“They will say: ‘Our Lord! You have made us die twice, and given us life twice, so we acknowledge our sins. Is there, then, any way to get out?” (al-Mu’min 11)

The verse refers to dying twice. This entails that one has to be alive before each death. Before fertilization, both sperm and ovum are alive, and with fertilization, they complete their functions and die. The duty of the sperm and ovum are to add 23 chromosomes each to make 46. In the zygote phase (nutfah in the Qur’anic description), the sperm and ovum die, only to acquire a new nature [1].

Of approximately 400 million sperms, each having 23 chromosomes, only one can enter one ovum, having the same number of chromosomes. Thus, the lover meets the beloved, but their fusion results in both of their deaths: as the sperm enters the ovum, the process by which two cells die starts. The membrane at the head of the sperm disintegrates upon collision with the ovum, and the sperm uses an enzyme that is secreted upon this collision to pierce through the membrane of the ovum and enter inside. During this short-lived “welcome” ceremony held for only one cell, all border crossings are closed with an electrical activity inside the ovum. There is no room for another lover in the heart of the beloved as it has found its lover.

Multiple pregnancies occur either when several ova are fertilized by a sperm each (dizygotic multiple pregnancies) or when the fertilized ovum or zygote splits into two at an early stage (enzygotic multiple pregnancies).

In the process of this first death, the tail and membrane of the sperm disintegrate. 23 chromosomes, which the sperm is required to deliver to the ovum, are located at its head, which is 4,000th of a millimeter wide. When these chromosomes fuse with the other 23 chromosomes at the center of the ovum, i.e., when the mission is accomplished, the process of death commences.

Sperm cells are produced in a male’s testes, and their journey begins there; they travel a long way to meet the ovum of the mother. The distance an average size sperm travels is proportionately equivalent to almost 2.4 million km for a human with an average height, which means traversing the world’s 40,000-km circumference 60 times. A sperm has a length of 25-350 micrometers [2].

In this voyage, the sperm attains a speed of 40 km per hour. If we compare it with the running speed of a human being, this is like a person running at a speed of 600,000 km per hour—i.e., approximately 500 times the speed of sound [3].

Although some 400,000 ova are produced, only 400 of them are delivered to the womb via tubes from the ovaries.

This voyage culminates in the formation of a zygote. As such, both the sperm and the ovum have performed their duties, i.e., bringing together 23 chromosomes from each, before dying. Meanwhile, some 400 million sperms competing with each other to reach the ovum first secrete certain enzymes to help the winner of the race. In a sense, they die a sacrificial death.

This process, starting with the formation of a zygote, is described in the Qur’an as follows:

“We created humankind (in the very beginning) from a specially sifted extract of clay. Then We made it into a fertilized ovum in a safe lodging. Then We created of the fertilized ovum a clot clinging (to the womb wall), and (afterwards in sequence). We created of the clinging clot a (chew of) lump, and We created of (a chew of) lump bones, and We clothed the bones in flesh. Then We caused it to grow into another creation. So Blessed and Supreme is God, the Creator Who creates everything in the best and most appropriate form, and has the ultimate rank of creativity” (al-Mu’minun, 23:12-14).

We can say that human beings are created in the womb in seven phases:

1. sifted extract of clay (organic and inorganic elements, protein soup)
2. zygote (nutfah)
3. clot
4. chew of lump
5. creation of bones
6. clothing bones with flesh
7. causing it to grow into another creation (blowing of the soul).

Death is not the end; on the contrary, it is the beginning of a new life. The first death, mentioned in the verse, is the death of sperm and ovum after fusing with each other and their clinging as a “clot” to the inner layer of the womb, which can be considered a grave where they can start a new life. This first death is a means for being born to this world. The death at the end of the life in this world is the “second death,” referenced in the verse, and as a result of this death, one will be resurrected for a second time in the eternal world. God knows best.

In Sura an-Najm, there is another subtle coincidence related to human being’s being born twice and dying twice: “And He it is Who (by His Will, Power, and creation) enables to laugh and to weep. And He it is Who causes to die and gives life” (an-Najm, 53:43-44).

In the 43rd verse, laughing is mentioned before weeping, while in the 44th verse, death comes before life; in other words, laughing is linked to death while weeping is associated with life. When the sperm and the ovum, in a sense, die when it clings as a clot to the womb, this sends a signal to the mother, telling her that her pregnancy has started. The embryo being buried in the grave of the womb is the first death. This news brings happiness to the parents, making them laugh. Nine months later, the child is born, crying.

The sperm and the ovum perform the function of bringing together the sound chromosomes. When they fuse, they die a sacrificial death in order to be resurrected. Just as sound chromosomes brought by the sperm and the ovum are means for the birth of a sound body, the righteous deeds we brought to the Hereafter may be means for us to earn God’s mercy and right to enter the Paradise. Our duty is to be diligent about faith and righteous deeds, safeguard them carefully, and take them safely to the eternal abode. The road is a long and arduous one, with many predicaments, but the destination is very beautiful and worth everything. In all of these processes, God knows every lodging and disposition.

“No living creature is there moving on the earth but its provision depends on God, and He knows its every lodging and disposition (every stage of its life), and the duration of its stay, and the moment of its transition therefrom. All is in a Manifest Book” (Hud, 11: 6). [4]

Ziya Pasha:

“I glorify God, Whose art amazes the minds
and incapacitates the elites of science, art, and virtue.”

Footnotes

1. Nutfah is the water-like liquid reproductive substance. In the Holy Qur’an, nutfah means the single cell that results from the fertilization of the ovum with a sperm. In embryology, this cell is called a “zygote.” In the late 18th century, it was understood that human beings are created from zygotes. Yet, the Qur’an clearly states this fact in this and many other verses. (See Suat Yıldırım, Kur’an-ı Hakim’in Açıklamalı Meali̇ (Annotated Translation of the Holy Qur’an), Istanbul: Define Yayınları, 2007, p. 348).
2. R. Baker and M. Bellis, “Number of Sperm in Human Ejaculates Varies in Accordance with Sperm Competition Theory”, Sperm Competition in Humans, Ed. T. K. Shackelford and N. Pound, Boston: Springer, 2006, pp. 131–134.
3. NASA’s Parker Solar Probe reached a velocity of 532.000 km per hour.
4. Elmalılı Hamdi Yazır, Hak Dini Kuran Dili, Istanbul: Eser Neşriyat ve Dağıtım, 1979, Vol. 4, p. 2757.

Different tasks are assigned to the egg and sperm. In recent years researchers have focused on the type of mechanisms that are utilized by a single sperm, which is in a race with millions of others to reach and enter the egg to fertilize it. Fertilization is not an event that happens by itself. It occurs depending on the interactions of sperm and egg in a very systematic way. It has been studied intensely how the molecules on the surfaces of the egg and sperm behave so selectively like orchestra conductors during fertilization. They fit together like a matching lock and key.

The proteins on the outer membrane of the egg

Mammalian sperm cells resemble a chubby arrow with a long tail. However, egg cells are found in different shapes and sizes. Millions of sperm in mammals compete with each other to be the first to reach the egg through the reproductive canal. The human egg is kept in a jelly like covering and a strong, protective membrane (or coat) called the Zona pellucida lies underneath this covering. It wraps the outer perimeter of the cell. Glycoproteins (ZP1, ZP2, ZP3, and ZP4) that function as the locks in the key-lock model are located at this protective layer. Sialyl-LewisX is a special type of tetrasaccharide carbohydrate (sugar) that binds to the proteins and lipids on this membrane. This carbohydrate is assigned with the task of making the egg’s surface sticky and this helps with the facilitation of sperm attachment to the outer receptors of the egg. In 2011, it was proved that this sugar molecule plays a critical role during fertilization.

Only a few of the sperm among the millions that joined the contest can make it to this layer. A lower sperm count as well as a sperm’s failure to cross this barrier can play a role in unsuccessful unions with the egg.

During the union of sperm and egg, the sperm becomes very active and its outer proteins are rearranged, thus getting recognized by the proteins of the outer layer of the egg (Zona pellucida). The ZP3 glycoprotein, working like a terminal gate, assists with the entry of the mammalian sperm into the egg. There is no chance for a sperm to cross the membrane once it has failed to bind to this receptor. The chemical changes initiated inside the sperm when bound to this protein trigger the secretion of acrosomal enzymes. Upon the release of enzymes, the Zona pellucida is broken down and the entry of sperm is permitted.

There are two distinct sections, called the ZP3-N and the ZP3-C, of the ZP3 molecule which is composed of 424 amino acids. The ZP3-N section of the ZP3 protein is conserved strictly as it is in the outer membranes of eggs of all animals, from fish to amphibians, birds, and mammalians. This suggests of a critical function for this protein. New birth control pills can be developed if small molecules that can attach to the ZP3 binding regions of the sperm can be discovered.

The second receptor required for the fertilization of the egg is the glycoprotein called ZP2. Certain sections of the ZP2 are responsible for sperm recognition and enabling the union. During experiments with mice, eggs were found to secrete an enzyme called ovastacin right after fertilization, destroying the binding protein (ZP2) which works outside the egg like a lock, thus disabling the egg’s ability to take up another sperm. Without this enzyme, sperms will continue to bind to the egg, even after divisions, leading to multiple fertilizations and eventually killing the embryo.

The process of fertilization is wondrous, a perfect meeting of time and circumstance. New research is revealing just how refined reproduction systems really are as they are found in nature.

How does an egg find the right sperm?

After an investigation regarding 1,880 protein encoding genes and proteins involved in reproduction, regions prone to mutation have been discovered on these genes. Mutations are found to occur frequently in ZP2 and ZP3 proteins that are directly involved with the egg and sperm interaction, along with proteins required for acrosomal reactions. There are various hypotheses being developed to unveil the causes behind the rapid mutation rate of proteins taking part in the reproduction system. These speculations range from gender dependent selection, to the development of traits by males that will be more attractive to females, and the avoidance of diseases. Reproduction is not collaboration; it is a race between millions of sperm, and only one can fertilize the egg.

At the molecular level, sperms try to accelerate this process and complete it as soon as possible, whereas the egg tries to slow it down. Therefore the needs of egg and sperm differ during fertilization: sperms fight to reach the egg and be selected, whereas the task of the egg is to be selective. The egg needs time to pick the most suitable sperm. After this selection, it must ensure the entry for the selected sperm and block access for the rest of them. Therefore, one way to achieve this successfully is via small mutations that lead to selective surface variations occurring in the structures of receptor proteins in charge of sperm recognition located on the egg membrane.

There are interesting results obtained with experiments performed on the eggs of Strongylocentrotus franciscanus, the red sea urchin. Sea urchins free their eggs into open sea for fertilization. The wisdom behind this is to ensure the fertilization of different eggs by different males. Being released into open water gives the eggs many options and puts pressure on the sperms. Variations are observed in the egg recognition proteins (Bindin) of each sperm; these proteins work like a key on the outer surface to attach, punch, and cross the egg membrane. Sea urchin eggs are also equipped with molecular blocking mechanisms to prevent the simultaneous entry of two sperms. Sperms thus go through mutations regarding egg recognition proteins and new keys are developed. The mutations occurring in the genes that encode the proteins, both on the egg and sperm membranes, result in slightly different matches that do not fully conform to one another. This situation causes a delay in the entry process. This meaningful delay is to grant the egg the necessary time to close the molecular gates to block access to a second or third sperm.

The studies carried out over sea urchin populations confirmed that such events take place in nature. The mutations are accelerated in genes that encode egg-recognition proteins and variants of such proteins are produced on the surface of sperms that exist in waters with high population density. In parallel to this, mutations also take place on receptor proteins of sea urchin eggs; these act like a lock. Studies confirmed that there are sperms that both lock perfectly and just shy of perfectly with these eggs. In cases of lower sperm density, it has been revealed that conforming and easily matching variants of the egg-recognition proteins of sperms are synthesized to facilitate fertilization. And in cases of higher sperm counts, a different form of receptor protein is found to be synthesized. This adaptation is interpreted as cautionary, as it prevents the entry of multiple regular-form sperms into the egg. In other words, a mutation regarding the sperm binding receptors can develop in females, thus establishing a prevention system against fertilization. Therefore, the role of the egg in reproduction is too critical to neglect.

These findings contain significant messages for human reproductive science. For instance, these new models can explain the role of the egg in certain infertility situations. It is possible that numerous variations have developed over time for human egg and sperm proteins. Mismatches in the key-lock system (protein-protein binding) may increase with these variations, and this would inhibit fertilization. This can eventually result in a failure to reproduce. Consequently, the know-how of the egg-sperm recognition systems awaits researchers as a new field of research. The most interesting development of this research is that eggs and sperms that are far away from each other still develop key and lock mechanisms, as if they are equipped with high level intelligence, willpower, and knowledge.

In summary, fertilization depends on suitable alterations and the necessary overlap of these changes in both sperms and eggs. It does not mean that all nonconforming matches are resulting from low quality eggs. In some cases, one reason for the mismatch is due to the defense mechanism of the egg against fertilization by male members of different species.that the egg is preventing itself from a bad match. The fact that the egg is equipped with a protective system at the molecular level simply shows that nothing is left to chance in nature.

Further reading

Gaidos, Susan. 2012. “As Told by the Egg: The story of fertilization from the female point of view.” Science News Prime. December 10, 2012. www.sciencenews.org

Harming our bodies or health is a betrayal against this incredible gift. One of the major ways people harm the body is through smoking cigarettes.

Smoking harms human health in countless ways. It is one of the main causes of many diseases, such as lung and throat cancer, along with cardiovascular and respiratory track diseases, such as chronic bronchitis. According to the latest report from the World Health Organization, smoking remains the fourth of the top ten risks that threaten human health. Approximately 20-30% of adult fatalities are caused by ailments contributed to by smoking. Recent studies have shown the negative effects smoking has on human reproductive functions.

Effects on fallopian tubes

Smoking has a negative impact on female reproductive organs; this impact is determined by how long, and how much, a woman smokes. It may cause infertility by damaging the fallopian tubes that serve as a ground for the egg to be fertilized by sperm. In many studies, the risk of damage to the fallopian tubes was very high – this danger increases if a woman starts smoking a pack a day before the age of 18.

Effects on female hormones

Many toxic substances in cigarette smoke, including nicotine, directly inhibits the activity of the enzyme called aromatase, which plays a major role in the synthesis of the female hormone (estrogen) in the ovaries. Depending on the biological function, estrogen can be found in three different forms: as estrone, estriol and estradiol. Polyaromatic hydrocarbons found in cigarette smoke stimulate the microsomal cytochrome P-450 enzyme system that degrades hormones in the liver and, consequentially, increases conversion of estradiol with high biologic activity into estriol with the lowest activity. Alkaloids, one of the harmful substances found in cigarette smoke, were discovered to prevent production of progesterone in the ovaries. This plays a role in preparing the womb and in continuation of the pregnancy during the first three months. Therefore, smoking leads to progesterone deficiency during the early stages of pregnancy, causing miscarriages.

Effects on the maturation of the egg

The concentrations of the FSH hormone that is involved in the maturation of reproductive cells in the ovaries are especially high in young female smokers. In other words, a resistance develops against the FSH hormone in the ovaries and higher FSH hormone levels are required for the maturation of the egg. Thus, fertilization problems and missed periods can occur because of an absent reproductive cell. During the treatment of such patients with insufficient egg cell maturation, there is a 50% decrease in the success of the implantation (placement of the fertilized egg into the womb) and the continuation of the pregnancy in smokers when compared to nonsmokers. This means smoking significantly reduces ovarian functions, and ovarian stimulation becomes inadequate at earlier ages in women.

The negative effects of smoking on the reproductive system are also observed during the implementation of reproduction methods such as in vitro fertilization and assisted fertility technologies. The presence of high androgenic hormone levels (pre-metabolites of gender related hormones: androstenedione, DHEAS and testosterone/SHBG) in female smokers has been found to decrease the possibility of pregnancy during in vitro fertilization efforts.

Effects during pregnancy

There are many harmful consequences of smoking during pregnancy, especially for older women who are pregnant. Some of these consequences are premature birth, miscarriage, retardation of development, inadequate baby weight, perinatal mortality, ectopic pregnancy, placental praevia, and placental abruption. Placental praevia is the abnormal placement of placenta in the womb. In this case, depending on the excessive bleeding that occurs after the eighth month of gestation, the lives of the mother and fetus become imperiled, and fetal development is hindered. Placental abruption occurs depending on the premature separation of placenta from the womb, causing excessive bleeding that can also endanger the lives of the mother and baby.

In pregnant smokers, the postnatal ratio of infant mortality and disability increases as a consequence of deficiencies involving lung function and nerve development. These effects are directly proportional to how much a woman smokes. There are also negative impacts when a pregnant woman is exposed to second hand smoke by a spouse or close friend. Harmful metabolites of nicotine reach the baby via the placenta. Furthermore, nicotine is degraded slowly in the liver of a pregnant woman. Inadequate baby weight is related to smoking dosage and time.

Due to smoking in the early stages of pregnancy, the hormone levels of estriol, estradiol, progesterone and hCG, hPL which is secreted from the placenta, have been found to decrease. This reduction, which is observed in parallel with the amount of smoking, can result in miscarriages.

Toxic polyaromatic hydrocarbons have been found to accumulate at elevated ratios in the wombs of women who were exposed to cigarette smoke for a long time. During pregnancy, this situation leads to the deterioration of sertoli cells located in the reproductive glands of male fetuses. These glands assist in sperm production during adulthood, and damage to them can therefore cause a reduction in sperm generation.

An insufficient placental development occurs because of the negative effects of nicotine, cadmiums, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons damage the reproduction of trophoblast cells that make up the placenta. This situation explains the increasing miscarriage ratios among female smokers.

The free T4/TSH ratio in the serum of the umbilical cord, which connects the fetus to the placenta, increases in the babies of smokers compared to those of nonsmokers. This means that in babies of smokers, the thyroid glands may become overactive during birth. Depending on a mother’s smoking habits, this hyperactivity of the fetal thyroid increases the metabolic speed and the amount of consumed oxygen in the body, thus leading to the inadequate development of fetus.

Menopause occurs two-to-four years earlier due in women who smoke, as compared to non-smokers. This is due to the aging of the eggs. The risk of entering menopause before the age of 45 in women who quit smoking at least ten years prior is 87% less than smokers who don’t quit. Therefore, the earlier a woman stops smoking, the lower the risk of early menopause.

Effects of smoking on men

In research studies, it has been discovered that smoking has many harmful effects on testicular development and functions. These effects can be summarized as follows:

• Reduction of semen volume and quality, increase in its adhesiveness, delay in its becoming liquid, and resulting deformation of the sperm.

• Reduction in the number and mobility of sperm cells.

• Delayed sperm nucleus maturation, deteriorated DNA integrity.

• Decrease in the production of testosterone from Leyding cells.

• Decrease in the egg fertilization capacity of the sperm.

As a consequence of these negative effects, male infertility can occur. As the amount of daily cigarette consumption increases, the number, strength, and types of anomalies also increase. In a study conducted in 2010, smoking has been showed to decrease zinc levels in the seminal plasma. As a result of this decrease, oxidative agents populate and DNA breaks take place, thus causing a disruption of sperm functions and infertility. Zinc deficiency at the same time leads to the destruction of seminiferous tubule cells where sperm cells are produced. Paternal smoking generates negative results during the application of assisted fertility methods (such as in vitro fertilization). The damage in the sperm DNA of the father can disrupt the embryo development. The risk of anomalies, cancer, and genetic diseases increases for the fetus.

Cigarette smoking clearly occupies a position as one of the worst enemies of mankind because of its destructive effects on the body. In this case, it does not make any sense to try finding excuses for smoking, for it is harmful to the body that has been loaned to us as a gift and a temporary property.

Cihanoglu is a professor of medicine in KATU, Trabzon, Turkey.

Most Christian faith groups teach that Jesus was conceived by his mother Mary while she was still a virgin. This is believed to have been accomplished without an act of sexual intercourse. This doctrine is usually called the “virgin birth,” although the term “virgin conception” would be much more accurate. Biblical references commonly cited about the virgin birth are Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:23. Various polls have found that about 80% of American adults believe in the virgin birth of Jesus. This exceeds the total number of American adults who identify themselves as Christian or Muslim. The Qur’an, the direct words of God, dictated by an angel to Prophet Muhammad, has two main references to Mary’s virginal status at the conception of Jesus: 19:16 to 22 contains a birth narrative, while 21:91 confirms her virginity. Almost 100% of Muslim adults in the world believe in the virgin birth of Jesus.

The question that frequently comes up in the minds of many is the same: How did Mary conceive? There have been different ways of explaining this. For some people, the natural phenomenon of parthenogenesis provides such an explanation. Some animal species can reproduce from an unfertilized oocyte, in a process called parthenogenesis. Although this phenomenon is quite common in plants and insects, it does not appear in any creature above the level of the amphibians. No verified case of parthenogenesis has occurred in humans, and it is considered impossible for species as complex as the higher apes or humans³ An additional complexity would be that Jesus would have been female after the parthenogenetic division of an XX oocyte, since he would have lacked the Y chromosome normally contributed by a human father. Parthenogenesis is not, therefore, a logical explanation to account for the virgin birth of Jesus.

The birth of Jesus without a biological father, in fact, should be viewed as a supernatural event-a miracle, to be more accurate. It would be useful to define here what we mean by miracle. Although a miracle is a supernatural phenomenon, there is a minimal natural cause for the miracle, which is then caused to happen by God, as appropriate. Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, touched a small portion of food with his blessed hands; and this food became sufficient for an entire army. Likewise, he poured water from a flask onto his hands, and the water was made enough to satisfy hundreds of people. Even though God Almighty assigns a duty to natural causes-even if the influence of the natural cause is not more than 1-3%-we should accept that in miracles it may not always be possible to have a materialistic interpretation for everything. By definition, miracles are extraordinary events that God Almighty grants to His messengers to prove their prophethood and strengthen the believers’ faith. To insist on their essential rationality is to deny their existence as miracles, and hence an objection to the revelation at some level. The universe operates according to God’s fixed laws, which allow us to discover the divine laws of nature and make scientific progress. However, God has determined these laws and therefore He is not bound by them. He may sometimes annul a law or change the ordinary flow of events to allow a Prophet to perform what we call a miracle⁴

Bediuzzaman Said Nursi comments on the miracles in his magnum opus, The Words, as follows:

By relating the prophets’ spiritual and moral perfections, the Qur’an encourages people to benefit from them. By presenting their miracles, the Qur’an urges people to achieve something similar through science. It may even be said that, like spiritual and moral attainments, material attainments and wonders were first given to humanity as gifts through prophetic miracles. . . . [Miracles] comprise numerous indications of guidance. By relating these miracles, the Qur’an shows the ultimate goal of scientific and technological developments, and specifies their final aims, toward which it urges humanity⁵

So what else can we learn from the miraculous virgin birth of Jesus? Does it indicate any specific scientific discovery? In this respect, we may refer to at least one other explanation by which a virgin conception could have been occurred, turning again to the Qur’an for an answer, as there is no contradiction between the Qur’an, the Word of God, and laws of nature, which have been designed by God. In verse 3:37 “… her Lord accepted her with gracious favor and enabled to her a good growth” the word nabat is used to describe Mary’s growth, literally meaning “plant” in Arabic. Alongside the miracle of Mary’s sustenance, could this verse be encouraging us to study the plant world to observe how plants reproduce?

Many flowering plants can reproduce by self-fertilization because a single flower produces both eggs and sperm cells. Flowers contain two sets of structures that are important for fertilization. The first is an organ that contains pollen grains, each of which contains two male sperm cells. The second is an organ that contains one or more ovaries, each of which contains egg cells (oocytes) (Fig.1). At fertilization, the pollen delivers two sperm cells to the ovary, where one sperm cell fuses with the egg cell, and the fertilized egg grows to form an embryo⁶ A question naturally arises at this point. Could a human being have two different reproductive cell types (both oocyte and sperm) at the same time? The simple answer is “yes.”

In some persons, both ovarian and testicular tissues are present, either in the same or in opposite gonads⁷ About 13% of these persons are derived from more than one zygote and are known as chimeras (chi 46,XX/46,XY)⁸ Cases with normal male and normal female phenotypes have been ascertained as an incidental finding⁹ Chimeras are the result of the fusion of two zygotes to form a single embryo and they contain cells from two separate zygotes in a single organism¹⁰ The fusion of two zygotes may occur soon after fertilization, producing an individual with genetically different kinds of tissue. If the fused zygotes are of different sexes, then the individual develops both ovarian and testicular tissues¹¹ The majority of these people are best reared as females and many pregnancies with living offspring have been reported in persons reared as females;¹² in contrast, only one person has apparently fathered a child¹³ The wisdom of the Qur’an is no doubt beyond the current level of scientific development and the human mind, and what we may deduce from verse 3:37 and scientific research, in fact, is little more than mere speculation. We certainly do not mean to suggest that Mary was a hermaphrodite; the Qur’an clearly states that she was a woman (5:75). Rather, it may be possible that she could have been a woman who had been derived from the fusion of two different embryos; i.e. a chimera.

The statement in the Qur’an (3:37) may demonstrate that Mary could have been a chimera of XX/XY type, and she might have been created by the fusion of two embryos to become one. Of course, God Almighty knows best. And whatever our limited explanation may be, it is clear that Mary co-operated in the formation of Jesus’ body just as every other mother co-operates in the formation of the body of her child. In the end, whether one looks to science or not for an understanding of the deeper mysteries of life, there is consensus among the great majority of Christians and Muslims that Jesus came to earth by means of a virgin birth. And the virgin birth of Jesus was a miracle.

Notes

1. Moore KL, Persaud TVN, The Developing Human, Clinically Oriented Embryology, 7th ed. Saunders, Philadelphia, 2003, p. 16.
2. ibid.
3. ibid.
4. M.Fethullah Gulen, The Essentials of the Islamic Faith, The Light, Inc., NJ:2005, pp. 193-4.
5. Said Nursi, The Words, The Twentieth Word, The Light, Inc. NJ: 2005, p. 267.
6. Alberts B, Johnson A, Lewis J, Raff M, Roberts K, Walter P. Molecular Biology of the Cell, ed Gibbs S. 4th ed. New York: Taylor & Francis Group; 2002, pp. 1243-1246.
7. Behrman RE, Kliegman RM, Jenson HB. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics 17th ed. Saunders, Philadelphia, 2004, p. 1945.
8. ibid.
9. Tanaka Y, Fujiwara K, Yamauchi H, Mikami Y, Kohno I. Pregnancy in a woman with a Y chromosome after removal of an ovarian dysgerminoma. Gynecol Oncol. 2000; 79: 519-521.
10. Strachan T, Read AP. Human Molecular Genetics. 3rd ed. New York: Taylor & Francis Group; 2004, p. 110.
11. ibid.
12. Haqq CM, Donahoe PK. Regulation of sexual dimorphism in mammals. Physiol Rev. 1998; 78: 1-33.
13. Krob G, Braun A, Kuhnle U. True hermaphroditism: geographical distribution, clinical findings, chromosomes and gonadal histology. Eur J Pediatr. 1994; 153: 2-10.