Allah, Most High, says:
Is there not a period of time when each human is nothing yet worth mentioning?76:1
˹For˺ indeed, We ˹alone˺ created humans from a drop of mixed fluids, ˹in order˺ to test them, so We made them hear and see.76:2
He also says:
O humanity! Indeed, We created you from a male and a female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you may ˹get to˺ know one another. Surely the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous among you. Allah is truly All-Knowing, All-Aware. 49:13
HadithThe Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) explained that every human is created from the combination of the contributions of both man and woman, where the man's contribution forms the bones and nerves, while the woman’s forms the flesh and blood.
Scholars' Understanding:Islamic scholars agree that the "mixed Nutfah" refers to the combination of the man’s and woman’s contributions. This mixture gradually forms the human being, moving through different stages, eventually resulting in a fully developed person.
Historical Background:Before the invention of the microscope, theories about human creation were unclear. Aristotle believed the embryo formed either from the man's Nutfah or from the woman’s menstrual blood. It wasn’t until later that scientists discovered both the sperm and egg contribute equally to the creation of a fetus.
Modern Scientific Discoveries:1677 CE: Spermatozoa (male cells) were discovered. 1839 CE: Scientists confirmed human cells form the foundation of life. 1859 CE: Fertilization was shown to involve both male and female cells. 1875 CE: The fertilization process was observed, confirming both contribute. 1912 CE: The role of genes in heredity was identified.
Scientific Facts:The sperm contains millions of sperm cells, but only one fertilizes the egg. The fertilized egg carries chromosomes from both the sperm and the egg, determining the fetus's sex: a Y chromosome results in a male, and an X chromosome results in a female.
Conclusion:The Qur'an and the Sunnah perfectly describe the process of human creation and the determination of the fetus' sex, long before modern science discovered it. This shows the miraculous and timeless knowledge in the Qur'an.
