And when I am ill, then He cures me, [Al-Quran 26:80]
Disease & Cure
وَيَسْـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلْمَحِيضِ ۖ قُلْ هُوَ أَذًۭى فَٱعْتَزِلُوا۟ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فِى ٱلْمَحِيضِ ۖ وَلَا تَقْرَبُوهُنَّ حَتَّىٰ يَطْهُرْنَ ۖ فَإِذَا تَطَهَّرْنَ فَأْتُوهُنَّ مِنْ حَيْثُ أَمَرَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلتَّوَّٰبِينَ وَيُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ ٢٢٢
And they ask you about [the] menstruation. Say, "It (is) a hurt, so keep away (from) [the] women during (their) [the] menstruation. And (do) not approach them until they are cleansed Then when they are purified, then come to them from where has ordered you Allah." Indeed, Allah loves those who turn in repentance and loves those who purify themselves.
نِسَآؤُكُمْ حَرْثٌۭ لَّكُمْ فَأْتُوا۟ حَرْثَكُمْ أَنَّىٰ شِئْتُمْ ۖ وَقَدِّمُوا۟ لِأَنفُسِكُمْ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّكُم مُّلَـٰقُوهُ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ٢٢٣
Your wives (are) a tilth for you, so come (to) your tilth when you wish, and send forth (good deeds) for yourselves. And be conscious (of) Allah and know that you (will) meet Him. And give glad tidings (to) the believers.
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The Quran mentions three special cases of miraculous pregnancies. In all three cases, it seems that no fertility treatment was sought. Two pious couples patiently waited for the decision of Allah, while one pious virgin was simply bestowed a pregnancy as a sign for the world.
# 1: Isaac, son of Abraham
وَامْرَأَتُهُ قَائِمَةٌ فَضَحِكَتْ
فَبَشَّرْنَاهَا بِإِسْحَاقَ وَمِن وَرَاءِ إِسْحَاقَ يَعْقُوبَ
قَالَتْ يَا وَيْلَتَىٰ أَأَلِدُ وَأَنَا عَجُوزٌ وَهَٰذَا بَعْلِي شَيْخًا إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَشَيْءٌ عَجِيبٌ
قَالُوا أَتَعْجَبِينَ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ رَحْمَتُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ عَلَيْكُمْ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ إِنَّهُ حَمِيدٌ مَّجِيدٌ
And his wife (was) standing and she laughed.
Then We gave her glad tidings of Ishaq, and after Ishaq (of) Yaqub.
She said, "Woe to me! Shall I bear a child while I am an old woman and this, my husband, (is) an old man? Indeed, this (is) surely a thing amazing."
They said, "Are you amazed at (the) decree of Allah? The Mercy of Allah and His blessings (be) upon you, people (of) the house. Indeed, He (is) All-Praiseworthy, All-Glorious."
فَأَقْبَلَتِ امْرَأَتُهُ فِي صَرَّةٍ فَصَكَّتْ وَجْهَهَا وَقَالَتْ عَجُوزٌ عَقِيمٌ
قَالُوا كَذَٰلِكِ قَالَ رَبُّكِ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْحَكِيمُ الْعَلِيمُ
Then came forward his wife with a loud voice, and struck her face and she said, "An old woman barren!"
They said, "Thus said your Lord.
Indeed, He [He] (is) the All-Wise, the All-Knower."
The Quran mentions that the wife of Abraham (Ibrahim) had been unable to conceive all her life, and was now past the age of conceiving, an old woman, (عَجُوزٌ), probably 90 years old or so, according to People of the Book; and Q51:29 adds the adjective: barren (عَقِيمٌ).
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# 2: John, son of Zachariah
هُنَالِكَ دَعَا زَكَرِيَّا رَبَّهُ قَالَ رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِن لَّدُنكَ ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ الدُّعَاءِ
فَنَادَتْهُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ يُصَلِّي فِي الْمِحْرَابِ
أَنَّ اللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكَ بِيَحْيَىٰ مُصَدِّقًا بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَسَيِّدًا وَحَصُورًا وَنَبِيًّا مِّنَ الصَّالِحِينَ
قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِي غُلَامٌ وَقَدْ بَلَغَنِيَ الْكِبَرُ وَامْرَأَتِي عَاقِرٌ
قَالَ كَذَٰلِكَ اللَّهُ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاءُ
There only, Zakariya invoked his Lord, he said, "My Lord grant [for] me from Yourself offspring pure. Indeed, You (are) All-Hearer (of) the prayer
Then called him the Angels when he (was) standing - praying in the prayer chamber.
"Indeed, Allah gives you glad tidings of Yahya, confirming [of] a Word from Allah and a noble and chaste and a Prophet among the righteous.
He said, "My Lord how can (there) be for me a son, and verily has reached me [the] old age and my wife (is) [a] barren?"
He said, "Thus; Allah does what He wills."
كهيعص
ذِكْرُ رَحْمَتِ رَبِّكَ عَبْدَهُ زَكَرِيَّا
إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُ نِدَاءً خَفِيًّا
قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي وَهَنَ الْعَظْمُ مِنِّي وَاشْتَعَلَ الرَّأْسُ شَيْبًا وَلَمْ أَكُن بِدُعَائِكَ رَبِّ شَقِيًّا
وَإِنِّي خِفْتُ الْمَوَالِيَ مِن وَرَائِي وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَتِي عَاقِرًا فَهَبْ لِي مِن لَّدُنكَ وَلِيًّا
يَرِثُنِي وَيَرِثُ مِنْ آلِ يَعْقُوبَ وَاجْعَلْهُ رَبِّ رَضِيًّا
يَا زَكَرِيَّا إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلَامٍ اسْمُهُ يَحْيَىٰ لَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُ مِن قَبْلُ سَمِيًّا
قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِي غُلَامٌ وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَتِي عَاقِرًا وَقَدْ بَلَغْتُ مِنَ الْكِبَرِ عِتِيًّا
قَالَ كَذَٰلِكَ قَالَ رَبُّكَ هُوَ عَلَيَّ هَيِّنٌ وَقَدْ خَلَقْتُكَ مِن قَبْلُ وَلَمْ تَكُ شَيْئًا
Kaaf Ha Ya Ain Sad.
(A) mention (of the) Mercy (of) your Lord (to) His servant Zakariya
When he called (to) his Lord a call - secret.
He said, "My Lord! Indeed, [I] (have) weakened my bones, and flared (my) head (with) white, and not I have been in (my) supplication (to) You my Lord unblessed. And indeed, I [I] fear the successors after me, and is my wife barren. So give [to] me from Yourself an heir Who will inherit me and inherit from (the) family (of) Yaqub. And make him my Lord, pleasing."
"O Zakariya! Indeed, We [We] give you glad tidings of a boy his name (will be) Yahya, not We (have) assigned [for] it before (this) name."
He said, "My Lord! How can I have a boy, while is my wife barren, and indeed, I have reached of the old age extreme?"
He said, "Thus, said your Lord, 'It (is) easy for Me and certainly I (have) created you before, while not you were anything.'"
[Al-Quran 19:1-11]
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The Quran mentions that the wife of Zachariah (Zakariya) was unable to bear a child due to a condition named (عَاقِرًا). The root of this word is the same as the word which describes what harm was inflicted on the she-camel by the Thamud. From tafseer, we learn that the she-camel was pregnant. Apparently, some procedure was performed which rendered her harm. I'm assuming some harm was done to the she-camel's uterus. So, perhaps the word (عَاقِرًا) describes the condition of being without a uterus, whether surgically removed, or born without one (a rare condition).
When the angels informed Zachariah (Zakariya) the good news about a son John (Yahya), he wondered how can his wife conceive a baby. He was informed that it is easy for Allah.
Hysterectomy is a procedure in which the uterus is removed. Generally, it is believed that it is not possible to conceive after a hysterectomy. However, there are rare cases of extrauterine pregnancies. Ectopic pregnancy is one such example. While most extrauterine pregnancies abort, there are a few miraculous cases where the baby was carried full term.
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# 3: Jesus, son of Mary
إِذْ قَالَتِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ يَا مَرْيَمُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكِ بِكَلِمَةٍ مِّنْهُ اسْمُهُ الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ وَجِيهًا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَمِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ
وَيُكَلِّمُ النَّاسَ فِي الْمَهْدِ وَكَهْلًا وَمِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ
قَالَتْ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِي وَلَدٌ وَلَمْ يَمْسَسْنِي بَشَرٌ
قَالَ كَذَٰلِكِ اللَّهُ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاءُ إِذَا قَضَىٰ أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ
When said the Angels, "O Maryam! Indeed, Allah gives you glad tidings of a word from Him, his name (is) the Messiah, Isa, son (of) Maryam, honored in the world and (in) the Hereafter, and of those brought near (to Allah). And he will speak (to) the people in the cradle and (in) maturity; and (he will be) of the righteous."
She said, "My Lord how is [it] for me a boy, and (has) not touch(ed) me any man?"
He said, "Thus Allah creates what He wills. When He decrees a matter then only He says to it, "Be," and it becomes.
قَالَتْ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِالرَّحْمَٰنِ مِنكَ إِن كُنتَ تَقِيًّا
قَالَ إِنَّمَا أَنَا رَسُولُ رَبِّكِ لِأَهَبَ لَكِ غُلَامًا زَكِيًّا
قَالَتْ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِي غُلَامٌ وَلَمْ يَمْسَسْنِي بَشَرٌ وَلَمْ أَكُ بَغِيًّا
قَالَ كَذَٰلِكِ قَالَ رَبُّكِ هُوَ عَلَيَّ هَيِّنٌ وَلِنَجْعَلَهُ آيَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَرَحْمَةً مِّنَّا وَكَانَ أَمْرًا مَّقْضِيًّا
فَحَمَلَتْهُ فَانتَبَذَتْ بِهِ مَكَانًا قَصِيًّا
She said, "Indeed, I [I] seek refuge with the Most Gracious from you if you are God fearing."
He said, "Only I am a Messenger (from) your Lord, that I (may) bestow on you a son pure."
She said, "How can be for me a son, when not has touched me a man, and not I am unchaste?"
He said, "Thus; said your Lord, 'It (is) for Me easy, and so that We will make him a sign for the mankind and a Mercy from Us. And (it) is a matter decreed.'"
So she conceived and she withdrew with him (to) a place remote.
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Mary conceived a baby without mating with anyone. Though its not yet known about any other human, or mammals in general, in the insect world, and some other animals, it is possible to have offsprings without mating. The technical term for it is parthenogenesis. It is a form of asexual reproduction which does not require the egg to be fertilised by a sperm.
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لِّلَّهِ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ ۚ يَهَبُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ إِنَـٰثًۭا وَيَهَبُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ ٱلذُّكُورَ ٤٩
God has control of the heavens and the earth; He creates whatever He will—He grants female offspring to whoever He will, male to whoever He will,
أَوْ يُزَوِّجُهُمْ ذُكْرَانًۭا وَإِنَـٰثًۭا ۖ وَيَجْعَلُ مَن يَشَآءُ عَقِيمًا ۚ إِنَّهُۥ عَلِيمٌۭ قَدِيرٌۭ ٥٠
or both male and female, and He leaves whoever He will barren; He is all-knowing and all powerful.
[Al-Quran 42:49-50]
Advances in medical science are opening up many opportunities for fertility treatments. From the examples given in The Quran, it seems that this is a sacred no-go area for believers. They must keep mating, and patiently wait for when and what Allah bestows upon them. We need to have taqwa of the womb:
We are directed to be conscious of our duty towards Allah (ٱلنَّاسُ ٱتَّقُوا۟ رَبَّكُمُ), and towards the womb. Linguistically, taqwa means a shield or protective barrier. It means to protect oneself from what angers Allah.
References & Links
Baby Who Developed Outside The Womb Is Born
Ectopic pregnancy after hysterectomy may not be so uncommon: A case report and review of the literature
Cervical stump pregnancy 6 years after subtotal hysterectomy: a case report
In this blog
Virgin Birth
Guarding the Womb
Abortions & Family Planning
Natural Biology of Procreation
Jinn-Human Hybrids
Links to posts in the series Disease and Cure
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