سورة الطارق

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): خُلِقَ مِنْ ماءٍ دافِقٍ [He is created of water pouring forth] — the sperm that comes out with force.

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): ماءٍ دافِقٍ [water pouring forth] means the water that is poured into the womb of the woman, and what is meant is the "mani" (semen) from which the child comes into being.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abdullah ibn Sinan said: I said to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "The newborn resembles his father and his paternal uncle?" He said: "When the man's water precedes the woman's water, the child resembles his father and his paternal uncle, and when the woman's water precedes the man's water, the child resembles his mother and his maternal uncle."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Basir said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "A man sometimes resembles his maternal uncles and sometimes his paternal uncles?" He said: "Indeed the man's semen is white and thick, and the woman's semen is yellow and thin. If the man's semen overcomes the woman's semen, the man resembles his father and his paternal uncles, and if the woman's semen overcomes the man's semen, the man resembles his maternal uncles."

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): [Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him) said: A group of Jews asked the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) some questions, among them:] Why does a child resemble his paternal uncle so much that he bears no resemblance to his maternal uncles? He said: "Whichever one's water prevails over the other's, the resemblance goes to that side."

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): If the man's water precedes the woman's water, the child is drawn towards him (the father).

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Two drops of semen fight in the womb, and whichever is greater brings a resemblance. If the woman's is greater, it brings a resemblance to the maternal uncles, and if the man's is greater, it brings a resemblance to the paternal uncles. He said: "The semen turns about in the womb for forty days. Whoever wishes to supplicate to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, should do so in these forty days, before the child is created. Then Allah sends the angel of the wombs, who takes it and raises it before Allah, and stands as long as Allah wills, and says: 'O my Lord, is it a boy or a girl?' Allah reveals to him whatever He wills and the angel records it. Then he says: 'O my Lord, will he be wretched or happy?' And Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, reveals to him whatever He wills and the angel records it."

Imam Hasan (peace be upon him): Imam Jawad (peace be upon him) narrated a long hadith about Khidr (peace be upon him) coming to Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) and Imam Hasan (peace be upon him) and asking about certain matters:... Concerning the child who resembles the paternal and maternal uncles: indeed, when a man approaches his wife with a calm heart, resting veins and a still body and has intercourse, the semen settles in the womb, then the child comes out resembling his father. But if he approaches her with an agitated heart, the semen becomes unsettled and comes to rest upon one of the veins. So if it settles upon a vein of the paternal uncles, the child comes to resemble his paternal uncles, and if it settles upon a vein of the maternal uncles' veins, he comes to resemble the maternal uncles.