I am curious about the stance of Islam on Evolution and Creation. I have seen Christian scientists in the west run circles around evolution. To me its not necessarily inconsistant with faith, but its a hot button issue in American. I remember in Pk, it wasn’t really an issue. You were taught evolution in school and there was no mention of an inconsistancy. Since Pk is an islamic state they would teach ‘creation’ in schools instead unlike the US, but it wasn’t relaly done (at least where I was) I am curious as to how Islam has resolved the conflict between Evolution and Creation and why Christinity cannot do so.
Re: Islam and Evolution
Here is a good read on the subject from a modern day sufi.
Evolution and Islam
Here you can read about him:
Shaykh Nuh Keller - Home Page
Re: Islam and Evolution
Mullah has evolved a lot over decades. For instance
1. When trains were first introduced in british india, riding on it was forbidden and it was called devil's ride. Now its considered ok.
2. When Cup (glass) was first introduced, it was considered haram by mullahs, who prefered bowl (katora). Now it is halal.
3. When camera was introduced, it was considered haram. Photographs were sinful, now mullahs carry currency with Quaid-e-Azam's picture on it. No one complains.
4. When TV was first introduced, it was considered haram for the same reason as #3. Now mullahs have their own shows on tv.
5. When VCR came along, mullahs had accepted TV as halal, but VCR was just too much. Thats why people renting VCRs had to hide them in black cloth. Now it is accepted, though DVD players are prefered by mullahs for sound quality and better picture.
We are not far from days, when mullahs will accept evolution, and will actually prove it from Quran and Hadees.
Do you have any references for above noted conspiracy theories ?
There are some who prove evolution is not against Islam. One example is
Evolution | Blogging the Qur’an | guardian.co.uk
Many more exist.
Re: Islam and Evolution
Hey thanks for the article! It actually makes really perfect sense and something I thought was the case anyways. In Islam, you attribute all causes to Allah and their effects as well, therefore evolution as a mechanism is not inconsistant but thinking it is a random is. There's also an interesting discussion about the veil created by Allah so that humans may have faith. I know Christians belive that the evidence of evolution is planted by the devil to confuse humans and lead them on the wrong path, whereas muslims do not attribute such ability to act independantly and against Allah's will to the devil so he could not have (against Allah's will) planted the evidence so to speak.
Re: Islam and Evolution
Robert, did you even read that article? Your assertions though true and mildly amusing have little to do with this topic.
Robert, did you even read that article? Your assertions though true and mildly amusing have little to do with this topic.
The topic is kind of discussing the role of roman empire, in the research of renewable energy resources. so what is Islam's stans against evolution. answer is nothing. does it suggest in any shape or form, limited or large scale evolution happens, NO. does it suggest it does not happen, NO. Does it discuss evolution? NO. so why are we trying to link them?
Mullah has evolved a lot over decades. For instance 1. When trains were first introduced in british india, riding on it was forbidden and it was called devil's ride. Now its considered ok. 2. When Cup (glass) was first introduced, it was considered haram by mullahs, who prefered bowl (katora). Now it is halal. 3. When camera was introduced, it was considered haram. Photographs were sinful, now mullahs carry currency with Quaid-e-Azam's picture on it. No one complains. 4. When TV was first introduced, it was considered haram for the same reason as #3. Now mullahs have their own shows on tv. 5. When VCR came along, mullahs had accepted TV as halal, but VCR was just too much. Thats why people renting VCRs had to hide them in black cloth. Now it is accepted, though DVD players are prefered by mullahs for sound quality and better picture.
We are not far from days, when mullahs will accept evolution, and will actually prove it from Quran and Hadees.
I love your enthusiasm to tell the truth but if you could direct this enthusiasm in a positive direction, I think you would do more good. I think the mullah term has gotten old, people have gotten off the bandwagon. Not to say you don't respect the scholars but don't put them down at the same time.
Re: Islam and Evolution
Robert,
I hope you are doin’ well and the peace of Allah is with you…
here is an interesing PDF on the Islamic stance on Evolution and Biology
Download it, it’s the November Article. I hope you find what you need.
P.S.
Don’t listen to the people because some here will try to tell that we - Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat - are outta pale of Islam. You want an answer on Evolution, there you go
Mullah has evolved a lot over decades. For instance 1. When trains were first introduced in british india, riding on it was forbidden and it was called devil's ride. Now its considered ok. 2. When Cup (glass) was first introduced, it was considered haram by mullahs, who prefered bowl (katora). Now it is halal. 3. When camera was introduced, it was considered haram. Photographs were sinful, now mullahs carry currency with Quaid-e-Azam's picture on it. No one complains. 4. When TV was first introduced, it was considered haram for the same reason as #3. Now mullahs have their own shows on tv. 5. When VCR came along, mullahs had accepted TV as halal, but VCR was just too much. Thats why people renting VCRs had to hide them in black cloth. Now it is accepted, though DVD players are prefered by mullahs for sound quality and better picture.
We are not far from days, when mullahs will accept evolution, and will actually prove it from Quran and Hadees.
lol...banda yeh baatain tub kheta hai jab aik Mullah nay usay perheya hoo or us ki thukai ki ho :p
With all due respect. This would not be considered a mainsteam perspective on Islam. My question was contracting Islam’s view on evolution vs. mainstream christinaity’s view. Looking at the Ahmadi view would be like looking at the Mormons or the the Fire Handlers to figure out what the main stream christian view is. The academic paper though hard to read is really clear in providing a good answer as to why Islam has been more conducive to accepting the science of evolution than Christinity and frankly much more rational and academic about it.
I dont know much about this topic but i will give my views anyway.
The theory of evolution was put together by A bloke called Charles Darwin. Charles Darwin was a devout Christian. He did not publish his theories for many a years since he himself believed the scriptures of the bible i.e he belived the fact that god created the earth (universe) and everything in it within 6 days and rested on the 7th. He did not want to be such a deviant and put off from publishing his work for a very long time.
However the more he studied and looked into the theory he discovered he was being proved right over and over again and therefore started to conclude we must have came from a much smaller bacteria organism and over the course of millions of years we evolved into humans.
He stated a few points that need to be noted.
A. Darwin stated himself if it could be demonstrated that a single cell organ etc etc was put together just like that without it being formed over a number of changes over a period of time then his theory would collapse. Scientist in america have found such a cell. Look up proffesor behe and a thing called phegelm.
B. Darwins theory stated that through survival of the fittest a parents instincts genes muscles etc etc are passed on to its child. Scientist have now discovered well in the last 20 years or so something called DNA this tels us it makes up how we look feel etc etc. this is before were born. Scientist have said you can have an alpha lion who is king of the jungle his dna passed onto his offspring will be the same as that of a weaker lion. Therefore it cancels out survival of the fittest.
C. Darwin stated for his theory to be correct you will find in the bedrock of the earth - intermediatory animals insects etc etc. for example something in between humans and an ape. i.e neandethals. No such discoveries have been made. However every year or so we hear such a discovery has been made. Only for it to be proved wrong many years later when scientist discover a new bone skull etc etc. Example about around 1910 a skull was found in america of an extinct ape. Scientist said they have found the missing link. However 50 years later they found a whole new batch of the same skull in africa.
The theory of evolution has been given more credit since the theory of the big bang appeared. Together these two theories have formed followers called atheists. They believe the big bang was the intial spark and then through evolutiion we have got to where we are today.
This contradicts the bible and our QURAN. Disclaiming a creator and therefore directly defying gods being. Therefore we can not belive in the theory of evolution or the big bang theory. Since we would be contradictiong our quran.
In america there is a new theory which is having alot of support at the moment it is called the theory of intelligent design. it directly contradicts the theory of evolution. however the popularity of the movement keeps growing. This theory states there is a greater being who creates i.e god. Fairly soon may be not in my life time but this theory may finally bury the theory of evolution.
In america in the early days it was against the law to teach the theory of evolution. However in the 1940s a law was passed which allowed to teach the theory of evolution and banned the teaching of creation from the bible. However parents in america still state that the theory of evolution is just a strong theory and not fact !!! therefore theres alot of controvesy over there atm regarding the subject.
As for our islamic societies teaching evolution to our kids is beknown to me. i guess they want us to keep up with the west. Even though the west is always moving far further from us and when we catch up they dis credit our findings. i.e at the peak of our islamic culture when we discovered many things this periiod is known as the dark ages in history from a western point of view.
Since atheism has been around many things have gone wrong in the world. wars wars and more wars. Since people have stopped beliveing in a creator
Re: Islam and Evolution
This contradicts the bible and our QURAN. Disclaiming a creator and therefore directly defying gods being. Therefore we can not belive in the theory of evolution or the big bang theory. Since we would be contradictiong our quran.
well the idea is that the Quran and the Bible differ in the intention part. Also the bible divides God's nature where as since Islam sees Allah as a singular source of power, Allah can set in motion events to cause things to happen, the example the auther gives is that Allah could have made humans as he made angles i.e. they'd never need to eat, but for Humans Allah provides a means and food and tells us how to get that food etc.... In Islam its belief that Allah made all things i.e. things are not random.
Re: Islam and Evolution
Albert Einstein the greatest western scientist whom has ever exsisted, was also against the theory of evolution. He spent his entire life time trying to prove that every single thing in this life has a set path.
The quran also states this. (sorry cant provide exact surah)
Unfortunately Albert Einstein died working on this project he was working on it even on his death bed. He left behind thousands of papers and formulas of his research they are called "Einsteins Unfinished symphony"
1 day in the future scientists will prove his theory right.
Re: Islam and Evolution
Yes but in Christinanity man is created in the imiage of God i.e. god is anthropomophic, i.e. they will draw an imiage of God (not just Jesus) as they have on the cistine ceiling famouly and various other places. In Islam Allah is NUR not something that is in the shape of a person, infact thinking man looks like God is a sin supreme. Therefore I think evolution the mechanism has a lot more compatibility with Islam than Christinanity. That makes Islam more compatible with scienfic study. Eienstien was not a christian btw, he was born a Jew but died largely an agnostic.
Re: Islam and Evolution
everyone knows the quran is more sciebtifically compatible than the bible.
i.e bible states vegtables,plantswere created before light
Re: Islam and Evolution
I never came across anything in Islam to suggest that animals couldn't have evolved in a manner that was guided by Allah SWT.
On the other hand, I don't believe that humans evolved. There's overwhelming scriptoral evidence that man was created as man.
Re: Islam and Evolution
it is well known that much of evolution theory is based around jews going around burying bones in different parts of the world
I never came across anything in Islam to suggest that animals couldn't have evolved in a manner that was guided by Allah SWT.
On the other hand, I don't believe that humans evolved. There's overwhelming scriptoral evidence that man was created as man.
Agree. And evidence of evolution could also be taken to suggest that animals evolved upto a certain beyond beyond which humans were created by God.
If you read about DNA and genealogy, there is so overwhelming evidence that humans evolved from a single Man, who they refer to as the genetic Adam who carried the M168 marker. So far DNA analysis has not contradicted Islam. The markers from other homonid species which used to be hailed as the predecessors who humans in evolution have been proven to be a different species all together from humans. The absence of such evidence in the past gave rise to many theories of us evolving from neaderthals and other homind species. And as always these finds change every decade after further advancements in science.
I never came across anything in Islam to suggest that animals couldn't have evolved in a manner that was guided by Allah SWT.
On the other hand, I don't believe that humans evolved. There's overwhelming scriptoral evidence that man was created as man.
It is counterproductive to drag religion into science. If you are struggling with the question "Wether evolution of man was from Adam, or a piece of clay, or some other specie,". Make sure you do not select your answer based on some story in Bible or Quran. That is not the purpose of these books.
No religious book can be used for scientific progress. Why? because almost all the religious links to science are made AFTER the discoveries have been made through science.
Religions are static (after their initial development) and should not change. Any change in religions will create a new sect and hence a new fitna. That is why according to some scholars Ijtihad doors were closed. Anyways it is a separate discussion re: Ijtihad.
For example religious books cannot tell us if there is (or was) some kind of life on Mars. It will be a scientific discovery that will guide us to the conclusion. Off course at that very moment (when the discovery has already been made), people will find ayahs in Injeel and tora and Quran to show us the religious proof.
While religions are static, science on the other hand goes through changes and thus dynamic. And that is why we should keep the two as separate as possible.
Another bad influence of mixing relgion with science is particular devastating for Pakistani youth. Especially when our future i.e. our youth becomes indoctrinated at early age with international political and religious mixture. This mixture is lethal for our youth as it devastates their intellectual pursuit in the West.
Had Pakistani youth not destroyed by religious dogma, we would not have suffered from visa embargo on students going for higher education to the West. We would have had access to latest scientific tools and education just like Indians and Chinese.
Alas religion hamaray no-jawano ko lay dooba.