₦airaland Forum

@Smile4kenn: No one says that the Gospel of barnabas is 100% true. Just like the Bible (NT) , it is not 100% wrong either. But the core of Barnabas which contradicts the Songod, fathergod, and holy ghostgod concept is the onl reason I personally read it. There are things in it that go against is/lamic ideas. Its a carry over therefore from Christianity. Just like the foreign things brought into Isla/mic sunnah/hadith by both hardened Jews and Christians who converted. We know these ahadith by their weak chain of narrations.

@Imhotep: Just because Is/lam came 570 years after Jesus, it does not mean that it is correct and better. Afterall, Jesus was not even a Christian, duuh. Your argument is very flat, considering if anything is to correct an established idea that is false, it is always a newer one. Is/lam through Qu/r'an and Sunnah/hadith give compelling challenges and reasonable facts why Jesus can never be more than Prophet/Messenger. He is even restricted in essence to the nations of Israel; 12 nations/tribes (2 Judea and 10 Israel).

You see why the jews claim that christianity is a fraud by stating that Jesus is not even a prophet, which is lesser than Messenger, eg Moses?


@Davidylan: A re, ki de she, omo iba eni? lol. Barnabas and Paul are from the same after Jesus generation. If you claim that one is completely a fraud, then there is 50/50 chance that the other is. But at best that one is never 100% correct! Paul has been proven to be false, since he was never a companion of Jesus. Just google Paul as a false prophet. The evidence is abounding. You do not have to long any longer. First divest yourself from Pauline falsehood. I will see you running away from Kiriyo in the same sense that Fela in his song said about lawyer Ishola Oshodu running when the soldier boys invaded it.

@Cgist:

Your blood too dey hot! Go sleep. e bi like say you be canterkerous woman, which man go fit contain your wahala now?

As I have said, you are very green. You don't know anything about women. How do you think you will survive the condition of a spouse if you can not deal with a tasty test from mild mannered ~Lady~?

I like of Babyosisi, etc will serve you for lunch and will salivate for more. Be ready man. You think are docile and must not be heard? Think again. This is not Bible study. Real live is real. There is no fantasy like that or turn your other cheek for a second slap. Even nossycheek will not allow it. Yet she is nossy! lol.

@Mazaje:

The God potrayed in the new testament is not the same with the one in the old testament.

Two gods in one book: The Bible. One god for the Jews in OT. And a different god for the Christians in NT. I guess the christian brethrens saw yor entry and avoided it like a plague.

You are on your own, in explanation. Please try because I am many people are waiting to read your shaky explanation.

@nossycheek:

But he can always divorce one or two and marry one or two. The equation remains balanced
My bible did not tell me that any other prophet came after Jesus

Your Bible (new testament) stops not at the top. But somewhere in the middle. Hence it does not have the story of prophethood after Jesus.

The Jews (old testament) does not carry the story of Jesus. Hence it is just like the new testament; incomplete. No wonder the Jews dispute about Jesus till this present day. Yet he is from one of their 12 nations. So you can imagine how hard it is for the Jews, the group the total body of Jesus primary first generation followers came from, to believe in an Arab prophet?

They by deceit of jealousy hated their father's Uncle, Ismail, even in a simple matter of being first born, therefore qualified as only son, the son of slaughter. So you see your problem, nossycheek. If Jews because of old testament attachment which they have, will not accept another Jew (Jesus) in the New testament, you can see why it is difficult for the same Jews (Christians are offshoots or pseudojews) to accept the Arab (Mu/ha/mmad).

@May Kelly:

JESUS CHRIST THE TRUE SON OF GOD, JESUS AND THE FATHER ARE ONE IN SPIRIT. The Son is in the Father, and the Holy Spirit in the Father.

If I have a nickel (I used nickel to confuse her, Okay), for every time I read your double talk, I would actually have secured a million Dollars, on that premise alone.

How can Father be son, and son be father, and holy spirit is father, yet each is complete and autonomous and independent of one another? If one is the others, then when one died, the other must have died. And since One is can never dies, then the others can never die. And since One can never be seen by mortal and live, then the others are just in the same realm. And if any of these ideas is not fulfilled by any of the three elements in your godheads, then you sure know that you have not been sincere in your proposed concept.

But did Jesus not say in Mark 12 verse 29 that he has the same God and Lord as everyone else? May Kelly, am waiting for your answer.

@Davidylan: Funny enough that in 1 Timothy 5 verse 8, the word "infidel" was used to describe nonchristians. I guess Davidylan (4Him) and others can't accuse the mu/s/lims of originating that Word. Interestingly, the jews have 'gentile' to describe nonJews. What the mu/sl/lims have is kafir. But also for your information David, you should see on "the socalled deleted books of the bible,' thread, ~lady~ entered yesterday, that the language spoken by Jesus, hence his revelation and teachings were in Aramaic. And the land was called palestine even at that time. i guess even before Jesus. Both conditions proved Is/lamic stance as being correct.

@Kola Oloye: I wished that I can write proper Yoruba, and it is also permissible for me to do so here. Evidently, it may the only way to corner you to admit the discrepancy from the Bible as regarding the laws of Moses. We see that Jesus said that he did not come to abolish but to fulfill the laws of Moses. And immediately warns that who so ever follows in his footsteps and encourages others to do the same after, that fellow will be regarded as great in the kingdom of heavens. But if another fellow even disobeys a jot (am going to assume that it is the smallest part) and encourages others to do so regarding the laws, that person will be least in the kingdom of heaven!

We see that least here, as I asked Christians means lake of fire (hell). If this does not mean hell, then the statement of Jesus as to least in the kingdom of heaven will be empty rhetoric. It means nothing. But where will those who disobeyed the laws belong, if not hell? We see that Paul not only disobeyed the laws, but disregarded Jesus' warning while at it and encouraged the "Christians" to do the same. But where would these people be housed, except in the least of kingdom of heaven; hellfire.

As I was writing this piece to you, I simply asked a Christian to tell me what Jesus meant by his statement and how should the laws be looked at. His response is that there should not be any personal interpretation. But just that one looks at each law as it is written and act upon it as such. I agree with him. Unfortunately, he is still a Christian. How can he say what he said and still remain a Christian, considering that the 1st law was not looked at as it is written? But after Jesus was lifted up, the interpretation of One God, developed into three godhead god! How can it be accepted, since even Jesus himself made it clear that Moses laws were direct and complete as is, without even an interpretation to twist himself as any part of God into it. And that he made it clear in Mark 12 verse 29 that God and Lord is One, and he Jesus is subject as any other person to that Supremacy.

How do you interprete the dietary laws and circumcision laws, etc away from what it directly mean in speech? Afterall, Jesus was circumcised and observe the dietary laws among others from the commandments and laws. Today Pig farms are common and uncircumcised men parade the earth. All as a result of Paul and company.

This Christian that I asked even told me that Jesus meant all the laws of the Prophets. I wonder if we put that into account, if Paul had not gone even farther than I thought?

@fyneguy: If Christianity is not a religion, then whats Christianity? What do we measure it by since we can not apply religious barometers to it? lol. You are a funny dude. I see the christians just making things up as they go along. But unfortunately trying ever desperately to force feed the rest of us.

Christianity can never be better than the religion that Jesus observed. That religion is the same that Moses observed. And the core of that religion is not different from the core of Noah's, Ibrahim's Adam's, etc religion. You continue to deceive yourself. There is a day that all of these deceits will be laid bare to you. The regret that day will be much.

Walk away from worshipping multiheads god, right now. Accept guidance in One true invisible God. There is no one that can help you against His punishment. And no one can hold you back from His favor, either.

Only foolish mind worshipin belief that God is more than One! There is none save Him. He has no associates, no beginning, no parent and no offspring.

@Kola Oloye: You are a funny dude. If Jesus your lord, god warns against relegating any of the laws/commandments, how come paul teached you to relegate the same? Is Paul not then from the lowest of heaven or kingdom of God? Therefore those who followed Paul in disrespecting any of these laws/commandments are from the same low heaven as Paul. Not so?

Which laws and commandments were be spoken about by Jesus; not Moses? Do you obey the dietary laws now? Do you obey the circumcision law now? Do you obey the law of Singly All Powerful God now, without slicing and dicing Him to parts; son, holy ghost and father god parts? Do you not make graven imagery now, etc?

These above are not conforming to the injuction of Jesus on keeping the laws and commandments given to Moses.

@Kola Oloye: So what you are saying really, is that a person who breaks or makes others break the commandments will make heaven. Only that may be the least heaven. But those who do not break or make others break any of the commandments will go to other heaven, different from the least heaven. Is this correct?

Then tell us, are you saying that all persons who break the laws will make heaven (Paradise)? If this is so then the presence and commandments of Jesus is irrelevant. At least the verse which says he himself was there to flfill all the laws and will not ignore any, even the least. But the audacity that that you can now tell us that you can ignore or break any of the laws that Jesus himself reconciled himself with.

What you have done is to render Jesus and Moses purely unimportant and cling to Paul over them.Where is your lake of fire then? What is least heaven for those who do against Jesus and Moses, is it Paradise?

@Mazaje: Zainab, an Igbo woman from Owerri, Alhaji Issa Okeke, a farmer in Enugu, Mu/h/ammad, also an Igbo man in Brooklyn, became m/u/slims as adults. Though both of their parent are/were Christians. I also wondered who made and still making the many millions americans, males and females m/us/lims? Considering the whites who became mu/sl/ims among them are never forced and their blood is very foreign to I/s/lam. (Hamzah Yusuf of Zaituna institute in Hayward, near Oakland California. Hamzah Peltier in Cambridge/Boston Massachussett, Sheikh Issa Estes of Virginia, and many others).

I could talk about the Blacks, the Chinese, the Spanish and even the Caribbeans. Whats very interesting is that you find people from Haiti coming to I/s/lam in drove. If my parents were both non/mus/lims, A/l/lah the Almighty who created me would still make a way for me to become M/us/lim by abandoning disbelief. What is interestingis that I am a child of a man who easily could be my grandfather. So being introduced to Is/lam by him as your probable reason for my i/s/lam is weak. I grew up withmy mother in my life, because the old man (ra) died while I ws still not a teenager. His influence on me could not have been much.

@D-reloaded: Read what Davidylan wrote above and my jovial response to him. please note that Jesus the master himself did not have any statement about head covering for women. However, its ironic that his mother, mary the woman who suckled and cared for your lord, from nothingness in the womb through delivery, until he became a strong and independent person never left her head uncovered. I know that you do not care what she did, even though she is the mother of your god.

Is there a woman more important than a mother to the child? But it is Paul who had opinions. Opinions which destroyed the concept that Bible is words of God and nothing else. Well, Paul's opinion destroys it. Furter it has no religious underpinning.

Interestingly thugh, no one told Paul that Jesus had long hair. Otherwise he would never have said that it is a shame for a man to have long hair. No body told the Christian men that jesus kept a beard throughout.

Finally, if a woman wants to imitate any woman, it should be the mother of Jesus, over the opinion of Paul. That is especially when Jesus never had any contrary statement about how his mother covered her head. And people are taking Paul's opinion over what is clearly behavior of Jesus' mother whic was acceptable to Jesus, because he never go against it.

@Huxley: There is nothing about me that makes me look like a slave. If there is a slavish look, Olabowale does not have it. Finally your bluffing was called and all of a sudden, you know that it is an empty rhetoric, a sham.

From the Q/ur'a/n you see that God Almighty discusses the period when the hearing mechanism begins to develop. Life must have began at that point and not after. It could be earlier when the heart begins to beat.

@Davidylan: lol.

So you finally admit that an opinion of somebody/group of people (Verse 13 above) is entered as part, a verse of the Bible? There goes the statement that the Bible is the words of God! So much for the untainted Bible. Aree Dafidi. Ki de shee? Se oun ka bibeli no yin! Shim ro fo, (I lost my ability to write Ijebu. Maybe we need Seun the Adm. to help us here. Afterall he is , of Ijebuland).

Furtjer David, in verse 15, you present us with an idea that the decision to cover or not to cover is woman's alone. Master Jesus did not have any statement about it. I bet his mother did not dress down like the women in Christendom of today. She probably is more likely to dress like the pious mu/sl/im woman.

Verse 16 is telling us that it has no religious and no cultural essence for a woman to cover her hair. But the essence in woman head covering is simply that she is subject of man's/husband's authority. I wonder when a woman is more under her husband's authority more; in the house or outside the home? I think if your Bible subject the woman to this much subjugations, no wonder most in the west burnt their undergarments in the first half of the past centuary to proclaim their freedom. Is any woman gonna stand for that, especially when there is no religious benefit to it. What an opinion from Paul. And it made it into the Bible! Further proof that it is not 100% words of God.

Finally: Verse 14 speaks about the shamefulness of men having long hair. How long should men hair be, before this shamefulness apply? Should length, or long or shorter? Paul must have been passing his own opinion without consideration to Jesus look. Oh, I get it. He never met Jesus.

If he did he would have known that Jesus had long hair. But the companions of Jesus should have told Paul though about Jesus having long hair. But I guess Paul kinda shut them down. He did not care for the appearance of Jesus, I take it.

@mazaje: My mother was a christian, until just about 3 years ago. She converted, by the Mercy of A/ll/ah to I/s/lam. But when she was raising me, as a child i never believed her Bible stories though. Yet they were very romantic. She tolg me that as a little boy that I was always unhappy on Fridays when she was preparing for a job. She knew i was never buying her Bible stories. There. My soul believed not in anything but One God Almighty Alla/h.

@D-reloaded: Please note that Jesus did not touch up on head covering or uncovering for for neither man nor woman. Unfortumnately, the opinion of Paul or others, barring that of the Master Jesus himself (as) will not cut it with me. It should be taken with a grain of salt. But in the maintime, lookk at what Bible said compared to what Qu.r'a/n and hadith said on the same subject matter.



Woman's Status
In Bible & Qu/r'an



We're trying to compare the woman's status as seen in Christianity and Islam. The sources are mainly the Bible, Quran, and the teachings of Prophet Mohammed.

The Bible and the Qu/r'a/n agree: The First Woman / Eve


Christianity (Bible: Genesis 3: 6 to 17) :"When the woman (Eve) saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband (Adam), who was with her, and he ate it, Then the man (Adam) and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.


But the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?" He (Adam) answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." And he (God) said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" The man said, "The woman (Eve) you put here with me-she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." To the woman he (God) said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." To


Adam he (God) said, "Because you listen to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life."


Qu/r'a/n 7: 19 to 23: (God said):"O Adam! You and your wife dwell in the Garden, and enjoy (its good things) as you wish: but do not approach this tree, or you run into harm and transgression." "Then began Satan to whisper suggestions to them (Adam and Eve), bringing openly before their minds all their shame that was hidden from them (before): he (Satan) said: "Your Lord only forbade you this tree, lest you should become angels or such beings as live for ever." "And he (Satan) swore to them both, that he was their sincere adviser."


"So by deceit he brought about their (Adam and Eve) fall: when they tasted of the tree, their shame became manifest to them, and they began to sew together the leaves of the Garden over their bodies. And their Lord called to them: "Did I not forbid you that tree, and tell you that Satan was an avowed enemy to you?" "They said: "Our Lord! We have wronged our own souls: if You do not forgive us and do not bestow upon us Your Mercy, we shall certainly be lost"



Female Gender vs. Male Gender

Leviticus 12: 2 to 5: ", if a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days, but if she bear a maid child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, "


Qu/r'a/n 42: 49: "To A/l/lah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. He creates what He wills. He bestows female children to whomever He wills and bestows male children to whomever He wills."


And in the hadith of prophet Mu/hamm/ad : "He who is involved in bringing up daughters, and accords benevolent treatment towards them, they will be protection for him against Hell-Fire."




The Female Spiritual Essence

Ecclesiastes 7 : 26 to 28: "I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare." "Look," says the Teacher, "this is what I have discovered: "Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things-while I was still searching but not finding- I found one upright man among a thousand, but not one upright woman among them all."


Qu/r'a/n 66: 11and 12: "And A/ll/ah sets forth, as an example to those who believe, the wife of Pharaoh: behold she said: 'O my Lord! build for me, in nearness to You, a mansion in the Garden, and save me from Pharaoh and his doings, and save me from those that do wrong," "And Mary the daughter of Imran, who guarded her chastity; and We breathed into (her body) of Our spirit; and she testified to the truth of the words of her Lord and of His Revelations, and was one of the devout (servants)."

Hadith of Prophet Mu/ha/mm/ad: "Heaven is at the feet of the mothers."



Menses

Leviticus 15: 19 to 23: "When a woman has her regular flow of blood, the impurity of her monthly period will last seven days, and anyone who touches her will be unclean till evening. anything she lies on during her period will be unclean, and anything she sits on will be unclean. Whoever touches her bed must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening. Whoever touches anything she sits on must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening. Whether it is the bed or anything she was sitting on, when anyone touches it, he will be unclean till evening."


Hadith of prophet Mu/h/ammad: Ali asked the Prophet Moh/am/med if when a man and a woman make love then their clothes stick to them from the sweat of their bodies, or if when a woman has her period her clothes stick to her body, are the clothes considered unclean?
The Prophet replied: "No, the uncleanness is only in the semen and the blood."





Sexual Relation During Her Menses

Leviticus 18 verse 19: "Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleanness of her monthly period."


Qu/r'a/n 2 verse 222: "They ask you concerning women's courses (period). Say: They are a hurt and a pollution: so keep away (of making love) from women in their courses, and do not approach them until they are clean, "




A Woman's Right to Education

1 Corinthian 14: 34 and 35: "let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law, and if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for woman to speak in the church."


hadith of prophet M/u/hammad: "Seeking knowledge is obligatory on every Muslim man and Muslim woman."




Right to Inheritance

Number 27 Verse 8: "Say to the Israelites, 'If a man dies and leaves no son, turn his inheritance over to his daughter, '"


Q/ur'a/n 4Verse 7: "From what is left by parents and those nearest related there is a share for men and a share for women, whether the property be small or large, -a determinate share."




Dressing Modesty / Head Covering

1 Corinthians 11: 3 to 6: "Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head"


1 timothy 2 : 9 and 10: "I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God"


Q/u/r'an 33 Verse 59: "O Prophet! Tell your wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad): that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested. And A/ll/ah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."


Q'u'r'an 24 Verse 31: ", they (believing women) should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex, "





Polygamy

2 Samuel 5 verse 13: "After he left Hebron, David took more concubines and wives in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him."


1 Kings 11 Verse 3: "He (Solomon) had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, "


Genesis 4 verse 19: "And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah."


Deuteronomy 21 verse 15: "If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the first-born son be hers that was hated: then it shall be, when he maketh, "


Exodus 21 Verse 10: "if he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall her not diminish."


Qu/r'an 4 Verse 3: "If you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with the orphans, marry women of your choice, two, or three, or four; but if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one, to prevent you from doing injustice."





Prohibition in Marriage

Leviticus 18 Verse 18: "Do not take your wife's sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is living."


Qu/r'a/n 4 Verse 23: "Prohibited to you (for marriage) are: -your mothers, daughters, sisters, and two sisters (the wife and her sister) in wedlock at one and the same time, "





Divorce

Mark 10: Verses 11 and 12: ", Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery."


Q/ur'a/n 65 Verse 1: "O Prophet! When you do divorce women, divorce them at their prescribed periods, and count (accurately) their prescribed periods: and fear A/lla/h your Lord, "





The Divorcee & Widow

Matthew 5 Verse 32: ", who marries the divorced woman commits adultery."


Leviticus 21 Verses 13 and 14: "'The woman he (the priest) marries must be a virgin. He must not marry a widow, a divorced woman, or a woman defiled by prostitution, but only a virgin from his own people.'"


Q/ur'an 2 Verse 234: "If any of you die and leave widows behind, they shall wait concerning themselves four months and ten days: when they have fulfilled their term, there is no blame on you (marrying widows) if they dispose of themselves in a just and reasonable manner, "





The Respect of Parents

Luke 2 Verse 51: "Then he (Jesus) went down to Nazareth with them (his parents) and was obedient to them, "


Mark 7 Verse 10: "For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death."

Leviticus 19 Verse 3: "Each of you must respect his mother and father, "


Q/u/r'an 19 Verse 32: "He (God) has made me (Jesus) kind to my mother, and not overbearing or miserable."

Qw/r'an 31 verse 14:"And We have enjoined on man (to be good) to his parents: in travail (pains of childbirth) upon travail his mother bore him, and in two years was his weaning: (hear the command), "Show gratitude to Me and to your parents: to Me is (your final) Goal."

@D-reloaded:I was just going todo some research about your request aboutproviding evidence about Mariam, Jesus mother, about head covering. But take a look at what ~lady~ had written from her observation, as quoted below. First, we have to agree that Mary never had her head uncovered. According to the Christians, they did not write everything that Jesus said. So we do not know whether he did not command against uncovering of woman's head. But the Jewish women here in Borough Park, Brookyn NY cover, all the time. Even when they are in the presence of guests in their homes. I aught to know. Some Rabbis and other observing Jews are friends. You can read their Mishnash and Talmut, to know how their women behave, regarding head coverings.

@~lady~:

Jesus' mother resided in the Middle east, the norm in the middle east (in that age) is that the women have their head covered. In Africa it was not the norm that the women have their head covered. It is not their culture. Besided it tells us that when we pray we should have our head covered. It also says that when men pray their head should not be covered.

It is not an I/s/lamic rule and law that man must cover his head, in prayer or out of it. M/u/ha/mmad (as) prayed without head covering. I pray or go about the place without head covering. But sometimes I put on a shawl, a Cap or a Kafayah. Muslim woman does not have to cover in her own home if there is no stranger or guest around, either.


Your excuse about the mother of Jesus, if correct, and only for that time, could be used for everything in the Bible, in order to nullify each and everyone of it. The truth is that you will agree that whatever the reason hair is a sensual element about the woman today, was just in some respect the same about woman then. But religion is supposed to have its own unique culture. I do know that I/s/l/am has its own culture. Although is more arabic than other cultures, but it is not exclusively arabic. And not all arabic culture is I/s/l/amic.


I am very confident that part of the beauty of woman, as you will agree has to do with her hair, etc. I know men who will marry a woman only because of that. Thats their own twist of beauty and romance. Beauty and romance should not be dispalyed out there, thereby attaching less value and importance to either. I completely disagree with the issue of the africans not atuned to the middle east culture. As an african man, I know that what I will look at in african woman is the same that I would look at in middle eastern woman. Modesty. Piety and God consciousness.

What is the reason that women are commanded to cover their head to pray? It does also apply to women in Is//la/m. The reason is that humility before and obedience to God is required. The Angels hate to see the exposure of woman head.

So Olabowale, why do the a great one men cover their head when they pray? It is disrespectful to God.

First we must observe that we have the image of all middle eastern men, in the days of the prophets, choose any one of them to illustrate this point: the cover their heads, with turban, shawl, or cap. The Jews even have what we call Yahmakah. They wear it even today. Each prophet has full head of hair. Each prophet is unshavened. Each prophet cover all their bodies. None wore skimpy clothing or tight clothing, etc. Moses was reported to cover his body so much that the elders of his community thought that he had skin deseases.

Jesus was reported to have beard and long hair as well. And we saw impression of him even among the Christians that he wore shawl. Finally, just to amuse you, you are a Catholic Christian. What happened to the pope and his cap? What happened to the other leadership of this sect; the cardinals, the bishops, etc? What happened to the other orthodoxy; the Coptics in Egypt, the Greek orthodox, the Russian orthodox, etc?

Okay the Protestants: What about the archbishops of Canterbury and all these angligan leaderships? All of them wear some form of head coverings in their churches, ceremonial details nd prayer time!

Funny, MC Usman disagreed with this when he chose to answer "NONE" to the question by huxley.
You cannot tell me this and then post what you posted above. If women have freedom in Is'lam andIs'lam does not view them as those that should be silenced, why can't they choose to have their head uncovered in the heat? Why are they subjected to the back in the mosque during prayer. Why are they viewed as distractions for men.

I am not Mc Usman. And there is no one person alive today who knows everything in Is/la/m. What he knows I do not know. Mc Usman or me is not an authority in I/s/l/am.

Did my response at least serve as some possible answer for you? As indicated, if a woman chooses to go without head covering, she is carrying the responsibility of disobedience to A//ll/ah. In as long that she was reminded of her duty to the Most Powerful, the onous is on her. You live here in the USA. You must have seen women who observe the head covering. Ask her if she was forced. A true believing woman will gladly obey God's commandments. You have the commandment to cover the head in Surah Muminuu and Ahzab. Women are also asked to step on the floor softly, without shaking or exposing any part of the body that needed to be kept private.

Few years ago, a friend said that he was with his wife at the gas station. It was summer time and they were approached by a white couple to ask what was the wife's condition under the covering. The wife told the couple, addressing the woman that she schoise to cover, not because anyone forced her, but as a sign of her obedience.

Then she said that she was neither hot or uncomfortable in the summer. But in the winteralmost everyone is forced by just an eement, cold to conform to what believing women do willingly, hoping for their reward in A/llah.

One of my friends, Bilkis "Omolara" Badmus started wearing I/sl/amic covering here in Michigan, USA. She told me that she love it and will never leave it. May God A/llah Ta ala continue to make you bif and make your way easy, (Yaya; lol. Am sure Yumnah is now a big girl). Finally, Zainab Ndidi Ada became a mu/s/lim and adopted the coverin right away. No one forced her. From her name you will notice that she is an Igbo woman. May God A/ll/ah the Almighty continue to shower His mercy on you.


@D-reloaded: Again, I did not live in the time of Mariam umm Isa al Massiah. But I know that she was not a woman who was devoid of piety and humility to her Creator. I live at this time. You and me are governed by the same laws. I try hard be reserved. Thats amost contrary to my human desire. But the fact is that I try. What do you sincerely think is the position of Jesus on the subject? And by the way why do the African women wea head gears/ties to church?

Ladies, did Jesus mother exposed her head and neck? I know that did not happen. Jesus would have somewhat encouraged her against exposing her hair, head neck.

I was telling a woman the other day that hair, neck, etc are beauty acutremens of womanhood. We see that even hair texture and fullness of hair along with longness are part of how women describe their beautiy. We hear the term long neck, or swann neck. These are parts of the assets that make a man want a woman. And another woman wants to be like her.

And by the way, Huxley, when does human begin in the world of agnostics and atheists? Let me quote brother Frizy: Dont worship your intellect!

@Huxley: I read Qu/r'a/n. In arabic. I do not have to waste my energy when something is a ready made as a response to your inquiry. It will be foolish for me, if fufu meal is already set on the table waiting for me, and then to insist that i have to make mine from scratch.

This is the condition here. Don't forget that I did not google what I am very familiar aout. I truly belief it. Its you who have huge problem and my responsibility is to give you not just the medicine for it, but to give you the cure. You know better than that.

@Huxley:Since you are so lazy to read, that is your assignment. You want to bash believers, yet you fail to read what is truth. You want the truth? You can handle the truth. lol.

All of these are just the summary of the creation of mankind. Read, mister man.

Conclusion



The miracle of human creation in the holy Qu/ran is one of many other medical miracles . Having reviewed previous detailed statements of Quranic verses and scientific analysis of the embryonal stages, it is evident that these Qur/anic verses give an accurate description of the main stages the embryo encounters during creation and formation until delivery.  It is noticed that these changes coincide with the remarks of modern embryology, and truly expresses the external phenomena of changes that result from the internal changes.  The Qu/ranic descriptions contain expressions comprehensible to people of different backgrounds, whereas the current expressions in embryology used for the description of these stages do not identify the distinguished characteristics of the embryo in each stage, as numerical coding is used without reference to any description. This proves the wonderful miraculous nature of the Qu/ran, which cannot be revealed except from the comprehensive knowledge of the Omniscient. These facts were confirmed by the embryologist  Professor Keith Moore  and also other non Moslem scientists.



In the age where Quran was revealed, with the description of human creation expressed in very accurate terms that fit with the modern rules of science, and with the confirmation  that the creation and development of embryo are fulfilled on stages, as Allah says;


( مَّا لَكُمْ لَا تَرْجُونَ لِلَّهِ وَقَارًا .وَقَدْ خَلَقَكُمْ أَطْوَارًا )( نوح)

“What is the matter with you, that ye are not conscious of Allah’s majesty,- Seeing that it is He that has created you in diverse stages" (71: 13-14)
Non- Mo/slem scientists at that time believed that man was created from menstrual blood. In so far as the 17th century, they believed that the embryo was fully created from man’s sperm, and then it grew after entering the uterus. Thus they perceived man as a seed reduced wholly in that small drop of sperm.  The idea remained as such until the 18th century when microscopes proved that sperm and ovum are both necessary for pregnancy.  This was  discovered so many centuries after it had been revealed by the Holy Qu/ran.  This shows that the Qu/ran is the word of a Will that knows the creation of man down to its slightest detail. This Will is Allah, the creator of man, Who says;

( وَقُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ سَيُرِيكُمْ آيَاتِهِ فَتَعْرِفُونَهَا) (النمل: 93)

“And say: ‘Praise be to A/lla.h, Who will soon show you His signs, so that ye shall know them’ " (27: 93) , and Who also says;

( سنريهم آياتنا في الآفاق و في أنفسهم حتى يتبين لهم أنه الحق ) ( فصلت 53)

“Soon will We show them our signs in the furthest horizons, and in their own souls, until it becomes manifest to them that this is the Truth” (41: 53). Verily says the Almighty Allah.





References

   



1- The Holy Qu/ra/n.

2- The Developing Human ( Prof. Keith Moor & Prof. T. Persaud)  Edition 6 – 1998
3- Clinical Anatomy . By Richard Snell ( 3ed edition) published in 1986 - Little, Brown
4- A Scientist's Interpretation of References to Embryology in the Quran (Prof. Keith Moor) Journal of the Islamic Medical Association, 1986: vol.18, Page 15-16
5- Human Development as Described in the Qur'an and Sunnah, By : Keith L. Moore ; E. Marshall Johnson ; T.V.N  Persaud, ; Gerald C. Goeringer ;
   Abdul-Majeed  Zindani, ; and Mustafa A Ahmed , 1992, ISBN 0-9627236-1-4.  Collection of papers that were originally presented  in the First International  
   Conference on Scientific Signs of the Qur'an and Sunnah, held in Islamabad, Pakistan, 1987.
6- Islamic Medicine On-Line ( Dr.Sharif Kaf Al-Ghazal)   http://www.islamicmedicine.org
7- Video presentations of :
  Professor Emeritus Keith Moore, Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology and the former Associate Dean of Basic Sciences at the Faculty of Medicine
     at the University of Toronto, Canada.  Clip 1   Clip 2   Clip 3
  Prof. E. Marshall Johnson,  Chairman of the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, and Director of the Daniel Baugh Institute,
     Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.   Clip 1   Clip 2
  Dr. G.C. Goeringer, Course Director and Associate Professor of Medical Embryology at the Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine,
     Georgetown University, Washington, D.C, USA.   Clip 1
  Dr. T.V.N. Persaud, Professor of Anatomy and Reproductive Sciences at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.   Clip 1



My finding is from just googling when does human life began in pregnancy in the Q/ura/n.

The stage of Labour




After the passing of 9 lunar months (38 weeks), the foetus completes growth in the uterus. It is time now to go out after the end of this specified period. Allah says;

(وَنُقِرُّ فِي الْأَرْحَامِ مَا نَشَاء إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى) ( الحج :5)

“And We cause whom We will to rest in the wombs for an appointed term ” (22:5). So the term is appointed and determined;

( فَجَعَلْنَاهُ فِي قَرَارٍ مَّكِينٍ . إِلَى قَدَرٍ مَّعْلُومٍ . فَقَدَرْنَا فَنِعْمَ الْقَادِرُونَ ) (المرسلات :21-23)

“The which (foetus) We placed in a place of rest, firmly fixed, for a period (of gestation), determined. For We do determine, for We are the best to determine (things). (77: 21-23)



Before elaborating the stages of labour, it is noteworthy to mention the Quranic reference to the benefits of dates for the woman in labour, in which the status of the Lady Mary (mother of prophet Issa "PBUH" is described in the following verses as ;

(فَأَجَاءَهَا الْمَخَاضُ إِلَى جِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِ قَالَتْ يَا لَيْتَنِي مِتُّ قَبْلَ هَذَا وَكُنْتُ نَسْيًا منسيّا . فَنَادَاهَا مِنْ تَحْتِهَا أَلَّا تَحْزَنِي قَدْ جَعَلَ رَبُّكِ تَحْتَكِ سَرِيًّا . وَهُزِّي إِلَيْكِ بِجِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِ تُسَاقِطْ عَلَيْكِ رُطَبًا جَنِيًّا . فَكُلِي وَاشْرَبِـي وَقَرِّي عَيْنًا ) (مريم 23-26)

“And the birth pains surprised her by the trunk of the palm tree: she said; ‘Ah! Would I had died before this! And become a thing forgotten.’ But (a voice) cried to her from beneath: ‘Grieve not! Your Lord has set below you a rivulet. Shake to you the palm-trunk , and there shall come falling upon you dates fresh and ripe. So eat , and drink, and be comforted …” (19: 23-26).
It has been scientifically proved that dates have several benefits. Of these benefits, for the woman in labour:

Dates are rich in fibers which help avoid constipation, as it is a natural laxative, and helps a smooth delivery.
Dates contain more than 70% glucose, which is easily absorbed and assimilated, thus ensuring the provision of necessary energy during labour.
Dates is also rich in minerals, particularly magnesium which is necessary for cells physiology, and potassium which is necessary for the muscles, and iron which is necessary to treat anemia.
Dates contain a substance that helps alert the muscles of uterus to contract and increase contraction during delivery (this substance resembles Oxytocin hormone excreted by pituitary glands). This is in addition to many other benefits ( no room to mention here) . Praise be to Allah, the High and the Able.


Labour, which ends with delivery, is comprised of 4 stages:

1- Stage of dilatation of cervix and contraction of uterus muscle. This stage takes about 7-12 hours (Figure 19) and occurs as a result of several factors: mechanic and hormonal. A set of hormones is excreted to help facilitate the stage of labour. Of these hormones are: Prostaglandin, Corticotropin Releasing Hormone, Adreno Cortico Tropin, Corticol, Oxytocin, Estrogin. .

2- Stage of delivering the foetus. This stage takes about 30-50 minutes, and starts after enough dilatation of cervix. As a result of consequent uterus contractions, foetus head starts to emerge first (Figure 20). It is striking that the diameter of foetus head may exceed 12 cm., i.e., normally triple the diameter of vaginal canal. Having considered this fact, and the role of self hormonal factors, in addition to the expansion of pelvis ligatures and muscles, that all facilitate the delivery of the foetus, we realize the wisdom underlying Allah’s saying;

(ثُمَّ السَّبِيلَ يَسَّرَهُ) (عبس: 20)
“Then He makes his path smooth for him.” (80: 20). So blessed be Allah, the Most Wise of all disposers.

3- Stage of placenta emergence and the formation of blood clot behind the placenta (Figure 19). This stage lasts about 15 minutes.

4- Stage of uterus contraction. This is to alleviate the bleeding after delivery process, and continues for about two hours.



After delivery, and cutting the umbilical cord (Figure 21), which the foetus has depended upon for acquiring food from his mother during pregnancy, the baby then starts another stage in a new station in his life.









Fig. 20 : Foetus head starts to emerge first











Fig. 21 : New born baby after cutting the umbilical cord






Fig. 19 : Stages of Labour
(press on photo for enlargement)

The stage of Nash’ah (developing) and viability



Scientific facts:


By the end of the 8th week, a new stage starts where important processes occur. The rate of developing accelerates compared with the previous one. The embryo transforms into another creature, as the sizes of head, body and limbs start to be balanced and regular between the 9th and 12th week. At the 10th week, external genital organs appear, and the skeleton develops structure from soft cartilaginous to hard calcic bones at the 12th week (Figure 16-a). Limbs and fingers are distinguished at the same week. The gender of the embryo is manifest with the clear appearance of Instruments.


The weight of the embryo increases noticeably. Voluntary and involuntary muscles develop, and voluntary movements start in this stage. In the 16th week (112 days) the foetus can grasp with his hands, kick, or even somersault (Figure 16-b).






(Fig. 16 -a) The 12th week ( around 84 days)
the embryonic shape appears with sizes of head, body and limbs
well formed, and fingers distinguished.
(Nash’ah ‘formation of another creature’ )


(Fig. 16 -b) The 16th week ( 112 days) : 13 cm tall embryo .
eyebrows, eyelashes and fine hair appear.
The foetus can grasp with his hands, kick, or even somersault.
here the unborn baby is sucking his thumb !




In this stage the organs and the systems become well prepared to function. The foetus is ready for life outside the womb starting from the 22nd week to the 26th week (i.e., after the completion of the 6th month of gestation), when the respiratory system is ready to function and the nervous system is able to adjust the temperature of foetus body.
The first sense to develop in a developing human embryo is hearing. The foetus can hear sounds after the 24th week. Subsequently, the sense of sight is developed and by the 28th week, the retina becomes sensitive to light.
In this stage, no new system or organs are formed, and the uterus provides food and suitable environment for the foetus to thrive until the stage of labour.



Reflections on Quranic verses :



This stage starts after the stage of clothing the bones with lahm (muscles and flesh), i.e., at the beginning of the 9th week, taking a period of almost 3 weeks. This is indicated with the use of conjunctive article (thumma) then, which denotes a time break between clothing with lahm and developing into another creature: He the Almighty says;

(فَكَسَوْنَا الْعِظَامَ لَحْمًا ثُمَّ أَنشَأْنَاهُ خَلْقًا آخَر فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ ) (المؤمنون: 14)

“And clothed the bones with flesh; then We developed out of it another creature. So blessed be Allah, the best to create ” (23: 14).

After the development of the cartilaginous skeleton, clothing it with muscles, and the head and the limbs are distinguished, the embryo changes into a human creature well differentiated from other creatures.

During this stage, some important processes occur in the development of the embryo, which are clearly described in the Holy Quran and can be summarized as follows:
1- Nash’ah (developing) which is clearly noticed in the accelerated rate of growth at the 9th week compared with the previous stages.
2- Khalqan Akhar (another creature): this description coincides with the first one and indicates that the embryo has changed in the nash’ah stage into another creature, i.e., the foetus. Limbs and external organs begin to appear, and fingers and external Instruments are distinguished. Allah the Almighty says;

( هوَ الَّذِي يُصَوِّرُكُمْ فِي الأَرْحَامِ كَيْفَ يَشَاء لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ) آل عمران 6

“He it is Who shapes you in the wombs as He pleases. There is no god but He, the Exalted in Might, the Wise.” (3:6)



Here is an exquisite remark. Allah says in Surat Al Zumar;

( يَخْلُقُكُمْ فِي بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ خَلْقًا مِن بَعْدِ خَلْقٍ فِي ظُلُمَاتٍ ثَلَاثٍ) (الزمر6 )

“He creates you in the wombs of your mothers in stages, one after another, in three veils of darkness.” (39:6), thus indicating the continuation of the embryonic development and the change from one stage into another, as explained earlier. Embryologists have confirmed that the foetus is surrounded, during the stages of development, with three membranes:

1- The amnion membrane which contains a fluid encompassing the foetus to make it in a state of swimming, thus protecting it from trauma that the uterus encounters, and facilitates the foetus movements for re-position smoothly during labour. (Figure 17)

2- The chorion membrane.

3- The decidua membrane.



Some scholars interpreted the three veils of darkness with the amniotic membrane surrounding the uterus, wall of uterus, and abdomen wall (Figure 18). Yet, Allah knows best.





Fig. 17 : Membranes
surrounding the foetus
(press on photo for enlargement)
Fig. 18 : Three layers
protect the foetus




As we have mentioned before, the foetus becomes ready for life outside the womb after completion of the 6th month. It is noticed that the Quranic statement indicates in Surat Ahqaf that the stage of conception and incubation takes 30 months;

( وَحَمْلُهُ وَفِصَالُهُ ثَلاثُونَ شَهْرًا ) (الأحقاف: 15)

“The bearing of him (the child) and the weaning of him is thirty months ” (46: 15),
whereas in Surat Luqman, it is indicated that the period of incubation is 24 months;

( وَفِصَالُهُ فِي عَامَيْنِ) (لقمان: 14)

“And in two years was his weaning.” (31: 14).
With a simple calculation, we deduce that the quranic statement decides that the least period of conception is 6 months as mentioned earlier, being a scientific fact, and before the 22nd week, in which this stage starts, the foetus is delivered abortus (not able to survive) in most cases. Praise be to Allah is the Omniscient.


It is very interesting to mention that the first sense to develop in a developing human embryo is hearing. The foetus can hear sounds after the 24th week. Subsequently, the sense of sight is developed and by the 28th week, the retina becomes sensitive to light. Consider the following three Quranic verses related to the development of the senses in the embryo



" وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَة " (السجدة 9)

َAnd HE gave You (the faculties of) hearing and sight and feeling (And understanding) - 32:9




" إِنَّا خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ أَمْشَاجٍ نَّبْتَلِيهِ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ سَمِيعًا بَصِيرًا " (الإنسان 2)

Verily We created man from a drop of a mingled fluid-drop (nutfa amshaj), in order to try him: so We gave him (the gifts), of hearing and sight - 76:2



" وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنْشَأَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ قَلِيلًا مَا تَشْكُرُونَ " (المؤمنون 78)

It is HE WHO has created For you (the faculties of) Hearing, sight, feeling And understanding: little thanks It is ye give! - 23:78



In all these three verses the sense of hearing is mentioned before the sense of sight. Thus the Quranic description matches with the discoveries in modern embryology that the sense of hearing is develops before the sense of sight

The stage of muscles (clothing with flesh)





This stage is characterized with muscles encircling and tightly surrounding the bones. With the completion of clothing the bones with lahm (muscles and flesh), the human image starts to be more clear, as human parts are appropriately connected. After completion of myogenesis (muscle formation), the embryo can start to move.

This stage, which starts at the end of the 7th week (Figure 14) and ends at the end of the 8th week (Figure 15), is considered as the end of the stage of takhaloq (formation). Embryologists termed the end of the 8th week as the end of the embryology stage followed by the foetus stage which coincides with the Nash’ah (developing) stage as Quran stated. Allah says;

( فَكَسَوْنَا الْعِظَامَ لَحْمًا ثُمَّ أَنشَأْنَاهُ خَلْقًا آخَرَ فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ) (المؤمنون: 14)

“And clothed the bones with flesh; then We developed out of it another creature. So blessed be Allah, the best to create.” (23: 14)




Fig. 14 : Day 48 Fig. 15 : Day 56



Until very recently, embryologists assumed that the bones and muscles in an embryo developed at the same time. For this reason, for a long time, some people claimed that these verses conflicted with science. Yet, advanced microscopic research conducted by virtue of new technological developments has revealed that the revelation of the Quran is word for word correct. These observations at the microscopic level showed that the development inside the mother's womb takes place in just the way it is described in the verses. First, the cartilage tissue of the embryo ossifies. Then muscular cells that are selected from amongst the tissue around the bones come together and wrap around the bones

The Stage of bones




Scientific facts:



During the 6th week, the cartilaginous skeleton starts to spread in the body (Figure 12). Yet, we do not see the human image features except at the beginning of the 7th week (Figure 13), where the shape of the embryo takes the look of the skeleton. Transformation from the mudgha form to the beginning of the skeleton form occurs in a very short period of time at the end of the 6th week and the beginning of the 7th week. This stage is characterized with the appearance of the skeleton which gives the embryo the human image.





Fig. 12 : Day 42
Fig. 13 : Day 44




Reflection on Quran and Sunnah :



The term of “izam” (bones), coined by Quran, accurately expresses this stage in the life of the embryo, which includes the external appearance and is considered the most important change in the internal structure, with its associated new relations among body organs and regularity of embryo shape. This stage is clearly distinguished from the preceding stage of mudgha (chewed-like lump of flesh). Allah says;

( فَخَلَقْنَا الْمُضْغَةَ عِظَامًا فَكَسَوْنَا الْعِظَامَ لَحْمًا ثُمَّ أَنشَأْنَاهُ خَلْقًا آخَرَ فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ) (المؤمنون: 14)

“then We made out of that mudgha (chewed-like lump of flesh) bones and clothed the bones with flesh; then We developed out of it another creature. So blessed be Allah, the best to create.” (23: 14) .
Bone formation is a notable process in this stage, as embryo is transformed from the image of mudgha which has no features of human image to the beginning of the skeleton image in a very short period of no more than few days at the end of the 6th week ; therefore, the quranic verse uses the Arabic conjunctive article (fa) instead of (thumma) to indicate quick sequence of events.
This skeleton gives the embryo the image of a human being after being clothed with lahm (muscles). The two eyes and the two lips then appear, and the head is differentiated from the trunk and the limbs. This is in accordance with the Prophet’s (PBUH) saying in "Sahih Muslim"; “When 42 nights have passed over the conception , Allah sends an angel to it, who shapes it (into human form) and makes its ears, eyes, skin, muscles and bones. Then he says; ` O Lord, is it male or female?`, and your Lord decides what He wishes and the angel records it.”
After 42 nights (6 weeks), the embryo begins to take the human image with the appearance of cartilaginous skeleton, then the external genitals begin to appear later on (the 10th week). In the 7th week (Figure 13) the human image gets clearer with the start of the spread of skeleton. This week represents (between 40 and 45 days) the demarcation line between mudgha and human image.

So, it is well proved that the Quran's words are very well contrived and scientifically accurate, as they are composed by Allah Who has perfected everything .




The stage of muscles (clothing with flesh)

Al Mudgha (chewed-like lump of flesh)


Scientific facts:





The embryo is transformed from the stage of alaqa to the beginning of the stage of mudgha on the 24th day to the 26th day, which is a very brief period if compared with the period of the nutfa changing to alaqa.



This stage starts with the appearance of somites on the 24th or 25th day on top of the embryonic scapula, and then gradually appear at the embryo’s buttock. On the 28th day the embryo is formed of several bulges, with grooves in between, thus giving the embryo the image of a chewed gum. The embryo turns and rolls in the cavity of the uterus during this stage which ends by the end of the 6th week.



It is noteworthy that the stage of mudgha starts with the growth and increase of cells in a large number. The mudgha looks like a piece of meat which has no distinguished structure, then after a few days, the second stage starts, called the stage of formation (takhaloq), where some organs begin to appear, such as the eyes, tongue and the lips , but human distinguishing features do not appear except at the end of the 8th week. Limbs bulges (hands and legs) also appear in this stage.

In the 5th week the heart starts beating and the embryo has already developed its placenta and amniotic sac.
The placenta is burrowing into the uterine wall to access oxygen and nutrients from the mother's bloodstream.











Figure (11) embryo (by microscopic and illustrative images) on the day 26.
Note the resemblance with the image of a chewed gum underneath.











Reflections on Quran and Sunnah :



Mudgha in Arabic means the material chewed by teeth. This gives an accurate description of the embryonic stage as the embryo shape looks like a chewed material which constantly changes, with the appearance of somites bulges. The differences in these somites look like the “teeth imprints” over bread bite. The embryo turns and rolls in the cavity of the uterus as a piece of chewed material in the mouth.

The stage of mudgha comes after the stage of alaqa. This coincides with the Holy verse:

(فَخَلَقْنَا الْعَلَقَةَ مُضْغَةً) (المؤمنون: 14)

“And of that clot We made a (foetus) lump.” (23: 14). Of the characteristics of mudgha is that it elongates and changes shape when chewed. This is exactly what occurs to the embryo in this stage. As we mentioned before, the mudgha has an early form before the creation and formation of organs and another form following the formation of organs. The Quranic verse states:

( يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِن كُنتُمْ فِي رَيْبٍ مِّنَ الْبَعْثِ فَإِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ ثُمَّ مِنْ عَلَقَةٍ ثُمَّ مِن مُّضْغَةٍ مُّخَلَّقَةٍ وَغَيْرِ مُخَلَّقَةٍ لِّنُبَيِّنَ لَكُمْ وَنُقِرُّ فِي الْأَرْحَامِ مَا نَشَاء إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى) ( الحج 5)

“O mankind! If ye have a doubt about the Recreation (consider) that We created you out of dust, then out of sperm, then out of a leech-like clot, then out of a chewed-like lump of flesh, formed and unformed, in order that We may manifest (Our power) to you; and We cause whom We will to rest in the wombs for an appointed term.” (22: 5) .
Thus, there are two types of mudgha: formed and unformed. The formed one is the embryo itself which starts forming into different organs with specific functions and the unformed one is the placenta which starts developing in the 5th week (around day 35) of the mudgha stage . And Allah knows best !


The mudgha stage ends at the 6th week (i.e. 40 days). Imam Muslim narrated in his “Sahih” on the authority of Abdullah Bin Masoud that he said; “Allah's prophet - Mohammad (PBUH) - the truthful and trustworthy, told us;
"The creation of each one of you is composed in the mother‘s womb in forty days, in that (creation) it turns into such a clot, then in that turns into such a mudgha and then Allah sends an angel and orders him to write four things, i.e., his provision, his age, and whether he will be of the wretched or the blessed (in the Hereafter). Then the soul is breathed into him. And by Allah, a person among you (or a man) may do deeds of the people of the Fire till there is only a cubit or an arm-breadth distance between him and the Fire, but then that writing (which Allah has ordered the angel to write) precedes, and he does the deeds of the people of Paradise and enters it; and a man may do the deeds of the people of Paradise till there is only a cubit or two between him and Paradise, and then that writing precedes and he does the deeds of the people of the Fire and enters it."



Who told the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) all these facts? Did he have anatomy and measurement tools, or microscopes to tell us the characteristics of an embryo no more than 1cm tall? It is He Allah (Who told him), the Only One, the Subduer.

Al Alaqa ( Leech-like clot)




Scientific facts:



The stage of Alaqa starts on the 15th day and ends on the 23rd or 24th day, after which the embryo is gradually developed and looks like a leech, which lives in ponds (Figure 4). Alaqa hangs to the lining of the uterus by the umbilical cord. Blood is then formed in the vessels at the shape of closed islands, and is not circulated in blood vessels, thus having the image of clotted blood.



Although it is in the nature of human body to expel any external matter, the uterus does not reject the alaqa implanted in its lining despite the fact that half of the alaqa components and genes are from an external source (the father). This is because the region of syncytial cells in alaqa have no antigens.




(Figure 4: Alaqa on the 23rd day)




It is noteworthy that the primitive streak is created at first on the day 14th or 15th, in which the primitive node appears (Figure 5). Out of this primitive streak, stem cells are composed, as well as the sources of the main tissues of Mesoderm, Ectoderm and Endoderm, which will form the different organs and tissues of the body as seen in (Figure 6) . At the end of the 3rd week, the primitive streak shrinks and the remnant stays in the sacrococcygeal region at the end of the spine, maintaining the remaining of stem cells in this region. This explains why some tumors in the coccygeal region which is called Teratoma (Figure 7) can contain different tissues (muscles, skin, cartilage, bones and teeth as well), contrary to the tumors that exist in different regions and take its toll on one definite tissue.









Figure 5: The primitive streak shrinks at the end of the 3rd week with its remaining that stays at the end of the spine
(press on photo for enlargement)
Figure 6: Stem cells form different body tissues
(press on photo for enlargement)

Figure 7 : Teratoma in the coccygeal region at the end of the spine
(press on photo for enlargement)






Reflections and comments on related Quranic verses and Sunnah:



Transformation process from nutfa to alaqa takes more than 10 days till the zygote clings to the primitive placenta by way of a connecting stalk which later becomes the umbilical cord. Therefore, the Quranic statement uses the conjunction article (thumma) in Arabic, indicating sequence of events with time delay and not using (fa) which also means "then" but indicates rapid progression without any delay. Quran states:

(ثُمَّ خَلَقْنَا النُّطْفَةَ عَلَقَةً) (سورة المؤمنون14)

“then of that fluid-drop (nutfa) We created a leech-like clot" (23:14) .


Alaqa, in Arabic, has several meanings:

1- A leech that lives in ponds and sucks the blood of other creatures.

2- A thing attached or clings to something else.

3- Clotted or coagulated blood.







Figure 8 : illustration of embryo (at top)
that looks like a leech (at bottom)
Figure 9: embryo clinging to the lining of
uterus through the umbilical cord.
Figure 10: closed blood vessels net causing
the embryo to look as a clotted blood.






All these meanings fit exactly with the reality of the human embryo after being implanted in the lining of uterus (endometrium), as the embryo looks like a leech, as shown in Figure 8, while clinging to the endometrium through the umbilical cord (Figure 9), blood vessels initiated in the form of closed islands giving it the image of a clotted blood (Figure 10).

A quick transformation then occurs from alaqa to mudgha within two days (day 24 to day 26). Therefore, the Quran describes this rapid change with the use of the conjunctive article (fa) (i.e., then) in Arabic, to indicate rapid progression of transformation :

(فَخَلَقْنَا الْعَلَقَةَ مُضْغَةً) (المؤمنون: 14)

“then We changed the Alaqa (leech-like clot) into a Mudgha (chewed-like lump) ” (23: 14).
So even the use of different conjunctive articles has miraculous indications, reflecting the difference in embryonic stages.


Thus, the stage of alaqa is the second stage of embryonic stages, and is mentioned in the Quran in several verses. He the Almighty says;


(أَلَمْ يَكُ نُطْفَةً مِنْ مَنِيٍّ يُمْنَى . ثُمَّ كَانَ عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقَ فَسَوَّى . فَجَعَلَ مِنْهُ الزَّوْجَيْنِ الذَّكَرَ وَالأُنثَى) (القيامة: 37-39)

“Was he not a drop of sperm emitted (in lowly form)? Then did he become a leech-like clot; then did (Allah) make and fashion (him) in due proportion. And of him He made two sexes, male and female.”(75: 37-39),

And in a surah called al-alaq, i.e., a leech-like clot, Allah says;

( خلق الإنسان من علق ) (العلق 2)

“ (We) Created man, out of a leech-like clot.” (96: 2).



Further to the point of primitive streak, it is the first to be created in embryo, and out of which, stem cells are composed, as well as the different organs and tissues; and at the end of the 3rd week, it shrinks, and its remaining stays in the sacrococcygeal region at the end of the spine, maintaining the remaining stem cells in this region. This explains and coincides with the speech of the Prophet (PBUH) which was narrated by Abu Huraira in Ahmad’s book “Al Musnad”:
“All of the son of Adam decays, and is eaten by dust except for the coccyx, of which man is created and in which man is re-built.”
So, cells which form the tissues and the organs of man are placed in coccyx and out of which man is re-created. Verily said the Prophet of Allah .

Here a very important question arises: why did the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) raise such a scientific issue at a time no one was aware of, and how had he acquired such knowledge if he was not bound up with inspiration and taught by the creator of heaven and earth? The answer is that Allah the Almighty knows with His encompassing knowledge that man will come to know one day the embryonic stages of development, and will know the role of the primitive streak, so He inspired prophet Mohammad (PBUH) to speak out such a fact to be a witness on the genuineness of his prophethood and message, that fits every time and age.

The Sperm




Scientific facts :



The sperms are formed in the testicles, which in turn are created, as proved by embryology, from cells underneath the kidneys at the back and then go down to the lower abdomen at the last weeks of pregnancy. Man’s fluid mainly contains the following components: the sperms which should be gushing, and motile to cause fertilization and Prostaglandin which causes contractions to the uterus, thus helping the transport of sperms into the place of fertilization. The man's fluid (semen) contains also sugar necessary for providing energy for the sperms, different fluids for neutralising the acids at the entrance of the uterus and creating a slippery environment for the easy movement of the sperms.


While hundred millions of these sperms (500 m.- 600 m.) enter through the vagina to the uterine cervix, only one sperm is able to fertilize the ovum (Fig. 2); crossing through a long distance to reach the place of fertilization in the Fallopian Uterine Tube which connects the ovary with the uterus. The distance is full of obstacles that can be compared with the distance man takes to reach the moon! After direct fertilization, a quick change occurs to the membrane of the ovum preventing the entrance of the rest of the sperms.



The sperm contains 23 chromosomes, of which one chromosome determines the sex of the embryo. The chromosome in the sperm is either (Y) or (X), while the chromosome in the ovum is always (X). When a sperm of the chromosome type (Y) mingles with an ovum of the chromosome (X), the formed zygote will be male (XY), whereas the embryo will be female (XX) if the sperm (X) mingles with an (X) ovum. So, the sex of the embryo is determined by the sperm (the male), rather than the ovum (the female).



After 5 hours of forming the zygote, which is the primary human cell containing 46 chromosomes, the dominant and recessive genetic characteristics can appear in the parent's sons or grandsons (the stage of genetic programming) . The zygote is then divided quickly (Fig. 3) without a change in size and move from the Fallopian Tube (connecting the ovary and the uterus) towards the uterus, where it is implanted as seeds are implanted in the soil.






(Fig. 2) Of hundreds of sperms, only one can fertilize the ovum.

(Fig. 3) The zygote divides within hours of the process of fertilization.
(a picture taken by the Microscope)




The Uterus is the place where the embryo grows and develops before emerging as a fully created and well formed child. The uterus is distinguished as a safe place to perform this function for the following reasons:



1- The location of the uterus in the woman’s pelvis, where it is protected with ligaments and fascia that hold the uterus from the sides and allow its mobility and growth to hundred times its size at full term pregnancy.

2- Muscles of pelvis and perineum fix the uterus in-situ.

3- The secretion of Progesterone (pregnancy hormone) helps stabilize the uterus and slows down the uterine contractions.

4- The embryo in uterus is surrounded with different membranes that produce amniotic fluid which the embryo swims in to protect the embryo from the effect of external traumas .



The process of fertilization and the travel of the zygote to the uterus continue for about 6 days, and the zygote keeps implanting ( known as blastocyst) and growing in the uterus wall for 15 days, when the Alaqa (thick clotted blood) stage begins.



Reflections and comments on related Quranic verses:



“Nutfa” in Arabic means “very little water” or “a drop of water”. This coincides with man’s water which contain sperms as part of its components. The sperm or (spermatozoon) is reproduced from the despised lowly water (nutfa) and looks like a long-tailed fish (this is one of the meanings of Sulalah). Allah the Almighty says;

( الَّذِي أَحْسَنَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ وَبَدَأَ خَلْقَ الْإِنسَانِ مِن طِينٍ . ثُمَّ جَعَلَ نَسْلَهُ مِن سُلَالَةٍ مِّن مَّاء مَّهِينٍ ) (السجدة :7-

“He It is Who created all things in the best way and began the creation of man from clay, and made his progeny from an extract of despised fluid (Sulalah) ” (32: 7-


The other meaning of Sulalah is "extract", means the essential or best part of something . By either implication, it means "part of a whole" indicating that the origin of creation is from only part of man's fluid and not all of it (which contains many components as shown above) .

Clarifying the role of the nutfa in creation, He the Almighty says;

( فَلْيَنظُرِ الْإِنسَانُ مِمَ خُلِقَ. خُلِقَ مِن مَّاء دَافِقٍ) (الطارق 5-6)

“So, let man consider of what he was created . He was created of gushing water ” (86: 5-6)
and also says;

( خَلَقَ الإِنسَانَ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ فَإِذَا هُوَ خَصِيمٌ مُّبِينٌ ) (النحل : 4)

“He has created man from a sperm (fluid-drop) and behold this same (man) becomes an open disputer.” (16: 4).

The Quran tells us also that the essence of man is not the whole semen, but only a small part of it. this is explained in the Quran :

( أَيَحْسَبُ الْإِنسَانُ أَن يُتْرَكَ سُدًى ، أَلَمْ يَكُ نُطْفَةً مِّن مَّنِيٍّ يُمْنَى ) القيامة 36-37

Does man think that he will be left uncontrolled (without purpose)? Was he not once a fluid-drop of ejected semen? . (75:36-37


As we have seen , the Quran informs us that man is made not from the entire semen, but only a small part of it. That the particular emphasis in this statement announces a fact only discovered by modern science is evidence that the statement is divine in origin. The divine statement also reiterates that man’s characteristics are determined and decreed in the nutfa stage, as He says

( قُتِلَ الْإِنسَانُ مَا أَكْفَرَهُ . مِنْ أَيِّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ . مِن نُّطْفَةٍ خَلَقَهُ فَقَدَّرَهُ ) ( عبس17-19)

“Woe to man! What has made him reject (Allah)? From what stuff has He created him? From a nutfa (fluid-drop) He has created him, and then moulds him in due proportions.” (80: 17-19).

And Allah says :

(إِنَّا خَلَقْنَا الإِنسَانَ مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ أَمْشَاجٍ نَبْتَلِيهِ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ سَمِيعًا بَصِيرًا ) (الإنسان:2)

“Verily We created man of a fluid-drop (nutfa), mingling (amshaj) , in order to try him: so We gave him (the gifts of) hearing and sight.” (76:2).
The mingled nutfa in this verse reveals the Quran miraculous nature. Nutfa, in Arabic, is a single small drop of water, but it was described here as (amshaj) , which means its structure consists of combined mixtures . This fits with the scientific finding, as the zygote is shaped as a drop, and is simultaneously a mixture of male fluid chromosomes and female ovum chromosomes.


Has anyone ever thought, before the Quran was revealed, that man’s nutfa, when ejected, is responsible for determining if the embryo will be male or female? Has this ever occurred to one’s mind? The Quran says;

( وَأَنَّهُ خَلَقَ الزَّوْجَيْنِ الذَّكَرَ وَالْأُنثَىِ . من نُّطْفَةٍ إِذَا تُمْنَى) ) النجم 45-46 )

“That He created the pairs, male and female, from a fluid-drop sperm as it is emitted.” (53: 45-46), confirming that man’s gender as male or female is determined when the sperm drop is emitted. Who told the Prophet Mohammed that the sperm (nutfa) with one of its types (Y) or (X) is responsible for determining the sex of the embryo? This was not discovered except after the invention of microscopes in the past century, when it was possible then to know that the embryo being a male or female is only determined by the sperm (nutfa), rather than the ovum. In other words, we were in the beginning of the 20th century and the whole of mankind were not aware that the nutfa decrees if the embryo is male or female. While the Quran, which was revealed 14 centuries ago, has stated this fact in a very clear manner.



Here is a remarkable note! We have mentioned earlier that the sperms are formed in the testicles, which in turn are created, as proved by embryology, from cells underneath the kidneys at the back and then go down to the lower abdomen at the last weeks of pregnancy. This is in confirmation of Allah’s saying :

( وإذ أخذ ربك من بني آدم من ظهورهم ذريتهم ) (الأعراف 172)

“And remember when your Lord brought forth from the children of Adam, from their loins, their seeds…” (7: 172).
This is a clear indication that the origin of progeny is at the region of the back where the embryonic testicles are formed. So, praise be to Allah the Omniscient.



The uterus, as mentioned before, is considered as a place settled (Makeen) and safe for the growth and protection of the embryo, according to reasons mentioned earlier. We find that Quran mentions and affirms this fact 14 centuries ago, as He Almighty says:

( فَجَعَلْنَاهُ فِي قَرَارٍ مَّكِينٍ . إِلَى قَدَرٍ مَّعْلُومٍ . فَقَدَرْنَا فَنِعْمَ الْقَادِرُونَ ) ( المرسلات :21-23)

”The which (embryo) We placed in a place of settlement, firmly fixed for a period (of gestation), determined. For We do determine, for We are the best to determine (things). (77: 21-23).

Embryology and Human Creation between Quran & Science

Dr. Sharif Kaf Al-Ghazal
August 2004

Acknowledgement : I would like to acknowledge the great help that Mr. M A H Madi * provided into the English translation of this article.

لقراءة المقالة باللغة العربية ، من فضلك اضغط هنا




Historical background
The Sperm
Al Alaqa (Leech-like clot)
Al Mudgha (chewed-like lump of flesh)
The Stage of bones
The stage of muscles
The stage of Nash’ah (developing) and viability
The stage of labour
Conclusion
References






Historical background



Since Aristotle had summed up the prevailing theories in his age relating to the creation of the embryo, controversy continued among the supporters of the theory of the full dwarf embryo existing in man’s sperm and those of the theory of the full dwarf embryo created out of the woman’s menstrual blood coagulation (thickening). Most of them believed that man was reduced into that sperm drop, and they drew a figure in which they imagined the embryo as a full creature in the sperm drop, which then grew up in the womb as a small tree. (Figure 1).




Figure 1 : The dwarf embryo as imagined by Leonardo da Vinci from the 15th century (on the left)
and the sperm as miniature human being by Hartsoeker from the 17th century (on the right)



None of both groups could realize that man’s sperm and woman’s ovum participate in the creation of the embryo, as supported by the Italian Scientist “Spallanzani” in the year of 1775. In 1783, Van Beneden was able to confirm this statement, and thus the idea of the dwarf embryo had been discarded. During the years 1888 and 1909 Boveri proved that chromosomes when divided carry the different genetic characteristics. Morgan, in 1912, was able to determine the role of genes, existing in certain parts of chromosomes, in hereditary.



Therefore, it is clear that mankind did not realize that the embryo is created of a man’s sperm mingled with a woman’s ovum except in the 18th century, and only to be confirmed at the beginning of the 20th century.



On the other hand, the Holy Quran and the Prophetic speeches have confirmed in a very accurate scientific manner the creation of man from a mingled fluid-drop (nutfa amshaj), as coined by the Quran, which says ;

( إِنَّا خَلَقْنَا الإِنسَانَ مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ أَمْشَاجٍ نَبْتَلِيهِ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ سَمِيعًا بَصِيرًا) (الإنسان:2)

“Verily We created man from a drop of a mingled fluid-drop (nutfa amshaj), in order to try him: so We gave him (the gifts), of hearing and sight.” (76:2).
It has been agreed upon by commentators of the Holy Qur/an that “amshaj” means mingling, as man’s water mingles with that of the woman, and this is also what the Prophet (peace be upon him) confirmed in one of his speeches. Imam Ahmed indicated in his book “Al Musnad” that a Jew passed by the Prophet Moha/mmed (PBUH) while he was addressing his companions. Some people from Quarish said; “O Jew! This man proclaims that he is a prophet.” The Jew said: “ I will ask him of something no one knows except a prophet.” He asked the prophet (PBUH); “ O Moha/mmed! What is man created from? The Prophet (PBUH) said; “O Jew! Man is created from both: man’s fluid (nutfa) and woman’s fluid.” The Jew said; “This is said by those prophets before you.” .



In the next few pages, the embryological developments as indicated in the Qur/anic verses will be discussed, while shedding light on the fixed scientific facts in each stage of development.

@Huxley and company: Lesson from the Great Trial of Sacrifice:

One of the things that the Hujjaj (the pilgrims to the house of God for Hajj) do on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah, and so do many Mu/sli/ms all over the world is to:

Slaughter a lamb, or a sheep, or a goat or a camel in remembrance of this great sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim (AS).

This act is not mere a ritual but it has a meaning and a significance. Al/lah (SWT) has not commanded us to sacrifice animals because He (SWT) is bloodthirsty or meat hungry.

In Suratul Hajj, verses 36 and 37, He (SWT) has made it clear:

"Thus we have disposed them (animals) for your benefit so that you may give thanks." (22:36)

Then He (SWT) adds:

"It is not their flesh or their blood that reaches All/a/h. Rather it is your piety that reaches Him. Thus has He disposed them for your benefit so that you may magnify Al/la/h for His guiding you. And give good news to the virtuous." (22:37)

So what is the significance of offering sacrifice of animals on this day of Eid Al-Adha?

The answer to this question is simple.

A/lla/h (SWT) wants to train us to follow the path of Prophet Ibrahim (AS) who was willing to offer A/ll/ah (SWT) his dearest possession in form of his son Prophet Ismail (AS).

Al/l/ah (SWT) did not want Prophet Ismail (AS) to be sacrificed, but A/ll/a/h (SWT) wanted Prophet Ibrahim (AS) to show his willingness to (do away with worldly things and therefore acquire a greater relationship which is rewarding with his Lord) sacrifice Prophet Ismail (AS), which he (AS) did bravely.

Dr. Ali Shari'ati in his book, 'Philosophy of Hajj' writes and I quote:

"This is a story of man's perfection and his freedom from selfishness and animalistic desires. It is man's ascension to a higher spirit and loves, to a strong will that frees him from any thing that may hinder his responsibility as a conscious man."

In other words, A/l/la/h (SWT) is telling us:

On this day of Eid Al-Adha, you should select your Ismail and bring him to Mina! Who is your Ismail? Anything that is causing an obstruction for you to reach your Lord and fulfill your duties towards Him. Your Ismail could be:

Your wealth
Your job
Your rank
Your power
Your lust
Your greed
Your spouse
Your children

It could be anything and make sure that it is as dear to you as Prophet Ismail (AS) was to Prophet Ibrahim (AS).

As you are sacrificing an animal on this day, bear in mind that you are infact, sacrificing that dearest thing in your life and telling A/l/l/ah (SWT):

"O My Lord! Henceforth, this thing, which has been dearest to me in life, will not hinder me from reaching You and acquiring Your pleasure."

Imam Zainul Abideen (AS), talking about the significance of each and every ritual that is performed during Hajj, asked Shibli:

"As you slaughtered your sacrificial animal (during Hajj), did you intend to cut off the throat of greed (that is hidden in you) by clinging to the reality of Taqwa and to follow the exemplary tradition of Prophet Ibrahim (AS) who intended to slaughter his dear son Prophet Ismail (so as to discharge the command of Al/la/h)?"

Shibli said, "No!"

"In that case" said the Imam Zainul Abideen (AS) "You have not sacrificed your animal."

Similarly, whilst giving instructions to the Hujjaj (the pilgrims to the house of God for Hajj) Imam Jafar Sadiq (AS) said to them: "Cut the throat of carnal desires and greed by offering animal sacrifice."

We pray to A/l/la/h (SWT) on this great day of Eid Al-Adha to grant us with tawfeeq to follow in the path of Prophet Ibrahim (AS) and forgive all our past and future sins.

Source: http://www.almahdi.org.uk

But the understanding is different in Is/l/am. God is all knowing. And God commands total submission to Him. In the sacrifice commandment on Ibrahim about his son Ismail, God knew the end before it began. But the test was to kill all worldly attachment that may be represented by this only son, Ismail to Ibrahim, a man in his old age.

By obedience to God in the attempted sacrifice, Ibrahim saw for himself the power of his Lord to ransome with goodness his obedience. He did not know that before, since he did not know the future. His son was preserved alive and the birth of Isiaq was revealed to him, including the birth of a grand child Yaqub, coming from Isaiq.

Ibrahim faith in God the Almighty must have increased manifolds, without a measure of it.

@Kola Oloye:

In Mark chapter 10
13 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.

14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me,
and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

And even in the time of Jesus, the "no one comes to the father, " bit and " unless be born again, " bit did not work. It did not not apply to a section of the people; the children. There washed away your everyone must come through Jesus. If any of these children died, which was not unusual then and we see that children die now, the dead child would not have been born, and would not have believed in Jesus and would not need to go through Jesus to make Paradise. Sorry, you don't have paradise, you only have kingdom of heaven, aka heaven.