Page 90 - Miracles of The Qur'an Vol. 3

Miracles of the Qur’an

Although the embryo is foreign to the
mother’s womb, it is not attacked by the
defense system. This is a miraculous state
of affairs intended to protect the embryo.

velop: heat, water, oxygen and nu-
trients all contribute to its miracu-
lous development. The mother's
womb undergoes many changes
that enhance its strength during
pregnancy. Together with the muscles, ligaments and elastic tissues it
contains, there is also an increase in the number of blood vessels and
nerves. The womb is thus able to increase 20 times in weight and 1,000
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times in capacity without coming to any harm. The fallopian tubes that
support the womb, the ovaries and other connective tissues all expand
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and become more elastic. The constant changes in the womb continue
even after the embryo has grown into a healthy baby many hundreds of

times larger than its initial state. The womb now changes in such a way
as to permit the baby to exit in a healthy manner.
During pregnancy, another extraordinary state of affairs regarding
the protection of the baby comes about. The baby is also protected against
internal threats. When a foreign body enters the body, such as during an
organ or bone marrow transplant, the host's defense system begins react-
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ing, and this can sometimes lead to fatal consequences. But that never
happens to the fetus, and the mother's immune system does not regard it
as a foreign body. It is quite amazing that the mother's immune system tol-
erates foreign genes from the father; because the baby is, after all, 50% for-
eign body. Marianne van den Heuvel, a scientist from Guelph University,
describes this as “fascinating” and continues: “That was always a puzzle
from an immunology standpoint because the fetus is actually foreign. It's
part of the mother and also part of the father. It should be reject-

ed by the body.” 74

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