Key takeaway
Quran 53:45–46 says Allah "creates the two mates, the male and female, from a sperm-drop when it is emitted," and 75:37–39 says that from the emitted drop He "made of him two mates, the male and the female." Genetics shows that a baby's sex is determined by whether the father's sperm carries an X or a Y chromosome. This was discovered in 1905 by Nettie Stevens and Edmund Wilson.
The verses
وَأَنَّهُۥ خَلَقَ ٱلزَّوْجَيْنِ ٱلذَّكَرَ وَٱلْأُنثَىٰ ٤٥ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ إِذَا تُمْنَىٰ ٤٦
45 And that He creates the two mates - the male and female - 46 From a sperm-drop when it is emitted
أَلَمْ يَكُ نُطْفَةً مِّن مَّنِىٍّ يُمْنَىٰ ٣٧ ثُمَّ كَانَ عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقَ فَسَوَّىٰ ٣٨ فَجَعَلَ مِنْهُ ٱلزَّوْجَيْنِ ٱلذَّكَرَ وَٱلْأُنثَىٰٓ ٣٩
37 Had he not been a sperm from semen emitted? 38 Then he was a clinging clot, and [Allāh] created [his form] and proportioned [him] 39 And made of him two mates, the male and the female.
Key Arabic terms
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| نُّطْفَةٍ إِذَا تُمْنَىٰ | nuṭfatin idhā tumnā | "a drop when it is emitted" (from manī, semen) |
| ٱلزَّوْجَيْنِ ٱلذَّكَرَ وَٱلْأُنثَىٰ | al-zawjayn al-dhakar wa al-unthā | "the two mates, male and female" |
The verses
Both passages connect the creation of male and female with the drop that is emitted, a description of the male reproductive fluid (manī). Quran 75:37 is explicit: "Had he not been a sperm from semen emitted?" It then says Allah "made of him two mates, the male and the female" (Quran 75:39).
The genetics
Human egg cells always carry an X chromosome. Sperm cells carry either an X or a Y. If an X-bearing sperm fertilizes the egg, the child is XX, typically female. If a Y-bearing sperm does, the child is XY, typically male. In 1905 Nettie Stevens, working on mealworms, and Edmund Beecher Wilson independently showed that sex is determined by chromosomes. Before that, many cultures blamed or credited the mother for the sex of a child.
Balanced assessment
Moderate A reasonable, accurate correspondence; the words have other valid meanings or the fact was partly known before.
The verses link the determination of male and female to the emitted male fluid, which agrees with modern genetics. The verses do not explain chromosomes, and early readers would simply have understood that both sexes arise from that drop. The fit is precise, and it contrasts with widespread historical beliefs that the mother decides the child's sex.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Quran say the father determines the baby's sex?
Quran 53:45–46 says the male and female are created "from a sperm-drop when it is emitted." Genetics confirms that the father's sperm, carrying X or Y, determines the child's sex.
References
Quran
- Quran 53:45–46, Saheeh International translation (Quran.com)
- Quran 75:37–39, Saheeh International translation (Quran.com)
Science & history
Classical exegesis is summarized from the standard commentaries (e.g. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Qurṭubī). See our methodology.
Cite this page
Quran Scientific Miracles. “Sex Determined by the Male Drop.” https://quranscientificmiracles.com/topics/sex-determination/ (reviewed 2026-10-20).