It is almost impossible for any human creation to say.

A verse from Surah At-Tariq that carries an exceptional scientific hint at the mystery of human creation. In verses 5 to 7 of Surah At-Tariq, Allah says: “Let man consider what he is created from. He is created from a flowing water, which comes forth from between the back and the front.” The key words used in Arabic are “ماءٍ دافقٍ” (flowing water) and “الصُّّْبِ وَالتََّائِبِ” (from between the loins and the sternum). A scientific analysis of this verse takes us to an astonishing level of human reproductive biology that is almost impossible for any human writing from 1400 years ago.

First, let us see that “he is created from a flowing water”—this phrase is the basic basis of the human reproductive process. This spurted water basically refers to the semen or sperm-carrying fluid of a man, which enters the female body during intercourse and initiates the creation of a child. The Arabic word "دافق" (dafiq) comes from a verb root that means "to come out forcefully," "to be ejected," or "to flow out." This wording is so precise that it perfectly matches the modern medical concept of sperm ejaculation.

The next sentence has a deeper scientific meaning—"that which comes out from the back and the middle of the back." Here, 'back' refers to the lower part of the waist, and 'middle of the back' refers to the region of the breastbone or sternum. At first glance, it may seem that since sperm originates in the testicles, why is it said that this water comes out from the middle of the waist and the chest?

To find the answer to this question, we need to take the help of modern biology. Human biology teaches that sperm are actually produced in the testicles, but their journey begins much higher up—during fetal development. When a male child is formed in the fetal stage, his testicles are primarily formed near the kidneys, i.e. at the back of the spine, which is between the abdomen and chest. Later, before birth, the testicles slowly descend into the scrotum. But the sperm produced from that original source is carried by a complex system of tubes—the vas deferens, which starts from the testicles and travels deep into the body before joining the urethra.

Moreover, semen is produced not only from the testicles, but from three sources: sperm from the testicles, fluid from the seminal vesicles that protects the sperm, and another fluid from the prostate gland that maintains the pH level of the environment. The location of all these glands is between the breastbone and the waist, i.e. below the spine and deep in the lower abdomen. This compound fluid (semen) comes out from the middle of these two regions, called ‘sulb’ and ‘tara’ib in the language of the Quran.

Also, when semen is released, it flows in a very clear and specific path, which creates a kind of pressure and pushes it out. That is why the Quran has identified this biological process very precisely as ‘spurting water’. Modern biology says that during ejaculation or the release of semen, muscular contractions occur which create “rhythmic pulses”, and it is this step-by-step pressure that pushes the semen out.

Another aspect of this verse of the Quran is its linguistic precision. The Quran never says that a child is born when the sperm enters the woman’s uterus. Rather, it says, ‘he was created from this water’—that is, it is a part of the creation, not the entire process. Today, we know that a human being is born only when that one sperm meets and fertilizes the female egg, and from there a zygote is formed, which divides and is implanted in the womb. In this whole process, the role of the man is limited to donating only one cell. Maintaining this limitation, the Quran has emphasized only the source and has described the female aspect in another verse.

Again, this verse brings to our consciousness a profound question—a tiny drop of liquid, which is the carrier of billions of sperm, hides the existence of a human being! This imagination is as much a wonder of science as it is spiritual. The Quran here calls upon man to look at his own origin—he is being made aware of his real limitations, his smallness, and the vastness of the Creator's creative power.

This verse also draws us towards a philosophical realization. When man considers himself omnipotent or invincible, he is reminded—you were created from a drop of water that came out. This point was so small, it could not even be seen with the eye. Yet from that point, nerves, bones, consciousness, feelings, love—everything was created. Therefore, this verse not only opens the door to biology, but also invites us to the path of introspection. At the end of this discussion, we realize that this verse is a three-fold instruction: it is scientific, introspective, and faith-based. Scientifically, it explains the complex process of our human origin. Introspectively, it makes us aware of our roots. And from the point of view of faith, it proves that the source of the Quran is not a human mind—but rather a projection of a complete stream of knowledge from the omniscient Creator.