It is mentioned in the Quran that 5 things are hidden from all but Allah, one of them is the sex of child in woman's womb. But modern science can tell you this. What is the Islamic explanation of this? I am really at loss because an atheist asked me this question and I couldn't find an answer.
Update: Mufti Shafi Usmani in Maari-ul-Quran Jild 7, page 52,while interpreting the last verses of **Sural-ul_Luqman clearly states that:
The sex of baby in women's womb is only known to Allah
The mentioned verse is telling:
...knows what is in the wombs...(Quran 31:34)
Now, the word "what" doesn't specifically mean "what the gender is", but it has a general and broader meaning. It refers to Allah knowledge of the future and the destiny of the child, along with the bestowed goods, and other bads that will happen to the child. (Arabic Source)
Besides, when a fetus forms into a physical shape, it is no longer an invisible knowledge, but seen facts. (Source)
Last verse of Luqman Surat :
"Indeed, Allah [alone] has knowledge of the Hour and sends down the rain and knows what is in the wombs. And no soul perceives what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul perceives in what land it will die. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted."
It doesn't mention anything about the sex of the child in the woman's womb. All it says is that God knows everything, even in the women's wombs.
The related verse says:
He knows what is in the wombs
This verse does not say only God knows the gender of baby in womb.
Allāh knows not just whether it's male or female. but he knows also what is the qadr (destiny) of this child. Is this child going to be a successful child or not? Is this child going to be righteous or not?
Persian reference:
Also this reference:
إن الله عنده علم الساعة وينزل الغيث ويعلم ما في الأرحام وما تدري نفس ماذا تكسب غدا وما تدري نفس بأي أرض تموت إن الله عليم خبير
ويعلم ما في الأرحام knows what is in the women wombs...
This is not just about the embryo gender. This includes the manner of the coming human whether he his good or bad, believer or not, what will happen in his future...
In simple words the embryo gender is less than 1% of the meaning. And note that even you try to know the gender nowadays you'll still hear some stories about somebody who expect a boy but a girl is birth and vice versa.
So even you are trying to know the gender this doesn't reflect ALLAH's wish.
In the verse Allah said "He knows what is inside mothers womb", it does not mean that others will not come to know it. Look on the other sentences of the same verse of Surah Lokman, "No one knows when he would die": In such case Allah mentioned it clearly that no one will ever come to know when he would die.
No, knowing baby's sex in the womb is not contradictory to Quran.
“And knows what is in the wombs." "ويعلم ما في الأرحام " this means that Allah [alone] know what "is occurring , takes place " in wombs. There are many evidences that this is the correct interpretation (from Quran and Sunnah and the grammars of Arabic) .
But what is occurring in wombs? It’s that Allah give life to the baby. The mentioned verse is telling: Allah [alone] can give life to things.
Unfortunately, I cannot speak English fluently, so I cannot explain the idea well. But u can read a book was written about this verse which contains a good explanation.
here :2
Unluckily, this book is an Arabic book. And there is no translation to English of it till now.
Yes, it is contradictory to what the Quran says. Quran 31 verse 34
Surely Allah is He with Whom is the knowledge of the hour, and He sends down the rain and He knows what is in the wombs; and no one knows what he shall earn on the morrow; and no one knows in what land he shall die; surely Allah is Knowing, Aware.
The highlighted translation clearly says "He knows what is in the wombs". This basically means, it is a boy/girl, is the baby in good condition, is he alive or dead, does he has all the limbs and fingers? God knows everything about this baby in the womb (but don't).
Today an ultrasound can reveal almost all of it. It is worthy to note that we know a little bit more than that. Pregnancy can occur outside Womb called ectopic pregnancy that can be light threatening. God mentioned only Womb.
This site discusses the same verse and argues that it is not just the sex of the baby that God knows but also the whole future of the fetus. Indeed that is discussed in the last part of verse (italic). The bold sentence merely talks about the fetus alone.
One can argue that a man can only know about the child sex through high tech equipments not alone. But if one sticks with that theory that there is probably nothing extra ordinary about the verse. Because of course no one knows what is the Womb just be looking at a women. It is just a common observence.
