"We sent thee not, but as a mercy for all creatures" [Quran 21:107]

And so Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is the Messenger of Allah to the bedouins in the desert just as he is the Messenger of Allah to the present-day scientist in his modern laboratory. He is the Messenger of Allah to all peoples of all times. Before Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), each Messenger was sent exclusively to his own people: "…to every people a guide has been sent." [Quran 13:7]

Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) message, however, is to all of mankind, and it is for this reason that Allah has given a supporting proof of the message of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), a proof which is different from the proofs given to the messengers before him. The proofs of the preceding messengers were only seen by their contemporaries and possibly by some generations immediately following them. Then Allah would send a new Messenger, supported with a new miracle, in order to revive the faith of his people. But because Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was destined to be last of the Prophets until the Day of Resurrection, Allah has given him an everlasting miracle as a supporting proof.

If we ask a Jew or Christian to show us the miracles of Prophet Musa (Moses) or 'Eesa (Jesus), may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon them, they both would submit that it is not within human power to redemonstrate any of those miracles now. Moses’ cane cannot be created nor can Prophet Jesus be invoked to raise people from the dead. For us today, these miracles are nothing more than historical reports. But if a Muslim is asked about the greatest miracle of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), he can readily show his book, the Quran. For the Quran is a miracle that remains in our hands. It is an open book for all people to examine its contents.

Allah said in the Quran:

"What thing is most weighty in evidence? Say: Allah is witness between me and you; this Quran has been revealed to me by inspiration that I may warn you and all whom it reaches." [Quran 6:19]

The miraculous nature of the Quran lies in the knowledge which it contains. Allah, the Exalted, said: "But Allah bears witness to that which He has sent down (the Quran) you (O Muhammad); He has sent it down with His Knowledge…" [Quran 4:166]

Hence, our contemporary scientists and scholars, the professors in various universities who are leaders of human thought, have the opportunity to examine the knowledge which is found in the book of Allah. In this age, scientists have excelled in discovering the universe, though the Quran has already discussed the universe and human nature even long before. So, what was the result?

We present Professor Emeritus Keith Moore, one of the world’s prominent scientists of anatomy and embryology. We asked Professor Moore to give us his scientific analysis of some specific Quranic verses and prophetic traditions [Ahadeeth] pertaining to his field of specialization.

Professor Moore is the author of the book entitled “The Developing Human”. He is Professor Emeritus of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the University of Toronto, Canada, where he was Associate Dean of Basic Sciences at the Faculty of Medicine and for 8 years was the Chairman of the Department of Anatomy. Dr. Moore had also previously served at the University of Winnipeg, Canada for eleven years. He has headed many international associations of anatomists and the Council of the Union of Biological Sciences. Professor Moore was also elected to the membership of the Royal Medical Association of Canada, the International Academy of Cytology, the Union of American Anatomists and the Union of North and South American Anatomists. and in 1984 he received the most distinguished award presented in the field of anatomy in Canada, the J.C.B. Grant Award from the Canadian Association of Anatomists.

He has published many books on clinical anatomy and embryology, eight of them are used as reference works in medical schools and have been translated into six languages.

When we asked Professor Moore to give us his analysis of the Quranic verses and prophetic statements, he was amazed. He wondered how the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), fourteen centuries ago, could describe the embryo and its development phase in such detail and accuracy, which scientists have come to know only in the last thirty years. Very quickly, however, Professor Moore’s amazement grew into admiration for this revelation and guidance. He introduced these views to intellectual and scientific circles. He even gave a lecture on the compatibility of modern embryology with the Quran and Sunnah where he stated:

"It has been a great pleasure for me to help clarify statements in the Quran about human development. It is clear to me that these statements must have come to Muhammad from Allah, or God, because almost all of this knowledge was not discovered until many centuries later. This proves to me that Muhammad must have been a Messenger of Allah."

Consider what this well-known and respected scientist of embryology declared upon studying the Quranic verse related to his discipline, and his conclusion that Muhammad (PBUH), must have been a Messenger from Allah.

Allah says in the Quran about the stages of the creation of man: "Man we did create from a quintessence (of clay); Then we placed as (a drop of) sperm (nutfah) in a place firmly fixed; Then we made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood (‘alaqah); Then of that clot we made a (fetus) lump (mudghah); then we made out of that lump bones and clothed the bones with flesh; then we developed out of it another creature." [Quran 23:12-14].

The Arabic word ‘alaqah has three meanings. The first meaning is “leech”. The second is “a suspended thing”. The third meaning is “a blood clot”.

In comparing the fresh-water leech to the embryo at the ‘alaqah stage, Professor Moore found a great similarity between the two. He concluded that the embryo during the ‘alaqah stage acquires an appearance very similar to that of leech. Professor Moore placed a picture of the embryo side by side with the picture of a leech (See Fig. 1). He presented these pictures to scientists at several conferences.

Fig. 1

The second meaning of the word ‘alaqah is “a suspended thing”, and this is what we can see in the attachment of the embryo during the ‘alaqah stage to the uterus (womb) of the mother. The third meaning of the word ‘alaqah is “a blood clot”. It is significant to note, as Professor Moore stated, that the embryo during the ‘alaqah stage goes through well known internal events, such as the formation of blood in closed vessels, until the metabolic cycle is completed through placenta. During the ‘alaqah stage, the blood is caught within closed vessels and that is why the embryo acquires the appearance of a blood clot, in addition to the leech-like appearance. Both descriptions are miraculously given by a single Quranic word ‘alaqah.

How could Muhammad (PBUH) have possibly known that by himself? Professor Moore also studied the embryo at the mudghah (chewed-like substance) stage. He took a piece of raw clay and chewed it in his mouth, then compared it with a picture of the embryo at the mudghah stage. Professor Moore concluded that the embryo at the mudghah stage acquires the exact appearance of a chewed-like substance (Fig. 2). Several Canadian periodicals published many of Professor Moore’s statements. In addition, he presented three television programs in which he highlighted the compatibility of modern science with what has been contained in the Quran for one thousand and four hundred years. Consequently, Professor Moore was asked the following question: ‘Does this mean that you believe that the Quran is the Word of Allah?’ to which he replied: “I find no difficulty in accepting this.” Professor Moore was also asked: ‘How can you believe in Muhammad while you believe in Jesus Christ?’ His reply was: "I believe they both come from the same school."

Fig. 2

Thus modern scientists all over the world today can come to know that the Quran has been revealed from Allah’s knowledge. As Allah the Almighty has told us: "Allah bears witness that what He has sent unto thee He has sent with His (own) knowledge." [Quran 4:166]

It also follows that modern-day scientists should have no difficulty in acknowledging that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), is a Messenger of Allah.

The book, “The Developing Human” written by Professor Keith Moore has been translated into eight languages. This book is considered a scientific reference work, and was chosen by a special committee in the United States as the best book authored by one person. We met with the author of this book and presented to him many Qur'aanic verses and Prophetic Ahadeeth which deal with his specialization in embryology.

Professor Moore was convinced by our evidence, so we asked him the following question: ‘You mentioned in your book that in the Middle ages there was no advancement in the science of embryology, and that only very little was known at that time. At the same time the Qur'aan was being revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and he was guiding people according to what Allah revealed to him. There is found in the Quran a very detailed description of the creation of man and of the different stages of human development.

You are a world renowned scientist, so why do you not uphold justice and mention these truths in your book?’ He replied: "You have the evidence and not I. So why do you not present it to us?"

We provided him with the facts and Professor Moore proved to be a great scholar. In the third edition of his book he did make some additions. This book has been translated, as we mentioned previously, into eight languages including Russian, Chinese, Japanese, German, Italian, Portuguese and Yugoslavian. This book enjoys worldwide distribution and is read by many of the world’s foremost scientists.

Professor Moore states in his book about the Middle ages that: "Growth of science was slow during the medieval period, and few high points of embryological investigation undertaken during this age are known to us. It is cited in the Quran, the Holy Book of the Muslims, that human beings are produced from a mixture of secretions from the male and the female. Several references are made to the creation of a human being from a sperm drop, and it is also suggested that the resulting organism settles in the woman like a seed, six days after its beginning (The human blastocyst begins to implant about six days after fertilization. See Fig. 3)."

Fig. 3

"The Quran also states that the sperm drop develops - into a clot of congealed blood. (An implanted blastocyst or spontaneously aborted conceptus would resemble a blood clot.) Reference is also made to the leech-like appearance of the embryo. The embryo is not unlike a leech, or bloodsucker, in appearance. The embryo is also said to resemble – a chewed piece of substance - like gum or wood. (Somites somewhat resemble the teeth marks in a chewed substance - see Fig. 4)."

Fig. 4

"The developing embryo was considered to be human at 40 to 42 days and no longer resemble an animal embryo at this stage. (See Fig. 5) (The human embryo begins to acquire human characteristics at this stage). The Quran also states that the embryo develops with - three veils of darkness. This probably refers to (1) the maternal anterior abdominal wall, (2) the uterine wall, and (3) the amniochorionic membrane. (see Fig. 6) Space does not permit discussion of several other interesting references to human prenatal development that appear in the Quran."

                    Fig. 5

This is what Dr. Moore has written in his book, praise be to Allah, and which is now being distributed throughout the world. Scientific knowledge has made it incumbent upon Professor Moore to mention this in his book. He has concluded that the modern classification of embryonic development stages, which is adopted throughout the world, is not easy or comprehensive. It does not contribute to the understanding of the embryonic stages of development because those stages are on a numerical basis, that is, stage 1, stage 2, stage 3, etc. The divisions that have been revealed in the Quran do not depend on a numerical system. Rather they are based on the distinct and easily identifiable forms or shapes which the embryo passes through.

The Quran identifies the stages of pre-natal development as follows: Nutfah, which means “a drop” or “small amount of water”; ‘alaqah which means a “leech-like structure”; mudghah, which means a “chewed-like structure”; ‘idhaam, which means “bones” or “skeleton”; kisaa ul idham bil-laham, which means the clothing of bones with flesh or muscle, and al-nash'a which means “the formation of distinct fetus”. Professor Moore has recognized that these Quranic divisions are actually based on the different phases of pre-natal development. He has noted that these divisions provide elegant scientific descriptions that are comprehensible and practical.

In one of the conferences he attended, Professor Moore stated the following: "The embryo develops in the mother’s womb or uterus protected by three veils, or layers, as shown in this next slide [exact slide not shown - Ed.]. (A) represents the anterior abdominal wall, (B) the uterine wall, and the (C) the amniochorionic membrane. (see Fig. 7) Because the staging of human embryo is complex, owing to the continuous process of change during development, it is proposed that a new system of classification could be developed using the terms mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah. The proposed system is simple, comprehensive, and conforms with present embryological knowledge."

Fig. 6

"The intensive studies of the Quran and Ahadeeth in the last four years have revealed a system of classifying human embryos that is amazing since it was recorded in the seventh century A.D. Although Aristotle, the founder of the science of embryology, realized that chick embryos developed in stages from his studies of hens’ eggs in the fourth century B.C., he did not give any details about these stages. As far as it is known from the history of embryology, little was known about staging and classification of human embryos until the twentieth century. For this reason, the descriptions of the human embryo in the Quran cannot be based on scientific knowledge in the seventh century. The only reasonable conclusion is that these descriptions were revealed to Muhammad from Allah. He could not have known such details because he was an unlettered man with absolutely no scientific training."

We told Dr. Moore, ‘What you have said is true, but it is far less than the truth and evidence we have presented to you from the Quran and the Sunnah and which are related to the science of embryology. So why not do justice and completely bring to light all the Quranic verses and Ahadeeth which deal with your field of specialization?’.

Professor Moore said that he has inserted the appropriate references at the appropriate places in a specialized scientific book. However, he would invite us to make some Islamic additions, citing all the relevant Quranic verses and the prophetic ahadeeth, and highlighting their various miraculous aspects, to be incorporated at appropriate places in the book. This was done, and consequently, Professor Moore wrote an introduction to these Islamic additions and the result was this one which you see here before you. On each page that includes facts about the science of embryology, we have cited the Quranic verses and Prophetic Ahadeeth which prove the inimitability of the Quran and Sunnah. What we are witnessing today is Islam moving to new grounds within fair and unbiased human minds.

Fig. 7