Islam and Darwin's Evolution Theory
All praises are due to Allah Who forgive sin, accept repentance, Who is strict in punishment, and has a long reach (in all things). There is no god but He alone with no partner. He raised Muhammad (PBUH) as giver of glad tidings, and warner, and as one who invites to Allah's (grace) by His leave, and as a lamp spreading light. Oh Allah, grant peace and blessing to Muhammad (PBUH) his household, companions, and send salutation onto him accordingly.
If not all of us majority of us will remember the theory of Evolution as propounded by Charles Darwin. This theory received a lot of criticism from Religionist and Scientist alike, but what is the view of Islam and Islamic Scholars about the theory?
Islam believes in the theory of creation and Darwinists believe in the Theory of Evolution. In this article briefly it is discussed that the life on earth is created by God; it is not accidental or by chance. The atheists and the materialists negate the existence of God and consider human life and even mind to be a form of matter. Darwin's theory of Evolution has influenced the minds of people and their character has been influenced as well. Such people do not believe in divine morals and values. They do not believe in God, soul and Hereafter. Islam says that God has created this universe and Humans with a specified goal. In Sura Baqara in verse 117 the Quran says: “To Him is due the primal origin of the heavens and the earth: when He decrees a matter, He says to it: “Be”, and it is.” Similarly in Sura Yasin in verse no. 82 the Quran announces: “Verily, when He intends a thing, His command is, “Be”; and it is”. Suppose about the creation of soul the Quran says: They ask you about soul, say; the soul is the command of my Lord” All humans and the cosmos has been regarded as “Creature”. Moreso, the Quran in Sura Al-Imran in verse 190 says; “Behold! In the creation of heavens and the earth, and the alternation of Night and Day there are indeed signs for men of understanding.” There are many verses in the Quran dealing with the subject of creation.
There is also the concept of evolutionary process in creation but it is not in Darwinian sense but in the sense of developing stages of cosmos. The Quran in Sura Al-A’raf in verse 54 announces; “Your Guardian Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days.” Then in Sura “Al-Anaam” in verse 2 the Quran says; “He it is who created you from clay; and then decreed a stated term for you. And there is in His presence another determined term; yet you doubt within yourselves”. The six days and stated term indicate the process and stages of creation by God. The creation of the universe in six days is the Biblical concept as well. Man is the blend of Matter and Soul. When God created Adam out of clay he infused his spirit in it. The Quran very explicitly narrates the story of the creation of Adam. The materialists do not believe in creation and spirit and regard the universe only the product of blind material forces. Now let us discuss what Darwin propounded. Darwinism bases on materialism. The ancient Greek materialists like Democritus believed in Evolutionary Naturalism. Besides the British scientist Charles Robert Darwin (1809 1882) and the British philosopher Herbert Spencer (1820 1903), a number of other eminent philosophers supported the theory of evolution. Hegel's theory of cosmic evolution is its offshoot. Nietzsche applied the concept of evolution to ethical theory. Karl Marx and Engels adopted it to socio political philosophy. Thomas Henry Huxlay humanized it. Henri Bergson became one of its most influential exponents and Samuel Alexander developed it into his novel theory of emergent evolution. French Zoologist Jean de Lamarck (1744 1829), in 1809 presented his pioneering theory of evolution. Charles Darwin, in his “The Origin of Species” (1859) and “The Descent of Man” (1871), presented his theory of evolution. He presented the theory of the Mechanism of Natural Selection or survival of the fittest. Darwinism maintains that living things were not created but came into being by chance. Darwinism, materialism and communism believe in matter not in spirit. Darwin himself regarded his theory based on assumptions. Darwinism has been scientifically rejected.
Darwin believed in the transferring of traits of one species to the other. He maintains that living creatures passed on the traits they acquired during lifetime to the next generation. Giraffes evolved from antelopes and bear transformed into whales. However, the laws of inheritance discovered by Gregor Mendel (1822 1884) and verified by the science of genetics have nullified the theory of evolutionary mechanism. Neo-Darwinism advances the Modern synthetic Theory”. Mutations, i.e.; genetic disorders do not cause living beings to develop on the contrary they are always harmful. The fossil record theory of Darwin, which was a basic contention, has been rejected on scientific grounds. According to this theory, every living species has sprung from a predecessor. No “Transitional Forms” have yet been uncovered. On the contrary, the British Paleontologist, Drerk v. Ager in “The Nature of the Fossil Record” admits that the fossil records shows not gradual evolution but the sudden explosion of one group at the expense of another. This is just the opposite of Darwin's assumptions. Douglas J. Futuyma, an eminent evolutionist biologist in his book, “Science of Trail” announces organism as the creation of some omnipotent intelligence. Fossils show, writes Harun Yahua, in his book, “The Importance of Conscience in the Quran”, that living beings emerged fully developed and in a perfect state on the earth. That means, that the Origin of Species, contrary to Darwin's suppositions, is not evolution, but creation.” On the wonders of creation the Quran in Sura Rahman aptly announces: “He has created man. He has taught him an intelligent speech.” Then in the same Sura in verse 13 God announce; “Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny.”
Read in the next Edition…Darwin Died A Muslim'
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