Three Errors in Islamic Embryology

4. Three Errors in Islamic Embryology

Quran's and the hadith's description of embryonic and fetal development has at least three errors:

Error 1

Quran 23:14 gives the order of embryonic development but says flesh comes after bones.

"Then We made the sperm-drop into a clinging clot, and We made the clot into a lump [of flesh], and We made [from] the lump, bones, and We covered the bones with flesh; then We developed him into another creation. So blessed is Allāh, the best of creators." Quran 23:14

But there is never a point where an embryo is just a skeleton without flesh.

Bones and Muscles Develop Together

Muscle and skeletal development occur together. Muscle differentiation starts in the 5th week and bone formation begins in the 6th week.

"Myogenesis [muscle formation] occurs immediately adjacent to, and concurrent [at the same time] with, the development of the skeleton during embryogenesis." DiGirolamo et al. (PMC/NIH)
"During intrauterine development, bone and muscle cells share a common mesenchymal precursor … so that bone and muscle develop synchronously [at the same time]." Bonewald (PMC/NIH)
"During the fifth [5th] week the myotomes give rise to a dorsoventral mass of developing muscle tissue." Hill (UNSW Textbook)
"Bone ossification, or osteogenesis, is the process of bone formation. This process begins between the sixth [6th] and seventh [7th] weeks of embryonic development." Breeland et al. (NCBI)

Error 2

Sahih (authentic) hadiths say women have a "thin and yellow" discharge and that the child resembles whoever discharges first during intercourse.

"Man's discharge (i.e. sperm) is thick and white and the discharge of woman is thin and yellow" Sahih Muslim 311
"If a man has sexual intercourse with his wife and gets discharge first, the child will resemble the father, and if the woman gets discharge first, the child will resemble her." Sahih Bukhari 3329

But women have no "thin and yellow" discharge that contributes to the child's resemblance.
And the child's resemblance is based on genetics not who discharges first.

Do Women Get Wet Dreams? Yes, Their Discharge Is Why Sons Resemble Their Mothers.
"Um-Sulaim came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, 'Verily, Allah is not shy of (telling you) the truth. Is it necessary for a woman to take a bath after she has a wet dream (nocturnal sexual discharge?)' The Prophet replied, 'Yes, if she notices a discharge.' Um Salama, then covered her face and asked, 'O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Does a woman get a discharge?' He replied, 'Yes, let your right hand be in dust (An Arabic expression you say to a person when you contradict his statement meaning "you will not achieve goodness"), and that is why the son resembles his mother.'" Sahih Bukhari 130
Ibn Hajar’s Commentary: Six Categories of Child Resemblance

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, the authoritative classical commentator on Sahih Bukhari, systematized the "who discharges first" doctrine into six categories in his commentary on Sahih Bukhari 3329:

This divides into six categories:

  1. The man's fluid precedes and is more in quantity - the child is male and resembles the man.
  2. The opposite - the woman's fluid precedes and is more - the child is female and resembles her.
  3. The man's fluid precedes, but the woman's fluid is more - the child is male but resembles the woman.
  4. The opposite - the woman's fluid precedes, but the man's fluid is more - the child is female but resembles the man.
  5. The man's fluid precedes and they are equal - the child is male but without specific resemblance.
  6. The opposite.
Ibn Hajar, Fath al-Bari 7/273

Error 3

Sahih (authentic) hadith says embryos are a clot of blood from 40-80 days and a piece of flesh from 80-120 days.

  • "a human being is put together in the womb of the mother in forty days [0-40 days],
  • and then he becomes a clot of thick blood for a similar period [40-80 days],
  • and then a piece of flesh for a similar period [80-120 days]"
Sahih Bukhari 3208

Between days 40-80, embryos aren't a blood clot - they develop fingers and toes.
Between 80-120 days, embryos aren't a lump of flesh - they develop bones.

You Remain a Sperm Drop in the Womb for 40 Days

Sahih (authentic) hadiths and Ibn Kathir's commentary also say embryos remain a sperm drop in the womb for 40 days.

"Allah's Messenger as saying: The semen stays in the womb for forty [40] nights." Sahih Muslim 2645c
"When the nutfah (drop of semen) settles in the womb, it remains a nutfah (drop of semen) for forty [40] nights." Al-Mu'jam al-Saghir 16
"This is because when the nutfah (drop of semen) settles in the womb of the woman, it remains for forty [40] days in that state." Ibn Kathir commentary

By day 40, embryos aren't just a drop of sperm - they have developing organs and a heartbeat.

Photograph of the English translation of Sahih Muslim, Volume 7, hadith 6726/2645, with two passages highlighted: 'enters upon the Nutfah (sperm drop) after it has settled in the womb for forty or forty-five nights' and 'When forty-two nights have passed for the Nutfah (sperm drop), Allah sends an angel to it.'
Sahih Muslim 2645c
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One-Liners
  • The Miami/LA Analogy: If I say, "I will stay in Miami for 40 days, and in Los Angeles for a similar period," my stay in Los Angeles can't happen during the first 40 days, because I am still in Miami. The stages are sequential.
  • The "Call Me Sperm" Reductio: Your origin was semen but I can't call you a sperm drop today. Likewise, you can't save "remains a sperm drop for 40 days" by calling later embryonic stages semen.