Is Creation Of Adam(AS) Incompatible With Evolution?

Is Creation of Adam(As) Incompatible With Evolution:

In his article the author of wikiislam.net says that Quran says that Allah created Adam and all other organisms which is incompatible with evolution.

REPLY:

Our Position At Evolution:

First let it be clear that our faith is based on the "belief in the Creator”. If evolution means
that Allah created different things in stages, there is not much conflict with religion. If, on the
other hand, evolution means that there is no creator and that the things came into being just
by progress of matter, then it is naked "Kufr" (atheism) and our faith cannot tolerate it even for an instant.

Reply second:

The first thing is that believing in God does not require you to believe in special creation.We have also these two names of Allah.Al Khaliq (The Creater) and Al Bari(The Evolutioner).Muslims believe in both the properties of Allah.An other example of creation of universe is Holy Quran Chapter #1 verse #1:

"All praises to Allah,the Rabb(one who brings up gradually) of all the worlds."

Similarly an other example of pattern of creation is Holy Quran Chapter #7 verse #54:

"Indeed,your lord is Allah,Who created the heavens and the earth in SIX EPOCHS."

Another example for pattern of creation is Holy Quran Chapter # 71 verse #14:

"Indeed He created you in stages."

Surely and indeed Allah can create everything in a millionth fraction of millionth of second and even faster but the reason to create universe in epochs is to create his Hujjat as described by Hazrat Ali AS in Al Ehtijaj vol 1 page 379:

"If Allah wanted to create he can also do in a micro second but the reason of  its creation slowly and in eras is to make example for its responsible (people) and to complete his HUJJAH"

Similarly the creation of a baby in 9 months is also an example of pattern of creation of universe.In above examples we see that Universe is created slowly and gradually .Similarly it is possible that human can be created gradually by evolution.So if a Muslim believes in evolution it is not against theism.Similarly theory of special creation is also not inconsistent with theism.

The verse that Allah created Adam(AS) is not inconsistent because same type of description is given about creation of universe.Holy Quran Chapter #7 verse #54

"Indeed,your lord is Allah,Who CREATED the heavens and the earth in SIX EPOCHS."

The same word creation is used here.Thus the word creation does not always mean special creation.Another example is Holy Quran Chapter #39 verse #6:

"He creates you in the wombs of your mothers."

We know that a baby is not a special creation or it is not formed spontaneously rather a baby forms in stages but the word CREATES is used here.So this word does not always means special creation.The creation of baby in stages is described in several verses in Holy Quran.

Quran And Evolution:

In this section I will quote some verses from Holy Quran that support evolution of man.Allah says in Holy Quran Chapter #71 verse #14:

 "And indeed, He created you in stages."

It means that Hazrat Adam (AS) and all humans are created in stages.Similarly we read in 

Holy Quran Chapter #32 verse 7-9:

"Who perfected everything which He created and BEGAN THE CREATION OF MAN FROM CLAY. Then He made his posterity out of the extract of a liquid disdained. Then He proportioned him and breathed into him from His [created] soul and made for you hearing and vision and hearts; little are you grateful."

This is the same that science says that the creation of human started from the mixing of clay and slime in water.Then after evolution of millions of years of evolution the human in following shape are created.So,the Quran says that creation of man STARTED from clay.And Holy Quran says in Chapter #7 verse #11

"We have certainly CREATED YOU , [O Mankind], and (then) GIVEN YOU FORM. "

Then Allah(SWT) says in Chapter #82 verse # 6-8:

" O mankind,what has deceived you in concerning your Lord,the Gracious.WHO CREATED YOU,PROPORTIONED YOU,AND BALANCED YOU.IN WHATEVER FORM He willed He assembled you."

This verse also shows that humans are created in stages.Interpreting this verse with Chapter #71 verse # 14 we find that first the man was created with mud and then in milions of year it was proportioned and balanced and in whatever form Allah willed it is now assembled which is same as evolution.A hadith of the same meaning is in Tareekh e Farishta Vol 1 page no. 23:

"Some one questioned Hazrat Ali (AS) that what was 3000 before Adam(AS) in world.  Hazrat Ali (AS) said:Adam.He asked three times and Hazrat Ali(AS) gave the same answer."

It may mean that Hazrat Adam (AS) was present but in evolutionary stage.Another verse of Holy Quran also supports it. Surah Hashr Chapter #59 verse #24

"He is the Allah,The Creator,The Evolutioner,The Fashioner,to Him belongs all the Good Names."

The sequence of this verse is very important.Pondering at the sequence we get that First Allah created humans,then evolutioned and then fashioned.This thing also supports evolution.

Humans are living so another verse in the support of evolution is Holy Quran Chapter #21 verse no. 30:

"We created every living thing from water."

The word used in this verse is ja'ala which also means to come.In other words life came from water.Humans also came from water.Similarly Holy Quran Chapter #29 verse 19-20:

"Have they not considered how Allah begins creation and then repeats it? Indeed that, for Allah , is easy. Say, "Travel through the land and observe how He began creation. Then Allah will produce the final creation. Indeed Allah , over all things, is competent."

Similarly Allah says in Holy Quran Chapter #24 verse 45:

"Allah has created every [living] creature from water. And of them are those that move on their bellies, and of them are those that walk on two legs, and of them are those that walk on four. Allah creates what He wills. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent."

This verse shows relation between different animals and places humans(who walk on two feet) and also says that their common region is in water.Similarly Allah says in Holy Quran 71:17:

"And Allah has caused you to grow from the earth a[progressive] growth."

In short,believing in evolution or in special creation does not matter with theism.And there are verses in Holy Quran that support evolution.

Answer to the question on Y-Chromosomal Adam and Mitochondrial eve:

The fact that we may have descended from a singular being is not at all far fetched in evolutionary science. Genetic study has been able to trace our ancestry back to ONE singular individual. They call it the Mitochondrial eve and the Y-Chromosome Adam. These are NOT the Adam and Eve. This is just an example of how we can trace our ancestry back to singular people. If the mitochondrial eve and the Y-Chromosome Adam had a singular common ancestor (which they must logically have), THEN the parents of that ancestor would be THE Quranic Adam and Eve. The pair in which we have ALL descended from. Adam is not the first human as there is no indication of that in the Quran, secondly, Adam is not more than a singular person in which we all descended from. That doesn't mean that our whole genome came from him. It just means that we descended from him. Even if we have some neanderthal ancestry put in our genome after Adam ,for example, we still have descended from this singular person (in other words, it doesn't matter if there were additions to our genome, we still descended from that one singular person).

View of Muslim Scientists on Evolution:

Al-Jahiz (781-869 CE), a Muslim scholar based in present day Iraq, states in 'The Book of Animals':

Animals engage in a struggle for existence; for resources, to avoid being eaten and to breed. Environmental factors influence organisms to develop new characteristics to ensure survival, thus transforming into new species. Animals that survive to breed can pass on their successful characteristics to offspring.

 Ibn Khaldun, perhaps one of the most famous Muslim Polymaths of all time, published a book called 'The Muqadimmah' in 1377 CE. In it he states:

One should then take a look at the world of creation. It started out from the minerals and progressed, in an ingenious, gradual manner, to plants and animals. The last stage of minerals is connected with the first stage of plants, such as herbs and seedless plants. The last stage of plants, such as palms and vines, is connected with the first stage of animals, such as snails and shellfish.

He adds:

The animal world then widens, its species become numerous, and, in a gradual process of creation, it finally leads to man, who is able to think and reflect. The higher stage of man is reached from the world of monkeys, in which both sagacity and perception are found...

There were also many other Muslim scholars, writing between the 9th and the 14th century, that expressed ideas similar to those of al-Jahiz and Ibn Khaldun. Persian scholar, Ibn Miskawahy (932-1030) provided perhaps the most vivid account of evolution from that period, seeking to harmonise it with the Quranic description of creation in the process.

So why didn't these ideas take off and integrate into the fabric of mainstream Muslim thought and society? There are a number of reasons.

(if anyone has any question,argument or description regarding this or any of the article on this blog then please comment or mail at imtiazbashir7@gmail.com)