It was initially assumed in ancient times that women were responsible for female children, later science figured that the man was sort of more responsible because he carried the Y(male) chromosome. Both these have been found to be wrong in absolute sense, in reality God(Allah) determines sex, but this is through a process of ‘prevalence’ of the contributing gametes by both the male and the female. The first known authentic documentation on this was provided by Prophet Muhammed(P) of Islam in Hadith(records of his narrations):

The Hadith above determines that participation of both parents is required to determination of sex.[1]

Recent advances in fertilization studies showed that sex determination is an electric phenomenon[2], the ovum has an electrical polarity cycle with a changing electrical charge ( positive , neutral , negative) , also Y-carrying sperm has a positive charge & X- carrying sperm has a negative charge .When the ovum is negatively charged , it unites with Y-carrying sperm with the positive charge and a male child is produced . When the ovum is positively charged , it unites with X- carrying sperm with the negative charge and a female child is produced . Thus , the coming child acquires the sex of the gamete (sperm or ovum) that has a positive charge .

According to basics of electricity, the positive charge is the prevalent or the stronger and this fact is in amazing accordance with the hadeeth of prophet Muhammad and proves not only the truth of this hadeeth , but also gives an evidence to his prophethood who had told these facts since 1500 years because in Arabic the term prevail means overcomes or conquers , and it becomes clear that the gamete that has the positive charge overcomes the negative one & the child will have the sex of the prevailing gamete . Thus , male and female share each other in determination of the sex of the coming offspring in accordance with the prophet’s hadeeth.

Although these scientific facts informs us about the way by which one sex is determined , this does not mean that we become able to have the child we desire , Allah , the Almighty , in the noble Qur’an said

“Unto Allah belongeth the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth .He createth what He will. He bestoweth female (offspring) upon whom He will, and bestoweth male (offspring) upon whom He will or He mingleth them, males and females, and He maketh barren whom He will . Lo!He is Knower, Powerful “( Al-Shura , 42 : Ayat 49-50)