Defending Islam

Child Resemblance is Not Based on DNA?

Did Prophet Muhammad Say Child Resemblance Isn’t Based on DNA?

Introduction

Have you ever wondered why children resemble their parents? Today, most of us immediately think about DNA and genetics. Amazingly, over 1400 years ago, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) addressed this very issue in a profound and insightful way. At a time when no one had even imagined the concept of DNA, he described exactly how parental traits determine a child's resemblance—a remarkable insight aligning perfectly with modern genetics.

In this article, we’ll uncover what Prophet Muhammad really said about child resemblance, clear up common misconceptions about his words, and demonstrate how both classical and contemporary scholars have explained these prophetic teachings. Most importantly, we’ll discover how his teachings were not only accurate but miraculously ahead of his time, reinforcing the harmony between faith and scientific discovery.

The Hadith About Child Resemblance

One well-known hadith, narrated by the Companion Anas ibn Malik, describes a conversation where the Prophet Muhammad explains why a child sometimes resembles the father and other times the mother. In Sahih al-Bukhari, it’s recorded that a Jewish man (identified as Abdullah bin Salam) asked the Prophet a series of questions to test his prophethood. One question was: “Why does a child resemble its father, or why does it resemble its maternal uncle (the mother’s side)?” The Prophet replied:

“As for the resemblance of the child to its parents: If a man has sexual intercourse with his wife and gets discharge first, the child will resemble the father. If the woman discharges first, the child will resemble her.”

Upon hearing this answer, Abdullah bin Salam immediately recognized it as truth and declared his belief in the Prophet. In another version of the hadith, the Prophet phrased it slightly differently: he mentioned that the man’s “water” (fluid) is thick and white and the woman’s “water” is thin and yellow, and “the resemblance comes from the one whose genes prevail or dominate.” (Sahih Muslim 311). This version highlights the idea of one parent’s contribution “dominating” the traits of the child.

These hadith narrations might sound a bit strange at first – talking about who “discharges” first – but they carry an important meaning. The Prophet was describing the conception process in terms people of the 7th century could observe (the release of fluids from the parents). His answer essentially said: whichever parent’s contribution prevails, the child will resemble that parent. To understand this properly, we need to clarify what “discharges first” really means in the original Arabic context.

Understanding “Whichever Parent’s Discharge Comes First”

At first glance, one might think the hadith is saying “whoever orgasms first, the baby looks like that parent.” This has led to confusion and the misconception that Islam teaches a purely timing-based mechanism for resemblance. However, the key Arabic words the Prophet used carry the meaning of prevailing or dominating – not just coming out first in time. In one narration, the phrase is “فَمَن أَيِّهِمَا عَلا أَو سَبَقَ يَكُونُ مِنْهُ الشَّبَهُ”, which translates to “whichever of them dominates or prevails or precedes, the resemblance will be from that one.” The word “ʿalā (عَلا)” literally means to rise above or overcome, and “sabaqa (سَبَقَ)” means to precede.

Classical scholars explained that “the one whose fluid is uppermost or dominant” is the one the child will resemble . Imam Al-Nawawi in his commentary on Sahih Muslim notes that “dominance” here can mean either actual precedence or greater strength/quantity . In other words, if one parent’s fluid overpowers the other in characteristics, that parent’s features will appear in the child. The hadith is not simply about who climaxes first chronologically, but about whose genetic influence “wins out” in determining the child’s looks. This interpretation is supported by modern translations – for instance, one translator of Sahih Muslim explicitly rendered it as the one “whose genes prevail or dominate” (Sahih Muslim 311).

So, the phrase “discharges first” is a simplified way of saying “whichever parent’s contribution dominates in the creation of the baby.” The Prophet conveyed it in terms his listeners could relate to (since they could notice whose fluid released first during intimacy), but the underlying concept is about dominance in contribution. This is remarkably close to how genetics works, even though people at that time had no concept of genes or DNA. To see the alignment, let’s look at modern genetic science on how traits are passed from parents to child.

Resemblance and Modern Genetics: Dominant Genes and Zygote Formation

Today we know that a child’s physical traits are determined by the combination of genetic material (DNA) from both the father and the mother. When conception occurs, a zygote is formed by the union of the father’s sperm and the mother’s egg. Each of these carries 23 chromosomes that contain thousands of genes. Genes come in pairs, one from each parent, and for many traits one gene can be dominant over the other.

Think of genes as “instructions” for traits like eye color, hair type, face shape, etc. A dominant gene will mask the effect of a recessive gene. For example, if the father contributes a dominant gene for brown eyes and the mother contributes a recessive gene for blue eyes, the child will have brown eyes (thus resembling the father in that trait). In simple terms, the father’s trait “prevailed.” On the other hand, if the mother contributes a dominant gene that the father doesn’t have, the child may resemble the mother more in that aspect. Every person is a mix of their parents’ genes, but particular features show up depending on which genes are stronger or ‘come out on top.’ This is exactly what the Prophet’s statement implies: whichever parent’s input prevails yields the resemblance.

It’s fascinating to note that the moment the sperm and egg unite (when the “two waters meet”), all the genetic information is set in the zygote. From that point, it’s already determined which traits will dominate. Modern science confirms that both the mother and father make crucial contributions. We even use the term “dominant gene” – a striking parallel to the hadith’s wording about one fluid dominating. In fact, the hadith’s description “the resemblance comes from the one whose genes prevail or dominate” could be a layman’s way to describe dominant and recessive genetic traits in today’s terms.

Of course, Prophet Muhammad didn’t use the word “DNA” – that concept didn’t exist back then. But by saying the child’s resemblance is decided by whose “water” prevails, he was essentially describing what we call genetic dominance. He also acknowledged that both the man and the woman have a “water” (fluid) that contributes to the child. This in itself was far ahead of common knowledge in the 7th century. At that time, many people thought only the man’s seed mattered in forming a baby, while the woman was just a vessel. Yet the Prophet explicitly spoke of a woman’s fluid playing a role in resemblance, which corresponds to the mother’s genetic contribution through the egg. The Quran, likewise, alludes to both parents’ role, as we’ll see next.

Quranic Verses Hinting at Mixed Parental Contributions

The Quran, revealed in the same era, doesn’t use modern scientific terms but contains verses that align with the idea of both male and female contributions in creation. For example, the Quran states: “Verily We created man from a drop of mixed fluid in order to test him” (Surah Al-Insan 76:2). The Arabic term used is “nutfah amshaaj,” meaning a mixed drop . Early Muslim commentators explained this as the mingling of the man’s and woman’s fluids – essentially what we understand today as the mixing of sperm and egg to form a new life.

Other verses emphasize that both genders come from this process by Allah’s will. Surah An-Najm mentions that God “creates the two mates – the male and the female – from a sperm-drop when it is emitted.” Here the Quran points out that whether a baby is male or female originates from an emitted drop (the semen). We now know it’s specifically the sperm that carries the X or Y chromosome which determines gender, but the verse rightly centers on the starting drop from the man as the deciding factor for a boy or girl (more on that later). Surah Al-Qiyamah (75:37-39) goes further to describe the stages of creation: it asks, “Was he (the human) not a nutfah (drop) of semen emitted? Then he became an `alaqah (clot), then (Allah) shaped and fashioned him, and made of him the two genders, male and female.” . This shows that from that initial union of fluids, Allah forms a child as male or female.

While these verses don’t explicitly talk about resemblance (which specific parent the child looks like), they strongly affirm the idea that both a mother and a father are involved in a child’s origin, and the outcome (gender and features) is by Allah’s decree at that earliest stage. The Quran also says “O mankind, We created you from a male and a female…” (49:13) highlighting that everyone comes from both a man and a woman. So Islamic scripture fully acknowledges the dual contribution in human creation, which is consistent with biological reality.

In summary, the Prophet’s hadith and the Quranic hints both reflect that a child is the result of mixed input from father and mother, and that one parent’s characteristics can dominate. Now let’s look at how scholars through history have understood these statements, and how modern scholars reconcile them with today’s science.

The Black Baby and the Camel: A Lesson in Hereditary Traits

There is an authentic hadith that powerfully illustrates the Prophet’s knowledge regarding inherited traits. It’s narrated by Abu Hurayrah that a Bedouin man came to the Prophet, upset and suspicious because his wife had given birth to a dark-skinned (black) baby. The man himself was of lighter complexion, as was his wife, so he immediately thought his wife might have been unfaithful (since the child didn’t look like either parent). Sensing his anguish, the Prophet Muhammad responded with a series of questions:

Prophet: “Do you have camels?”
Man: “Yes.”
Prophet: “What color are they?”
Man: “Red.” (a common camel color)
Prophet: “Are any of them gray?”
Man: “Yes, one of them is gray.”
Prophet: “How did that happen (how did it get that color)?”
Man: “Maybe it inherited it from an ancestor (some distant breed).”
Prophet: “Likewise, perhaps your son has inherited this (color) from his ancestors.”

When the man heard this, he understood and accepted the explanation. His doubts about his wife vanished because the Prophet made it clear that a trait can reappear after skipping a generation or many generations – what we now know as a recessive genetic trait. Just as a camel might be born a different color because some ancestor had that color gene, a human child can resemble a grandparent or great-grandparent more than the immediate parents. In this case, apparently some black ancestry in the man’s lineage had manifested in his newborn, and it was perfectly natural.

This hadith is recorded in both Bukhari and Muslim, underlining its authenticity . It demonstrates the Prophet’s wisdom in solving real-world issues using concepts of heredity. Consider that in the 7th century, most people had no idea why a child would look so unlike his parents. Many would jump to wrong conclusions (like infidelity). The Prophet’s analogy saved a family from turmoil and was 100% scientifically sound – he essentially taught that children can carry genes hidden from the previous generation. Modern genetics calls these recessive genes; they may not show up in the parents’ appearance but can appear in the child if both parents carry that hidden gene.

For the companions of the Prophet, this was further proof of his God-given knowledge. He explained inheritance in a way that was easily understood (using camels as an example to a camel-herding people), yet it aligns with what genetic science explains about dominant and recessive alleles. The Bedouin man was convinced by this “sound analogy” and it prevented an unjust accusation.

This story, together with the earlier hadith on resemblance, shows that Prophet Muhammad addressed genetic principles in various contexts – always accurately and in line with the knowledge that would only be uncovered many centuries later. Now, knowing all this, let’s address some common misconceptions that people have about these hadiths, and clarify them with both linguistic understanding and scientific evidence.

Addressing Common Misconceptions and Misinterpretations

Misconception 1: “The hadith says whichever parent climaxes first 100% determines the child’s looks (or gender).” – This is a misunderstanding of wording. As explained, “comes first” in the hadith is a translation of “sabaqa” which also means prevail/overcome. It’s not a simplistic race between the sperm and egg or between orgasms. The correct understanding is about dominance in contribution, not mere timing . If one took it as just timing, it would not always hold true biologically. We know many factors determine which genes express, and it’s not literally who orgasmed first in time that decides it. The hadith isn’t providing a mechanical formula for parents to control who the baby looks like; it’s describing the general principle of one parental contribution dominating, in terms familiar to the questioners. In fact, some scholars even suggested that “precedence” could be a sign or symptom of whose traits might dominate, rather than a direct cause. In any case, modern Muslims clarify that it’s about genetic dominance, not a race to climax.

Misconception 2: “Prophet Muhammad denied DNA or genes by attributing resemblance to fluids.” – Actually, the Prophet’s words prefigure the concept of genes in a remarkable way. He spoke of physical “water” from each parent because that’s what people could observe. Within these fluids (sperm and what we now know includes the egg/ovum and other fluids) are the actual carriers of genetic information. So the hadith does not deny DNA – it effectively affirms that something in the parents’ fluids causes resemblance, which is exactly what DNA is. He said nothing that contradicts the idea of genes; he simply didn’t use the term “gene.” Instead, he described the process in a way everyone at the time could grasp, which corresponds perfectly to how chromosomes from the father and mother combine and one set of traits can dominate. In short, the hadith is completely in line with DNA-based inheritance, just expressed in 7th-century language.

Misconception 3: “The hadith claims the mother’s fluid determines if the baby is female, which is scientifically wrong.” – There is a variant of the hadith (narrated by Thawban, another Companion) where the Prophet is reported to have said: “If the man’s fluid prevails, the child will be male by Allah’s permission. If the woman’s fluid prevails, the child will be female.” This has caused confusion, since we know scientifically that the sperm’s chromosome (X or Y) decides the sex. Scholars have addressed this in two ways.

Firstly, many scholars believe this wording about male/female was not the Prophet’s original words but perhaps an insertion by a narrator or a misunderstanding . Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and others pointed out that the authentic core hadith (found in Bukhari and Muslim) only spoke about resemblance, while the mention of gender comes from a less clear chain. They suggested that the reliable part is that whichever fluid dominates gives resemblance, and the mention of “male or female” might be a mistaken addition by someone in later narration . The Prophet, in their view, did not say that a woman’s fluid prevailing makes a girl; rather, he only spoke about similarity. This opinion is supported by the fact that the Qur’an and observable science attribute gender determination to the father’s contribution (the sperm carrying X or Y) , and that ultimately it’s by Allah’s command.

Secondly, other scholars tried to reconcile that report by interpreting “prevailing of fluid” in terms of the biological environment: for instance, some modern doctors note that the female reproductive environment can slightly influence which sperm (X or Y) succeeds. There are unproven theories that the timing of intercourse relative to ovulation or the pH of cervical mucus might favor one gender, but these are not conclusive. The most straightforward explanation remains that the hadith in question was specifically about resemblance, not gender – and that one narrator mixed the two topics . Importantly, no authentic Islamic teaching contradicts the fact that sperm determines the baby’s sex (this is even alluded to in Quran 53:45-46). Thus, Muslims need not be troubled by this; the core message of the hadith is about appearance, and it stands correct.

Misconception 4: “If the hadith were true, a child would look only like one parent and not a mix.” – The hadith doesn’t mean a child gets 100% of looks from one parent. We all see children who are a blend. The wording “the child will resemble him (or her)” means the dominant features tilt toward that parent. Indeed, the Prophet used the example of maternal uncles in one narration (“resemble his maternal uncle”), implying sometimes traits from the mother’s side (not just the mother herself) show up strongly. This is exactly what happens with genes: you might get dad’s eye shape and mom’s nose, or even grandpa’s hairline! The hadith addresses the general case where people notice a child is “the spitting image” of one parent or the other. It doesn’t deny that the child also inherits from the other parent – it just wasn’t the focus of the question being asked. So the hadith is not wrong; it’s just highlighting the dominant resemblance, which is usually what people remark upon.

To sum up, when properly understood, the hadiths present a scenario very much in line with modern genetics. They were never meant to be a biology textbook detailing every nuance of inheritance. Rather, they gave believers basic truths: both mother and father contribute, one may dominate in likeness, and even ancestors’ traits can appear. Any apparent conflict with science stems from misreading or taking metaphorical language too literally. Once clarified through Arabic linguistics and scientific insight, we find the hadiths are amazingly accurate. This brings us to an important point – how could a man in the 7th century know these things?

Miraculous Accuracy: Knowledge Beyond the 7th Century

Imagine living in Arabia in the year 620 CE. There are no microscopes, no concept of eggs or genes. The prevalent idea (from ancient Greek theories) among learned people was either that only the male’s “seed” creates the baby or some vague mixing of fluids without any precise mechanism. Prophet Muhammad, an unlettered man with no formal science education, spoke precise truths that scientists confirmed over a thousand years later. This is one of the reasons Muslims view these statements as signs of his prophethood.

Let’s recap the points of accuracy:

It’s also noteworthy that when the Jewish scholar quizzed him, the Prophet didn’t hesitate or give a guess – he said angel Gabriel had informed him just then of the answers. After the rabbi confirmed those answers, the Prophet remarked that those were matters only a prophet or someone taught by God could know (since the rabbi had said “I have come to ask you something that no one on earth knows except a prophet”) . This context shows that these answers were seen as miraculous pieces of knowledge. Indeed, Prophet Muhammad attributed this knowledge to revelation from God, not personal intellect .

Looking at it with today’s eyes, we can appreciate just how miraculous and ahead-of-its-time his knowledge was:

For Muslims, this accuracy strengthens faith that Prophet Muhammad spoke by divine inspiration, not on his own. The Quran states, “He (the Prophet) does not speak from his own desire. It is nothing except a revelation sent down to him.” (53:3-4). The topic of how a child’s characteristics form is a perfect example: the Prophet gave information nobody could objectively know at the time.

Even some modern scientists and writers have been struck by these statements. They highlight that a person in the 600s describing the interplay of parental contributions so precisely is astonishing. It’s important to mention, though, that Muslims don’t claim the hadith explains everything about heredity – just that what it does say is spot-on. This humility is part of the faith: recognizing the miracle without exaggerating it.

Now, before concluding, one might ask: did all major Islamic scholars and schools of thought accept this understanding? And how should Muslims today approach such narrations, especially in the age of science? We’ll touch on scholarly views and then wrap up with what it means for us.

Conclusion: Embracing the Wisdom in Light of Faith and Science

So, did Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) say that child resemblance is not based on DNA? – Not in those exact words, of course, but he taught the principle behind DNA inheritance long before anyone knew what DNA was. He explained it in a way his listeners could digest, and it’s our job to interpret those teachings correctly with the tools and knowledge we have today.

For Muslims today, these hadiths are a reminder that religious knowledge and scientific knowledge can harmonize. When we encounter a narration that we don’t understand or that seems odd, we shouldn’t jump to dismiss it. Instead, we delve into its authentic meaning (often by looking at the original Arabic and scholarly explanations) and consider it in the light of established facts. In many cases, as with the child resemblance hadith, we find the confusion lifts and the wisdom shines through.

What does this mean for our faith? It strengthens it. We see that the Prophet’s teachings are not antiquated or disproven by science; rather, they anticipated truths that humans discovered much later. This increases our reverence for the Prophet and our conviction that he truly was guided by the Creator, the One who designed DNA and heredity. It also teaches us humility – that the Quran and Sunnah (Prophet’s teachings) may contain layers of meaning that unfold over time.

As believers, we approach such narrations with an open mind and the assumption that any authentic statement of the Prophet is true, even if we don’t grasp it immediately. The example of this hadith shows that given time and research, the truth becomes clear. And even before science explained it, Muslims still benefited from the guidance (for example, the Bedouin saved his marriage by trusting the Prophet’s reasoning).

In a modern conversational tone, one might say: “Our Prophet basically told us about dominant genes in the 600s! How cool is that?” It indeed is cool, and more than that, it’s faith-affirming. When teaching our kids or others, we can share this story of the hadith and genetics to show that Islam is not at odds with scientific reality. In fact, it has nuggets of scientific truth embedded in its sacred texts – not as the primary purpose (which is to guide us spiritually), but as a sign of the divine source of that guidance.

In conclusion, Prophet Muhammad never explicitly mentioned “DNA”, but what he did say about why a child resembles one parent aligns perfectly with DNA science. Rather than saying resemblance isn’t based on DNA, he essentially said it is based on what we now call genetic factors (the prevailing contribution from mother or father). His words, understood correctly, complement our understanding of biology. For Muslims, this is an invitation to appreciate the depth of the prophetic wisdom and to approach seemingly puzzling narrations with both reverence and inquiry. It’s also a lesson in how to communicate complex ideas in simple terms – something the Prophet excelled at and we can all learn from.