The third meaning of the word alaqah is “blood clot.” We find that the external appearance of the embryo and its sacs during the alaqah stage is similar to that of a blood clot. This is due to the presence of relatively large amounts of blood present in the embryo during this stage1 (see figure 4). Also during this stage, the blood in the embryo does not circulate until the end of the third week.2 Thus, the embryo at this stage is like a clot of blood. So the three meanings of the word alaqah correspond accurately to the descriptions of the embryo at the alaqah stage. The next stage mentioned in the verse is the mudghah stage. The Arabic word mudghah means “chewed substance.” If one were to take a piece of gum and chew it in his or her mouth and then compare it with an embryo at the mudghah stage, we would conclude that the embryo at the mudghah stage is similar in appearance to a chewed substance. This is because of the somites at the back of the embryo that “somewhat resemble teethmarks in a chewed substance.”3 (see figures 5 and 6). How could Muhammad have possibly known all this about fourteen hundred years ago, when scientists have only recently discovered this using advanced equipment and powerful microscopes which did not exist at that time? Hamm and Figure 4: Diagram of the primitive cardiovascular system in an embryo during thealaqahstage. The external appearance of the embryo and its sacs is similar to that of a blood clot, due to the presence of relatively large amounts of blood present in the embryo. (The Developing Human, Moore, 5th ed., p. 65.) Chapter 1 Some Evidence for the Truth of Islam A) The Qur’an on Human Embryonic Development A Brief Illustrated Guide To Understanding Islam 8 (1) Human Development as Described in the Qur’an and Sunnah, Moore and others, pp. 37-38. (2) The Developing Human, Moore and Persaud, 5th ed., p. 65. (3) The Developing Human, Moore and Persaud, 5th ed., p. 8.
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