In the name of God, the Merciful, the Beneficent
Indeed, We create man out of the essence of clay, then We place him, a living germ, in a safe enclosure. Then We create out of this living germ a clot of congealed blood, and out of the clot We create an embryonic lump. Then We create within the embryonic lump bones, then We clothe the bones with flesh. We then bring this into being as another creation. Exalted be God, the best of creators.
(The Believers, Al-Mu’minoon, 23: 12-14)
These verses speak of the origin of man stating that the original human form was made in a succession of stages starting with clay. They then tell how every individual human being is created with a line of succession stretching over different stages. We spoke last week of the first of these stages, the drop of sperm, then how it is placed in a safe enclosure in the woman’s uterus. We stated at the end of our commentary: “The Qur’anic text makes the sperm a stage in the succession of man’s creation, coming immediately after the existence of man. This is true, but it also deserves contemplation. A human being in his full stature, and with all his features, elements and characteristics, is enclosed within this cell of sperm. It then develops into an embryo when it begins its new existence through a new series of stages.”
The sperm or germ stage leads to that of a clot of congealed blood, when the male sperm fertilizes the female egg, and the fertilized cell is implanted into the wall of the uterus. It is then a tiny little clot that feeds on the mother’s blood. The implanted clot grows and becomes an embryonic lump of thick blood. This little creation continues in this line that never changes or deviates from its course. It moves along its marked line, using its latent energy according to God’s law which combines perfect design with elaborate planning.
The next stage is that of the emergence of bones: “Then We create within the embryonic lump bones,” which is followed by another stage in which the bones are clothed with flesh. We are overwhelmed with amazement here at this fact in the development of the embryo which is stated in the Qur’an long before it was confirmed by embryology. This is the fact that bones are made of cells that are totally different from those of flesh. It has been confirmed beyond any shadow of doubt that bones are formed first in the embryo. In fact, not a single cell of flesh could be seen before the whole skeleton of the embryo is finally in place. This is what the Qur’an states: “Then We create within the embryonic lump bones, then We clothe the bones with flesh.” Limitless is God in His glory. He is indeed all-knowing, all-aware.
“We then bring this into being as another creation.” This is now man with his distinctive features. It is true that the human embryo is similar to animal embryos, but only in its physical stages. But then the human embryo is given a different sort of creation to make up this distinguished creature that we know, with his potential to achieve excellence.
The animal embryo, on the other hand, remains within the animal grade, having nothing of the distinctive features and qualities of man.
The human embryo is given special qualities that in time lead it along its human way. It is given ‘another creation’ as it completes its embryonic stages, while the animal embryo stops at that stage because it does not have the same qualities. Hence, no animal can go beyond its animal status, so as to evolve automatically to achieve the same high status as man. The two are totally different, and the difference is caused by the divine breathing of spirit that brings the essence of clay to the stage of a human being, which is a different creation. This means that man and animals are similar in their biological make-up, but animals do not go beyond their status, while man is brought into being as a different creation, able to achieve a totally different level of perfection through his distinctive qualities God has willed to give him in order to complete His design of creation.
“Exalted be God, the best of creators.” God is certainly the only one who creates. The superlative form is not used here in a comparative sense; rather, to indicate perfection in God’s creation.
“Exalted be God, the best of creators.” It is He who has given human nature the ability to move from one stage to the next, in accordance with the law He has set, which will never change or be modified. It will not fail to continue until man achieves the degree of perfection assigned to him, on the basis of a perfect order.
People look with amazement at what they term as ‘scientific miracles’ when man invents a machine that works automatically, without human interference. But how does this compare with the development of an embryo in all its phases and stages, each of which is hugely different from the preceding one, ushering total transformations. But people tend to overlook such miraculous events, closing their eyes and minds to them, because long familiarity tends to disguise their miraculous nature.
We will discuss this point further next week, God willing.