Does Quran Says That Semen Comes From Between Ribs And Back

Does Quran Says That Semen Comes From Between Ribs And Back:

We are thankful to quranerrors.com to give us permission generously to copy this  article from their website.

Reply by quranerros.com:

Introduction
In recent years there has been questions surrounding the scientific understanding of the following Quranic verse:

فَلْيَنظُرِ الْإِنسَانُ مِمَّ خُلِقَ
Falyanthuri al-insanumimma khuliq
So let man observe from what he was created.

خُلِقَ مِن مَّاءٍ دَافِقٍ
Khuliqa min ma-in dafiq
He was created from a fluid, ejected,

يَخْرُجُ مِن بَيْنِ الصُّلْبِ وَالتَّرَائِبِ
Yakhruju min bayni assulbi wattara-ib
Emerging from between the loins and the ribs. [1]

In this short article we will conduct a lexical analysis of the words used in these verses and analyse if they correlate with modern findings in physiology.

Lexical Analysis
The two words that are in question are sulb [2] and tara'ib [3]. The word sulb means any portion of the backbone, particularly the lumbar portion and the loins and it is specific to males. [4] [5] The word tara'ib means breastbone or the ribs [6] and it is specific to males [7]. In Usool At-Tafseer - the science of explaining the Quran - there is a principle that one should do tafseer of the Quran with the Quran [8]. This can help us understand the meaning of words contained in the Quran.

Sulb appears in the Quran in two places. Surah 86:7 and Surah 4:23. The verse in Surah 4 is discussing those with whom marriage is prohibited to, it reads:

حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ أُمَّهَاتُكُمْ وَبَنَاتُكُمْ وَأَخَوَاتُكُمْ وَعَمَّاتُكُمْ وَخَالَاتُكُمْ وَبَنَاتُ الْأَخِ وَبَنَاتُ الْأُخْتِ وَأُمَّهَاتُكُمُ اللَّاتِي أَرْضَعْنَكُمْ وَأَخَوَاتُكُم مِّنَ الرَّضَاعَةِ وَأُمَّهَاتُ نِسَائِكُمْ وَرَبَائِبُكُمُ اللَّاتِي فِي حُجُورِكُم مِّن نِّسَائِكُمُ اللَّاتِي دَخَلْتُم بِهِنَّ فَإِن لَّمْ تَكُونُوا دَخَلْتُم بِهِنَّ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَحَلَائِلُ أَبْنَائِكُمُ الَّذِينَ مِنْ أَصْلَابِكُمْ وَأَن تَجْمَعُوا بَيْنَ الْأُخْتَيْنِ إِلَّا مَا قَدْ سَلَفَ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ  غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا

Hurrimat AAalaykum ommahatukumwabanatukum waakhawatukum waAAammatukum wakhalatukumwabanatu al-akhi wabanatu al-okhti waommahatukumuallatee ardaAAnakum waakhawatukum mina arradaAAatiwaommahatu nisa-ikum waraba-ibukumu allateefee hujoorikum min nisa-ikumu allateedakhaltum bihinna fa-in lam takoonoo dakhaltum bihinna falajunaha AAalaykum wahala-ilu abna-ikumuallatheena min aslabikum waan tajmaAAoobayna al-okhtayni illa ma qad salafa inna Allahakana ghafooran raheema

Prohibited to you [for marriage] are your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your father's sisters, your mother's sisters, your brother's daughters, your sister's daughters, your [milk] mothers who nursed you, your sisters through nursing, your wives' mothers, and your step-daughters under your guardianship [born] of your wives unto whom you have gone in. But if you have not gone in unto them, there is no sin upon you. And [also prohibited are] the wives of your sons who are from your [own] loins, and that you take [in marriage] two sisters simultaneously, except for what has already occurred. Indeed, Allah is ever Forgiving and Merciful. [9]

The point of highlight here is:

وَحَلَائِلُ أَبْنَائِكُمُ الَّذِينَ مِنْ أَصْلَابِكُمْ
wahala-ilu abna-ikumuallatheena min aslabikum
And [also prohibited are] the wives of your sons who are from your [own] loins

This verse here is telling us that it is forbidden to marry the wives of your sons. The verse says - min aslabkium - from your sulb (plural). If one was to translate sulb here to mean backbone or spine - the verse would make no sense. The correct understanding of the word sulb is loins - due to it discussing reproduction.

If we turn our attention back to verse 86:7, that is discussing reproduction, it is a fair assumption to understand that the correct understanding of sulb would be that it means loins, rather than backbone. This is due to the fact that the word carries this meaning and its usage elsewhere in the Quran only carries the meaning of loins.

If we turn to Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ we find sulb carrying the same meaning:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَلَقَ لِلْجَنَّةِ أَهْلاً خَلَقَهُمْ لَهَا وَهُمْ فِي أَصْلاَبِ آبَائِهِمْ وَخَلَقَ لِلنَّارِ أَهْلاً خَلَقَهُمْ لَهَا وَهُمْ فِي أَصْلاَبِ آبَائِهِمْ 
Inna Allaha khalaqa liljannati ahlaan khalaqahum lahaa wa hum fi aslaabi aabaanihim wa khalaqa lilnnaar ahlaan khalaqahum lahaa wa hum fi aslaabi abaanihim
Allah created for Paradise those who are fit for it while they were yet in their father's loins (aslaab) and created for Hell those who are to go to Hell. He created them for Hell while they were yet in their father's loins (aslaab). [10] 

This leaves us with the correct rendering of the verse being:

يَخْرُجُ مِن بَيْنِ الصُّلْبِ وَالتَّرَائِبِ
Yakhruju min bayni assulbi wattara-ib
Emerging from between the loins and the ribs.

Semen Production
Modern physiology states that semen is made up various fluids. For instance, semen is made up of sperm which comes from the testes and makes up 2-5% its content. Fluid from the seminal vesicles make up 65-75% of semen, and fluid from the prostrate makes up 25-30% of the male sexual fluid. Also, semen is made up of fluid from the bulbourethral glands which makes up less than 1% of the semen. According to modern physiology all these organs are between the loins and the ribs as is detailed in the pictures below:

Notice how the semincal vesicle and other organs are between the loins and the ribs.

Conclusion
What the above article has intended to do was to clarify a doubt regarding the accuracy of a specific Quranic verse detailing how the description given in the Quran does in fact match with modern physiology.

And Allah Knows Best

Appendix 1: Hippocrates And Semen Production

Some critics have not stopped at claiming an error in the Quran, some have gone as far to claim that the Quranic description is actually copied from the Greek physician Hippocrates. In order to see if there claims are true let us analyse what Hippocrates taught on semen production.

Hippocrates details his views on semen production in his two works "On Generation" and "On The Nature Of The Child". In his treatise "On Generation" he writes:

1. 1) All things are governed by law. The sperm of the human male comes from all the humour in the body: it consists of the most potent part of this fluid, which is secreted from the rest. The evidence that it is the most potent part which is secreted is the fact that even though the actual amount we emit in intercourse is very small, we are weakened by its loss. What happens is this: there are veins and nerves which extend from every part of the body to the penis. When as the result of gentle friction these vessels grow warm and become congested, they experience a kind of irritation, and in consequence, a feeling of pleasure and warmth arises over the whole body. 2) Friction on the penis and the movement of the whole man cause the fluid in the body to grow warm; becoming diffuse and agitated by the movement it produces a foam, in the same way as all other fluids produce foam when they are agitated. But in the case of the human being what is secreted as foam is the most potent and the richest part of the humour. This humour is diffused from the brain into the loins and the whole body, but in particular into the spinal marrow: for passages extend into this from the whole body, which enable the humour to pass to and from the spinal marrow. 3) Once the sperm has entered the spinal marrow it passes in its course through the veins along the kidneys (sometimes if there is a lesion of the kidneys, blood is carried along with the sperm). From the kidneys it passes via the testicles into the penis not however by the urinary tract, since it has a passage of its own which is next to the urinary tract.

Those who have nocturnal emissions have them for the following reason; when the humour in the body becomes diffuse and warmed throughout – whether through fatigue or through some other cause - it produces foam. As this is secreted, the man sees visions as though he were having intercourse, for the fluid is precisely the same as that which is emitted in intercourse. However, erotic dreams and the nature and effects of this whole complaint, and why it is a precursor of insanity, is no part of my present subject. So much then for that.

2. 1) The reason that eunuchs do not have intercourse is that their spermal passage is destroyed. This passage lies through the testicles themselves. Moreover, the testicles are connected to the penis by a mass of slender ligaments, which raise and lower the penis. These are cut off in the operation, and that is why eunuchs are impotent. In the case of those whose testicles are crushed, the spermal passage is blocked, for the testicles are damaged and the ligaments, becoming calloused and insensitive as a result of the damage, are no longer able to tighten and relax. 2) Those on the other hand that have had an incision made by the ear can indeed have intercourse and emit sperm, but the amount is small, weak and sterile. For the greater part of the sperm travels from the head past the ears into the spinal marrow; now when the incision has formed a scar, this passage becomes obstructed. In the case of children, their vessels are narrow and blocked, and therefore prevent the passage of sperm, so that the irritation cannot occur as it does in the adult. Hence the humour in the body cannot be agitated sufficiently to secrete sperm. 3) Girls while they are still young do not menstruate for the same reason. But as both boys and girls grow, the vessels which extend in the boy’s case to the penis and in the girl’s to the womb, open out and become wider in the process of growth; a way is opened up through the narrow passages, and the humour, finding sufficient space, can become agitated. That is why when they reach puberty, sperm can flow in the boy and the menses in the girl. Such is my explanation of these facts.

3. 1) The sperm is, as I say, secreted from the whole body - from the hard parts as well as from the soft, and from the total humour. This humour has four forms: blood, bile, water, and phlegm. All four are innate in man, and they are the origin of disease. (I have already discussed these forms, and why both diseases and their resolutions come from them.) I have now dealt with the subject of sperm: its origin, how and why it originates, and in the case of those who do not have sperm, why this is so; and I have dealt with menstruation in girls.

4. 1)In the case of women, it is my contention that when during intercourse the vagina receives friction and the womb is disturbed, an irritation is set up in the womb which produces pleasure and heat in the rest of the body. A woman also emits something from her body, sometimes into the womb, which then becomes moist, and sometimes externally as well, if the womb is open wider than normal. Once intercourse has begun, she experiences pleasure throughout the whole time, until the man ejaculates. If her desire for intercourse is excited, she emits before the man, and for the remainder of the time she does not feel pleasure to the same extent; but if she is not in a state of excitement, then her pleasure terminates along with that of the man. 2) What happens is this: if into boiling water you pour another quantity of water which is cold, the water stops boiling. In the same way, the man’s sperm arriving in the womb extinguishes both the heat and the pleasure of the woman. Both the pleasure and the heat reach their peak simultaneously with the arrival of the sperm in the womb, and then they cease. If, for example, your pour wine on a flame, first of all the flame flares up and increases for a short period when you pour the wine on, then it dies away. In the same way the woman’s heat flares up in response to the man’s sperm, and then dies away. [11]

Hippocrates views on semen production can be summarised as follows:

1. The most potent of the fluid distributed all over the body is ejected out as semen.

2. There are vessels from every part of the body which reaches the penis and through which the semen is spilled.

3. The body parts from brain to hip, especially in the marrow of vertebrae, this fluid is scattered about.

4. The semen reaching the spinal cord passes through the vessels across the kidneys.

5. From kidneys, through the testicles, this flows to the penis.

If we compare the regions being described by Hippocrates (the whole body) and the Quran (area between loins and ribs) it becomes clear that the claim that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ plagiarised from Hippocrates is fallacious.

Region Described By Hippocrates For Semen Production

Region Described By The Quran For Semen Production

By analysing what Hippocrates and the Quran actually teach on semen production it becomes rather clear that they are discussing different things - and the claim that the latter plagiarised from the former has no basis.

Appendix 2: Is tara'ib specific to males or females?

There is a difference opinion regarding if tara'ib linguistically refers to males or females. There are some who argue that tara'ib is specific to females. However there are many who detail that tara'ib is specific to males and this is the more correct view.

Those who detail that tara'ib is specific to males include Al-Hasan al-Basri [12], Ibn Al-Qayyim [13], Ibn Juziy [14], Sheikh Ibn 'Ashoor, Ibn Sa'di, Ibn 'Uthaymeen [15] and others. Ibn Al-Qayyim details why this is the more correct view, he writes:

There was a difference of opinion concerning at-taraa’ib. It was said that what is meant is the man’s taraa’ib too, that is the bones of the chest, the area between the collar bone and the breast. And it was said that what is meant is the taraa’ib of the woman.

The former view is more likely to be correct, for the following reasons:

1. Because Allah, may He be glorified, says: “Proceeding from between the loins (as-sulb) and the ribs (at-taraa’ib)”, and He did not say that it proceeds from the loins (as-sulb) and the ribs (at-taraa’ib). So the man’s water must necessarily come from between these two different places, as He said concerning milk: “from between excretions and blood” [an-Nahl 16:66].

2. Moreover, Allah has told us that He created man from a nutfah (sperm drop) in more than one place, and the nutfah is the water of the man. This was also stated by the linguists. Al-Jawhari said: The nutfah is pure water, whether it is a small amount or a large amount, and the nutfah is the water of the man…

3. That which is described as gushing forth or being emitted forcefully is the water of the man; the water of the woman is not described in these terms. [16]

So the correct understanding is that tara'ib is specific to the man.

References:
[1] Surah 86:5-7.
[2] صلب - coming from the root ص ل ب - Saad Laam Baa.
[3] تَّرَائِبِ - coming from the root ت ر ب - Ta Ra Ba.
[4] Hans Wehr, page 521.
[5] An Arabic-English Lexicon. Librairie Du Liban. 1968. Vol. 4, page 1712.
[6] Ibid, Vol. 1, page 301.
[7] As said by Ibn Al-Qayyim in I‘laam al-Muwaqqi‘een, 1/145-146, Al-Hasan Al-Basri ; see Tafseer at-Tabari, 20/4, Imam Ibn Juziy in Tafseer at-Tasheel 785, Shaykh Ibn ‘Ashoor, Ibn Sa‘di and Ibn ‘Uthaymeen ; as it says in Liqa’ al-Baab al-Maftooh, no. 45 & al-Liqa’ ash-Shahri, no. 45. See Appendix 2 for more information.
[8] See Bilal Philips, Usool At-Tafseer, International Islamic Publishing House (2005), pp.40-41. Sheikh Ibn Taymiyyah & Sheikh Uthaymeen, An Explanation Of Sheikh Al Islam Ibn Taymiyyah's Introduction To The Principles Of Tafsir, Al-Hidayah, pp.155-168.
[9] Quran 4:23.
[10] Saheeh Muslim 2662 c, Sunan Ibn Majah 82, Sunan an-Nasa'i 1947, Sunan Abi Dawud 4713.
[11] Hippocrates, The Hippocratic Treatises, "On Generation," "On the Nature of the Child," "Diseases IV", Translated by Walter de Cruyter, 1981, pp. 1-2.
[12] See Tafseer at-Tabari, 20/4
[13] I‘laam al-Muwaqqi‘een, 1/145-146
[14] Tafseer at-Tasheel 785
[15] Liqa’ al-Baab al-Maftooh, no. 45 & al-Liqa’ ash-Shahri, no. 45
[16] I‘laam al-Muwaqqi‘een, 1/145-146

Reply by me:

The meaning of Sulb means sexual organ and Taraib means ribs. The Holy Quran states that the spurging fluid involved in the reproduction of man comes from between Sulb (sexual organ) and Taraib (ribs).The Holy Quran is not saying sperms rather it is saying the fluid.The glands which form this fluid are the Seminal gland, the prostrate gland and the bulbourethral gland.

Seminal Gland:

Seminal glands are located in pelvis and below urinary bladder.They secrete fluid which partly composes semen.

Prostrate Gland:

The prostate gland is about the size of a walnut. It's located just below the bladder and it surrounds the urethra. This is a tube that carries urine and semen out of the body.

Bulbourethral Gland:

Bulbourethral gland, also called Cowper's Gland, either of two pea-shaped glands in the male, located beneath the prostate gland at the beginning of the internal portion of the penis; they add fluids to semen during the process of ejaculation.

It means that all the glands to produce semen are located between the sexual organ and ribs anteroposteriorly. Here is a simple pic to describe the area between sulb and taraib,

the area between sulb and taraib mentioned in Quran

All the glands to prdouce lie in this region.Thus it is not a scientific error.Similarly female ovaries are also located in this region(between Sulb and Taraib).And the spurging fluid of woman is also involved in the reproduction.

 A man contributes sperm; this sperm cannot reach the female by itself. Rather, it has to be mixed in with semen, a viscous fluid that aids in transportation. Similarly, a woman contributes an egg, but this egg cannot travel through the fallopian tube and uterus without it being mixed in fluid. Of course, this fluid is not sperm, but it is like sperm in that it helps the follicle to travel. In fact, during ovulation, a great deal of fluid is released by the female from a variety of sources inside her body. 

AmericanPregnancy.org says:

Ovulation is assumed to take place on the day a woman has the most amount of wet fluid.

(http://www.americanpregnancy.org/get...ulationfaq.htm)

A medical website, OncologyChannel.com, says:

When a woman is fertile, each month a Graafian follicle travels to the surface of the ovary, bursts, and releases an egg and its fluid contents into a fallopian tube.
(http://www.oncologychannel.com/ovari...er/index.shtml)

The cilia in the fallopian tube push the fluid and the egg forward towards the uterus. It is the fluid which is the main force that causes the cilia to beat and thereby push the egg to its destination. Without the fluid, the egg will most likely not make it. One can read this medical article on the topic:

The Effect of Ovarian Follicular Fluid and Peritoneal Fluid on Fallopian Tube Ciliary Beat Frequency

BACKGROUND: …At ovulation, follicular fluid is released into the peritoneal cavity and enters the Fallopian tube. We hypothesized that this fluid may provide the stimulus for the increase in CBF (Ciliary Beat Frequency) detected after ovulation.

…CONCLUSIONS: The increase in CBF detected after ovulation may aid ovum pick-up and transport along the Fallopian tube. Factor(s) within human follicular fluid and secretory phase peritoneal fluid may be responsible for this increase in CBF.

(http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/cgi...stract/21/1/52)

Reproduction-Online.org confirms this:

Formation of Fallopian tubal fluid:

Fluid produced and secreted by the Fallopian tube provides the environment in which gamete transport and maturation, fertilization and early embryo development occur.

(http://www.reproduction-online.org/c...ract/121/3/339)

We could cite many more authoritative sources to prove that the egg must travel in fluid, which is secreted from a variety of sources inside the female body. And it should be clear that neither the Quran nor the hadeeths claim that the woman has sperm; rather, they simply say that she has sexual fluid, which is a fact.

(if anyone has any question,argument,description regarding this or any of the article on this blog then pleases comment or mail at imtiazbashir7@gmail.com)

Creation of Adam and Eve

Creation of Adam and Eve:

The author of wikiislam.net says:

The Qur’an and Hadith contains stories concerning the 'first humans' and how all people are descended from these two earliest ancestors. It states that humans were created in a garden (paradise) and then brought to earth fully formed. This view of the origins of human life is clearly contradicted by the numerous fossils of pre-homosapien species that lived on earth for millions of years before modern humans first evolved.[2]

"He it is Who created you from a single being, and of the same (kind) did He make his mate,"

Qur'an 7:189

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah 's Apostle said, "Treat women nicely, for a women is created from a rib, and the most curved portion of the rib is its upper portion, so, if you should try to straighten it, it will break, but if you leave it as it is, it will remain crooked. So treat women nicely."

Sahih Bukhari 4:55:548

Some Muslim creationists will claim the view of two ancestral “parents” is consistent with recent scientific findings that show a common female and male ancestor of all modern humans. They often exploit the confusion caused by scientists referring to these genetic ancestors as Mitochondrial Eve and Y-chromosomal Adam. These two individuals bear little resemblance to the Quranic account as they are simply the last common male and female ancestors of everyone alive today, not of all humans in history. The Qur'an clearly states Eve was created later than Adam, however Mitochondrial Eve lived some 50,000 to 80,000 years earlier than Y-chromosomal Adam. Genetic evidence overwhelmingly indicates that humans diverged from earlier species as a population, not a single couple. 

REPLY:

In our previous article we have described that the Holy Quran also supports evolution and previous Muslim scientists also believed in it.In the above quoted article the author of wikiislam.net has raised following questions;

1.Was Eve created from the ribs of Adam?

2.Was Adam and Eve created in Paradise(Heaven)?

3.What is the meaning of verse 7:189?

4.Had mitochondrial Eve lived before Y mitochondrial Adam?

5. Does the Holy Quran contradicts the idea that Adam and Eve were  members of the human population living that time?

Here we answer these questions one by one.

1.Was Eve created from the ribs of Adam?

Eve was not created from the ribs of Adam.She was created along with Adam with the same clay.We read in Man La Yahzuruhu Al Faqih vol 3 page 379:

"Zorara, one of the greatest companions of Imam Al-Sadeq reports that one day Imam Al-Sadeq was asked that many people claim that Eve was created from Adam's rib, so is this true? The Imam replied,

"Glory is to Allah! He is much above than such statements! What, didn't Allah have the power to create a spouse for Adam from anything other than his rib?"

We read in Tafsir e Ayashi vol 1 page 216:

"Amr Bin Abi Al-Mighdam narrates that his father said: "I asked Imam Baqir:" How did Allah create Eve?" The Imam responded: "What do people believe in this regard?" I replied: "They say that she was created from a rib of his ribs" He said: "They are lying! Was Allah unable to create her from something other than Adam's rib?" I responded: "May I be sacrificed for you! Than what was she created from?" He said: "My father has narrated from his fathers that they said:" The prophet said: “Allah had held a handful of clay in his hand and mixed it with his right hand, of course both of his hands are right , then He created Adam from that clay and there was some extra clay left, then He created Eve from that extra clay." 

We read in Bihar ul Anwar vol 11 page 116:

The great Allamah Majlisi says in regard to resolving the contradiction between the two groups of Ahadith(one saying creation from rib and other from clay):

"The Ahadith that mention Eve being created from Adam's left ribs were either said out of Taqiyyah (dissimulation) and fear of opposing the accepted theory at that time or that (when they say that she was created from his ribs) they mean that she was created from the extra clay he was created from, not that she was really created from Adam."

We conclude from these hadiths and description of Allama Majlisi that Allah created Adam and Eve from the same clay.The meaning of leftover clay is that Allah took the clay which was enough to create both Adam and Eve.From it He created Adam first and then Eve from leftover. Maulana Sadiq Hassan says:

" The correct Shia belief in this regard  is that Allah created both Adam and Eve from the clay, only that it was done in that particular order."

All above descriptions describe the creation of Adam and Eve from the same clay.And Holy Quran says:Chapter 71 verse 17;

"And Allah has caused you to grow from the earth a[progressive] growth."

Thus all above quotes mean that Eve and Adam has same specie (both are created from the same clay, dust of Earth,a progressive growth).And this idea is not contradictory with evolution as well as creation of man.

Regarding the hadith of Sahih Bukhari,it is narrated from Abu Huraira and reports from him are not reliable according to shias. For details of this see:

http://truthaboutshias.blogspot.com/2011/01/who-is-abu-hurairah.html

2.Was Adam and Eve created in Paradise(Heaven)?

Hazrat Adam AS and Eve used to live in paradise.It is described in Holy Quran. The question arises that was it the same paradise to which righteous people will go in the life of the world after or rather it is a garden in the world.According to shia that was the garden in the Eath. Holy Quran says:

Chapter 71 verse 17;

"And Allah has caused you to grow from the earth a[progressive] growth."

It is quoted in Tafseer Nur us Saqalain vol 1 page 62,from Al Kafi:

The narrator asked from As Sadeq AS regarding the garden of Adam(in which he was created).He AS replied:

"It was one of the gardens of the earth where reached the light of sun and the moon.If it had been on of the paradises of the Earth, then they(ADAM and EVE) had never been taken away from there."

Moreover, Satan can not enter the paradise of the world after.But it entered so that was the garden of this world.

3.What is the meaning of verse 7:189?

The right translation of the verse of Holy Quran Chapter 7 verse 189 is:

Yusuf Ali: "It is He Who created you from a single person, and made his mate of like nature."

OR:

Shakir: "He it is Who created you from a single being, and of the same (kind) did He make his mate."

Similar is the meaning of the verse ,Chapter no. #30 verse 21,Chapter # 4 verse 1, Chapter # 16 verse 72.

4.Had mitochondrial Eve lived before Y mitochondrial Adam?

We read at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitochondrial_Eve:

"Possible time of origin of mitochondrial eve is 100,000 to 230,000 years, and Y-MRCA has been estimated to have lived during a wide range of times from 180,000 to 581,000 years ago"

Moreover,The fact that we may have descended from a singular being is not at all far fetched in evolutionary science. Genetic study has been able to trace our ancestry back to ONE singular individual. They call it the Mitochondrial eve and the Y-Chromosome Adam. These are NOT the Adam and Eve. This is just an example of how we can trace our ancestry back to singular people. If the mitochondrial eve and the Y-Chromosome Adam had a singular common ancestor (which they must logically have), THEN the parents of that ancestor would be THE Quranic Adam and Eve. The pair in which we have ALL descended from. Adam is not the first human as there is no indication of that in the Quran, secondly, Adam is not more than a singular person in which we all descended from. That doesn't mean that our whole genome came from him. It just means that we descended from him. Even if we have some neanderthal ancestry put in our genome after Adam ,for example, we still have descended from this singular person (in other words, it doesn't matter if there were additions to our genome, we still descended from that one singular person).

5. Does the Holy Quran contradicts the idea that Adam and Eve were  members of the human population living that time?

We read in Holy Quran Chapter 3 verse verse 33 and 34:

"Indeed, Allah chose Adam and Noah and the family of Abraham and the family of 'Imran over the worlds -Descendants, some of them from others. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing."

This verse calls Adam too as descendant of some other people thus it means that some human like people had lived before Adam among whom Hazrat Adam AS was chosen.We read in Tafsir e Namoona Vol 3 page 183:

" We should accept that other humans lived on the earth before Hazrat Adam AS."

Thus the Holy Quran does not contradict the idea that Adam and Eve were members of the human population living that time.

(if anyone has any question,argument or description regarding this or any of the article on this blog then please comment or mail at imtiazbashir7@gmail.com)

Is Creation Of Adam(AS) Incompatible With Evolution?

Is Creation of Adam(As) Incompatible With Evolution:

In his article the author of wikiislam.net says that Quran says that Allah created Adam and all other organisms which is incompatible with evolution.

REPLY:

Our Position At Evolution:

First let it be clear that our faith is based on the "belief in the Creator”. If evolution means
that Allah created different things in stages, there is not much conflict with religion. If, on the
other hand, evolution means that there is no creator and that the things came into being just
by progress of matter, then it is naked "Kufr" (atheism) and our faith cannot tolerate it even for an instant.

Reply second:

The first thing is that believing in God does not require you to believe in special creation.We have also these two names of Allah.Al Khaliq (The Creater) and Al Bari(The Evolutioner).Muslims believe in both the properties of Allah.An other example of creation of universe is Holy Quran Chapter #1 verse #1:

"All praises to Allah,the Rabb(one who brings up gradually) of all the worlds."

Similarly an other example of pattern of creation is Holy Quran Chapter #7 verse #54:

"Indeed,your lord is Allah,Who created the heavens and the earth in SIX EPOCHS."

Another example for pattern of creation is Holy Quran Chapter # 71 verse #14:

"Indeed He created you in stages."

Surely and indeed Allah can create everything in a millionth fraction of millionth of second and even faster but the reason to create universe in epochs is to create his Hujjat as described by Hazrat Ali AS in Al Ehtijaj vol 1 page 379:

"If Allah wanted to create he can also do in a micro second but the reason of  its creation slowly and in eras is to make example for its responsible (people) and to complete his HUJJAH"

Similarly the creation of a baby in 9 months is also an example of pattern of creation of universe.In above examples we see that Universe is created slowly and gradually .Similarly it is possible that human can be created gradually by evolution.So if a Muslim believes in evolution it is not against theism.Similarly theory of special creation is also not inconsistent with theism.

The verse that Allah created Adam(AS) is not inconsistent because same type of description is given about creation of universe.Holy Quran Chapter #7 verse #54

"Indeed,your lord is Allah,Who CREATED the heavens and the earth in SIX EPOCHS."

The same word creation is used here.Thus the word creation does not always mean special creation.Another example is Holy Quran Chapter #39 verse #6:

"He creates you in the wombs of your mothers."

We know that a baby is not a special creation or it is not formed spontaneously rather a baby forms in stages but the word CREATES is used here.So this word does not always means special creation.The creation of baby in stages is described in several verses in Holy Quran.

Quran And Evolution:

In this section I will quote some verses from Holy Quran that support evolution of man.Allah says in Holy Quran Chapter #71 verse #14:

 "And indeed, He created you in stages."

It means that Hazrat Adam (AS) and all humans are created in stages.Similarly we read in 

Holy Quran Chapter #32 verse 7-9:

"Who perfected everything which He created and BEGAN THE CREATION OF MAN FROM CLAY. Then He made his posterity out of the extract of a liquid disdained. Then He proportioned him and breathed into him from His [created] soul and made for you hearing and vision and hearts; little are you grateful."

This is the same that science says that the creation of human started from the mixing of clay and slime in water.Then after evolution of millions of years of evolution the human in following shape are created.So,the Quran says that creation of man STARTED from clay.And Holy Quran says in Chapter #7 verse #11

"We have certainly CREATED YOU , [O Mankind], and (then) GIVEN YOU FORM. "

Then Allah(SWT) says in Chapter #82 verse # 6-8:

" O mankind,what has deceived you in concerning your Lord,the Gracious.WHO CREATED YOU,PROPORTIONED YOU,AND BALANCED YOU.IN WHATEVER FORM He willed He assembled you."

This verse also shows that humans are created in stages.Interpreting this verse with Chapter #71 verse # 14 we find that first the man was created with mud and then in milions of year it was proportioned and balanced and in whatever form Allah willed it is now assembled which is same as evolution.A hadith of the same meaning is in Tareekh e Farishta Vol 1 page no. 23:

"Some one questioned Hazrat Ali (AS) that what was 3000 before Adam(AS) in world.  Hazrat Ali (AS) said:Adam.He asked three times and Hazrat Ali(AS) gave the same answer."

It may mean that Hazrat Adam (AS) was present but in evolutionary stage.Another verse of Holy Quran also supports it. Surah Hashr Chapter #59 verse #24

"He is the Allah,The Creator,The Evolutioner,The Fashioner,to Him belongs all the Good Names."

The sequence of this verse is very important.Pondering at the sequence we get that First Allah created humans,then evolutioned and then fashioned.This thing also supports evolution.

Humans are living so another verse in the support of evolution is Holy Quran Chapter #21 verse no. 30:

"We created every living thing from water."

The word used in this verse is ja'ala which also means to come.In other words life came from water.Humans also came from water.Similarly Holy Quran Chapter #29 verse 19-20:

"Have they not considered how Allah begins creation and then repeats it? Indeed that, for Allah , is easy. Say, "Travel through the land and observe how He began creation. Then Allah will produce the final creation. Indeed Allah , over all things, is competent."

Similarly Allah says in Holy Quran Chapter #24 verse 45:

"Allah has created every [living] creature from water. And of them are those that move on their bellies, and of them are those that walk on two legs, and of them are those that walk on four. Allah creates what He wills. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent."

This verse shows relation between different animals and places humans(who walk on two feet) and also says that their common region is in water.Similarly Allah says in Holy Quran 71:17:

"And Allah has caused you to grow from the earth a[progressive] growth."

In short,believing in evolution or in special creation does not matter with theism.And there are verses in Holy Quran that support evolution.

Answer to the question on Y-Chromosomal Adam and Mitochondrial eve:

The fact that we may have descended from a singular being is not at all far fetched in evolutionary science. Genetic study has been able to trace our ancestry back to ONE singular individual. They call it the Mitochondrial eve and the Y-Chromosome Adam. These are NOT the Adam and Eve. This is just an example of how we can trace our ancestry back to singular people. If the mitochondrial eve and the Y-Chromosome Adam had a singular common ancestor (which they must logically have), THEN the parents of that ancestor would be THE Quranic Adam and Eve. The pair in which we have ALL descended from. Adam is not the first human as there is no indication of that in the Quran, secondly, Adam is not more than a singular person in which we all descended from. That doesn't mean that our whole genome came from him. It just means that we descended from him. Even if we have some neanderthal ancestry put in our genome after Adam ,for example, we still have descended from this singular person (in other words, it doesn't matter if there were additions to our genome, we still descended from that one singular person).

View of Muslim Scientists on Evolution:

Al-Jahiz (781-869 CE), a Muslim scholar based in present day Iraq, states in 'The Book of Animals':

Animals engage in a struggle for existence; for resources, to avoid being eaten and to breed. Environmental factors influence organisms to develop new characteristics to ensure survival, thus transforming into new species. Animals that survive to breed can pass on their successful characteristics to offspring.

 Ibn Khaldun, perhaps one of the most famous Muslim Polymaths of all time, published a book called 'The Muqadimmah' in 1377 CE. In it he states:

One should then take a look at the world of creation. It started out from the minerals and progressed, in an ingenious, gradual manner, to plants and animals. The last stage of minerals is connected with the first stage of plants, such as herbs and seedless plants. The last stage of plants, such as palms and vines, is connected with the first stage of animals, such as snails and shellfish.

He adds:

The animal world then widens, its species become numerous, and, in a gradual process of creation, it finally leads to man, who is able to think and reflect. The higher stage of man is reached from the world of monkeys, in which both sagacity and perception are found...

There were also many other Muslim scholars, writing between the 9th and the 14th century, that expressed ideas similar to those of al-Jahiz and Ibn Khaldun. Persian scholar, Ibn Miskawahy (932-1030) provided perhaps the most vivid account of evolution from that period, seeking to harmonise it with the Quranic description of creation in the process.

So why didn't these ideas take off and integrate into the fabric of mainstream Muslim thought and society? There are a number of reasons.

(if anyone has any question,argument or description regarding this or any of the article on this blog then please comment or mail at imtiazbashir7@gmail.com)

Answer To The Article " Ramazan Earth Pole paradox"

Answer To The Article " Ramzan Earth Pole paradox"

There has been an arisen question that how do the people living at places where days and nights are longer than ours some times even 6 months pray? How is Islam complete if its prayer (namaz) is impossible to pray at some places?Has Islam provided answer to this problem?

ANSWER

Yes.Islam provides answer to this question too.

We read in Sunan Ibn e Majah Book 36 'Book Of Tribulations' Hadith no. 4075

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) mentioned Dajjal, one morning, as something despised but also alarming, until we thought that he was in the stand of date-palm trees. When we came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in the evening, he saw that (fear) in us, and said: 'What is the matter with you?' We said: 'O Messenger of Allah, you mentioned Dajjal this morning, and you spoke of him as something despised but also alarming, until we thought that he was in the stand of date-palm trees.' He said: 'There are things that I fear more for you than the Dajjal. If he appears while I am among you, I will contend with him on your behalf, and if he appears when I am not among you, then each man must fend for himself, and Allah will take care of every Muslim on my behalf. He (Dajjal) will be a young man with curly hair and a protuberant eye; I liken him to 'Abdul-'Uzza bin Qatan. Whoever among you sees him, let him recite the first Verses of Surat Al-Kahf over him. He will emerge from Khallah, between Sham and Iraq, and will wreak havoc right and left. O slaves of Allah, remain steadfast.' We said: 'O Messenger of Allah, how long will he stay on earth?' He said: 'Forty days, one day like a year, one day like a month, one day like a week, and the rest of his days like your days.' We said: 'O Messenger of Allah, on that day which is like a year, will the prayers of one day suffice us?' He said: 'Make an estimate of time (and then observe prayer).' We said: 'How fast will he move through the earth?' He said: 'Like a rain cloud driving by the wind.' He said: 'He will come to some people and call them, and they will respond and believe in him. Then he will command the sky to rain and it will rain, and he will command the earth to produce vegetation and it will do so, and their flocks will come back in the evening with their humps taller, their udders fuller and their flanks fatter than they have ever been. Then he will come to some (other) people and call them, and they will reject him, so he will turn away from them and they will suffer drought and be left with nothing. Then he will pass through the wasteland and will say: "Bring forth your treasures," then go away, and its treasures will follow him like a swarm of bees. Then he will call a man brimming with youth and will strike him with a sword and cut him in two. He will put the two pieces as far apart as the distance between an archer and his target. Then he will call him and he will come with his face shining, laughing. While they are like that, Allah will send 'Eisa bin Maryam, who will come down at the white minaret in the east of Damascus, wearing two Mahrud[garment dyed with Wars and then Saffron], resting his hands on the wings of two angels. When he lowers his head, beads of perspiration will fall from it. Every disbeliever who smells the fragrance of his breath will die, and his breath will reach as far as his eye can see. Then he will set out and catch up with him (the Dajjal) at the gate of Ludd, and will kill him. Then the Prophet of Allah 'Eisa will come to some people whom Allah has protected, and he will wipe their faces and tell them of their status in Paradise. While they are like that, Allah will reveal to him: "O 'Eisa, I have brought forth some of My slaves whom no one will be able to kill, so take My slaves to Tur in safety." Then Gog and Magog will emerge and they will, as Allah describes, "swoop down from every mound."[21:96] The first of them will pass by lake Tiberias and drink from it, then the last of them will pass by it and will say: "There was water here once." The Prophet of Allah, 'Eisa and his companions will be besieged there until the head of an ox would be dearer to any one of them than one hundred Dinar are to any one of you today. Then, the Prophet of Allah, 'Eisa and his companions will supplicate Allah. Then Allah will send a worm in their necks and the next morning they will all die as one. The Prophet of Allah 'Eisa and his companions will come down and they will not find even the space of a hand span that is free of their stink, stench and blood. They will pray to Allah, and He will send birds with necks like the necks of Bactrian camels, which will pick them up and throw them wherever Allah wills. Then Allah will send rain which will not leave any house of clay or hair, and it will wash the earth until it leaves it like a mirror (or a smooth rock). Then it will be said to the earth: "Bring forth your fruits and bring back your blessing." On that day a group of people will eat from a (single) pomegranate and it will suffice them, and they will seek shelter beneath its skin. Allah will bless a milch- camel so that it will be sufficient for a large number of people, and a milch-cow will be sufficient for a whole tribe and a milch-ewe will be sufficient for a whole clan. While they are like that, Allah will send a pleasant wind which will seize them beneath their armpits and will take the soul of every Muslim, leaving the rest of the people fornicating like donkeys, and upon them will come the Hour.'"

This a very long Hadith. The main part which is in our concern now, we have Highlighted.We Quote it here again:

' We said: 'O Messenger of Allah, how long will he stay on earth?' He said: 'Forty days, one day like a year, one day like a month, one day like a week, and the rest of his days like your days.' We said: 'O Messenger of Allah, on that day which is like a year, will the prayers of one day suffice us?' He said: 'Make an estimate of time (and then observe prayer).' 

The part of hadith describes that days can be longer even a year,a month and a week.The day equal to a year means 'a day of 6 months' and 'a night of six months' and vice verse.Holy Prophet SAW has also described how to pray then which is by estimating time. we conclude that people living at the places where days or nights are longer than ours should fast and pray by estimating time according to standard places.

(if anyone has any question,argument or description regarding this or any of the article on this blog then please comment or mail at imtiazbashir7@gmail.com) 

Reply To The Article "The Causes Of Shadow And Changing Length"

Reply To The Article "The Causes Of  Shadow And Changing Length"

The author of wikiislam.net says:

Shadows are produced when the sun's light is blocked by an obstacle. It is the Earth's rotation that causes these shadows to change size and lengthen. However, verse 25:45 seems to say that the reason that shadows lengthen rather than being stationary is because Allah has made the sun their guide. Yet if the Earth did not rotate (so shadows were stationary) and then the Earth was made to rotate (so that they could lengthen and draw in) the sun would not need to be made to do anything different in either case. Thus the most likely explanation is that the verse represents a geocentric worldview where the sun moves across the sky, guiding the shadows.

Hast thou not turned thy vision to thy Lord?- How He doth prolong the shadow! If He willed, He could make it stationary! then do We make the sun its guide; Then We draw it in towards Ourselves,- a contraction by easy stages.

Qur'an 25:45-46

Then the next verse, 25:46, says that shadows are drawn towards Allah which has no scientific meaning.

Reply:

'Alam Tará 'Ilá Rabbika Kayfa Madda Až-Žilla Wa Law Shā'a Laja`alahu Sākināan Thumma Ja`alnā Ash-Shamsa `Alayhi Dalīlāan

Sahih International: Have you not considered your Lord - how He extends the shadow, and if He willed, He could have made it stationary? Then We made the sun for it an indication.

" The meaning of the word  Dalīlāan is that the recognition of shadow occurs through sun.If there had been no sun there would have been no shadow.The recognition of things occur through their opposite." Tafseer e Madarik vol 2 page 824

The simple answer to this question is that the Holy Quran says right because the author of wikiislam.net himself does not know why the shadows change their length.The reason is the angle of sunshine.Surely the sun is the pilot/source of the change of length of shadow.Here is a link:

https://www.reference.com/science/shadows-change-length-during-day-e2128b67e50507#

"Shadows change length throughout the day because the angle at which the sun shines on stationary objects changes with the Earth’s rotation. For example, early in the morning, when the sun is near the horizon, it casts long shadows when an object blocks the light. Conversely, when the sun is high overhead during the middle of the day, the shadows become shorter, as the angle of the sun has changed."

So,the sunshine is the real source of shadow.And because of its angle shadows change their length.If there had been no sun there would have been no shadow and no change in length.Holy Quran is not discussing whether shadows change due to the motion of sun or Earth. It says it changes and sun is its guide and its source which is right.The sun,s angle with earth is the source of changing length of shadow.Holy Quran is not discussing whether this angle changes due to the motion of Earth or of sun.It says sun is the source of shadow which is right.

(If anyone has any question,argument or description regarding this or any of the article on this blog then please comment or mail at imtiazbashir7@gmail.com)

Reply To The Article ''The Star Will Fall''

Reply To The Article ''The Star Will Fall'' 

The author of wikiislam.net says:

The Qur'an says that the stars will fall (inkadarat ٱنكَدَرَتْ) along with other dramatic events surrounding the last day. The author clearly had no idea of the size and distance of the stars. The word كدر in the form used in this verse (form VII) meant to dart down as is said of a bird or hawk, or to fall and scatter.

And when the stars fall

Qur'an 81:2

The structure of space-time is such that nothing, not even stars, can move faster than the velocity of light. Even if stars were to somehow move close to light speed across the sky their motion would be imperceivable to the naked eye as many visible stars are hundreds of light years away. Neither would we be able to see anything that the stars are doing recently (when we see a star 100 light years away, we are seeing it as it was 100 years ago).

Reply:

The better translations of the verse are:

Shakir: ''And when the stars darken,''

Muhammad Sarwar: ''The stars are made to fade away,''

Because the Arabic word كدر means dark colored,cease to be clear,black colored,faint,dead-colored,to become dim,scatter, to scatter and become light-less,to become light-less,to fade away,to lose light, etc.

See:

1.   Hans Wehr 4th ed. page no. 957

2.   Lane,s Lexicon page no. 2596

3.   Steingass page no. 877

4.   Hava page no. 639

5.   Brill page no. 800

6.   Dict. of Quran by M.G Farid page no. 716

7.   Mufridat ul Quran (urdu) page no. 343

8.   Mukhtar us Sahih page no. 780

9.   Lughat ul Quran page no. 1431

10. Alfaaz Istilaahat il Quran page no. 372

11. Qamoos Alfaz Al Quran page no. 350

12. Dic. of Holy Quran page no. 480

Thus the above-quoted translation by us is the better one.It is a scientifically correct fact because stars are losing light day by day and thus they would be darkened on the day of judgement. See:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/space/11796031/Universe-is-losing-its-twinkle-as-stars-die-out-say-scientists.html

 Even if we take the translation taken by the author of wikiislam.net then it is right too. Then we should look at its Interpretation done by Holy Prophet SAW. We read in Tafseer Durr e Mansoor vol .6 page no 887:

" Ibn e Abbas said that on the day of Qiyamah sun,moon and stars would be wrapped and fell in the hell of fire."

There can be no better metaphorical explanation to show that the whole universe would be wrapped in the singularity of high power from which they are formed(the big crunch). Because Qiyamah is the metaphor of great energy and  power. So by taking the meaning fall it favors big crunch and by taking the meaning fade away it favors dying out of stars. Both are scientific facts.Thus nothing to put as a scientific error.
(If anyone has any question,argument or description regarding this or any of the article on this blog then please comment or mail at imtiazbashir7@gmail.com)