“তিনিই সেই আল্লাহ, যিনি তোমাদের আকৃতি গঠন করেন মায়ের গর্ভে, যেমন তিনি চেয়েছেন। ......সূরা আল ইমরান:

“তিনিই সেই আল্লাহ, যিনি তোমাদের আকৃতি গঠন করেন মায়ের গর্ভে, যেমন তিনি চেয়েছেন। তিনি ছাড়া আর কোন উপাস্য নেই। তিনি প্রবল পরাক্রমশীল, প্রজ্ঞাময়।” সূরা আল ইমরান: ৬।

The Quranic verse draws our attention to two most exciting biological phenomena connected with the continuity of life in human species, namely the beginning of pregnancy and the diversity of the physical traits which all- human foetus develops inside the uterus by Divine decree.

Life begins for each human being when a minute wriggling sperm of the male parent plunges into a mature ovum of the female. It is at this moment of fusion of the sperm and ovum (a process called fertilization), that not only the existence of a new human being but also its sex and individuality is determined. During the first month of human life, the fertilized egg undergoes a miraculous change first by a cleavage into two cells, and further by subsequent divisions and redivisions is transformed into a creature with a head, body, heart, and with the appearance of arms, legs, ears, stomach and brain.

Secondly, the verse points to the master designing by the Supreme Hand, the intricate patterns of human form in the gravid uterus, determining the cast of our features, the from of our finger prints, and all those subtle differences which set apart one man from another and resulting in the absolute individuality and uniqueness of every person.

Biology not only recognizes this but in fact supplies evidence for a rational explanation of this uniqueness. In the first place, the sex of every child is normally fixed at the instant of conception form the moment the father's sperm enters the mother's egg. Each body cell of a normal human individual has 46 chromosomes-22 pairs, and the two sex chromosomes becoming the 23rd pairs

Among the two sex chromosomes of the male, one is X and other Y, while the female has two X's forming the pair. The male produces two kinds of sperm; one half carries an X chromosome and the other half carries a Y chromosome. All the eggs, however, carry X chromosomes. When an egg is fertilised by a sperm bearing a Y chromosome, the baby is male (XY), and when the egg is fertilized by a sperm containing an X chromosome the baby is female (XX). The combination of these chromosomes is beyond human control, and Allah decides if the child will be a male or a female.

Each normal chromosome contains its specific number of genes, and since the chromosomes are paired, each gene has also its mate, one inherited from the father and one from the mother. When the two genes are alike, they will have equal weight in affecting the characteristics and the result is one of blending.

Frequently, however, one gene is stronger and exerts the dominating influence over the other apparently inert one. Although a child gets half of his genes from his mother and the other half from his father, it receives only half the total genes (never all) each parent possesses. It is a matter of divine decree (interpreted as chance by biologists) which character a child will inherit from its parents. It is even more of a gamble (in truth, again, a divine decree) which if any, genes it will inherit from ancestors several generations back.

A child may resemble one parent in one trait and the other in another trait, may be intermediate the parents in a third, and resemble neither in a fourth.

Heredity seems notoriously capricious to a casual observer, but the uniqueness of each individual in the mother's womb is preordainded by the Supreme Creator. Thus each individual is- distinct in appearance, size, colour of skin, and many other traits so much so that no two persons are exactly alike.‘lt is quite interesting that even the thumb impressions of different people are so different that it is a reliable method of identifying individuals. Again, in spite of differences in various details, there are some similarities in the members of each race. This marvelous unity in diversity is a fact which should provide us with sufficient evidence to believe in the Supreme Creator, Allah.

Sometimes, the foetus may have some developmental defects like congenital heart diseases, anancephale, polydactility and so on. Some of these defects are compatible with life while the others are incompatible. But all these are beyond human control though a few of them may be diagnosed in the womb by ultrasonic scanning. There is no doubt that such variations are also ordained by Allah.

From the discussion ,it is evident tat Allah the Alimighty cn mould the human babies in their mother’s wombs whatever way He pleases out of an infinite possibility of combinations of genes. The intricacies of creation and development of the human embryo indicate that Allah is the One with all wisdom and knowledge; so what ever He creates is according to His infinite, wisdom whether we may or may not comprehend it.

References

1. Moore, Keith, L., The Developing Human, 3rd edition, W.B. Saunders Co., pp. 1- ‘9l, 1982.

2. Welch, C.A. et 3]., Biological Science, Molecules to Man, Blue Version, Revised edition, Noughton Mifflin Co., Boston, p. 425.