Humans
(see also “Human Chromosomes and Fertilization” under the same heading on this website.)
The reference in the Quran to the development of the human embryo is in verse 13 and the first part of verse 14, Chapter 23 (The Believers): “Then We made him a drop of semen in a secure dwelling place (13). Then of the drop We created a clinging mass, then of the clinging mass We created an embryonic lump, then of the embryonic lump We created bones and We clothed the bones with flesh; then We brought him into being as another creation…(14).”
ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَـٰهُ نُطْفَةً فِى قَرَارٍ مَّكِينٍ (13). ثُمَّ خَلَقْنَا ٱلنُّطْفَةَ عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقْنَا ٱلْعَلَقَةَ مُضْغَةً فَخَلَقْنَا ٱلْمُضْغَةَ عِظَـٰمًا فَكَسَوْنَا ٱلْعِظَـٰمَ لَحْمًا ثُمَّ أَنشَأْنَـٰهُ خَلْقًا ءَاخَرَ. (14).
This passage in Chapter 23 consists of 23 Arabic words and uses 23 letters of the Arabic alphabet of 28 letters. Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes in a normal somatic cell.
Great Apes
Verse 65, Chapter 2 states: “And you have indeed known those among you who transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath, and so We said to them, ‘Be you apes, outcast.’”
وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱعْتَدَوْا۟ مِنكُمْ فِى ٱلسَّبْتِ فَقُلْنَا لَهُمْ كُونُوا۟ قِرَدَةً خَـٰسِـِٔينَ.
The number of Arabic letters, from the beginning of the verse up to and including the word “apes”, is 48, the same as the number of chromosomes of the great apes. These belong to the Hominidae family of primates that include four living species: chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans.
Verse 60, Chapter 5 states: “…apes and swine, and who worship false deities, such are in a worse situation, and further astray from the right way.”
… ٱلْقِرَدَةَ وَٱلْخَنَازِيرَ وَعَبَدَ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتَ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ شَرٌّ مَّكَانًا وَأَضَلُّ عَن سَوَآءِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ.
The number of Arabic letters following the word “apes” till the end of the verse is 48.
Elephants
The only mention of the word “elephant” is in Verse 1, Chapter 105, entitled “The Elephant”, Al-Fīl ٱلْفِيلِ, which states: “Hast thou not seen how thy Lord dealt with the masters of the elephant? أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصْحَـٰبِ ٱلْفِيلِ. This is in reference to the military campaign involving elephants that was led by Abrahah, an Abyssinian general who ruled Yemen and who wanted to destroy the Kaʿbah in the year 570 CE, the year the Prophet Muhammad was born.
The word “elephant” in Arabic consists of five letters, whose sequence numbers from the beginning of the verse (20, 21, 22, 23, and 24) sum to 110, whose prime-counting function π(110) = 29, where the prime-counting function, π(x), is the function counting the number of prime numbers less than or equal to some real number x. The primary function of the chapter number is π(105) = 27 (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_first_1000_prime_numbers).The sum of values of these two primary-counting functions is 29 + 27 = 56, the number of elephant chromosomes.
Camel
The word “camel” occurs in the singular in the Quran only in Verse 40, Chapter 7: “Truly those who deny Our signs and wax arrogant against them, the gates of Heaven shall not be opened for them, nor shall they enter the Garden till the camel pass through the eye of the needle…”
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا وَٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ عَنْهَا لَا تُفَتَّحُ لَهُمْ أَبْوَٰبُ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَلَا يَدْخُلُونَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ حَتَّىٰ يَلِجَ ٱلْجَمَلُ فِى سَمِّ ٱلْخِيَاطِ…
The number of Arabic letters in this verse up and including the word “camel” is 74, the same as the number of camel chromosomes.
Horses
Verse 60, Chapter 8, states: “And prepare for them what you can of strength [of arms] and horses tethered [for battle], …” وَأَعِدُّوا۟ لَهُم مَّا ٱسْتَطَعْتُم مِّن قُوَّةٍ وَمِن رِّبَاطِ ٱلْخَيْلِ….
The number of Arabic letters in this verse up to the letter khāʼ, that is, the first letter of “horses” الخيل, following the definite article ال, (the), is 32, the same number as horse chromosome pairs.
Donkey
Verse 5, Chapter 62, states: “The parable of those [who were] made to bear the Torah, then did not bear it, is that of a donkey bearing books…”
مَثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ حُمِّلُوا۟ ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَحْمِلُوهَا كَمَثَلِ ٱلْحِمَارِ يَحْمِلُ أَسْفَارًۢا…
The number of Arabic letters in this verse, following the word “donkey” till the end of the verse, is 62, the same as the number of donkey chromosomes.
Swine
Verse 60, Chapter 5 states: “…apes and swine, and who worship false deities, such are in a worse situation, and further astray from the right way.”
… ٱلْقِرَدَةَ وَٱلْخَنَازِيرَ وَعَبَدَ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتَ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ شَرٌّ مَّكَانًا وَأَضَلُّ عَن سَوَآءِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ.
The number of Arabic letters following the word “swine” till the end of the verse is 38, the same as the number of pig (swine) chromosomes.
Dog
Verse 22, Chapter 18 states: “They say, ‘[They were] three, and the fourthwas their dog.’ And they say, ‘Five, and the sixth was their dog…’”
سَيَقُولُونَ ثَلَـٰثَةٌ رَّابِعُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ وَيَقُولُونَ خَمْسَةٌ سَادِسُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ…
The number of Arabic letters in this verse up to the second mention of te word “dog” is 39, the same number as horse chromosome pairs.
Bees
The only mention of bees in the Quran is in verse 68, Chapter 16 (The Bees): “And thy Lord revealed unto the bee, ‘Take up dwellings among the mountains and the trees and among that which they build’” وَأَوْحَىٰ رَبُّكَ إِلَى ٱلنَّحْلِ أَنِ ٱتَّخِذِى مِنَ ٱلْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًا وَمِنَ ٱلشَّجَرِ وَمِمَّا يَعْرِشُونَ.
In Arabic, the verse consists of 16 words, counting the conjunctive waw as a separate word, and uses 16 letters of the Arabic alphabet. The first part of the verse up to and including the word bees consists of a total of 16 letters. The number of verses in Chapter 16 is 128, a multiple of 16, and the number of words is 2080, a multiple of 16. The number of words from the beginning of the chapter until the word bees is encountered is 992, a multiple of 16, and the number of words including the word bees and till the end of the chapter is 1088, a multiple of 16 (68×16), where 68 is the verse number where bees are mentioned. Female bees (workers) have 16 pairs of chromosomes, whereas male bees (drones) have 16 unpaired chromosomes.
These facts were unknown to the Prophet Muhammad or to any mortal before the 7th century CE, when the Quran was revealed. So how can the Quran be of other than Divine origin?
