Quranic Embryology

IN BRIEF: THE 7 STAGE PROCESS OF THE ORIGIN OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT 

ALLAH says:
"Indeed, WE have created man from (1) sperm seed (Sulalah) from the essence of the soil (thin), then, WE made the essence (2) semen (Nutfah) in a solid place (womb), then, WE make semen (3) a blood clot ('alaqah), a blood clot that WE made (4) a piece of meat (Mudhghah), a piece of meat that WE made (5) bones (' Izhama) Then We wrapped the bones with (6) meat again (Lahma), and We made him (7) a creature of another form (Khalqan Akhar), then Glory be to Allah the Most Good Creator (His creation)" [QS. Al-Mu'minun :12-14]

The explanation:
The process of origin of human being, in terms of physical events, has 7 stages.

1. starting from the seed of sperm (Sulalah) which still stands alone in the sulbi bone,
2. from the essence it is made into semen (Nutfah) which is mixed with 'his soul mate', then stored in a strong uterus,
3. then the semen becomes a lump blood ('Alaqah) which is thick and hard,
4. the lump of blood becomes a lump of flesh (Mudhghah) which is hard and tough,
5. then the lump of flesh becomes bones ('Izhama) that is, behind the meat appear bones as a framework that will support the viscera,
6. from the bones comes flesh again (Lahma) that is, behind the bones comes the viscera flesh, as well as the brain so that it wrapped in a skeleton,
7. after being physically complete, it becomes a creature of another form (Khalqan Akhar) that makes it now different from its origin which is only sperm.

The realm of "Khalqan Akhar", also called the realm of "Shahadah" that is the realm where the fetus -- the pre-born baby -- declares its primordial "testimony" when the LORD asks, "Alastu bi Rabbikum; am I not your Rabb?" then the fetus replied, "Bala, Shahidna; Yes, YOU are indeed our RABB, I testify it is the truth."

Al-Quran anda hadits teach that each process of human development takes 40 days. So, the 7 stages process times 40 days equals to 280 days, and when we divide the 280 days by 30 days (average total days in a month), then the total length of the whole process takes 9 months and 10 days. Pretty much the accurate

Now let's examine the process of human events from a spiritual point of view. ALLAH says: "LAQAD KHALAQNA FAWQAKUM SAB'A THARA'IQ... indeed, WE have created above you 7 Paths..." ... and the so-called 7 Paths, in the study of Sufism, are better known as "The Seven Dignities"

In short, they are:

1. Dignity of Ahadiyah, namely 'nature' when ALLAH was alone with Himself, there is no Attribute and Name of ALLAH, it's still "clouds" only,
2. Dignity of Wahdah, namely 'nature' when ALLAH begins to show His Supreme Attribute to Himself, because HE wants to be known by Him,
3. Dignity of Wahidiyah, amely 'nature' when ALLAH reveals His Most Good Name (Asma'ul-Husna) to Himself, to describe HIS knowledge Alone, * Here, there is a kind of transitional stage, between the 3 Dignities above which are Qadim (Earlier) and the following Dignities which are Muhdats (New),
4. Dignity of Spirits, 'nature' when ALLAH started creation by saying: "KUN. .. Be!" ... and, the first to appear is "Nur Muhammad", then there is a process of elements of spirits and angels, as well as fine particles such as the mist of the universe,
5. Dignity of Mitsal, 'nature' when ALLAH develops His creation, by making jinn and creatures spirits of the same kind, also collect every particle in the compression of the stars and planets that surround it,
6. Dignity of Ajsam, the 'nature' when ALLAH completes His creation, and begins to make life like animals and plants, be it land, water, or air,
7. Dignity of Insan Kamil, 'nature' when Allah fulfills His creation, namely making humans (Insan) the best creatures (ahsani taqwim) to represent Him (caliph) on earth (fil-ardh) in the context of worshiping Him.

 

With 7 stages In this creation, ALLAH warns humans with His words: "SANURIHIM AYATINA FIL-AFAQ WA FI ANFUSIHIM, QAD TABAYYANA LAHUMUL-HAQ... WE have shown them our verses (signs) on the horizon and on the horizon. within themselves, it is evident that it is True (Haq)..." ... and, Allah warned again and again: "AFALA TA'QILUN... are you not understanding...?" "AFALA TAFQURUN... don't you think...?" etc... 

The Messenger of Allah said: "MAN 'ARAFA NAFSAHU FAQAD 'ARAFA RABBAHU... whoever knows Himself, surely he knows his Lord..." 

This hadith has a weak chain (dha'if), but the scholars Imam Al-Ghazali's caliber often quoted him based on the closeness of the hadith to the taste (zauq) in the Qur'an. In essence, this hadith suggests -- if not called affirming -- that: "know Yourself...!" "Know your 'True' Self...!" Have you known: "who are you the real One...?" ...and have you known: "who is your RABB...?" ... know the Self, by first getting to know the initial process of Self creation, starting from just a drop of sperm (Sulalah), through 7 stages, to becoming another form of being (Khalqan Akhar)... starting from Dignity Ahadiyah, going through 7 stages, until you become the Dignity of Insan Kamil... If you already know that, know that -- if you come to this world through 7 stages -- then your return to the afterlife will also go through 7 stages. What stage is it? That's the stages of 1) the grave, 2) the barzah realm, 3) the qiyamah realm, 4) the mahsyar realm, 5) the mizan/shirah realm, 6) the heaven/hell realm, and 7) the nature merges with the 'Face' of ALLAH... (: Wallahu a'lam bish-shawab...)