we do not know what essence it comes from or what substance it is made of.
“They ask you about the spirit. Say, ‘The spirit is of the command of my Lord, and you have been given only a little knowledge’” [al-Isrā’: 85].
The angel then breathes the spirit into this fetus, and it begins to move. Its initial growth had resembled the growth of trees, without sensation; but once the spirit is breathed into it, it becomes a human being capable of movement. Thus, if a pregnancy is miscarried before four months, the fetus is buried anywhere in the ground, without being ritually washed, shrouded, or prayed over, and it will not be resurrected, because it is not a human being. If it is miscarried after four months, however, it must be ritually washed, shrouded, prayed over, and buried in a cemetery, because it has become a human being. It is also given a name, because on the Day of Resurrection it will be called by its name, and an aqīqah sacrifice is offered for it. The aqīqah for it, however, is not as strongly emphasized as the aqīqah for a child who reaches seven days of age after birth. In any event, this fetus develops in its mother’s womb until it becomes a human being. Then, after the allotted period—which is generally nine months—Allah, Glorious is His Majesty, permits it to emerge into this world.
In this connection, I shall explain that the human being passes through four abodes:
The first abode is the mother’s womb.
The second abode is this world.
The third abode is the barzakh, the intermediate realm.
The fourth abode is Paradise or Hell, which is the final destination.
“Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous.” The word “Read” repeats the first command, but is this merely for emphasis, or does it establish a distinct meaning? The correct view is that it establishes a distinct meaning. The first command—“Read in the name of your Lord who created”—is coupled with what pertains to Lordship, while “Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous, who taught by the pen” is coupled with what pertains to the revealed law. The first therefore concerns the divine decree, while the second concerns the revealed law, because the revealed law depends chiefly upon instruction through the pen: the revealed law is written down and preserved, the Quran is written down and preserved, and the Sunnah