The Verses of Qur'an 86:5-7, states that a liquid comes out of a region between the backbone and the ribs however, Modern science tells us that semen comes from the testicles. Can you clarify this?
Submitted by on Sat, 29/08/2009 - 19:44
Dear Brother / Sister,
The meaning of the verses: (86. At-Tariq, 5-7)
Now let man but think from what he is created! He is created from a water gushing forth― Proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs. (at-Tariq, 5-7)
A liquid coming out of a region between the backbone and the ribs is mentioned in the verse. Normally sulb is backbone and taraib is ribs. Those words were used because the germ cells of the male and female are located there. It does not state where exactly it emerges from.
Read the related article given below;
Is it mentioned in the Quran that man is created out of the sperm of the male and the ovum of the female? What do the words sulb and taraib mentioned in Chapter at-Tariq mean?
Scholarsstated the following views whileinterpreting this verse: “Verily We created Man from a drop of mingled sperm” (al-Insan, 76/2). The word mingled expresses that man is created through the fertilization of the ovum of the female by the sperm of the male out of a cell in which male and female elements are mingled.(See Tabari, Razi, Alusi, Shawkani, the interpretation of the above-mentioned verse).
What is meant by the words “sulb and taraib” mentioned in the following verse is the part of the body between the backbone and ribs, where the germ cells of the male and female are located:“He is created from a water gushing forth ― Proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs”(at-Tariq, 86/6-7. We can understand from that expression that man is created through the fertilization of the ovum of the female by the sperm of the male (Cf. Ibn Ashur, the interpretation of the relevant verse).
What is the meaning of the drop emitted mentioned in the 6th verse of Chapter at-Tariq?
The meaning of the verses:
Now let man but think from what he is created! He is created from a water gushing forth― Proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs. (at-Tariq, 5-7)
A liquid coming out of a region between the backbone and the ribs is mentioned in the verse. Normally sulb is backbone and taraib is ribs. Those words were used because the germ cells of the male and female are located there. It does not state where exactly it emerges from.
The explanation of those verses and the words are as follows:
"Even when it was in the form of male liquid at the beginning of its creation, its characteristic ‘difq’ which means a kind of effort to enter the womb, that is, “throwing, jerking” is stated in the answer: He is created from a water gushing forth.
The verb difq is a transitive verb like gush and throw and it is necessary for the characteristic of water to be “thrown” or “poured” but it is interesting that “gushing” is used. It has been explained in three ways.
Firstly, As Zajjaj reports from Sibawayh, it means “having difq” (thrown) in the form of the words like having dates or having milk.
Secondly, As it is the case in the verse "a pleasant (pleased) life"(al-Qaria, 101/7), the active form is used instead of the passive form. Farra says, “the people of Hejaz use that form as adjective more than other people as it is the case in the following expressions: ‘concealed secret’, ‘exhausted care’ ‘awakening night’.
Thirdly, it is reported from Imam Khalil and Qutrub that the words difq and dufuq mean pouring. Whichever the meaning is, there must be a wit in expressing it like that. It is the expressing that the water does the work of gushing by imagining that the water is making an effort.
The word min before "Ma" expresses beginning. If it is used in the sense of some, it will be in compliance with the following sound hadith: "A baby is not created out of all of the water." (Musnad, III, 49, 59, 93) and it will mean he was created out of some part of the gushing water. The tanwin (the n sound) at the end of the word "Ma" expresses despising, insignificance and meanness.
However, it is not from ordinary thrown water but from the gushing water emerging from the backbone of the male and ribs of the female.
Sulb, sulub, salab salib are used to describe the bone coming from the back end of the head and reaching to the coccyx, it is also called the backbone. The main line of the nervous system called “spinal cord” coming down from the brain passes through it. It is an essential pillar of the formation of the body, which is the rigidity and solidity axis.
Taraib is the plural of "tariba". It is the sternum. The gap between the two chests and the neck ring is also called tariba. The four ribs on the right or on the left of the chest are also called taraib. Two hands, feet and eyes are also called taraib. It is especially the name of the place on the chest where a necklace is worn. Thus, as the corresponding part of the vertebrae, each ring of the breastbone reaching towards the right and left ribs is called a tariba, and all together they are called taraib. Then, the real taraib are the bones that form the sternum and that go down from the neck to the chest, and the place where a necklace is worn. As a matter of fact, the taraib that Imrul Qays defines as glazed as a mirror in the following couplet are not the bones but the chest:
"Her waist is thin, snow-white and without any fat; her chest is as bright as a mirror."
Sulb and taraib express the two walls of the body at the front and at the back as the two pillars, between which the reproductive organs are located. Then, between “sulb (backbone) and taraib (ribs)” is related to the whole form of the body and they are used to refer to the reproductive organs. In addition, the backbone indicates the male and the ribs indicate the female, also indicating the male and the female coming together; it is known by everybody that the backbone represents the male and the chest is usually more famous for the female. As a matter of fact, the word ‘proceeding’ seems more probable to define the phrase “main dafiq” (gushing water) and to cover the hidden subject “it”, thus the word dafiq (gushing) representing the sperm; although what the phrase “between the backbone and the ribs” suggests is between the backbone and the ribs of the male, it is more appropriate to think it as either the backbones and the ribs of both the male and the female or as the backbone of the male and the ribs of the female. Thus, such an attribute will be more comprehensive.
Tafsir scholars have two views regarding it:
Firstly, as we have first mentioned, the water gushing forth is the sperm of the male and between the backbone and the ribs also belong to the male. That explanation does not eliminate the role of the female but does not express it clearly, indicating the more important part of it as it is expressed in the following verse: “From what stuff Hath He created him? From a sperm-drop: He hath created him, and then mouldeth him in due proportions."(Abasa, 80/18-19).
Secondly, it indicates the backbone of the male and the ribs of the female or the combination of the two liquids proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs of the both the male and the female. As the following hadiths is reported from Hazrat Prophet (pbuh), a child is born as a result of the combination the liquids of the male and the female: “Both the male and the female have liquids” (Muslim Hayd, 33).
The reason why it is mentioned as one “water gushing forth” proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs although there are two liquids is explained as follows.
Firstly: Since the male and the female become like one entity during the intercourse, that expression is suitable.
Secondly: When there are two reasons for something, it is appropriate to say, “it took place between this and that”. Then, the usage of the word “dafiq” (gushing) is like defining the whole of something using the characteristic of some part of it. Since some part of it has the characteristic of “gushing”, the whole of it is attributed that characteristic. Or, since the liquid of the female pours into the womb too, that characteristic may be thought for the female too.
Depending on those two views, there have been discussions as to whether the female has a liquid, and if she has, which one is essential for the formation of the child. Since the woman has a liquid and religiously it is called the sperm of the woman and both parties are necessary for fertilization, there is no need to discuss them. However, the following questions are searched: “Does the liquid of the woman include an essential matter like the sperm of the man or does it have an auxiliary role?”, “Are both of them effective elements in the formation of the child?”, “Is one of them active and the other passive?”
Some scholars have the opinion that the essential element in the formation of the child is the sperm of the man depending on the Quranic verses that always mention the sperm of man as despised fluid, sperm, water gushing forth and do not mention the liquid of the woman after mentioning the creation out of earth, clay, dry clay, mud molded into shape and extract of clay and have preferred the first view thinking that the liquid of the woman was not an essential element but it was auxiliary.
On the other hand, since some matter from the woman takes part in the fertilization and the child resembles the mother and it is mentioned in a hadith that the sperm of the woman takes part and it becomes superior, it becomes necessary that the element whether it is effective or passive has to be taken into consideration; that element is the fertilized egg or the ovum of the woman. The reason why the liquid of the woman is regarded as sperm is due to that tiny eggs that come out of the ovarium. Depending on the following hadith "The child is not created out of all of the liquid." (Musnad, III, 49, 59, 93), the child is not created out of all of the sperm of the man and out of all of the liquid of the woman but out of that tiny egg." (Elmalılı, the interpretation of the relevant verses)
Questions on Islam
- Question 20: The following is stated in verses 6 and 7 of the chapter of at-Tariq in the Quran: He is created from a drop emitted- proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs. Evolutionists say that this verse is not scientific.
- The following is stated in verse 7 of the chapter of at-Tariq in the Quran: “He is created from a drop emitted- Proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs:” Evolutionists say that the verse above is not scientific. What is the truth about it?
- How can we refute the claims that the hadith about the determination of the sex of the child was copied from Hippocrates?
- Question 11: A friend of mine opposed the information “man was created from a sperm drop”in the Quran. He said it was something that could be known by anybody in the era when the Quran was sent down
- Surah 86. At-Tariq (The Morning Star, The Nightcomer)
- How does creation occur according to modern medicine and Islam?
- How was the first woman created?
- Knowing the Creator and understanding Creation through Questions
- Are there scientific miracles in the Quran?
- How should we understand woman being created from man's rib?