Facts or Miracles?
How Allah's Design of the Human Body Inspires Gratitude.
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In a life where headphones wires keep twisting together, is it a coincidence that 100,000 km long blood vessels in our body never get tangled into one another?
As I sit here typing, my lungs draw in air, simultaneously filling my chest without any of my conscious effort. The constant rhythm of the heart beat can be felt, circulating life through every vein and nourishing the cells within.
Every breathe that you take , on average, a person takes around 20,000 breaths per day, the body removes all the dust trapped within and the lungs purifying it in order to allow the blood to circulate clean air throughout your body. With every heart beat, the human heart beats around 100,000 times per day, pumping approximately 7,570 liters of blood. All taking place within seconds.
Yet, how often do we pause and reflect on these vital yet miraculous processes that sustain us?
Allah (SWT) says in the Quran,
He created humans from a sperm-drop, then - behold! - they openly challenge ˹Him˺. (Surah An-Nahl, Verse 4)
From this simple drop , Allah (SWT) describes the formation of the intricate structure of the human body shaping it stage by stage:
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 Allah, the best of creators. (Surah Al-Muminun , Verse 14)
Our bodies are a profound testament to Allah's infinite wisdom and power, yet so often we live , unaware of the extraordinary and complex systems at work inside us.
But what if we take a moment to uncover these mysteries of the human body? Facts that were known in the book of Allah, Qur'an long before even science discovered them
- A mother's contribution to development of her child
Genetically, you actually carry more of your mother's genes than your father's. The female X chromosome is larger than a male's Y chromosome, with 1846 genes respectively compared to only 454 genes. Not only this but your mother is the one who carries you in her for straight nine months, and even after you're born she is given the responsibility of feeding you from herself for 2 full years. Now that explains it how a mother's value is three times higher than a father's and Islam recognizes that as Allah mentions:
And We have commanded people to ˹honour˺ their parents. Their mothers bore them through hardship upon hardship, and their weaning takes two years. So be grateful to Me and your parents. To Me is the final return. (Surah Al-Luqman , Verse 14)
2. The fetus is protected by three barriers
The three barriers are the abdominal wall which is the outermost covering that surrounds the womb. Next, comes the uterine wall which is a muscular wall of the uterus and provides support and protection. Last but not the least is the amniotic sac which is a fluid-filled membrane providing the right conditions to maintain the fetus and protects it from physical harm. Long before when these terms and parts of the female body were even discovered by their names Allah (SWT) mentioned in the Quran:
He created you ˹all˺ from a single soul,then from it He made its mate.And He produced for you four pairs of cattle. He creates you in the wombs of your mothers ˹in stages˺, one development after another, in three layers of darkness. That is Allah - your Lord! All authority belongs to Him. There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Him. How can you then be turned away? (Surah Az-Zumar, Verse: 6)
3. Ears are active during sleep
According to scientific research, the ear is the only sense organ that is active while a person is sleeping. Hence, the reason we use an alarm clock to wake up ! Before this unique discovery, Allah (SWT) says in the verse:
So We cast [a cover of sleep] over their ears within the cave for a number of years. (Surah Al Kahf , Verse 11)
The original Arabic of the phrase 'We cast a cover over their ears' in the Quran is the verb 'daraba'. This holds the metaphorical meaning of 'We have made them sleep'. As this phrase is used in reference to ears which means preventing the ears from hearing. The fact that only the sense of 'hearing' was mentioned is significant to note.
Allah closed the hearing of the young people in the cave , due to which they remain asleep for many years! Subhan-Allah!
4. No two fingerprints between any human can ever match
In the 1880, fingerprints became the scientific method for identification after research done by Francis Golt. No two people, not even identical twins can have the same fingerprints! Nowadays fingerprints are used almost everywhere for security purposes. Whether it may be in smart cards, a lock for mobile devices, marking attendance at schools and offices and what not!
Allah (SWT) mentions in the Quran:
Do people think We cannot reassemble their bones? Yes ˹indeed˺! We are ˹most˺ capable of restoring ˹even˺ their very fingertips. (Surah Al Qiyamah , Verse 3:4)
1400 years ago who could have known the uniqueness of the fingerprints? Surely, it could have been none other than the Creator Himself.
5. Frontal lobe of the brain is responsible for lying as well as movement of body
The human brain is the most complex organ in the body, consisting of approximately 86 billion neurons.
The motivation and the foresight to plan and initiate movements occur in the anterior portion of the brain knows as the frontal lobe. This is the part that is said to be seized if the man does not stop.
Secondly, it's also responsible for causing a person to lie. Allah (SWT) mentioned this in the Quran even before research was made by modern science :
No! If he does not desist, We will surely drag him by the forelock - a lying, sinning forelock. (Surah Al Alaq, Verse : 15:16)
The word "forelock" here (Arabic: ناصية, nāṣiyah) refers to the front part of the head which can be referred to the frontal lobe. Allah does not call a person a liar, but calls his forehead (the frontal lobe) sinful , and warns it to stop.
This powerful link between the Quran and neuroscience emphasises on our responsibility to act with integrity.
6. Quranic recitation used for healing from diseases.
How many of us have heard of cancer patients being given Surah Ar-Rahman treatment to cure them? It has been studied that listening to the Holy Quran with full concentration enhances and boosts , protects the heart and brain and reprograms the cells in your body.
It is more than just words; it is the voice of Creator speaking directly to the hearts of the distressed, filling their souls with hope, calming the mind and heart.
It's the sound waves of the recitation of the Quran that have the power to activate body cells and cure illnesses such as heart attacks or cancers.
This is not merely a medical phenomenon - it is a manifestation of His Grace towards us. His words act as a lifeline for those who feel powerless against their suffering.
Allah (SWT) mentions in the Quran:
When the Quran is recited, listen to it attentively and be silent, so you may be shown mercy. (Surah Al Araa'f , Verse 204)
In conclusion, what modern science has only recently been uncovering as facts, the Qur'an had already revealed over 1,400 years ago. Truly, Allah's wisdom is timeless, and His knowledge encompasses all things.
