Islamic Theological Views on Darwinian Evolution

Abstract

The various positions that Muslim scholars have adopted vis-à-vis Darwin’s theory of evolution since its inception in 1859 are here reviewed with an eye on the theological arguments that are embraced, whether explicitly or implicitly. A large spectrum of views and arguments are thus found, ranging from total rejection to total acceptance, including “human exceptionalism” (evolution is applicable to all organisms and animals but not to humans). The two main theological arguments that are thus extracted from Muslim scholars’ discussions of evolution are: 1) Is God excluded by the evolutionary paradigm or does the term “Creator” acquire a new definition? 2) Does Adam still exist in the human evolution scenario, and how to include his Qur’anic story in the scientific scenario? Additional, but less crucial issues are sometimes raised in Islamic discussions of evolution: a) Does the extinction of innumerable species during the history of life on earth conflict with the traditional view of God’s creation? b) Is theodicy (“the problem of evil”) exacerbated or explained by evolution? c) Are “species” well-defined and important biological entities in the Islamic worldview? d) Can the randomness that seems inherent in the evolutionary process be reconciled with a divine creation plan? These questions are here reviewed through the writings and arguments of Muslim scholars, and general conclusions are drawn about why rejectionists find it impossible to address those issues in a manner that is consistent with their religious principles and methods, and why more progressive, less literalistic scholars are able to fold those issues within a less rigid conception of God and the world.

Working with unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people: cultural considerations and acceptability of a cognitive behavioural group approach

“…The language used by facilitators also aimed to be mindful of young people's concerns relating to stigma around having mental health difficulties (Majumder et al , 2018); for example, the word ‘stress’ was often used instead of more nuanced terms such as psychological distress. As many clients were practising Muslims, concepts such as evolution were not presented as a part of psychoeducation discussions due to the different perspectives about evolution within Islam (Dagher and BouJaoude, 1997; Guessoum, 2016). When introducing CBT approaches, it was acknowledged that different ideas and practices may be more or less helpful for different individuals within the group, as young people had different presenting difficulties and strengths.…”

DOES BELIEF IN HUMAN EVOLUTION ENTAILKUFR(DISBELIEF)? EVALUATING THE CONCERNS OF A MUSLIM THEOLOGIAN

“…However, other reviews indicate no widespread Muslim consensus on the matter. Malik (2018, 15–20) and Guessoum (2016) for example mention several positions ranging from complete acceptance to complete rejection with partial acceptance in between. A few observations can be noted from these reviews.…”

“…Consider Ramadan Al‐Bouti and Yusuf Al‐Qaradawi, both of whom have incredible standing and respect in the Muslim world in their own right. The former rejected evolution while the latter believes some kind of space can be created for it (Guessoum 2016).…”

“…1 The contemporary setting has been no different. Recent reviews indicate that the debate is still ongoing with partisans on all sides and with no clear consensus in sight (Guessoum 2016; Malik 2018, 15–20). Among the anti‐evolution advocates are well‐known writers such as Seyyed Hossein Nasr and Harun Yahya, which is a pen name for the individual known as Adnan Oktar.…”

“…First, while it is true that other anti‐evolution advocates such as Nasr and Yahya are better known in the discourse, this does not mean that Keller is unknown or unheard of 2 . For example, Keller is mentioned in recent reviews which outline the spectrum of opinions on evolution and Islam (Guessoum 2016; Malik 2018, 15–20) 3 . Furthermore, in a particular review of anti‐evolution advocates one can see the mention of Keller alongside Nasr and Yahya (Ibrahim and Baharuddin 2017).…”