It ought to be mentioned here that the above passages, with the exception of some duplications (Surahs 16:5, 80:19-20, 75:38-40, 18:38), constitute all that the Qur’an says about this subject. We find no hint about the fertilisation of the ovum by a sperm, but rather the assumption that the sperm is the seed that is planted into the womb to mature. To correct this omission Dr. Bucaille quotes from a Hadith:
“He (the Holy Prophet) said: ‘The reproductive substance of a man is white and that of a woman is yellow. When they have sexual intercourse and the male’s substance prevails upon the female’s substance, it is the male child that is created by Allah’s Decree. When the substance of the female prevails upon the substance contributed by the male, a female child is formed by the Decree of Allah.’ The Jew said: ‘What you have said is true; verily you are an Apostle.’ He then turned round and went away. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: ‘He asked me about such and such things of which I had no knowledge until Allah gave it to me’” (Sahih Muslim Hadith 614).
You, as I, may not find this all that enlightening either. Also the following Hadith would need a lot of interpretation to make sense to our 21st century minds:
“Allah’s Apostle the true and truly inspired, narrated to us: ‘The creation of everyone of you starts with the process of collecting the material for his body within forty days and forty nights in the womb of his mother. Then he becomes a clot of thick blood for a similar period (40 days) and then he becomes like a piece of flesh for a similar period. Then an angel is sent to him (by Allah) and the angel is allowed (ordered) to write four things: his livelihood, his (date of) death, his deeds, and whether he will be a wretched one or a blessed one (in the Hereafter) and then the soul is breathed into him’” (Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 9.546, see also 4.430).
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