İKİNCİ FEN · DÖRDÜNCÜ BAB · BİRİNCİ FASIL · Dördüncü Madde
**Article Four**
Concerning the nerves emerging from the spinal cord and issuing from the cervical vertebrae.
Beloved! It is known that anatomical scholars have stated: All the nerves which arise from the spinal cord in the neck and traverse the vertebrae are known to be eight pairs.
The first pair emerges from the two openings of the first vertebra and distributes itself only to the muscles of the head. [586] This pair has been created fine and small, so that its point of origin may be narrow and the vertebral bones remain in their proper state.
The place of emergence of the second pair is among the openings common to the first and second vertebrae. And a portion of this pair [587] has found sensation in the organs located in the head, encompassing the entire circumference of the head and extending towards its front. It completes the deficiency of the small pair residing in the outer skin surrounding the ears. The remainder reaches the muscles on the back of the neck, to the flat muscle behind the neck [588], and finds movement within them.
The place of emergence of the third pair is among the openings common to the second and third vertebrae; each nerve divides into two branches, one branch distributing itself to the muscles present there. The branches of this limb correspond to the muscles connecting the head to the neck, adhering to their roots from the protrusions of the vertebrae within them. From there, they ascend to mix with the membrane-like fascia arising from those nerves. They then spread around the ears. In the bodies of animals, it has reached both ears to enable the movement of the ears. [131/a] The second limb reaches the side of the cheek and distributes itself to the flat muscle there. Ascending upwards, vessels and muscles have joined with it and strengthened it, gaining power. This second limb reaches the ear muscle in animals and distributes itself within the temporal muscle.
The place of emergence of the fourth pair is from the openings common to the third and fourth vertebrae. A portion of it, like the third pair mentioned above, distributes itself forwards and backwards, merging with the fifth pair due to its smallness [589]. The posterior part turns towards the back and proceeds to the muscles, reaching the sensory nerves. It sends branches to the muscles common to the head and neck, then descends as far as the waist, terminating there.
The place of emergence of the fifth pair is from the openings common to the fourth and fifth vertebrae. As with the fourth pair mentioned above, this also has two limbs; the anterior limb is small and reaches the facial muscles. It spreads through the muscles that tilt the head and neck forward, those common to the head and neck. The posterior limb has two branches, one of which serves as a passage between the anterior limb and the second branch. It reaches the upper parts of the shoulder and mixes with portions of the sixth and seventh pairs. The second limb also merges with the limbs of the sixth and seventh pairs, descends, and joins the diaphragm.
The places of emergence of the sixth and seventh pairs are from the openings in accordance with the order previously explained, namely the lower openings. The place of emergence of the eighth pair is from the openings common to the first vertebra of the back vertebrae and the seventh vertebra of the cervical vertebrae. These three pairs have intermingled their limbs. Most of the sixth pair reaches the shoulder head. A small portion, along with a small portion of the fourth and fifth pairs, descends to the diaphragm. Most of the seventh pair reaches and a small portion joins the small portions of the fifth pair with the muscles of the head, neck, and lower back, and then reaches the diaphragm. A small portion of the eighth pair reaches the shoulder, while most of it separates into nerves and limbs.
The wisdom behind the diaphragm receiving from these nerves is that, descending from above, the nerves have been made easier to divide. The function of the diaphragm being extremely important, its nerves come from very different places, so that harm to the beginning of one of these places does not disrupt its operation.
“He who brings forth everything without precedent and creates, He who perfects His creations in a pure and sound order, distinguishing them with differing qualities, and He who determines the forms and conditions of what He has created, bringing it into being and shaping it as He wills – may Allah be free from all deficiency and fault.”