EVOLUTION, ISLAM AND ATH
Hafiz Muhammad Abdullah Ashfaq
“It is not the
Eyes that are
blind, but the
hearts.”
(The Book OF Truth,
Al Quran)
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1. Evolution
1.1. Introduction to Evolution
“Living organisms undergo gradual change through evolution. It is caused by sporadic,
minute mutations in genes. The alterations can be transmitted to progeny. These alterations can
accumulate over many generations and give rise to novel features or even entirely new species.
Genetic variety, reproduction, and environmental conditions are some of the forces that drive
evolution. The diversity of life on Earth can be attributed to this.”
This is the simplest concept of Evolution that a normal person has. But, to most of reader’s
surprise, this concept of Evolution is not true or more precisely we can say that this concept
cannot be just called “Evolution”, rather this concept should be called “Evolution by Natural
Selection” or “Darwinian Evolution”. Why? Let’s discover.
1.2. History of Evolutionary Thought
A short overview of the history of Evolutionary thought, from the age of Greeks to Erasmus
Darwin, Charles’ Darwin grandfather, is given below:
1.2.1. Ancient Greek Philosophers (6th to 4th Century BCE)
Greek philosophers are credited with the first documented theories regarding the origins of
life. The Greek Atomists argued that all living things were comprised of atoms and that
species may change by the rearrangement of these atoms, in contrast to Empedocles who
established the concepts of natural selection and the survival of the fittest.
1.2.2. Aristotle (384-322 BCE)
One of the most important philosophers in history, Aristotle, made substantial advances to
the fields of biology and natural history. He supported the idea that humans are at the top of
the evolutionary ladder and that species are fixed. But he also established the foundation for
later evolutionary theory with his work on classification and the study of embryonic
development.
1.2.3. The Islamic Golden Age (8th to 13th Century BCE)
A period of great intellectual and scientific progress, the Golden Age of Islam, spanning from
the eighth to the fourteenth centuries CE, saw developments in the field of evolution theory.
Food chains, species transition, and the battle for existence are examples of evolutionary
principles that were discussed by Islamic philosophers such as Ibn Khaldūn and al-Jāḥiẓ.
In his Book of creatures, Al-Jāḥiẑ made reference to transmutation and explained how lesser
creatures eat those that are weaker than themselves. According to Ibn Khaldūn's
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Muqaddimah, humans underwent a process of morphological change from "the world of the
monkeys" to become human.
1.2.4. Medieval and Renaissance Period (5th to 17th Century BCE)
During this time, the hierarchical concept of life known as the Great Chain of Being gained
popularity. The idea that species are fixed was strengthened by this notion. On the other
hand, the discoveries of William Harvey, who discovered the circulation of blood, and
Leonardo da Vinci, who studied comparative anatomy, established the groundwork for later
scientific breakthroughs.
1.2.5. Pre-Darwinian Evolutionary Ideas (17th to 19th Century BCE)
Darwin's theory of evolution was founded on theories regarding the evolution of life forms
put forth by a number of intellectuals throughout this time.
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck later developed the idea that species might change over time through
the inheritance of acquired qualities, as proposed by the English philosopher John Locke in
the 17th century.
The French naturalist Comte de Buffon postulated in the eighteenth century that species may
undergo a process of degeneration, in which environmental influences could eventually lead
a species to deteriorate and lose fitness.
Charles Darwin's grandfather, the English scientist Erasmus Darwin, put out a theory of
evolution in the early 19th century that was predicated on the notion of the "transmutation" of
species, the gradual alteration of species over time as a result of natural selection.
The above Overview tells or explains us or provides us the proof that there is not a single
idea of Evolution existing. Every philosopher of its time had thought differently about the
Evolution of Human. Even, today there does not exist a single unopposed theory of Evolution
but there exists a prolonged debate on this topic (which idea or theory about the Evolution is
best).
1.3. Charles Darwin and the Theory of Natural Selection
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