Source: Fatāwā al-Dīn al-Khāliṣ, Vol. 1, Page 218❖ What Are the "Three Darknesses" Mentioned for the Fetus in the Womb?
Question:What is meant by the fetus being in “three layers of darkness” in the womb, as mentioned in the Qur’ān?
Answer:الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد!
ولا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله
Qur’ānic Basis:
The reference to these three darknesses comes from the following verse in the Noble Qur’ān:
﴿ يَخْلُقُكُمْ فِي بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ خَلْقًا مِّنۢ بَعْدِ خَلْقٍ فِي ظُلُمَٰتٍ ثَلَاثٍ ﴾
“He creates you in the wombs of your mothers, creation after creation, in three layers of darkness.”
Sūrah al-Zumar (39:6)✦ Interpretations by Scholars
① Tafsīr of ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما
As reported by Imām al-Qurṭubī رحمه الله, Ibn ʿAbbās explained the three darknesses as:
◈ Darkness of the Abdomen (البطن)
◈ Darkness of the Womb (الرّحم)
◈ Darkness of the Membrane Enveloping the Fetus (المشيمة)
These represent the three physical layers in which the fetus is concealed and nurtured in the mother’s womb.
② Opinion of Abū ʿUbaydah
According to the linguist Abū ʿUbaydah:
◈ Darkness of the Abdomen
◈ Darkness of the Womb
◈ Darkness of the Father's Back (i.e., origin of the sperm)
However, this view is more metaphorical and less supported by majority Mufassirūn.
Preferred and Strongest View (Rājiḥ Qawl):
Among these, the interpretation attributed to Ibn ʿAbbās is the most accurate and widely accepted, namely:
① Abdominal wall (بطن)
② Uterus (رحم)
③ Amniotic membrane (مشيمة)
These are actual physical enclosures that form the three darknesses referred to in the Qur’ān, signifying the intricate concealment and development of the human being in the unseen layers of the womb.
✦ Summary:
These three "darknesses" highlight Allah’s perfect design and protection of human life at its most fragile stage — unseen and untouched by the human eye, yet under divine care.
ھٰذا ما عندي، واللّٰه أعلم بالصواب
