:sl:
Sorry for the
delayed response - I don't usually check this section.
The hadith is narrated in Sahih Bukhari, in the book concerning the merits of the Ansar.
There are two possible responses to give to this issue, one of which I provided in a previous thread when this exact same question was raised and it relates to the actual meaning of the phrase in the hadith itself. The translation of the phrase can be constructed as
As for the child, if the man/male/masculine fluid/water/substance precedes the woman/female/femine fluid/water/substance, the child inclines/bears/attracts [resemblance] to it. [and vice versa].
Within the generality of such a statement, there are a number of possible interpretations and ideas one can draw from it including that relating to X and Y chromosomes.
The second possible response is provided here and operates on the common translation of the narration:
http://www.islamtoday.com/show_detai...main_cat_id=31
Essentially, the point is that the relationship between genotype and phenotype is quite complex and not yet fully understood. Very few traits can be reduced to simple Mendelian cases. The reason as to why some genes appear to prevail over others relates to not only the interaction between two allelesm but between different genes as well as genes and the environment. It is entirely plausible that many of the environmental conditons surrounding and preceding the fertilization of the egg have an impact on the dominance of some phenotypes over others. Thus, there is nothing in modern science which can negate the above hadith. Consider also that the Prophet Muhammad pbuh was being asked a question by 7th century desert arabs which would entail an in-depth and drawn-out exposition from the basics of cellular biology to the details of advanced genetic architecure - a simple and very general response would be far more appropriate while still maintaining the required degree of accuracy necessary.
I hope this helps.
:w: