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Gender and the child resembling his parents

Question

Are there Hadeeths related to genetics?
If so, will you please explain them?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

Allaah The Almighty supported His Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, , the Seal of the Messengers, with obvious and astonishing miracles. These have been mentioned in the Quran to meet the purpose for which it was revealed. This purpose is absolutely clear in the verse that reads (what means): {This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allaah.} [Quran 2:2]

The Quran is a Book of guidance and miraculous signs. The Quran is beyond eloquence and cannot be imitated. Nevertheless, it is neither a book on medicine although it includes points which amaze physicians, nor a book on astronomy, although it includes points which astonish astronomers. The Quran is all this and more because it is the Words of Allaah, The Lord of the worlds, who created everything and determined it precisely. Allaah The Almighty has encompassing knowledge of every single atom and cell.

The Sunnah is of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, whose words and deeds were based on revelation.

A case in point is the Hadeeth narrated by Anas  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him that ‘Abd Allaah ibn Salaam  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him asked the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, three questions which could not be answered except by a prophet:

What is the first sign of the final Hour?

What is the first food which the people of Paradise will eat?

Why does a child resemble his father or mother?

The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, told him that Jibreel (Gabriel)  may  Allaah  exalt  his  mention had informed him about those matters. ‘Abd Allaah  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him then told the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, that Jibreel  may  Allaah  exalt  his  mention was the enemy of the Jews. Answering the questions, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, told ‘Abd Allaah  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him that the first sign of the Final Hour would be a fire which would drive people from the East to the West; and the first food which the people of Paradise would consume would be the appendix of a whale’s liver; and the reason behind a child’s resemblance to one of his parents is that if the man had ejaculated first during intercourse, the child would resemble his father while if the wife ejaculated first, the child would look like his mother. Immediately, ‘Abd Allaah  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him testified that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was indeed the messenger of Allaah. [Al-Bukhari]

Ibn ‘Abbaas  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him narrated that a group of the Jews came to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, who pleaded with them appealing to their certainty that Allaah The Almighty was the only God, who revealed the Torah to Moosaa (Moses)  may  Allaah  exalt  his  mention. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, asked them whether they knew that the ejaculation fluid of men was white and thick and that the ejaculation fluid of women was yellow and runny. He further inquired if they knew that if a woman’s ejaculation fluid immersed in the man’s, the child would be male, and if the man's immersed in the woman's, the child would be female. The Jews answered in the affirmative. [Ahmad: Al-Musnad]

In Saheeh Muslim, there is a similar narration to this. It is narrated on the authority of Thawbaan  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him quoting the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.

The essence of the above Hadeeths is that the precedence of ejaculation determines the resemblance of the child to the parent, and that ejaculation immersion determines gender. This has been scientifically established. Moreover, the sperm determines the sex of the child while the woman has no role in this process, she is just like the land which produces what has been implanted in it. Allaah The Almighty Says what means: {Your wives are a place of sowing of seed for you.} [Quran 2:223]

Ibn ‘Umar  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him and his father, narrated that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would often say the following supplication before leaving any gathering:

Allaahumma, iqsim lanaa min khashyatika ma yahoolu baynanaa wa bayna ma‘ysiyatic; wamin taa‘atika ma tuballighunaa bihi jannatakk; wamina alyaqeeni ma tuhawwinu bihi ‘alaynaa masaa’iba addunyaa. Wa matti‘na, Allaahumma, bi’asmaa‘inaa, wa absaarinaa, wa quwwaatinaa, ma ahyaytanaa, waj’alu alwaaritha minnaa. Waj‘al tha’ranaa ‘alaa man thalamanaa; wansurnaa ‘alaa man ‘aadaanaa. Walaa taj’al museebatanaa fee deeninaa; walaa taj‘al addunyaa akbara hamminaa walaa mablagha ‘ilminaa. walaa tusallit ‘alaynaa man laayarhamunaa.

This means:

O Allaah, endow us with the fear that will prevent us from committing sins; guide us to Your obedience which will admit us into Paradise; grace us with certainty with which You will alleviate our misfortunes. O Allaah, let us enjoy the soundness of our hearing, sight and strength for as long as we live. O Allaah, enable us retaliate against those who wronged us; give us victory over our enemies. O Allaah, make not our affliction to be in our religion, make the worldly life neither the center of our concern nor the end of our knowledge. O Allaah, make us inaccessible to those who are merciless to us. [At-Tirmithi]

A part of this Hadeeth indicates the inheritance of qualities and senses such as hearing, sight and power. This is according to Ibn Hajar may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him quoting the author of Al-Lam‘aat. This issue has been established by empirical science. For further information, please browse websites about scientific wonders, especially those presenting researches of Shaykh ‘Abd Al-Majeed Az-Zindaani, may Allaah preserve him.

Allaah Knows best.

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