Qur'an and the Theory of Evolution
- This article expresses a pro-Islamic viewpoint.
Darwin's general theory presumes the development of life from non-life and stresses a purely naturalistic (undirected) "descent with modification". That is, complex creatures evolve from more simplistic ancestors naturally over time. In a nutshell, as random genetic mutations occur within an organism's genetic code, the beneficial mutations are preserved because they aid survival -- a process known as "natural selection." These beneficial mutations are passed on to the next generation. Over time, beneficial mutations accumulate and the result is an entirely different organism (not just a variation of the original, but an entirely different creature).
Theory of Evolution
The Qur'an does not agree with Darwin's theory of natural selection. Ancient fossils have proved, that many plants and animals millions of years old, have more or less preserved there original form.
Although animals do become more visually appealing and powerful over time because "survival of the fittest" is a basic fact in every living things life. Human beings also show preference on the basis of attractive physical attributes, that's why today's human form is much more visually appealing than what it was a century ago. If an animal is born with six legs, rather than the normal four, that would not be evolving, but a genetic anomaly. And it also doesn't mean that its coming generations will be born with six legs from now on.
Charles Robert Darwin
His 1859 book On the Origin of Species established evolutionary descent with modification as the dominant scientific explanation of diversification in nature. He examined human evolution and sexual selection in The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex, followed by The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. His research on plants was published in a series of books, and in his final book, he examined earthworms and their effect on soil.[1]
Charles Darwin in his theory of evolution presented a fish fossil (Axelrodichthys araripensis)[2][3] as an example and presented the theory that the land dwelling animals are an evolved form of that fish. This fish is extinct today. And its descendants are structurally different. This theory contradicts the version presented by the Holy Qur'an. However, fishermen in Indonesia and Africa have caught members of this particular family of fish (Coelacanth), though of a different genus and species (Latimeria chalumnae)[4] alive. While the modern genera show some morphological change, they still display sufficient similarities to ancient genera to be taxonomically classified in the same family. L. Chalumnae are a deep water species, and is never seen in the shallow waters.
History of Humans on Planet Earth
Archaeologists study humans and human behaviors, and the data they produce help us to understand the past, present and future. The time lines they study begin with the hominin called Australopithecus and continue down to the present day. Here you'll find resources on archaeological information gathered about all of these time periods.
Stone Age (2.5 million-20,000 years ago)
This is the school of thought presented by the archaeologists but the Holy Qur'an disagrees with it.
The Stone Age or Paleolithic Period is the name archaeologists have given to the beginning of archaeology--that part of the earth's history that includes the genus Homo and our immediate ancestor Australopithecus. It began approximately 2.5 million years ago, in Africa, when Australopithecus began making stone tools, and ended about 20,000 years ago, with big-brained and talented modern humans spread all over the world. Traditionally, the Paleolithic period is broken into three parts, the Lower, Middle and Upper Paleolithic periods.
Hunters and Gatherers (20,000-12,000 years ago)
This is also the school of thought presented by the archaeologists but the Holy Qur'an disagrees with it. For a good a long time after modern humans had evolved and won out over all of our cousins everywhere on the planet, we humans relied on hunting and gathering as a way to live. This ersatz category of mine lumps the more formalized periods in the Near East called the Epi-paleolithic and Natufian, the American Paleoindian and Archaic, the European Mesolithic, and the Asian Hoabinhian and Jomon.
Qur'an
Another example that Charles Darwin presented in support of his theory of evolution was that of the apes evolving over time in to modern day human beings. The Holy Qur'an on the other hand says that all humans came from Adum (Adam). If Darwin's theory was correct than all apes should have evolved into humans, but after all this time on Earth there are still apes present along with humans. Science itself negates Darwin's theory of evolution,because studying human DNA has proved that all humans come from a common "human" ancestor. A fact that The Holy Quran presented 1500 years ago.
Human Age,from the beginning to present day:
- From Adam to the Holy Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) _ 6133 years
- From the birth of Holy Prophet(pbuh) to the declaration of Prophethood _ 40 years
- Life in Makka after declaration of Prophethood _ 13 years
- From migration to Madina till present day _ 1427 years
Total time of Human beings on Earth _ 7613 years
Last ice age
The Last ice age[5] (ca. 35,000 to 10,000 years ago). The Qur'an supports the presence of the last ice age in the sense that according to it , Human life on this Earth began 7,613 years ago,after the last ice age due to favorable conditions for life.
Africa
Africa is our human home--the place where the first humans, called Australopithecenes, evolved some two million years ago; and it is also where the first modern humans evolved. Africa is the site of some of the most heartbreakingly ephemeral architecture--the Butabu adobes of West Africa--and some of the most permanent--the pyramids of Egypt and Sudan.[6]
Our family tree
The idea that we’re all related, all “mixed” and richly intermingled, is no platitude. Genetic science solidly supports it. Shake our family tree, and all kinds of hidden connections fall out. The big one is that we’re all out of Africa.
Dr Spencer Wells, author of The Journey of Man and producer of the documentary of that name, and director of the Genographic Project, has said that All humans share some common bits of DNA, passed down to us from our African ancestors. Geneticist Spencer Wells talks about how his Genographic Project will use this shared DNA to figure out how we are — in all our diversity — truly connected.
Humanity, which springs from a single common source, has become so astonishingly diverse and widespread.
Early Civilizations (3000-1500 BC)
Evidence for fairly sophisticated political and social organization has been identified in Meso.
First Farming potamia as long ago as 4700 BC; but most of the post-Neolithic societies that we consider 'civilizations' are dated beginning just about 3000 BC.
Al-Baqara
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
And when We said unto the angels: Prostrate yourselves before Adam, they fell prostrate, all save Iblis. He demurred through pride, and so became a disbeliever. (34) And We said: O Adam! Dwell thou and thy wife in the Garden, and eat ye freely (of the fruits) thereof where ye will; but come not nigh this tree lest ye become wrong-doers. (35) But Satan caused them to deflect therefrom and expelled them from the (happy) state in which they were; and We said: Fall down, one of you a foe unto the other! There shall be for you on earth a habitation and provision for a time. (36) Then Adam received from his Lord words (of revelation), and He relented toward him. Lo! He is the relenting, the Merciful. (37)An-Nisa
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
O mankind! Be careful of your duty to your Lord Who created you from a single soul and from it created its mate and from them twain hath spread abroad a multitude of men and women. Be careful of your duty toward Allah in Whom ye claim (your rights) of one another, and toward the wombs (that bare you). Lo! Allah hath been a watcher over you. (1)See Also
References
- ↑ Harvnb, Freeman, 1977
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latimeria
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axelrodichthys
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coelacanth
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_age
- ↑ [1] Human Family Tree: Shallow Roots
