Prophet's Tradition,
A Solution to The Mystery of Resemblance
Background:
The answer to the mystery of resemblance came from the ProphetSAW, given in the following Tradition (abridged):
Narrated AnasRA that when the ProphetSAW arrived Madina, Abdullah bin Salam came to meet the Holy ProphetSAW and said: "I will ask you about three things which nobody knows unless he be a prophet. Firstly, what is the first portent of the Hour? What is the first meal of the people of Paradise? And what makes a baby look like its father or mother?
The ProphetSAW said, "Just now Gabriel has informed me about that'. Abdullah said, "Gabriel?" The Prophet said, "Yes". Abdullah said, "He, among the angels is the enemy of the Jews". On that the Prophetsaw recited this holy Verse:
"Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel (let him die in his fury!) for he has brought it (Qur'an) down to your heart by Allah's permission." [Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:97]
Then he added, "As for the first portent of the Hour, it will be a fire that will collect the people from the East to the West. And as for the first meal of the people of Paradise, it will be caudate lobe of the liver. And if a man's discharge preceded that of the woman, then the child resembles the father, and if the woman's discharge preceded that of the man, then the child resembles the mother." [Chapter (8), Hadith No. 7, Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 6]. Thus, the Hadith clearly mentions that the resemblance of a child to either of the parents (mother or father), depends on the timing of the release of the sexual discharge.
Resemblance:
It is a trait that draws similarity between two or more people. Human trait is a phenotype, an expression of a gene or multiple genes in our DNA. The feature/features of a person depend on the protein layout in the tissues, like face, eyes, nose, ears, hands and feet etc. Protein formation depends of genetic code.
Different protein has different manifestation, and each manifestation is a trait, that make us look alike or look different. This complex process is best understood by studying the complex structure of chromosomes.
Chromosome:
Human nucleus contains 46 (forty-six chromosomes, arranged in 22 pairs allosomes (numbered 1-22), and one pair of sex chromosomes (XY or XX). Each chromosome has two strands; each strand has a backbone made of phosphate (P) and deoxyribose sugar molecule (D). The strands are bonded together through weak hydrogen-bonding. There are four nucleotide bases viz. Adenine (or A), Guanine (or G), Thymine (or T), and Cytosine (or C). One of these nucleotides (designated by A or G or T or C), attaches itself to the pentose molecule of the back bone of one strand, to make a single of nucleotide base. This is the mystery molecule, that controls the formation of proteins (the building block of organs), and at the center of transfer of heredity.
As the process continues with alternating nucleotide base, it builds up the long chain of chromosome.
The first strand, thus formed, dictates the formation of the second strand following the fixed bonding relationship: Guanine (G) of one strand will bond with Cytosine (C) of the other strand, Cytosine of one strand will bond with Guanine of the other strand, Adenine of one strand will bond with Thymine of the other strand and vice versa:
__P__D__P__D__P__D_ _P__D__P__D__P__D__P__D__P__D__P__D__P__
G G C A G A C T T
C C G T C T G A A
__P__D__P__D__P__D__P__D__P__D__P__D__P__D__P__D__P__D__P__
Genetic Code (picture above):
Three successive "triplets" of these four bases will construct a Genetic Code, for example each of GGC, AGA, CTT, are the genetic code of the upper strand. Thus, there are sixty-four three letter genetic codes (the letters are first letter of the base nucleotide).
DNA is a segment of Chromosomes. When a DNA segment of a chromosome is split apart, the genetic codes are exposed, and activated to dictate the synthesis of RNA, which controls protein synthesis.
RNA or Ribonucleic Acid:
When DNA synthesizes RNA, the genetic codes are transferred to RNA, guanine of DNA pairing with cytosine, adenine of DNA pairing with uracil (instead of with thymine), thymine of DNA pairing with adenine on RNA. The result is GGC transcribes to CCG, AGA to UCU, and CTT to GAA. Now the CCG, UCU, and GAA on RNA are the RNA codons. The functions of RNA codons are to control the attachment of amino acids (derived from food) to a newly forming molecule of protein, and the codons are specific for specific amino acids. Thus, RNA codons CCG, UCU, GAA will control the attachment, respectively of proline, serine and glutamic acid in a newly formed molecule of protein.
DNA and Human Trait:
Human traits include facial look, hair and skin color, eye color, size of the nose, body built, features of hand and feet, and personality, among others. These are the result of gene expression, which is the outcome of simultaneous work of sixty-four genetic codes and 30,000 genes in each cell, dictating formation of specific proteins (along with lipid and carbohydrate) necessary to produce those traits (phenotype).
The Look is a heterozygous trait, which means it is an expression of two or more genes, giving an appearance of one parent more than the other. Genes are segments of DNA, inherited from both parents. In the offspring, the similar genes called alleles, occupy identical locations on the two strands of DNA (derived from chromosomes).
During fertilization the sperm carrying the father's half of chromosomes (22 +X or Y), penetrate the ovum, which has mother's half of chromosomes (22 +X); and together they make up the 23 pairs of forty-six chromosomes in the fertilized ovum, the Zygote, that develops into human embryo, the future child of the parents.
Scientific Explanation of Hadith:
Male sexual discharge has a basal (alkaline) pH, and the sperms carry either X or Y chromosome of the father. The female discharge on the other hand has an acid pH of 4.5, because of lactic acid produced by the lactobacillus. It also contains hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which has an acidic pH. Thus, the vaginal fluid is highly acidic.
Vaginal pH has significant effect on sperm motility and capacitation (energy storage). When exposed to acidity, the sperm motility and capacitation decrease [PLOS ONE, The Semen pH Affects Sperm Motility and Capacitation, 2015; 10(7): e0132974].
If the male discharge precedes the female discharge, the sperm is not affected by the acidity of the female discharge. The sperm carrying a Y chromosome with the unaffected genes will penetrates the ovum and delivers these genes to the ovum. Some of these genes are for facial expression. The zygote thus formed now has the genes of the father and the mother, but since the genes on the Y chromosome plays dominant role, the future child will have features more of the father than the mother, some feature may be a combination of both, but overall, the child will resemble the father more than the mother.
Now, if the female discharges before the male, the male discharge with basal pH will mix with the female discharge with high acid pH. The mixed fluid now will have an acid pH. If it is a sperm carrying Y chromosome and gets exposed to this acid pH, it will slow down in motility and will partially loose its capacitation (stored energy), thereby weakening the genes and their functions. On fertilization, the genes of facial expression on the X chromosome of the mother will dominate, giving the child mother's look. Therefore, it will be a male child (Y chromosome), but with more of mother's look.
AllahSWT honored the ProphetSAW and exonerated JibrilAS:
This Hadith was narrated more than fourteen hundred years ago when there was a total confusion about the subject of conception and embryology, let alone the subject of sex differentiation and gene expression. The Messenger of Allah, was also unaware of the subject. When Abdullah bin Salam posed the questions of the portent of the Hour, the food of the people of the Paradise and the resemblance of the child to the parents, to validate his Prophethood, Angel GabrielAS came and deliver the Divine Knowledge to the ProphetSAW, and prepared him to answer the question. His answers to the questions of Abdullah bin Salam firmly established his Prophethood. AllahSWT and JibrilAS are the witness to what is revealed to the ProphetSAW.
"But Allah bears witness that which He has sent down (The Qur'an) to you; He has sent it down with His Knowledge, and the angels bear witness. And Allah is All-Sufficient as a Witness." [Surah Al-Nisa, 5:166]
Thus, AllahSWT exonerated JibrilAS from the lies uttered by the Jews, and declared that anyone who considers GabrielAS as an enemy, then AllahSWT is an enemy to him. HeSWT also declared that the Qur'an is a Revelation, brought to the ProphetSAW by Gabriel, and honored JibrilAS as a great teacher:
"It is only a Revelation revealed. He (the ProphetSAW) has been taught by one mighty in power (Gabriel)." [Surah An-Najm, 53:4-5]
In addition, the Hadith opened the chapter for future generations to explore the subject of conception and fetal development, and understand the role played by each parent in sex determination and the role of genes in genomic expression:
"Verily, We have created man from Nutfah (drop) of mixed semen (sexual discharge of man and woman), in order to try him: so We made him hearer and seer." [Surah Al-Insan, 76:2]
In a society, it is not unusual to see random resemblance between people. However, dispute of paternity of a child is rare. In those cases, study of finger print and finally the study of DNA (delivered by the sperms) remain the gold standard of solution to the dispute.
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