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Showing posts with the label Evolution

The Early Evolutionists: The Dahriyya

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  The Dahriyya would promote the denial of the original creation of Adam 'alayhi as-salam by suggesting that there were men before him. They used this idea to support their belief in the beginningless nature of the universe.  Well over a thousand years ago, the 'Ulama of Islam heard about the ideas of the Dahriyya and they rejected them based on the stronger evidence to the contrary. In today's times, we have a reversal and compromise of beliefs and ideas, also amongst Muslims. Some promote the possible acceptance of Adamic Exceptionalism, which has roots in Shiasm, whilst others entertain the idea that Human Exceptionalism is a possible option to embrace. Study the following table to understand the concepts simply: Entertaining the idea of evolution is problematic itself. Then, to compound the problem, nuances are being added to the theory of evolution. Then, to further complicate things, Shias and Evolution Apologists are trying very hard to crack open the barriers of the...

Consensus on the Adamic Creation

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  Abu Mansur Abd al-Qahir al-Baghdadi asserted that Muslims, Christians, and Jews agree on the belief that all humans descend from Adam 'alayhi as-salam and that he was created from dust. [al-Asma' wa al-Sifat, Dar-al-Taqwa, Damascus, 2020] Ibn 'Atiyya states in his Tafsir that all people are in consensus that Allah Ta'ala created Adam 'alayi as-salam from dust and that he was not born from sexual reproduction.  Al-Qurtubi states that no one from the Christians or Muslims differed regarding Adam 'alayhi as-salam being created and formed without biological parents. Ibn al-Qattan al-Fasi reports in his collection of unanimously agreed matters that Muslims reached consensus that Allah Ta'ala made Adam 'alayhi as-salam the father of mankind.  Ibn Qayyim al-Jauziyya adds that from the matters that are known and no Muslim disputes is that Allah Ta'ala created Adam 'alayhi as-salam from the dust of this world.  Summary: Muslim scholars from nearly a tho...

Evolution Apologists

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  Since it's inception, the theory of evolution has been controversial for Muslims. Through years of examining arguments for or against it, I have seen that accepting the theory of evolution is viewed as a sign of intellectual maturity. In contrast, adhering to the standard theological model of the origin of humanity is seen as dogmatic, possessing blind faith, or simply gross ignorance. In almost every Islamicate language, numerous books, articles, and pamphlets speak to the contention of whether Adam 'alayhi as-salam was an original creation.  Reconciliation with the theory of evolution came as numerous influential figures, both past and present, have taken the view that the Qur'anic narrative of Adam 'alayhi as-salam not having biological parents is connotatively speculative (zanni-ud-dalalah).  Muhammad 'Abduh proferred the view that the belief of Adam 'alayhi as-salam being the progenitor of all humans on earth today is not definitively (qat'i) known fr...