Islam itself does not require certain beliefs about scientific matters, as long as one's scientific beliefs are compatible with the Qur'an.
The Qur'an speaks about the creation of Adam from clay. Many Muslims take that in a literal sense (Allah fashioned Adam from clay the way a person might make a statue).
However, some Muslims understand that verse in a way which is compatible with evolutionary theory, and that Allah used the evolution of species as a means to produce the human being from what was, originally, the earth.
There are some other viewpoints which are somewhat intermediate; for instance, the view that Allah created other homonids through evolution, and then intervened when it came to our forefather Adam to create or change him specifically.
Of course, from a scientific perspective, the theory of evolution as it applies to human beings is also a developing idea and may be revised or replaced in the future.
So, basically, there is no single view on this topic at present, and a Muslim can hold any idea as long as it is compatible with the basic ideas of the Qur'an (for instance, that Allah is the ultimate creator and had some intent behind the creation of Adam), and as long as they are trying to find out what is truest.
Muslims do not currently agree in their views on the theory of evolution. Some reject it entirely; some accept it in part (evolution for everything except the creation of Adam); and some accept it entirely. In the latter two cases, evolution is seen as being part of the divine plan.
There are some things in the Qur'an that would seem to concord with some basic ideas of the theory of evolution, such as the statement that Allah created all living things from water; while at the same time, there is no requirement that these things necessitate accepting the theory of evolution, and they can be understood otherwise.
Some of the objection to the theory of evolution in prior decades was due not only to a belief in creationism, but also because the theory of evolution was associated with the West, and so imposing the theory was perceived as a sort of cultural attack. This is less of a concern today as the theory of evolution has become more commonplace.
There is, in any case, no reason in the Qur'an to reject the idea that, regardless of how they were initially created, plants and animals have evolved over time.
Some scholars have rejected the idea of the theory of evolution as being against the Qur'anic teaching of the creation of the human being, whereas others have accepted it as being compatible with the Qur'an and as being Allah's plan for the human being and how to engage in creation.
It seems that there is some generational factor here - the older generation tended to reject it more, perhaps because they saw the theory of evolution as being associated with colonialism or secularization, and as an attack on traditional Muslim values. This is less of a factor in today's globalized world.
At the same time, the theory of evolution is only a theory and cannot necessarily be said to be true either. It is simply considered an acceptble possibility, pending further evidence, by some scholars.
The idea that life originated from water is supported by the Qur'an.
One could somewhat nebulously suggest that the idea of "nasnas", or prior types of humanoids, which appears in hadith, could also support the idea of evolution, although in my view this may be a stretch in interpreting the hadith.
Thank you for your question. Evolution of the human race and other species doesn't contradict our belief in Prophet Adam (as), as it is a development of the physical body according to factors in nature. However, if by evolution you mean evolution across species like from a monkey to human, such a transition is not established, even if it has been theoretically purported and as such doesn't present a challenge to the traditional understanding of Adam being endowed with a human body, as it remains on the level of theory without complete evidence.
OTP entered does not match. Please enter the correct OTP!
Full Name and Password are required.
Please provide a valid Email address.
Please enter a valid email address.
Enter valid first name and last name with at least one space.
Mail sent successfully!
A validation e-mail has been sent to your e-mail address. You will need to follow the instructions in that message in order to gain full access to the site.
