And a scientist's intellectual dishonesty (for petrodollar?)
Bangalore-based English monthly, Islamic Voice, in its January 1997 edition, published an illuminating article by Dr Zakir Naik, which claimed that nearly all the critical stages of the growth of a human embryo has been very minutely described by Allah in verses of the Koran nearly 1,400 hundred years ago.
According to Dr. Zakir Naik, Allah has created man from 'alaq', a clot of congealed blood. But it is not known why Allah decided to create man from a minute quantity of a fluid called Nifta, emitted from back bone and the ribs. So, he says that, man created from Nutfatun (mingled liquid). But whatever may be the later description, Zakir Naik is still confident that Allah Has created man from "alaq".
Regarding 'alaq', The Dictionary of Islam by T. P. Hughes writes, ‘Alaq’ is "Congealed blood". One should also notice that there is a separate sura in the Koran, sura 96, called ‘Al-Alaq’ (The clot of blood, revealed at Mecca) containing 19 verses. Of the 19 verses, only verse 96.2 makes reference to reproduction of humans:
096:001
YUSUFALI: Proclaim! (or read!) in the name of thy Lord and Cherisher, Who created-
PICKTHAL: Read: In the name of thy Lord Who createth,
SHAKIR: Read in the name of your Lord Who created.
096.002
YUSUFALI: Created man, out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood:
PICKTHAL: Createth man from a clot.
SHAKIR: He created man from a clot.
So, Allah created man from ‘Alaq’ or 'congeal blood', without stating its shape. (It is important to note that in the above verses, Allah never said that He created a leech-like substances, which Prof. Keith Moore later claimed.). But Zakir Naik says that Allah developed man from like a leech-like substance (Congealed clot of blood), in compliance with the finding of Prof Keith, Zakir Naik then states that, a few years ago a group of young Arab students/scholars collected all information from the Qur'an concerning embryology, and followed the instructions of the Qur'an to Prof Keith Moore, inspired from Surah Furqan (chapter no. 25), verse no. 59 (25:59) which says, "Ask the person who knows." It should be mentioned that Professor Keith Moore, is an authority in embryological science.
These scholars presented the English translations some other Suras of the Quran.
All this information so gathered from the Qur'an was translated into English and presented to Prof. Dr. Keith Moore, head of the department of Embryology at University of Toronto, Canada.
Wikipedia gives following info on Prof. Moore:
Dr 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.
Dr Moore has co-written (with professor Arthur F. Dalley II) Clinically Oriented Anatomy, which is the most popular English-language anatomy textbook in the world, used by scientists, doctors, physiotherapists and students worldwide. The book is especially popular because of its 'blue boxes' - passages of text on blue background that relate the classical anatomy to real-world concepts in the diagnosis and treatment of human patients. The book has been translated into multiple languages. He also co-wrote (with professor Anne M. R. Agur) Essential Clinical Anatomy.
Dr. Keith Moore, after reading the Quran, accepted the oneness of Allah (SWT) and the prophethood of Muhammad (SAW). There is a video where he is seen to admit that Muhammad (SAW) was a messenger of God in saying: "It is clear to me that these statements must have come to Muhammad from God or Allah."
One may also go through his book on embryology in the Quran, written more than twenty years ago, in the 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 Qur’an
 Prof Keith L Moore (Ph.D., F.I.A.C.), Department of Anatomy, University of Toronto, Canada. |
However, Zakir Naik says, “Statements referring to human reproduction and development are scattered throughout the Qur’an. 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.”
The Interest in explanations of the verses of the Qur’an 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 Qur’an 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. “He makes you in the wombs of your mothers in stages, one after another, in three veils of darkness”, Dr Naik said.
The Sura (39) throws some light on the human embryology and particularly verse 39.6., which reads:
039.006
YUSUFALI: He created you (all) from a single person: then created, of like nature, his mate; and he sent down for you eight head of cattle in pairs: He makes you, in the wombs of your mothers, in stages, one after another, in three veils of darkness. such is Allah, your Lord and Cherisher: to Him belongs (all) dominion. There is no god but He: then how are ye turned away (from your true Centre)?
PICKTHAL: He created you from one being, then from that (being) He made its mate; and He hath provided for you of cattle eight kinds. He created you in the wombs of your mothers, creation after creation, in a threefold gloom. Such is Allah, your Lord. His is the Sovereignty. There is no Allah save Him. How then are ye turned away?
SHAKIR: He has created you from a single being, then made its mate of the same (kind), and He has made for you eight of the cattle in pairs. He creates you in the wombs of your mothers-- a creation after a creation-- in triple darkness; that is Allah your Lord, His is the kingdom; there is no god but He; whence are you then turned away?
 Drawing of a sagittal section of a female abdomen and pelvis showing a fetus in utero. The veils of darkness are (1) the interior abdominal wall; (2) the uterine wall and (3) the aminochorioc membrane. |
Commenting on the verse, Dr Moore said, “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. In the 2nd century A.D., Galen described the placenta and fetal membranes in his book “On The Formation of the Foetus.” 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.”
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: (l) the anterior abdominal wall; (2) the uterine wall; and (3) the amniochorionic membrane (Fig. 1). Although there are other interpretations of this statement, the one presented here seems the most logical from an embryological point of view.
“Then We placed him as a drop in a place of rest.”
This statement is from Sura 23:13. The drop or nutfah has been interpreted as the sperm 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”). This interpretation is supported by another verse in the Qur’an which states that “a human being is created from a mixed drop.” The zygote forms by the union of a mixture of the sperm and the ovum (“The mixed drop”).
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023.013
YUSUFALI: Then We placed him as (a drop of) sperm in a place of rest, firmly fixed;
PICKTHAL: Then placed him as a drop (of seed) in a safe lodging;
SHAKIR: Then We made him a small seed in a firm resting-place,
“Then We made the drop into a leech-like structure.”
According to Prof Moore, from Sura 23:14, the word “alaqah” refers to a leech or bloodsucker. This is an appropriate description of the human embryo from days 7-24 when it clings to the endometrium of the uterus, in the same way that a leech clings to the skin. Just as the leech derives blood from the host, the human embryo derives blood from the decidua or pregnant endometrium. It is remarkable how much the embryo of 23-24 days resembles a leech (Fig. 2). 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.
“Then of that leech-like structure, We made a chewed lump.”
This statement is also from Sura 23:14. The Arabic word “mudghah” means “chewed substance or chewed lump.” Toward the end of the fourth week, the human embryo looks somewhat like a chewed lump of flesh (Fig. 3). The chewed appearance results from the somites which resemble teeth marks. The somites represent the beginnings or primordia of the vertebrae.
“Then We made out of the chewed lump, bones, and clothed the bones in flesh.”
This continuation of Sura 23:14 indicates that out of the chewed lump stage, bones and muscles form. This is in accordance with embryological development. First, the bones form as cartilage models and then the muscles (flesh) develop around them from the somatic mesoderm.
“Then We developed out of it another creature.”
This next part of Sura 23:14 implies that the bones and muscles result in the formation of another creature. This may refer to the human-like embryo that forms by the end of the eighth week. At this stage it has distinctive human characteristics and possesses the primordia of all the internal and external organs and parts. After the eighth week, the human embryo is called a fetus. This may be the new creature to which the verse refers.
“And He gave you hearing and sight and feeling and understanding.”
This part of Sura 32:9 indicates that the special senses of hearing, seeing, and feeling develop in this order, which is true. The primordia of the internal ears appear before the beginning of the eyes, and the brain (the site of understanding) differentiates last.
032.009
YUSUFALI: But He fashioned him in due proportion, and breathed into him something of His spirit. And He gave you (the faculties of) hearing and sight and feeling (and understanding): little thanks do ye give!
PICKTHAL: Then He fashioned him and breathed into him of His Spirit; and appointed for you hearing and sight and hearts. Small thanks give ye!
SHAKIR: Then He made him complete and breathed into him of His spirit, and made for you the ears and the eyes and the hearts; little is it that you give thanks.
“Then out of a piece of chewed flesh, partly formed and partly unformed.”
This part of Sura 22:5 that says:
022.005
YUSUFALI: O mankind! if ye have a doubt about the Resurrection, (consider) that We created you out of dust, then out of sperm, then out of a leech-like clot, then out of a morsel of flesh, partly formed and partly unformed, in order that We may manifest (our power) to you; and We cause whom We will to rest in the wombs for an appointed term, then do We bring you out as babes, then (foster you) that ye may reach your age of full strength; and some of you are called to die, and some are sent back to the feeblest old age, so that they know nothing after having known (much), and (further), thou seest the earth barren and lifeless, but when We pour down rain on it, it is stirred (to life), it swells, and it puts forth every kind of beautiful growth (in pairs).
PICKTHAL: O mankind! if ye are in doubt concerning the Resurrection, then lo! We have created you from dust, then from a drop of seed, then from a clot, then from a little lump of flesh shapely and shapeless, that We may make (it) clear for you. And We cause what We will to remain in the wombs for an appointed time, and afterward We bring you forth as infants, then (give you growth) that ye attain your full strength. And among you there is he who dieth (young), and among you there is he who is brought back to the most abject time of life, so that, after knowledge, he knoweth naught. And thou (Muhammad) seest the earth barren, but when We send down water thereon, it doth thrill and swell and put forth every lovely kind (of growth).
SHAKIR: O people! if you are in doubt about the raising, then surely We created you from dust, then from a small seed, then from a clot, then from a lump of flesh, complete in make and incomplete, that We may make clear to you; and We cause what We please to stay in the wombs till an appointed time, then We bring you forth as babies, then that you may attain your maturity; and of you is he who is caused to die, and of you is he who is brought back to the worst part of life, so that after having knowledge he does not know anything; and you see the earth sterile land, but when We send down on it the water, it stirs and swells and brings forth of every kind a beautiful herbage.
The above verses seem to indicate that the embryo is composed of both differentiated and undifferentiated tissues. For example, when the cartilage bones are differentiated, the embryonic connective tissue or mesenchyme around them is undifferentiated. It later differentiates into the muscles and ligaments attached to the bones.
“And We cause whom We will to rest in the wombs for an appointed term.”
This next part of Sura 22:5 seems to imply that God determines which embryos will remain in the uterus until full term. It is well-known that many embryos abort during the first month of development, and that only about 30% of zygotes that form, develop into fetuses that survive until birth. This verse has also been interpreted to mean that God determines whether the embryo will develop into a boy or girl.
The interpretation of the verses in the Qur’an 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 Qur’an related to human development that will be understood in the future as our knowledge increases.
It is obvious that Prof. Moore has stretched his imagination to the greatest extent to interpret various dubious words and descriptions to make the Quranic description of the development of the human embryo match the modern understanding of human embryology. According to modern embryology, the blood circulation, including the heart, is produced first. In the second stage, the nervous system, including the brain develops, and then muscles, cartilages and bones are formed. But Koran does not narrate these stages of developments.
It is also important that the Quran says Allah can create anything He wishes without any raw material. If Allah wishes to create a thing, He has only to utter the Arabic word ‘kun’ (let it be). So, He has no need to get an embryo from a clot of blood or any other cumbersome processes. If he to be wants to make a woman pregnant, He should say ‘kun’ and the woman would be pregnant. It is really unfortunate that a scholar like Zakir Naik has missed this extremely important point.
To conclude, we should make another comment on Prof Keith Moore. He has become extremely moved by the so-called human embryology written in the Koran and hence concluded that Muhammad was a messenger of God or Allah. But he has totally ignored other verses that deal with the embryology. For example, he ignored verses that claims humans are created from 'dust' or 'clay'.
Prof. Moore has also ignored other scientific topics dealt in the Koran. Allah says in the Koran that He created the heaven and earth in six days and on the third day of creation, he crated the sun. Question therefore arises: How He counted days before the creation of the sun?
According to the Koran, Allah created the sky as a roof over the earth. This sky is a solid structure and since it is created by Allah, it is so perfect and no one is able to find a crack in it. The corollary of the above narration follows that all the heavenly bodies like the stars, planets and distant galaxies lie below the solid sky. Furthermore, on the day of Last Judgment (Qiamah), Allah will break this solid sky into pieces and the debris will fall on the earth. On the day of Qimah, Allah will make the sun rise in the west and He will bring the sun vary close to the earth, only a mile away from the earth.
Given Prof. Keith Moore's personal relationship with the Saudi Kingodm, and if one is aware of how the Saudi's do things, it will be easy to surmise what might have motivated Prof. Moore in his glorification of the Koran as a book of accurate science, despite the fact that it is one of the most nonsensical and self-contradictory manuscript ever written.
It is a duty of a scientist to stand for truth. He must sacrifice everything for the sake of truth, but not sacrifice truth for any worldly things or riches.
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