Back to search
The question

Is not Allah's saying: "Then We made the chewed lump into bones" considered an error, given that the chewed lump does not entirely turn into bones, and how do you explain the argument of those who say that the translation added the word "from," which is not present in the original text?

Share this answer

Source: FtawySummarized from the full answer at Ftawy · imported Sep 2, 20261 min readAlso available in العربية
The answer

The Holy Quran was revealed by Allah, the All-Knowing, who knows everything. It mentions the stages of human creation: from an extract of clay, then a drop of fluid (nutfah) that settles in the womb, then the nutfah transforms into a clinging clot (alaqah), then the alaqah into a chewed lump of flesh (mudghah), then the mudghah into bones, then the bones are clothed with flesh, then a new creation is brought forth by the blowing of the soul. The letter "fa" (ف) in the verse indicates succession, but according to each context. Here, it denotes a delay, and it can also mean "then." The Holy Quran was revealed in the Arabic language, which may use a general term to refer to a specific part. So, "mudghah" here refers to the part that solidifies to become bones. There is no harm for the translator to add "min" (من - from) for clarification, because translation is an interpretation of the meaning, not a Quranic text itself.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · imported

Read the full answer on Ftawy
Where this answer came from
Source platform
Ftawy
Original fatwa ID
5792
Imported
Translation status
Source text, unreviewed
Read the full ruling
Read the full answer on Ftawy