If God Almighty (Allah) is indeed the creator of the human being, the verses of the revelation to His messengers in which He described this creation are expected to be in harmony with the stable scientific facts about human development. Such facts are stable in the sense that they never exhibit radical changes with progress of science, rather, better understanding. Therefore, progress in science will always help better interpretation of the revelation, i.e. revelation from the Creator of nature and good scientific description of nature should always be in harmony. This is exactly what God mentioned in the verses:
“Have you (people) given thought: if this (Quran) be truly [a revelation] from God, while you deny its truth? Who could be more astray than one who places himself [so] deeply in the wrong? Soon will We show them Our Signs on the horizons (of nature), and in their own (creation), until it becomes manifest to them that it (Quran) is the Truth. Is it not enough that your Lord is witnessed (via His signs) on all things?”
[41:52-3]
In 1677, Johan Ham and Anton van Leeuwenhoek were the first to see human sperm under a microscope. They mistakenly believed that each sperm carried a tiny human, a ‘homunculus’, and that the woman contributed nothing. Almost a century later, Lazzaro Spallanzani showed (by carrying out artificial insemination in dogs) that both egg and sperm are needed to create a new life. In 1759, Caspar Wolff proposed that the different parts of a growing baby develop from different layers of cells, which we now know to be correct. However, 1400 years ago a Jewish man passed by Prophet Muhammad (S) while he was talking to His companions. Some of the disbelievers from Quraish (the tribe of Muhammad) said to him:
“This man claims that he is a prophet.”
He said: “I shall ask him a question that only a prophet will know its answer.“
So he came and said: “O Muhammad, what the human being is created from?“
He (S) said: “O Jew, the human is created from both the Nutfah (reproductive fluid) of the man and that of the woman….“
Then the Jew stood up and said: “This is what was said by those (Prophets) before you.“
Reported by Ahmad.
God Almighty revealed to Prophet Muhammad (S) the following verse about the questions of who we are and from where we did come into being:
“Indeed, We have created the human being (Adam) out of the essence of clay. And then We have made him a Nutfah (drop of gametes) in a safe lodging [the womb]. And then We have created out of the drop of gametes Alaqah ( a leach-like lump), and then We create out of the leach- like lump a Mudghah (chewed-like lump of flesh), and then We create within the embryonic lump bones, and then We clothe the bones with flesh - and then We bring [all] this into being as a new creation: hallowed, therefore, is God, the best of artisans!“
[23:12-14]
Sperm (Nutfah of the man)
A fertile young man makes around 1000 new sperm per second, in the testes. 
Each carries half the instructions (genes) needed to make a new person, packed into its head. The rest of the cell is a long tail, which propels the sperm towards the egg at about three millimeters per minute. The neck is crammed with mitochondria, which help make the energy needed for the journey. Once they’re released, sperm usually survive for 48 hours.
The Male Nutfah and Sex Determination
A humans’ sex is predetermined in the sperm gamete. Welshons, WJ; Russell, LB. was the first to define the role of the male Y chromosome in sex determination in his paper: THE Y-CHROMOSOME AS THE BEARER OF MALE DETERMINING FACTORS IN THE MOUSE. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1959 Apr;45(4):560-566. [PubMed] In the XY sex-determination system, females have two of the same kind of sex chromosome (XX), while males have two distinct sex chromosomes (XY). Some species (including humans) have a gene SRY on the Y chromosome that determines maleness; others (such as the fruit fly) use the presence of two X chromosomes to determine femaleness. Since sperm are the variable factor (i.e. which sperm fertilises the egg) they are responsible for determining sex. However, this system of sex determination was mentioned in the Holy Quran 1400 years ago:
“And that it is He (God Almighty) who creates the two kinds - the male and the female -out of a [mere] drop of sperm as it is poured forth“
[53:45]
Eggs (Nutfah of the woman)
A fertile young woman usually releases one egg a month, from one of her two ovaries. Unless the egg is fertilized within the next 24 hours, it dies. At its centre, the egg contains half the instructions (genes) needed to make a new person. The rest of the cell is a rich food store for the fertilized egg during the first few days of its life. A baby girl is born with around half a million eggs already formed in her undeveloped ovaries. However, only about 400 are released in her lifetime, between puberty and the menopause.
Fertilization (the combined Nutfah)
Fertilization is the moment when a sperm and egg join together, and the genes
from the mother and father combine to form a new human being. For the sperm, it is the end of a long and difficult journey - the winner of a race that started out with 500 million competitors (that’s more than 16,000 times the number of runners in the 2000 London marathon). The prize is the egg, which is released from the ovary and then travels along the fallopian tube to meet the sperm Allah (SW) referred to the formation of the Zygote by the process of fertilization in this verse:
“Verily, it is We who have created the human being out of mixed gametes (of a male and a female)…“
[76:2]
Week 1
After fertilization, the genes carried by the egg and sperm combine, creating the complete set of instructions needed to make a new person as in the verse:
“And then We have made him (=copied his structural and functional characteristics in the genes of his reproductive cells) a drop of combined gametes in a safe lodging [the womb]“
[23:13]
The fertilized egg is called a zygote. About 30 hours later, this single cell starts to divide - into two, four, then eight cells, and so on. Meanwhile it travels down the fallopian tube and six days later, the resulting clump of cells burrows into the lining of the womb. Only about 75 per cent of all fertilized eggs get as far as this stage.
Week 2
At 12 days, the embryo is still just a clump of around a couple of thousand cells. The different parts of its body do not start to grow until after the first two weeks. Now completely embedded into the wall of the womb, some cells are starting to form the placenta, which will bring the mother’s blood vessels right alongside those of the baby. This phase is described in the verse above as leach-like, which is structurally and functionally typical to this phase: And then We have created out of the drop of gametes a leach-like lump. These cells begin to produce a hormone, which can be detected by a pregnancy test.
Week 3
Three weeks after fertilization, the different parts of the embryo start to form. 
Three layers of cells form, out of which all the different organs of the body will develop. Two folds grow along the length of the embryo - these roll up to make the neural tube which eventually becomes the brain and spinal cord. The placenta, the embryo’s life-support system, starts to work, delivering nourishment and taking waste products away.
Week 4
By four weeks, the embryo has head, tail, backbone and limb buds - which will eventually become arms and legs. This phase is described in the verse above as Mudghah (chewed-like lump of flesh), which is a morphological description typical to this phase: and then We create out of the leach- like lump a Mudghah. The beginnings of ears and eyes are also visible. Its heart is already beating, and the other organs are forming fast. An umbilical cord starts to grow between the embryo and the placenta. During this time, the embryo is especially sensitive to any drugs or infections capable of crossing the placenta from the mother.
Weeks 4 to 8
By the end of week 8 (the 10th week of pregnancy), all the different parts of the body are in place. Fingers and toes form - the embryo now has unique fingerprints. Its head is still very large compared to its body - almost half its length. The brain is growing at about 100,000 new brain cells every minute. All embryos look identical at seven weeks, before the sex-determining gene is switched on in males.
Weeks 9 to 12
From week 9 (the 11th week of pregnancy) the developing embryo is called a fetus. The size of its body catches up with the outsized head, making it look more human, although the legs are still slightly short. Protected by the amniotic fluid, the fetus can move around and flex its limbs. By 12 weeks, it can hear sounds, and its skin is sensitive to touch.
Weeks 13 to 16
The fetus grows very quickly during weeks 13 to 16 - doubling in size from 5 to 10 centimeters. The face starts to form, and by 14 weeks (the 16th week of pregnancy) the eyes can move. The eyelids stay closed until the final two months of pregnancy. Now that the internal organs are in their final positions, the bones begin to harden, although they remain flexible until after the baby has been born.
Weeks 17 to 20
By 20 weeks (the 22nd week of pregnancy), the mother can feel the fetus move. It has eyebrows and hair on its head. Its entire body is covered in fine, downy hair. A greasy substance called vernix protects the skin. The fetus practices swallowing and digesting fluid, and can even tell sweet tastes from bitter ones. An ultrasound scan may now reveal whether the fetus is a boy or a girl.
Weeks 21 to 25
During the second half of pregnancy, the fetus becomes increasingly aware of the world outside. It is startled by sudden noises, and is thought to be capable of feeling pain after 5-6 months. Rapid eye movements, associated with dreaming sleep in adults, begin at 21 weeks (the 23rd week of pregnancy). The fetus looks transparent, as it doesn’t yet have any fat under its skin.
Weeks 26 to 29
By 26 weeks (the 28th week of pregnancy), the lungs are ready to breathe air. The brain has developed enough to control breathing and body temperature to some extent. So from now on the fetus stands a good chance of surviving even if it’s born early. It has eyelashes and fingernails. It appears less wrinkled, as more and more fat is laid down under the skin.
Weeks 30 to 34
The baby’s skin is now pink and smooth, and its arms and legs are fatter. The eyes have opened, and by 30 weeks (the 32nd week of pregnancy) the pupils will dilate and contract in response to light. The mother may feel the baby hiccupping, after it has swallowed too much amniotic fluid. By 34 weeks, most babies have their heads downwards, ready for birth.
Weeks 35 to 38
The baby continues to put on weight, reaching an average of 3.4 kilograms by 38 weeks (the 40th week of pregnancy). It is outgrowing the womb, and starts the birth off by releasing hormones. 
The muscles of the mother’s womb start to contract, and labour begins. Most babies are born within ten days of their due date - but only 5 per cent actually arrive on the predicted day. 
This process of creation of the human being is stated in the following verses:
Allah (SW) said: “Verily We created man from a product of wet earth; Then placed him as a drop (of seed) in a safe lodging (womb); Then fashioned We the drop a clot, then fashioned We the clot a little lump, then fashioned We the little lump bones, then clothed the bones with flesh, and then produced it another creation. So blessed be Allah, the Best of Creators!“
[23:12-14]
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