerous, of such a nature as to fashion all parts of the animal from
> every part of itself, the parts (of the semen) at least could differ in this way: the **first semen to be emitted might be thicker or with a greater share of pneuma or stronger**, and what
> follows in the second or third ejaculation thinner or colder or weaker or with a smaller share of
> the substance of connate pneuma, just as, conversely, the first might be weaker or cold or
> pneuma-like, and that of the second or third or fourth emission its opposite; so then **in the mixture the semen of the male might dominate in some parts, that of the female in others, and wherever it dominates, that part could come to resemble the dominator**.”
> [Galen, “On Semen II 5,4,” p. 181 (c. 170 AD)](https://digilib.bbaw.de/digilib/Scaler?fn=/silo10/cmg/cmg_05_03_01/&pn=181&dw=1500&dh=2100)

Since Hippocrates (5th Century BC Physician)

> “(6) Now here is a further point. What the woman emits is sometimes stronger, and sometimes
> weaker; and this applies also to what the man emits. In fact **both partners alike contain both male and female sperm** (the male being stronger than the female must of course originate
> from a stronger sperm). Here is a further point: if (a) both partners produce a stronger sperm,
> then a male is the result, whereas if (b) they produce a weak form, then a female is the result.
> But if (c) one partner produces one kind of sperm, and the other another, then **the resultant sex is determined by whichever sperm prevails in quantity**. For suppose that the weak sperm
> is much greater in quantity than the stronger sperm: then the stronger sperm is overwhelmed and,
> being mixed with the weak, results in a female. If on the contrary the strong sperm is greater
> in quantity than the weak, and the weak is overwhelmed, it results in a male.”
> [Hippocrates, “On Generation” 6, tr. Lonie (c. 400 BC)](https://diotima-doctafemina.org/translations/anthologies/womens-life-in-greece-and-rome-selections/ix-medicine-and-anatomy/341-intercourse-conception-and-pregnancy/#:~:text=both%20partners%20alike%20contain%20both%20male%20and%20female%20sperm)

> “**Hippocrates of Kos (460–377 BCE)**, hypothesized that “minute particles from every part of
> the body entered the seminal substance of both parents, and by their fusion gave rise to a new
> individual exhibiting the traits of both of them” (Orel, 1996). In this respect, **both parents produced “semen” or seminal fluids** that intermingled to create the embryo. **Mixed traits** were explained by the **blending of male and female seminal fluids**, and the
> **sex** as
> well as **characters** of children to be born were thought to be **determined by** whether
> the
> **paternal or maternal “seed” became “dominant”** during the mixing that followed copulation.”
> [Poczai and Santiago-Blay (Frontiers in Genetics)](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/genetics/articles/10.3389/fgene.2022.814436/full#:~:text=minute%20particles%20from%20every%20part,that%20followed%20copulation.)

#### Error 3

Sahih (authentic) hadith says **embryos** are a **clot of blood from 40-80 days** and a **piece of flesh from 80-120 days**.

> “a human being is put together in the womb of the mother in **forty days [0-40 days]**,
> and then he becomes a **clot of thick blood for a similar period [40-80 days]**,
> and then **a piece of flesh for a similar period [80-120 days]**”
> [Sahih Bukhari 3208](https://sunnah.com/bukhari:3208)

**Between days 40-80, embryos aren’t a blood clot - they develop fingers and toes.**
**Between 80-120 days, embryos aren’t a lump of flesh - they develop bones.**

You Remain a Sperm Drop in the Womb for 40 Days

Sahih (authentic) hadiths and Ibn Kathir’s commentary also say **embryos remain a sperm drop in the womb for 40 days**.

> “Allah’s Messenger as saying: **The semen stays in the womb for forty [40] nights**.”
> [Sahih Muslim 2645c](https://sunnah.com/muslim:2645c)

> “When the nutfah (drop of semen) **settles in the womb, it remains a nutfah (drop of semen) for forty [40] nights**.”
> [Al-Mu’jam al-Saghir 16](https://hadithweb.com/saghir:16#:~:text=When%20the%20semen%20settles%20in%20the%20womb%2C%20it%20remains%20as%20a%20nutfah%20%28drop%29%20for%20forty%20days)

> “This is because when the **nutfah (drop of semen) settles in the womb of the woman, it remains for forty [40] days in that state**.”
> [Ibn Kathir commentary](https://shamela.ws/book/23604/2360#p3:~:text=%D8%A5%D8%B0%D8%A7%20%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%B1%D8%AA%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D8%B7%D9%81%D8%A9%20%D9%81%D9%8A%20%D8%B1%D8%AD%D9%85%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A3%D8%A9%20%D9%85%D9%83%D8%AB%D8%AA%20%D8%A3%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%B9%D9%8A%D9%86%20%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%85%D8%A7%20%D9%83%D8%B0%D9%84%D9%83)

**By day 40, embryos aren’t just a drop of sperm - they have developing organs and a heartbeat.**

![Photograph of the English translation of Sahih Muslim, Volume 7, hadith 6726/2645, with two passages highlighted: 'enters upon the Nutfah (sperm drop) after it has settled in the womb for forty or forty-five nights' and 'When forty-two nights have passed for the Nutfah (sperm drop), Allah sends an angel to it.'](/assets/image-13-5ed732c6d573.jpg)

[Sahih Muslim 2645c](https://sunnah.com/muslim:2645c)

Sex Is Decided After the Lump of Flesh Stage

> “At every womb Allah appoints an angel who says, ‘O Lord! A drop of semen, O Lord! A clot. O
> Lord! **A little lump of flesh.**” Then **if Allah wishes (to complete) its creation**, the **angel asks, (O Lord!) Will it be a male or female**, a wretched or a blessed, and how much will his
> provision be?’”
> [Sahih Bukhari 318](https://sunnah.com/bukhari:318)

> “In humans, **chromosomal sex is determined at fertilization** when a sperm contributes either an
> X or Y chromosome to the X chromosome in the oocyte.”
> [Aatsha et al. (NCBI)](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557601/#:~:text=chromosomal%20sex%20is%20determined%20at%20fertilization%20when%20a%20sperm%20contributes%20either%20an%20X%20or%20Y%20chromosome)

Also From Galen (2nd Century Physician)

> “But let us take the account back again to the first conformation of the animal; and in order to
> make our account orderly and clear, **let us divide the creation of the fetus overall into four periods of time**. The **first** is that in which, as is seen both in abortions and in
> dissections, **the form of the semen prevails**. At this time Hippocrates too, the
> all-marvelous, does not yet call the conformation of the animal a fetus; as we heard just now in
> the case of the semen voided in the sixth day, he still calls it semen. But **when it has been filled with blood**, and heart, brain, and liver are (still) unarticulated and unshaped yet
> have by now a certain solidity and considerable size, **this is the second period**; the
> substance of the fetus has the form of flesh and no longer the form of semen.”
> [Galen, “On Semen I 9,1-4,” p. 93 (c. 170 AD)](https://digilib.bbaw.de/digilib/Scaler?fn=/silo10/cmg/cmg_05_03_01/&pn=93&dw=1500&dh=2100)

> “The **third** period follows on this when, as was said, it is possible to see the three ruling
> parts clearly and a kind of **outline, a silhouette, as it were, of all the other parts**. You
> will see the conformation of the three ruling parts more clearly, that of the parts at the stomach
> more dimly, and much more still that of the limbs. Later on they form ‘twigs’, as Hippocrates
> expressed it, indicating by the term their similarity to branches. The **fourth and final period is at the stage when all the parts in the limbs have been differentiated**”
> [Galen, “On Semen I 9,6-9,” p. 95 (c. 170 AD)](https://digilib.bbaw.de/digilib/Scaler?fn=/silo10/cmg/cmg_05_03_01/&pn=95&dw=1500&dh=2100)

Quran Says Semen Emerges From Backbone and Ribs

> “So **let man observe from what he was created**. He was created **from a fluid, ejected, emerging from between the backbone and the ribs.**”
> [Quran 86:5-7](https://quran.com/86/5-7?translations=20)

Scholarly Explanations (Islamic Scholars)

> “from **between** the **man’s backbone** and the **woman’s ribs**, and the
> **ribs** are the place of the **necklace**. As for the **man’s water**, it is **white and thick**, from it come the sinew and the bone; and as for the **woman’s water**, it
> is **yellow and thin**, from it come the flesh, the blood and the hair.”
> [Tafsir Muqatil ibn Sulayman on 86:7 (d. 767 AD)](https://shamela.ws/book/23614/2002#:~:text=%D9%85%D9%86%20%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%86%20%D8%B5%D9%84%D8%A8%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%AC%D9%84,%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D8%AD%D9%85%20%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%85%20%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%B9%D8%B1)

> “From the **man’s water**, which comes out of his **backbone**, are created the bone
> and the sinew; and from the **woman’s water**, which comes out of her **ribs**, the flesh
> and the blood.”
> [Tafsir al-Qurtubi on 86:7 (d. 1273 AD)](https://shamela.ws/book/20855/7195#:~:text=%D9%8A%D9%8F%D8%AE%D9%92%D9%84%D9%8E%D9%82%D9%8F%20%D9%85%D9%90%D9%86%D9%92%20%D9%85%D9%8E%D8%A7%D8%A1%D9%90%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D9%8E%D9%91%D8%AC%D9%8F%D9%84,%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%8E%D9%91%D8%AD%D9%92%D9%85%D9%8F%20%D9%88%D9%8E%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%8E%D9%91%D9%85)

> “It emerges from between the **backbone** of the **man** and the **chest** of the
> **woman**.”
> [al-Tafsir al-Muyassar, King Fahd Complex (pub. 1997 AD)](https://quran-tafsir.net/moyassar/sura86-aya7.html#p1:~:text=%D9%8A%D8%AE%D8%B1%D8%AC%20%D9%85%D9%86%20%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%86%20%D8%B5%D9%84%D8%A8%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%AC%D9%84%20%D9%88%D8%B5%D8%AF%D8%B1%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A3%D8%A9)

Since Plato (4th Century BC)

> “**The view that semen was derived from the spinal cord** was old enough to be denied by Alcmaeon
> in the sixth century bc, **but Plato and Hippocrates subscribed to it**. Plato in his Timaeus
> considers the brain and spinal ‘marrow’ as but a special form of bone marrow (Timaeus, 73) in which
> ‘God implanted his divine seed’. This **spinal marrow passes down the back** and
> **communicates its ‘universal seed stuff’ to the genitalia for the purpose of procreation**.”
> [Noble et al. (PMC/NIH)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4213433/#:~:text=The%20view%20that%20semen%20was%20derived,God%20implanted%20his%20divine%20seed%E2%80%99.)

> “they bored a hole into the condensed marrow which comes from the head down by the neck and
> **along the spine**, which marrow, in our previous account, **we termed ‘seed.’**”
> [Plato, Timaeus 91a-b (c. 360 BC)](https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0180%3Atext%3DTim.%3Asection%3D91a)

One-Liners

- **The Miami/LA Analogy:** If I say, “I will stay in Miami for 40 days, and in
Los Angeles for a similar period,” my stay in Los Angeles can’t happen during the first 40 days,
because I am still in Miami. The stages are sequential.

- **The “Call Me Sperm” Reductio:** Your origin was semen but I can’t call you
a sperm drop today. Likewise, you can’t save “remains a sperm drop for 40 days” by calling later
embryonic stages semen.

### Sources
- Quran 23:14: https://quran.com/23/14?translations=20
- DiGirolamo et al. (PMC/NIH): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4892934/#:~:text=Myogenesis%20occurs%20immediately%20adjacent%20to%2C%20and%20concurrent%20with%2C%20the%20development%20of%20the%20skeleton
- Bonewald (PMC/NIH): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6360108/#:~:text=bone%20and%20muscle%20develop%20synchronously
- Hill (UNSW Textbook): https://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php/Musculoskeletal_System_-_Muscle_Development
- Breeland et al. (NCBI): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539718/#:~:text=the%20process%20of%20bone%20formation.%20This%20process%20begins%20between%20the%20sixth%20and%20seventh%20weeks
- Tafsir al-Baghawi on 23:14 (d. 1122 AD): https://shamela.ws/book/41/2096#:~:text=%D8%A8%D9%8E%D9%8A%D9%92%D9%86%D9%8E%20%D9%83%D9%8F%D9%84%D9%90%D9%91%20%D8%AE%D9%8E%D9%84%D9%92%D9%82%D9%8E%D9%8A%D9%92%D9%86%D9%90%20%D8%A3%D9%8E%D8%B1%D9%92%D8%A8%D9%8E%D8%B9%D9%88%D9%86%D9%8E%20%D9%8A%D9%8E%D9%88%D9%92%D9%85%D9%8B%D8%A7,%D8%A3%D9%8E%D9%8A%D9%92%20%D8%A3%D9%8E%D9%84%D9%92%D8%A8%D9%8E%D8%B3%D9%92%D9%86%D9%8E%D8%A7
- Ibn al-Qayyim, Tuhfat al-Mawdud (d. 1350 AD): https://shamela.ws/book/6266/1#:~:text=%D8%AB%D9%85%D9%8E%D9%91%20%D8%AE%D9%84%D9%82%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B6%D8%BA%D8%A9%20%D8%B9%D8%B8%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7,%D9%83%D9%8E%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AB%D9%8E%D9%91%D9%88%D9%92%D8%A8%D9%90%20%D9%84%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B3%D9%8A%D9%86
- Tafsir Abu al-Su'ud on 23:14 (d. 1574 AD): https://shamela.ws/book/1429/4243#:~:text=%D8%AB%D9%8F%D9%85%D9%8E%D9%91%20%D8%AE%D9%8E%D9%84%D9%8E%D9%82%D9%92%D9%86%D9%8E%D8%A7%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D8%B7%D9%81%D8%A9%20%D8%B9%D9%8E%D9%84%D9%8E%D9%82%D9%8E%D8%A9,%D9%85%D8%A7%20%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%82%D9%8F%20%D8%A8%D9%87%20%D9%85%D9%86%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%8E%D9%91%D8%AD%D9%85
- Quran 76:2: https://quran.com/76/2?translations=20
- Tafsir al-Tabari on 76:2 (d. 923 AD): https://shamela.ws/book/43/14007#:~:text=%D9%88%D8%A3%D8%B4%D8%A8%D9%87%20%D9%87%D8%B0%D9%87%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%82%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%20%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%A8,%D9%88%D9%86%D8%B7%D9%81%D8%A9%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A3%D8%A9
- Tafsir al-Baghawi on 76:2 (d. 1122 AD): https://shamela.ws/book/12217/2460#:~:text=%D9%85%D9%90%D9%86%D9%92%20%D9%86%D9%8F%D8%B7%D9%92%D9%81%D9%8E%D8%A9%D9%8D%D8%8C%20%D9%8A%D9%8E%D8%B9%D9%92%D9%86%D9%90%D9%8A%20%D9%85%D9%8E%D9%86%D9%90%D9%8A%D9%90%D9%91%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D9%8E%D9%91%D8%AC%D9%8F%D9%84%D9%90%20%D9%88%D9%8E%D9%85%D9%8E%D9%86%D9%90%D9%8A%D9%90%D9%91%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%92%D9%85%D9%8E%D8%B1%D9%92%D8%A3%D9%8E%D8%A9%D9%90,%D9%81%D9%8E%D8%A3%D9%8E%D9%8A%D9%8F%D9%91%D9%87%D9%8F%D9%85%D9%8E%D8%A7%20%D8%B9%D9%8E%D9%84%D9%8E%D8%A7%20%D8%B5%D9%8E%D8%A7%D8%AD%D9%90%D8%A8%D9%8E%D9%87%D9%8F%20%D9%83%D9%8E%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8E%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D9%8E%D9%91%D8%A8%D9%8E%D9%87%D9%8F%20%D9%84%D9%8E%D9%87%D9%8F
- Tafsir al-Qurtubi on 76:2 (d. 1273 AD): https://shamela.ws/book/20855/7011#:~:text=%D9%8A%D8%AE%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%B7%20%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%A1%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%AC%D9%84,%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%A1%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A3%D8%A9
- Tafsir Ibn Kathir on 76:2 (d. 1373 AD): https://shamela.ws/book/8473/4331#:~:text=%D9%8A%D8%B9%D9%86%D9%8A%3A%20%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%A1%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%AC%D9%84%20%D9%88%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%A1%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A3%D8%A9,%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%B9%20%D8%A8%D9%86%20%D8%A3%D9%86%D8%B3
- al-Tafsir al-Muyassar, King Fahd Complex (pub. 1997 AD): https://quran-tafsir.net/moyassar/sura86-aya7.html#p1:~:text=%D9%8A%D8%AE%D8%B1%D8%AC%20%D9%85%D9%86%20%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%86%20%D8%B5%D9%84%D8%A8%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%AC%D9%84%20%D9%88%D8%B5%D8%AF%D8%B1%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A3%D8%A9
- Tafsir Muqatil ibn Sulayman on 86:7 (d. 767 AD): https://shamela.ws/book/23614/2002#:~:text=%D9%85%D9%86%20%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%86%20%D8%B5%D9%84%D8%A8%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%AC%D9%84,%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D8%AD%D9%85%20%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%85%20%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%B9%D8%B1
- Tafsir al-Qurtubi on 86:7 (d. 1273 AD): https://shamela.ws/book/20855/7195#:~:text=%D9%8A%D9%8F%D8%AE%D9%92%D9%84%D9%8E%D9%82%D9%8F%20%D9%85%D9%90%D9%86%D9%92%20%D9%85%D9%8E%D8%A7%D8%A1%D9%90%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D9%8E%D9%91%D8%AC%D9%8F%D9%84,%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%8E%D9%91%D8%AD%D9%92%D9%85%D9%8F%20%D9%88%D9%8E%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%8E%D9%91%D9%85
- Sahih Muslim 311: https://sunnah.com/muslim:311
- Sunan Ibn Majah 601: https://sunnah.com/ibnmajah:601
- Sahih Bukhari 3329: https://sunnah.com/bukhari:3329
- Sahih Bukhari 130: https://sunnah.com/bukhari:130
- Sahih Bukhari 3938: https://sunnah.com/bukhari:3938
- Ibn Hajar, Fath al-Bari 7/273: https://shamela.ws/book/1673/4101#:~:text=%D9%88%D9%8E%D9%8A%D9%8E%D9%86%D9%92%D9%82%D9%8E%D8%B3%D9%90%D9%85%D9%8F%20%D8%B0%D9%8E%D9%84%D9%90%D9%83%D9%8E%20%D8%B3%D9%90%D8%AA%D9%91%D9%8E%D8%A9%D9%8E%20%D8%A3%D9%8E%D9%82%D9%92%D8%B3%D9%8E%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%8D
- Hippocrates, "On Generation" 6, tr. Lonie: https://diotima-doctafemina.org/translations/anthologies/womens-life-in-greece-and-rome-selections/ix-medicine-and-anatomy/341-intercourse-conception-and-pregnancy/#:~:text=both%20partners%20alike%20contain%20both%20male%20and%20female%20sperm
- Poczai and Santiago-Blay (Frontiers in Genetics): https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/genetics/articles/10.3389/fgene.2022.814436/full#:~:text=minute%20particles%20from%20every%20part,that%20followed%20copulation.
- Sahih Bukhari 3208: https://sunnah.com/bukhari:3208
- Sahih Muslim 2645c: https://sunnah.com/muslim:2645c
- Al-Mu'jam al-Saghir 16: https://hadithweb.com/saghir:16#:~:text=When%20the%20semen%20settles%20in%20the%20womb%2C%20it%20remains%20as%20a%20nutfah%20%28drop%29%20for%20forty%20days
- Ibn Kathir commentary: https://shamela.ws/book/23604/2360#p3:~:text=%D8%A5%D8%B0%D8%A7%20%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%B1%D8%AA%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D8%B7%D9%81%D8%A9%20%D9%81%D9%8A%20%D8%B1%D8%AD%D9%85%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A3%D8%A9%20%D9%85%D9%83%D8%AB%D8%AA%20%D8%A3%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%B9%D9%8A%D9%86%20%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%85%D8%A7%20%D9%83%D8%B0%D9%84%D9%83

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