Epigraph:

“We created man from an essence of clay, then We placed him as a drop of fluid in a safe place, then We made that drop into a clinging form, and We made that form into a lump of flesh, and We made that lump into bones, and We clothed those bones with flesh, and later We made him into other forms ––glory be to God, the best of creators!––then you will die and then, on the Day of Resurrection, you will be raised up again.” (Al Quran 23:12-16)

Presented by Zia H Shah MD

The above short video will show you how a retrovirus, a virus from the family of HIV, became a central figure in the creation or evolution of placenta that now humans share with all the other 5000 species of mammals, some 200 million years ago.

Was it a fluke of evolution or was some Transcendent God guiding the process, from beyond time, space and matter?

The answer depends on the mind set of the observer. Those with an agnostic and atheist mind set will attribute it to blind chance followed by natural selection.

Those who believe in a God for so many other reasons in their lives will see the hidden hand of God in this miraculous creation that in the above quoted verses is described as ‘the clinging form.’ After alluding to placenta, Allah describes how a baby forms over the nine months in case of humans and tells us as we marvel over the details: “Glory be to God, the best of creators!”

What the atheists find easy to imagine to be a blind process and so many believers take for granted has another twist to the plot. Humans have so many different organs and tissues, for example: bones, kidneys, blood vessels, heart, liver, brain and of course uterus and placenta. Whereas the modern physicians with their technological industry can make artificial bones, kidneys, blood vessels, heart or possible substitutions for them but not liver, brain, uterus or placenta. At least not yet!

But a retrovirus figured it out?

Additional reading

What else retroviruses are telling us: Videos: Fool Proof Presentation for Common Ancestry of Humans and Chimpanzees

How could God guide evolution?

Why Intelligent Design Movement is Not only Bad Science, But Also Bad Theology

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