Islam and biological evolution
A while ago I started up a topic on Islam and evolution asking whether the two were compatible. I can't find that thread now so am starting a new one.
This debate between Inayat Bunglawala and Harun Yahya on the validity of the theory of evolution shows that there is a place for evolution within Islamic discourse.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jul/01/evolution.islam
Inayat Bunglawala's argument is that taking the theory of evolution seriously is not incompatible with belief in Islam. It also shows that we should be careful not to take our intellectual cues from Christian fundamentalists in the US.
This is Inayat's opening statement:
Your many professionally produced books, CDs and DVDs seeking to expose the alleged fallacy of the theory of evolution have been widely distributed and translated into numerous languages and have brought you a large readership and following amongst Muslims in recent years. In Islamic bookstores throughout Europe and the US it is your striking and colourful works that stand out most clearly.
In common, I suppose, with many believers in God, I had always been uncomfortable about the implications of Darwin's theory and as it happens your book, The Evolution Deceit, which I first read in the late 1990s, played perfectly to my prejudices. The book contained many seemingly authoritative quotations from respected scientists expressing their incredulity at Darwin's theory and pointing out its weaknesses.
It was only when I began reading the works of those very same scientists, including Richard Dawkins, Stephen Jay Gould, Niles Eldredge, Colin Patterson etc first hand that I realised just how selective and misleading the quotations in your books were. Biological evolution was an established fact. The "theory" part referred to the mechanism by which evolution had occurred and far from being on the verge of collapse, it was in vibrant health and had been shown in test after test to have immense explanatory power.
Evolutionary theory helps shed light on a multitude of scientific questions including providing a compelling explanation for why a dispassionate study of the fossil record shows the gradual and sequential appearance on earth of single-celled organisms, then fish, amphibians, reptiles and mammals, and also why humans – as well as other animals – have numerous suboptimal characteristics. What mechanism do you propose better explains these phenomena?
Human beings are instructed in the Qur'an by God to undertake a study of the creation of the heavens and the earth. Our enemy is surely not evolution, but ignorance.
Salaams,
Inayat
24 June 2005
1 hour 3 min
For reference: http://www.therevival.co.uk/forum/general/1037
(Revival Google Search is your friend.)
It’s a brand new day
And the sun is high
All the birds are singing
That you’re gonna die
25 June 2005
5 weeks 5 days
Salam
Evolution?
Muslims do not believe in monkey stories.
Omrow
---
31 March 2008
1 hour 41 min
One question: if humans evolved from Apes... then what are we evolving into? or are we going to become extinct before that happens?
Infinite number of square waves make up a sine wave
11 May 2006
1 hour 40 min
They didn't, so the question is pointless.
31 March 2008
1 hour 41 min
dats the whole point of the question... i wanna kno what we r evolving into to determine dat we did (not) evolve from Ape.
the bit that says that Humans evolved from apes suggests that we did not exist before that... then why do Apes still exist? and if evolution in humans does exist.... then are we going to evolve into something that does not exist? are we gna breed some new DNA? new phenotypes? ... all evolution abt humans is disregarding is the fact that Adam and Eve were placed on earth after its contruction in a brief period.... since then alll the changes in human features are due to the environment and then the good genes passed on...
Infinite number of square waves make up a sine wave
3 July 2008
7 weeks 3 days
http://www.evolutiondeceit.com/global_impact.php
The facts speak for themselves, the evolution theory is extinct.
And say: Truth hath come and falsehood hath vanished away. Lo!
falsehood is ever bound to vanish. Al Quran; Chapter 17 verse 81
erm... that is teh same book that the link ion the original post refutes.
24 June 2005
35 min 54 sec
About Adam and Eve:
Taking the theory of evolution seriously in relation to animals and the earth doesn't mean that you disregard the fact that Adam and Eve were the first humans.
Everything else evolved but Adam and Eve were the first humans.
24 June 2005
24 min 19 sec
I'm not saying evolution hasn't necessarily occured in plants and animals, I have no quranic or hadith evidence to refute that, but from my understanding of Islam, evolution of man is a load of.........well I'll leave that to your imagination. We don't come from apes, monkeys etc. However when judgement day comes, we will not be entering jannat (if we are allowed in), in the form we are now, I have read a quote somewhere saying we will be 40 feet, sorry can't remember link or I would provide it, so man will evolove int eh future, but not now and we haven't in the past, and that's my 2 cents.........or should I say pence seeing as I'm British.
Peace!
The human form of genocide/
Even though ppl should only fear God/
When I'm around they still run inside/
21 November 2006
2 min 32 sec
Why do people feel that they can comment in such a way on a very complicated topic which they know so little about.
'evolution is CLEARLY a load of rubbish' (or words to that effect).
You only ever see people being zealous about things they are not sure about.
Noone is zealous about Pythagoras' theorem.
Just say Allahu Alim.
2∞&➔
31 March 2008
1 hour 41 min
hmm... i wud love to read up/ research alot more on it but with what i know... yes Adam (AS) and Eve (AS) did not evolve from anything... over the years humans have ADAPTED to their environment and will continue to do so... thats known as natural selection (nowadays migration limits this but human intelligence keeps em warm)
do you know what?... in a way the evolution theory disgregards the existance of Adam and Eve... or are they the first human species... did the Apes think that they had abnormal babies? lol ok im being silliy now but do u get my point? its just happens that the APE DNA is 75-80% similar (not the same) to human DNA... thats fine... but it does not mean they have the same DNA as us... i don't see no Apes giving birth to human babies now... do you!?! i mean they exist today so why don't they breed humans any more?
(i might have to eidt this... later)
Infinite number of square waves make up a sine wave
24 June 2005
35 min 54 sec
Not even people who don't believe in Adam and Eve suggest that apes suddenly started having human babies and that's how humans came about. That is a crude caricature.
19 August 2007
9 hours 29 min
Adapting to your surroundings is different from changing your limbs or whatever.
If we have evolved then why were Austropithicus, Homo erectus and homo sapiens around at the same time? Doesn't it take millions of years?
Chin up, mate! Life's too short.
31 March 2008
1 hour 41 min
i forgot to add 'eventually' in the jumble of words from me up there^^
Infinite number of square waves make up a sine wave