Embryology In The Holy Quran

Human Embryology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study of embryo within the uterus and its development.
Holy Quran Is the book that was revealed by Allah as the last and final message to the mankind to our last prophet Mohammed (PBUH). Holy Quran contains a lot of scientific facts that were proved just a few years ago but those were mentioned by our Lord and Creator Allah in His final revelation about 1400 years ago.
Embryology is a new field of medicine and the man's quest to know about its origin has led people to study the development of the human body from the time of conception to birth. Holy Quran the great miracle has many verses that describes the origin of human being and its development in the mother's womb which are all now proved to be correct when studied in the light of modern science.

1. Embryo Develops In Stages:
The realization that the embryo develops in stages within the uterus was not known or proven by science until the 15th century when Galen a famous scientist mentioned the placenta and fetal membranes in his book "On the formation of the fetus". Later when the microscope was invented in the 17th century early stages of the development of a chick were studies by simple lenses. The developing stages of the Human beings were not proposed until 1942 by Streeter, and now these stages are well accepted by scientists today.
The Holy Quran describes this development in stages in very clear words in Surah Az-Zumar Chapter 39 verse 6:

.......He shapes 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 you turned away (from your true Lord)?

The three veils of darkness are now clearly explained by scientific evidence and these are:

• The mother's abdominal wall.
• The uterine wall
• and the surrounding membranes of the fetus.

2. Description of Arabic Words Used In Holy Quran In Reference To Embryology:

In order to understand the verses mentioning the human development it is better to first clear the meanings of the few Arabic words used in the Holy Quran in reference to embryology. These are :

• Nutfah: which means a drop of sperm, a drop of fluid.
• Nutfatul Amshaq: a mixture of male and female sexual fluids. 
• Alakah: Literally means something that clings, a leech like structure or a blood clot.
• Mudgah: a piece of flesh , bead like segmental masses of flesh. 

Today's embryology has proven all these stages very well and it is a well known fact that the sperm from the male semen fertilizes the female ovum which forma a zygote which later implants in the uterus and then during development it first undergoes a somite stage where it looks like a segmental flesh. and then undergoes organ development. 

3. The Basis Of Reproduction: All living creatures on this earth has a limited life span and in order to keep the creatures on earth Allah has produced a mechanism of reproduction. By this process of reproduction new generations of the same species are produced. 

Even in microscopic organisms there are two male and female sexes which may be occult or manifest, but in most of the multicellular organisms the sexes are separate in two individuals male and female. 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Surah Zariat Chapter 51 verse 49:

And of everything We have created pairs, that you may reflect (Think)

A similar message in Surah Yasin Chapter 36 verse 36:

Glory to Allah, Who created in pairs all things that the earth produces, as well as their own(human) kind, and (other) things of which they have no knowledge.

It is now a well proven scientific fact that plants also have male and female sexes and they also reproduce.
Allah says in the Holy Quran In  Surah Rad Chapter 13 verse 3:

Of every kind of plant He created two sexes.

4. Sperm And Semen from The Male: Briefly describing the scientific discovery that the semen released from the male consists of hundred million of sperms but only one of the sperm is required to fertilize the female ovum which forms a zygote that later develops into a human being. The sperm from the male may contain an X chromosome or a Y chromosome which helps determine the gender of the baby conceived.
Allah says in the Holy Quran in Surah Insan Chapter 76 verse 1-2:

Has there not been over man a long period of time, when he was nothing-(not even) mentioned? Surely We created man from a drop of mingled sperm in order to try him.

Surah Tariq Chapter 86 verse 5-6:

And let man but think from what he is created! He is created from a gushing fluid.

Surah Qiyamah Chapter 75 verses 37-39:

Was he not a drop of sperm emitted (in lowly form)? Then did he become a leech like clot then did (Allah) make and fashion (him) in due proportion. And of him He made two sexes, male and female. 

5. Female Uterus As a Place Of Growth And Development:  After fertilization the embryo implants in the female uterus and develops into a fully grown perfect human baby, with hearing, sight and a beating heart.
Allah says in the Holy Quran in Surah Mursalat Chapter 77 verses 20-22:

Have We not created you from a fluid (held) despicable? The which We palced ina place of rest, firmly fixed, for a period (of gestation) determined.

Surah Mominon Chapter 23 verses 12-14:

We created man from an extract of clay, Then We made him as a drop in a place of settlement, firmly fixed. The We made the drop into a clot of congealed blood, then We made that clot into a (fetus) lump, then we made out of that lump bones and clothed the bones with flesh. then We developed out of it another creature. So blessed be Allah, the best to create.   

It is well known that after conceiving some of the fetuses are aborted or do not reach full term:
it is mentioned in the Holy Quran in Surah Hajj Chapter 22 verse 5:

.....and We cause whom We will to rest in the wombs for an appointed term, then We do bring you out as babies...... 

Suarh Al-Imran Chapter 3 verse 6:

He it is Who shapes you in the wombs as he pleases.... 

6. Developmental Of Special Senses:  The special senses of hearing, seeing and feeling develop in order and is proved according to modern day embryology. The primordia of internal ear develop before the beginning of the eyes and the brain and this is very well described in the Holy Quran in Surah Sajdah Chapter 32 verse 9:

But He fashioned him in due proportion, and breathed into him of His spirit, and he gave you the (faculties of) hearing and sight and felling (an understanding); little thanks do you give. 

 7. Conclusion: In this article all the verses related to human development are not mentioned. it was just a brief summary and a quick review. Holy Quran is a miracle from Allah that describes the human development in great description. Many scientific facts are still to be proved but Allah our Creator surely knows everything. We humans are given only a limited knowledge.