Formation Of Bones and Muscles And The Holy Quran

Formation Of Bones and Muscles And The Holy Quran

The Qur'an explains that the bones of a human embryo are formed first and then covered up with flesh. Modern scientific studies and research have shown that the cartilage models and muscles start to form at the same time and in parallel. Muscles have started to form before the cartilage models start to be replaced with bone.

Then We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood; then of that clot We made a (foetus) lump; then we made out of that lump bones then (not and) clothed the bones with flesh; then we developed out of it another creature. So blessed be Allah, the best to create!

Qur'an 23:14

The Qur'an again parallels the influential Greek physician Galen, who says:

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...

Galen, On semen, p.101

REPLY:

The verse quoted by the author of wikiislam.net is Surah Al Muminoon Chapter 23 verse 14:

ثُمَّ خَلَقْنَا النُّطْفَةَ عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقْنَا الْعَلَقَةَ مُضْغَةً فَخَلَقْنَا الْمُضْغَةَ عِظَامًا فَكَسَوْنَا الْعِظَامَ لَحْمًا ثُمَّ أَنْشَأْنَاهُ خَلْقًا آخَرَ ۚ فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ

Translation:

"Then We made that zygote a hanging mass (clinging to the uterus like a leech). Then We developed that hanging mass into a lump, looking chewed with teeth. Out of this chewed lump, We built a structure of bones which We clothed with flesh (and muscles). Then (changing him) into another form, We developed him (gradually) into a new creation. Then Allah, the Best of creators, brought (him up into a strong body)."

                                                                  Translation from Irfan Ul Quran by Dr. Tahir Ul Qadri

The verse says فَخَلَقْنَا الْمُضْغَةَ عِظَامًا فَكَسَوْنَا الْعِظَامَ لَحْمًا and uses the CONJUNCTION فَ which is used for عطف and we read in Arabic dictionaries that is used :

"(in the sense of)and, (this conjunction has less conjunctive power than) و ''

1. Lane's Lexicon page 2376
2. Steingass page 769
3. Dictionary and Glossary of Holy Quran by Penrice page 106

Thus lexicographically, a meaning of this part of verse is "Then We developed that mass into a lump,looking chewed with teeth.Out of this hewed lump We built a structure of bones Which we clothed with muscles." This conjunction here does not convey the meaning of delay.Rather, just conjuncts the two things.The verse says that the Muscles and the bones are developed adjacently and as soon as bones are formed they are clothed with flesh.That is why in hadiths formation of bones and their clothing with flesh is described as a single stage.We read in Tafseer Noor Us Saqalain Chapter 39 Hadith 8:

انه يخلق في بطن أمه خلقا من بعد خلق، يكون نطفة أربعين يوما ثم يكون علقة أربعين يوما، ثم مضغة أربعين يوما ففى النطفة     أربعون دينارا، وفى العلقة ستون دينارا، وفى المضغة ثمانون دينارا، فإذا اكتسى العظام لحما ففيه مأة دينار

"He creates you in the womb of your mother a creation after a creation (39:6).It is a Nutfa for forty days,then becomes an Alaqa for forty days,the Embryo for forty days,SO with regard to Nutfa it is forty Dinars, and Regarding the Alaqa it is Sixty Dinars,and regarding the embryo it is Eighty Dinars.When it is ''bones clothed with muscles" so it is one hundred Dinars."

From the hadith we can see that the formation of bones and their clothing with flesh is a single stage and their is no delay in them.If it had been so then in the Hadith there would be 100 Dinars for Bony Embryo and 120 Dinars for when it is clothed with flesh and we had been described for the two stages separately.Thus it means that muscles and bones are formed adjacently, and bones are clothed with flesh in the same stage and there is no delay in the formation both two.We read in Sahih Muslim Book 46 Hadith 4:

 إِذَا مَرَّ بِالنُّطْفَةِ ثِنْتَانِ وَأَرْبَعُونَ لَيْلَةً بَعَثَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهَا مَلَكًا فَصَوَّرَهَا وَخَلَقَ سَمْعَهَا وَبَصَرَهَا وَجِلْدَهَا وَلَحْمَهَا وَعِظَامَهَا

"When forty-two nights pass after the semen gets into the womb, Allah sends the angel and gives him shape. Then he creates his sense of hearing, sense of sight, his skin, his flesh, his bones,"

Here the formation of bones is discussed after discussing the formation of muscles.And at some places formation of bones is discussed first.Thus they are used interchangeably showing that there is no difference or delay in their formation.They are formed almost adjacently and as soon as a bone part is formed it gets clothed with flesh.We read in:

Human Development as Described in Quran and Sunnah by Keith L. Moore, A. Zindani page 84

"Although precursor cells(myoblasts) are present adjacent to the developing bone,differentiation into skeletal muscle attachments occur after the ossification process in the shaft and the ends of the bones has begun."

Thus both are formed adjacently but the clothing of bone with flesh occurs as soon as bone is formed.

Thus it is clear that The Holy Qur'an does not explain that the bones of a human embryo are formed first and then covered up with flesh

Even if we for the sake of argument consider the claim true,then too it is not wrong because Some bones are also formed in the seventh week while formation of muscles starts in 8th week of human development.See Human Development as Described in Quran and Sunnah by Keith L. Moore, A. Zindani page 83. 

To sum up,the Holy Quran,the Hadith and Science all are in perfect agreement to each other that muscles and bones are formed adjacently and bones are clothed with flesh as soon as they are formed.