Embryo Formation Stages
Allah says: “He creates you in the womb of your mothers from one creation to another in three shades of darkness.” Al-Zumar: 6
Muhammad was not a doctor, nor did he have the opportunity to dissect a pregnant woman, nor did he take classes in anatomy and embryology, nor was this science known before the nineteenth century, the meaning of the verse is quite clear and modern science has proven that there are three membranes that surround the fetus:
First: The adherent membranes that surround the fetus, consisting of the membrane that makes up the endometrium, the chorionic membrane and the amniotic membrane, and these three membranes form the first darkness because they adhere to each other.
Second: The wall of the uterus, which is the second darkness, and the wall of the abdomen, which is the third darkness. Where did Muhammad get this medical information from?
It is a great verse that shows how God Almighty creates a human being inside his mother's womb, detailing the development of the fetus in his mother's womb and its conditions during the stages of pregnancy. This verse is one of the verses of scientific miracles in the Holy Quran, as it mentions precise details about the stages of fetal formation in the mother's womb.
A detailed explanation of the verse:
“He creates you in the womb of your mothers.”
“Creates you” means that God is the one who creates man in his mother's womb, so He is the creator and director of this creation.
“In the belly of your mothers": This refers to the place of human formation, which is his mother's womb, where man begins his life from a stage that does not exist except in his mother's womb. This phrase explains the beginning of man's life, which starts from a very small point until he emerges into the world.
“creation after creation":
This phrase refers to the stages of fetal development. After a fetus is created in its mother's womb at the beginning of its life, it goes through various stages of formation and development. “After creation” means that a human being begins as a drop of sperm, then turns into a leech, then into a mushroom, then into bones and organs.
These stages are the stages of fetal development that occur gradually, meaning that God creates the fetus in multiple stages, and each stage follows the previous one in careful development.
“in three darknesses.” This phrase refers to the ‘three darknesses’ that surround the fetus in its mother's womb:
This phrase refers to the “three darknesses” that surround the fetus in its mother's womb:
The darkness of the abdomen: This is the darkness that surrounds the fetus on all sides of the mother's abdomen.
The darkness of the uterus: This is the place that contains the fetus in the mother's womb, where the fetus is in a completely dark environment.
Darkness of the placenta: The placenta, which nourishes the fetus and acts as a barrier between it and the mother's body, contains dark conditions.
These darknesses represent the conditions that the fetus goes through during its development inside its mother's womb, where it does not see or feel any light and is a closed environment.
The implications and meanings of the verse:
A scientific miracle in the formation of the fetus:
This verse contains a great scientific miracle in depicting the stages of fetal formation, and the mention of the “three darknesses” corresponds to what modern science has discovered that the fetus in its mother's womb goes through successive stages of formation and is surrounded by three completely dark environments.
Scientists now indicate that the fetus in its mother's womb is surrounded by complete darkness, a condition that is consistent with what the verse mentions.
A sign of the greatness of the Creator:
The verse shows God's great ability in the creation and management of man, as he creates man from a sperm, then turns into a leech, then into a mushroom, and his life continues in darkness until it ends with his emergence into light.
This meticulous process of creation demonstrates God's greatness and ability that neither man nor any other creature can achieve.
Creation in successive stages:
The Qur'an mentions that creation takes place in stages, where humans are not initially perfect, but go through multiple stages of development. This reinforces the concept that creation is not a single moment, but a complex and lengthy process.
A reminder of the gift of life:
The verse reminds us that our lives begin in dark and difficult circumstances, but God Almighty has allowed us to emerge from this darkness into the light, and to enjoy life after stages of creation in our mothers' wombs.
This invites man to reflect on God's blessings on him from the beginning of his creation to the moments of his existence in life, an invitation to contemplate God's greatness and wisdom in managing the universe.
Emphasizing the perfection of God's ability:
The reference to the “three darknesses” shows that God is the one who created this elaborate creation, and every stage of creation is done by God's ability and knowledge.
This is a reminder to believers that this great creation should lead to faith in God and recognition of His wisdom and power in every part of life.
The verse's relationship to modern science:
Scientists today, through advanced imaging techniques, are able to accurately observe the stages of fetal development in the mother's womb. These studies show that the embryo develops in a completely enclosed and dark environment, as indicated in the verse.
Modern embryology also shows that the embryo goes through multiple stages: From sperm to leech, then to mudgha, and finally to the completed skeleton, which is consistent with the verse's mention of “creation after creation”.
Conclusion:
The verse “He creates you in the womb of your mothers as a creation after a creation in three darknesses” is one of the verses that carries with it a great scientific and religious significance, as it highlights the ability of Allah Almighty in creating human beings starting from a small sperm and then the development of the fetus through complex stages in three darknesses, until it ends up coming out into the light. It is an invitation for believers to meditate on these blessings and contemplate God's ability, and at the same time, it is one of the greatest verses that corresponds to modern scientific discoveries in embryology.