Who Accepts Evolution?
Posted on February 15th, 2009 by Tariq Nelson
“Creationists” reject the idea that the universe is billions of years old and believe that every animal is as it was 6,000 years ago when it was created - according to them. (Since they are so literal, do they reject the entire notion of a universe?)
Some of them even reject the idea of dinosaurs and/or claim that the dinosaurs died in the great flood.
Filed under: News
I don’t see anything in Islam contracting the idea of evolution as a theory. The descriptions of creation in the Bible are so unrealistic that it leads Christians to make inexplicably dumb statements to make things jibe with their own scriptures.
Muslims tend to follow in their footsteps and sort of blindly repeat the same ideas without really thinking about what the Qur’an says and how much of it is allegorical. That’s not to say you accept Darwin’s theories as indisputable truth but that as a Muslim you use intellect to determine what parts of it make the most sense and go from there.
I cant believe that 45% of Muslims agree that the theory of evolution is the BEST explanation for human existance. This is surely problematic because is is an absolute lie…
I am not to sure about this survey; it doesn’t seem right! 77% of Jews too, come on now!
I’m with Haroon. There’s no real reason for Muslims to not accept evolution is responsible for the incredible biodiversity we see on Earth. I’m actually surprised that the number of Muslims in 45% because I actually expected the number to be lower. Good to know there are plenty of other Muslims out there who believe like me. Believing in evolution doesn’t negate the existence of God or His hand in creation.
*”the number of Muslims is 45%”
*”the number of Muslims is 45%”
You mean: *”the proportion of Muslims is 45%”
Isn’t the big problem for muslims the claim that man was created in paradise and then put on earth? If that’s literally true then obviously man didn’t evolve on earth. If it isn’t literally true then a pretty important claim in the quran isn’t literally true and many others may also not be literally true.
I think most people don’t fully understand the “theory” of evolution. As Muslim we examine everything through the Qur’an. We need proof not speculation. Now offhand I can’t remember a verse in Qur’an stating one species “evolves” from other but as of now for example ,I see alot theory but no actual proof birds evolved from lizards or humans evolved from primates which evolutions theorize. They may be some evolutionary process taking place on the earth. However taking the theory of evolution as whole is a stance Muslims should reject.
If Muslims believe that Adam was 90 ft tall, then they must believe in some form of evolution no?
What about all the different races on the planet that have evolved and adapted to their regions and climates?
The question is rather misleading. One could believe in evolution (largely) yet not agree that its the best explanation of life on earth. Shaykh Nuh Keller has actually written on the subject and his conclusion is quite interesting.
The theory of evolution is extremely complex, and the reason why is because many of it’s predictions were falsified. No other scientific theory would have lasted this long. For example, Newtonian physics was replaced by the Theory of Relativity. What we see in evolution is not a replacement but additions (exceptions) to the evolutionary predictions which were valueless in explaining nature. One does have to take a lot of faith in such things as the Big Bang, how could something be created out of nothing? It can’t!
salaam,
here’s the article Phil referenced on evolution written by Shaykh Nuh.
http://www.masud.co.uk/ISLAM/nuh/evolve.htm
I dont find the idea of religious belief and evolution have to be different.
As a former Christian I always believed in the elements of the creation as well as evolutuion. Much of what drives some Christians to deny evolution is based on factual errors.
The first, and easiest to point out, is the idea that God created the earth in 6 days and rested on the 7th. The original text says that God created the earth in six periods of time. It is a bit egotistical for modern Christians to assert that God counts his “periods of time” in 24 hours.
There is a hadith somewhere out there that talks about what time means according to God. So when the Bible says “six periods of time” who is to say that each period of time, for God, might be 10 billion of what we know as years? So it would really mean that God created the earth in 60 billion years and then rested.
For me I see it entirely possible that evolution is what God has set into play. Adam and Even and the story told could have been nothing more than man’s state of evolution at the time that the story for us started.
Those who limit God to their own little understanding of creation and evolution really do God a disservice and limit His abilties to what their small weak minds can conjour up.
salams
i think that maybe people have forgetten the title of this survey, it is:
“% who agree evolution is the best explanation for the origins of human life on earth”
The survey was not askng if we believe in evolution as a concept because there are of course overwhelming evidence to support certain aspects of it and as Muslims we should have no problem with those few aspects. That was not the question though…
Evolution is NOT the best explanation for human existance however as it emplies we have evolved from apes and so on. We came from Adam (as) and this is our Aqeedah - this is truth, reality and the word of Allah aza wa jal and our Nabi (saw)
Hadith - Abu Dawud. Imam Ahmad has narrated from Abu Musa that the Prophet (saw) said:
“Allah has created Adam from a handful (soil) which He had gathered from all over the earth. That is how the children of Adam came according to the (colour and nature of the) earth. There are white among them, as well as red and black, and cross colours. There are those among them who are of bad nature and good nature, soft as well as harsh and in between”.
Allah (swt) says in The Noble Qur’an Al-A’raf 7:189
It is He Who has created you from a single person (Aadam), and (then) He has created from him his wife [Hawwa (Eve)], in order that he might enjoy the pleasure of living with her. …
neither Adam or Huwa (as) evolved from an ape and to suggest they did is uttering words of disbelief, so we need to be very careful.
ma salama
I am sorry for not being precise in a comment section on a blog. I’ll remember to be more precise next time.
I actually don’t believe that everything in the Qur’an is meant to be literal. If it was, then I would have to believe that God has literal hands and literal shins. I don’t.
Even the Qur’an is pretty vague about our origins. In Baqarah the angels ask Allah why he is going to create another species that is going to create mischief and bloodshed. That always made me wonder who the angels were referring to. It could be jinns, it could be our primate cousins.
Exactly. I still think it’s possible to accept Adam (as) as a prophet and accept Hawa and still not reject the idea that process of how they came into being was through evolution. I believe evolution was Allah’s tool for all the biodiversity we see on Earth from my cat to the tree outside my home to myself. I believe Allah is the ultimate cause, the first cause for everything else that currently exists in the universe.
Muslims do not interpret Qur’anic verses or Hadiths figuratively unless there is a compelling reason to do so. Denying that Allah has literal bones or limbs, for example, is done for it contradicts the essence of the `Aqidah: Allah does not–in any way–resemble the creations. Being of parts and occupying space applies to created things–and not the Creator. Furthermore, the belief that Allah is a body contradicts common sense rational proofs (for instance, the body needs the space it occupies–Allah is not in need of anything (including space)).
In the case of Prophet Adam’s creation, it is mentioned in the Qur’an and the Hadith that Adam was created in Paradise. Furthermore, there is Ijma` (Consensus) on this matter. To claim otherwise is not only to belie the Qur’an and Hadith, but to claim that the Muslims have collectively failed to understand the Qur’an.
Lastly, one has to keep in mind that evolution-theory is based upon examining events and coming up with ideas to explain those events. We do not abandon the Deen because of the latest trends/theories in science. The theory remains a THEORY and has no proof, for the theory is not based upon sound sources of knowledge. There is no compelling reason to make figurative interpretation for Adam’s creation, for it doesn’t contradict any sort of rational proof: the Creator of the universe created the first human in Paradise. Nothing in that statement contradicts the judgment of reason. Furthermore, the ape is considered among the lowliest an most vile creatures. To claim that Adam, A PROPHET OF ALLAH, descended from such vile beast undoubtedly entails slandering the office of Prophethood and is kufr (disbelief).
The followers of Darwin are more fanatical and dogmatic in their attachment to his theory than any follower of any religious creed. The nexus of the argument goes back to the principle of revelation proceeding human reasoning that Ibn Taymiyyah so valiantly and logically defended.
There is a nice lecture by Sh. Abu Ishaaq Al-Huwayni from Egypt on this topic.
http://www.islamway.com/?iw_s=Lesson&iw_a=view&lesson_id=47356
is that 45% based on a) muslim adoption of white christian views on everything that isnt flaming obvious and b) utter abdication of thought leadership
Not all Christian creationists are ‘young earth’, as you state. Not even sure ‘most’ are. I figure God is God, He can do whatever He wants. If He used macro-evolution, adaptation and mutation as part of His plan in creation, that’s His business.
Abu S says: “It is a bit egotistical for modern Christians to assert that God counts his “periods of time” in 24 hours.”
I don’t know if you studied Hebrew when you were a Christian, but from what I have heard from those who have is that the specific word does mean a 24 hour period. There is another verse that says “a day is as a thousand years”.
A scholar on Salman Al Oadah’s website mentions how it is possible that there may have been other “adams” before Adam (peace be upon him).
http://islamtoday.com/showme2.cfm?cat_id=29&sub_cat_id=1981
Salam,
I read in the tafseer of the Quran that there is a also a difference of opinion whether Adam was actually created in paradise or not. There is an opinion that, I think ibn Katheer acknowledges, that states that Adam was created on earth and never saw heaven. Instead the jannah mentioned in Baqarah refers to a garden on earth. This is because some scholars like to interpret the hadith that noone hase seen heaven.
This is why regarding Swathmoor’s claim that:
“In the case of Prophet Adam’s creation, it is mentioned in the Qur’an and the Hadith that Adam was created in Paradise”,
I feel that this does not close the doors of interpretation for the people who hold the other opinion. If there is a hadeeth, however, that would clearly state that Adam had no father or mother, this would definitely close the doors on evolution.
Does anyone know any such hadith?