The science has formulated
a ‘Theory of Evolution’ to explain the creation of human being. Word ‘Theory’
means; something taken as true without proof for the sake of argument or investigation,
its opposite is ‘fact’; a thing known for certain to have occurred or to be
true; a datum of experience. Evolution is a gradual process in which something
changes into a different and usually more complex or better form.
The idea of
human evolution was first presented by the Muslim thinkers; Al Jahiz (776-868
C.E) and Ibn Miskawayh (930-1030 C.E) also mentioned by the
great Sufi mystic and poet Maulana Jalal-ad-Din ar-Rumi (1207-1273 C.E): “Low in the earth, I lived in realms of sore
and stone; And then I smiled in many tinted flowerers; Then roving with the
wild and wandering hours, O’er earth and air and ocean’s zone, In a new birth,
I dived and flew, And crept and ran, And all the secret of my essence drew
Within a form that brought them all to view- And lo, a Man! And then my goal,
Beyond the clouds, beyond the sky, In realms where non may change or die- In
general form; and then away Beyond the bounds of night and day, And Life and
Death, unseen or seen, Where all that is hath ever been, As One and Whole.”[Translation,
quoted from “Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam”by Muhammad Iqbal,
the great poet philosopher of 20th century].
The British naturalist
Charles Darwin (1809-1882 C.E) further developed the theory of biological
evolution, stating that all species of organisms arise and develop through the
natural selection of small, inherited variations that increase the individual’s
ability to compete, survive, and reproduce. Accordingly it
is hypothesize that: ‘An evolutionary divergence exist between the lineages of
humans and the great apes (Pongidae) on the African continent 5–8 million years
ago. Homo habilis inhabited
sub-Saharan Africa until 1.5 million years
ago. Homo habilis, in turn,
appears to have been supplanted by a taller and more humanlike species, Homo erectus. This species lived from
2,000,000 to 250,000 years ago and gradually migrated into Asia
and parts of Europe . Archaic forms of Homo sapiens with features resembling
those of both Homo erectus and
modern humans appeared 400,000 years ago in Africa and perhaps parts of Asia,
but fully modern humans emerged only 250,000–150,000 years ago, probably having
descended from Homo erectus.’
Origin
of Life:
If
a (human) species can develop only from a preexisting species (apes), through
the process of evolution, then how did life originate? Among the many
philosophical and religious ideas advanced to answer this question, one of the
most popular was the theory of Spontaneous Generation, according to which, living organisms could originate from
nonliving matter spontaneously. Research by Tyndall, together with findings of
Pasteur (1822-1895), put an end to the doctrine of spontaneous generation.
Biopoiesis is an other process by which living organisms are ‘thought’ to
develop from nonliving matter. According to this theory, conditions were such
that, at one time in Earth’s history, life was created from nonliving material,
probably in the sea, which contained the necessary chemicals. During this
process, molecules slowly grouped, then regrouped, forming ever more efficient
means for energy transformation and becoming capable of reproduction. Thus the
evolutionary theory claims that life started with the formation of the first
living cell by chance. The claim that nonliving materials can come together to
form life is an unscientific one, that has not been verified by any experiment
or observation. Life is only generated from life. Each living cell is formed by
the replication of another cell.
In
the 1920s a Soviet biochemist, A.I. Oparin, suggested the concept of “Chemical
Evolution.” He and other scientists suggested that life may have come from nonliving matter under conditions that existed
on the primitive Earth, when the atmosphere consisted of the gases methane,
ammonia, water vapour, and hydrogen. According to this concept, energy supplied
by electrical storms and ultraviolet light may have broken down the atmospheric
gases into their constituent elements, and organic molecules may have been
formed when the elements recombined. Despite all his theoretical studies,
Oparin was unable to produce any results to shed light on the origin of life.
He says in his book The Origin of Life,
published in 1936: ‘Unfortunately, however, the problem of the origin of the
cell is perhaps the most obscure point in the whole study of the evolution of
organisms.’ Professor Klaus Dose, the president of the Institute of Biochemistry University
of Johannes Gutenberg
Instead
of accepting the reality, some scientists came up with the flimsy argument that
under present biospheric conditions new forms of life are not likely to be
created from nonliving matter. Others feel that life is continuously being
created but that the new forms are not so well adapted to the environment as
existing ones and are thus unable to compete successfully. Such illogical
conclusion has been made-up; despite all the power of the human intellect,
knowledge and technology, no one in the world has ever succeeded in forming a
living cell by bringing inanimate materials together, not even in the most
advanced laboratories. Thus this claim is contrary to the most basic principles
of science, hence self contradictory. There is general consensus among the
biologists that it may never be
possible to determine experimentally how life originated or whether it
originated only once or more than once.
Some
scientists, on the basis of the ubiquitous genetic code found in all living
organisms on Earth, presumed that life appeared
only once and that all the diverse forms of plants and animals evolved from
this primitive creation. However the genetic code, once thought to be identical
in all forms of life, has been found to diverge in certain organisms and in the
mitochondria of some eukaryotes (a single-celled or multicellular organism
whose cells contain a distinct membrane-bound nucleus). The similar organs or
similar genes among different species resemble each other, not because they
have evolved by chance from a common ancestor, but because they have been
designed deliberately to perform a particular function. Modern scientific
discoveries show that the claim that similarities in living things are due to
descent from a “common ancestor” is not valid, and that the only rational
explanation for such similarities is “common design.”
In
the 1990s, research into the genetic codes of living things worsened the
quandary faced by the theory of evolution in this regard. In these experiments,
instead of the earlier comparisons that were limited to protein sequences,
“ribosomal RNA” (rRNA) sequences were compared. From these findings,
evolutionist scientists sought to establish an “evolutionary tree.” However,
they were disappointed by the results. All this leads to just one conclusion:
Like all living things, plants were also created. From the moment they first
emerged, all their mechanisms have existed in a finished and complete form.
Terms such as ‘development over time,” “changes dependent on coincidences,” and
“adaptations which emerged as a result of need,” which one finds in the
evolutionist literature, have no truth in them at all and are scientifically
meaningless. The thorough examination of
the scientific evidence for the origin of life, and what emerges clearly
demonstrates that life was not the result of chance, as claimed by Darwinism
and materialist philosophy in general. Living species could not have evolved
from one another through a string of coincidences. On the contrary, all living
things were independently and flawlessly created. As the twenty-first century
dawns, science offers but one answer to the question of the origin of life:
Creation. The important thing is that science has confirmed the truth which
religion has been witness to from the dawn of history to the present day.
According
to the theory of Evolution in nutshell: Some thing came from sea, gradually
through evolution it developed in to a creature, then small monkey, bigger
monkey, chimpanzee and then human. This raises many questions; Who created
monkeys through some creature from the sea? If some thing from sea became
monkey why it could not directly become human being? If monkey became human
then why there are still so many monkeys? Apart from fiction movies, are there
still some monkeys (part human-part monkey) in the process of becoming human?
If not, why? Is there some more advanced form of human? If not; Why the
evolution process has stopped? Can the theory of evolution be reversed
(retrogression), human to monkey? These questions are partially answered by
evolutionist, through unscientific conjecture. God created the universe and all
the living things in it from nothing. And it was God who created the first
human (Adam) from clay and spirit and blessed him with countless
characteristics, including the most important; knowledge & intellect. The
later humanity is created out of the first couple. This truth has been sent
down to man since the dawn of time by prophets, and revealed in holy books. Every
prophet has told the communities he addressed that God created man and all
living things. The Bible and the Qur’an all tell of the news of creation in the
same way. Harun Yahya, the renowned Turkish scholar, in his famous books: ‘The
Evolution Deceit’ & ‘Darwinism Refuted’; has systematically analyzed the
Theory of Evolution in the light of modern science, citing all the authentic
references.
Refutation
by Christians:
Religiously
motivated attacks started during Darwin Darwin
The
fundamentalist, evangelic Christians [An organized, militant Evangelical
movement originating in the United
States U.S.
Arguments
for and against Darwin
Islamic
Perspective:
The
gradual process of evolution is not alien to the Muslim thinkers, according to
Dr.Hamid Ullah; centuries before Darwin, the Muslim thinkers; Al Jahiz (776-868
C.E) and Ibn Miskawayh (930-1030 C.E) presented the idea of human evolution in
their books titled; ‘Akhwan-al-Safa’
and ‘Alfawz ul Asghar’ which mention
that: God first created the matter , which developed to mist or smoke, then
water, subsequently developed in to solid mass like stones, then plantation, trees closer to animals.
Amazingly these thinkers were not condemned for such non conventional ideas.
The date palm tree is very close to the animals, it has distinct male and
female trees. Even if all the trunks of normal tree are chopped off, it still
survives but if the top of date palm tree is removed the tree dies; hence it is
closest to the lowest form of animals and highest form of plants. It develops
in to the lowest form of animal, which develops in to monkey, to human to angel. Finally is the return to God
(Qur’an;2:46,156, 21:93, 23:60). It is generally perceived that; God created
the first man with clay as a sculpture, breathed spirit, this was Adam, may be it happened as such but
God repeatedly mentions in Qur’an;40:67, 35:11, 22:5 and 18:37; that He created
the man “from dust, then from a sperm”; obviously the sperm is not created from
dust. The sperm is created from animal or man, hence God passed over all the
intermediary stages by referring to the ‘dust’ as the origin, the medium is the
sperm of man which grows as a child in the womb of women. Qur’an also mentions:
“when He has created you in gradual stages (atwaaran)?”
(Qur’an;71:4); the word atwaara is
derivate of tatur (evolution), hence
it may also imply that God created human through evolutionary stages i.e. solid
mass – plants – animal: this being an other perspective of human creation.
The
creation process is executed by God in two ways: Firstly; the instant execution
through His Command (am’r) (Qur’an;3:47 ,
54:50). Secondly; through gradual evolution (khalaq), like the creation of universe in six eons (Qur’an;32:4, Exodus;20:11 ). Some of the modern non
traditional scholars, well versed with the modern knowledge argue that, since
the latest scientific information and knowledge was not available to the
classical commentators, hence any new interpretation with in the parameters of
fundamental Islamic doctrine based on Qur’an and Sunnah may be acceptable. The
concepts of evolution by Al Jahiz and
Ibn Miskawayh were based on their thought process not the scientific research.
The significance of knowledge is self evident, Allah says: “..Are the
knowledgeable and the ignorant equal? In fact, none will take heed except the
people of understanding.”(Qur’an;39:9);“He also made subservient to you
whatever is between the heavens and the earth; all from Himself. Surely there
are signs in this for those who think.”(Qur’an;45:13);“Will they not then
ponder on the Qur’an?..” (Qur’an;4:82);“Allah has revealed the most beautiful
message, a Book consistent in its verses yet repeating its teachings in
different ways..”(Qur’an;39:23).
Some
thinkers try to get the support for ‘developmental’ process of creation by non
traditional interpretation of Qur’anic verses, by synthesizing the scientific
information. Allah says: “Have they not pondered upon themselves?”
(Qur’an;30:8); “Has there not been over Man a long period of Time when he was
nothing--(not even) mentioned?” (Qur’an;76:1); “Now let man but think from what
he is created!”(Qur’an;86:5); “And ye certainly know already the first form of
creation: why then do ye not celebrate His praises?(Qur’an;56:62);“every living
thing created from water”(Qur’an;21:30); “Indeed We created you, then We formed you,”(Qur’an;7:11); “And Allah
hath caused you to grow as a growth from the earth,”(Qur’an;71:7). (also
Qur’an;2:155-156, 3:142, 4:82, 6:134-136, 7:11, 10:4, 11:56-57, 14:19, 15:21,
21:30, 22:5-6,23:14, 27:64, 29:19-20, 30:8, 35:16-17, 38:28, 46:3, 55:49-50,
56:62, 65:12, 67:1-2, 70:40-41,
71:7,13-14, 76:1, 84:16, 86:5, 89:19, 91:9-10).
The
famous Islamic philosopher, mystic and theologian Mohay ud Din Ibn Al Arabi
(born, 1165, Spain died, 1240, Damascus) in his great work The Meccan
Revelations, (a personal encyclopedia covering all the esoteric sciences in
Islam and his own inner life), narrates a Hadith
attribute to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who said: “One hundred
thousand Adams came to this world- we are descendants of the last Adam”.
According to an other tradition; Once Prophet Moses (peace be upon him)
requested God for some wonder – God ordered Moses (peace be upon him) to reach a
particular place, which was in a desert
with no living being around. There he found a big ditch, Moses (peace be upon
him) threw a stone in to the ditch , an unknown voice from ditch asked; ‘Who
are you?’. Moses (peace be upon him) was proud of his knowledge, he introduced
himself narrating his ancestral link with Adam (peace be upon him). The
mysterious voice said; “About which Adam you are talking about? after every
100,000 years some human comes here and throws a stone, once asked, he narrates same ancestral
link which you have narrated.” Hence this ditch is being filled with stones,
100,000 Adams ! The humanity has been created
and destroyed 100,000 times. God knows best
The
modern theory of evolution has two basic flaws: It observes in fine details the
gradation of species from one-cell organisms up to the chimpanzee and man, who
the theory considers to be the next in line. Advocates of the evolution theory
have admitted this and sought to explain by speaking about a “missing link”.
The other basic flaw in this theory is that it cannot be proven in any
scientifically acceptable way. Its argument is rather didactic. It makes a huge
jump from scientific observation to theorization about life and existence.
Thus, it imposes its theory on scientific findings. Perhaps it is appropriate
to state that Muslim scientists have observed the gradation of species, not
only in the animal world but also in the world of plants. They referred to the
fact that there is a very fine line which separated one species from the next.
They also observed that there are gaps: The one which separates the highest
from the lowest, i.e. the chimpanzee from man. However, Muslim scientists did
not seek to impose any arbitrary theory of life on their findings. They simply
attributed this gradation to its appropriate cause, the will of Allah, the
Creator of all. However on the basis of information which Allah has clearly
provided in the Qur’an: “O mankind! We created you from a single pair of a male
and a female, and made you into nations and tribes that you might get to know
one another. Surely the noblest of you in the sight of Allah is he who is the
most righteous. Allah is All-Knowledgeable, All-Aware.”(Qur’an;49:13). The
first human came into existence as a result of Allah’s will when He decided to
appoint a vicegerent on earth. Adam, the first human was created of clay and
Allah breathed of His spirit into him. Therefore, man is the result of a
combination of clay and spirit. How
did Allah breathe His spirit into Adam whom He made of clay and when did all
this happen, these are the details which He has not chosen to disclose. The
knowledge of such details will not be of any help to human in the fulfillment
of the task i.e. the building of human life on earth, through His obedience
(worship) and service to Allah. Had such information been of benefit to
humanity in this regard, it would not have been withheld.
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