Saturday, August 15, 2009
Teen: Clay or Mud
The Quranic Teen is generally rendered as 'clay'. But more appropriate meaning is 'mud'. Clay is a particular type of earth having silicates of aluminium. But mud is a general term, and in my view communicates the sense of the Quranic Teen in a better manner. It is simply earth/dust + water. So it has an allusion to the chemical evolution of life from a kind of muddy environment.
Meaning of 'Alaq: 'Relationships'
Very few people have noted that 'Alaq is plural and not singular. It is from the root of 'alq. If we take this word in sociological sense - in contrast to embryological in which it is generally taken - then its one possible meaning would be "relationships". So, khalaqal insaana min 'alaq will then mean: He (God) created human from relationships. That is, humans depend on relationships for their survival.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Darwin, Evolution and God
By: Dr. Dildar Ahmed Alavi
The year 2009 marks the 200th birth anniversary of the great scientist Charles Darwin who was born on February 12, 1809, and, coincidently, the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species (published on 24 November 1859).
Charles Darwin is undoubtedly one of the most influential scientists of the modern times. Although many conservatives often use it in a derogatory sense, Darwinism, or even his name, has become synonymous with evolution. His work, or perhaps an interpretation of it, has influenced the Western way of thinking more than any other scientist’s. The matter of the fact, however, is that Charles Darwin is not the first person in the world history who propounded the idea of evolution. He is even not the first in Europe. The French naturalist Jean-Babtiste Lamarck (1744-1829), for example, had already given his theory of evolution called inheritance of acquired character. It is notable that generally people fail to distinguish between evolution as a concept and theories of evolution. The idea that all plants and animals (including humans) which we see around us today have gradually evolved from lower life forms in a long span of time (some 3.5 billion years) is accepted by almost all scientists – biologists, paleontologists, geologists, etc - of the world. This is almost taken as a reality. All biology text books are written with this concept taken as an obvious, as if self evident, fact. The roots of this concept go long into the history, and, for example, a number of outstanding Muslim intellectuals and thinkers from the Middle Ages through the present, shared this idea in one form or the other. The idea of evolution is now not limited to the living world only. The whole universe is thought to have been evolved gradually in billions of years, the process that is still going one.
But, how has organic evolution, the evolution of living things, taken place? This is the subject-matter of the theories of evolution. Darwin’s work, like that of Lamarck, does not primarily concern with evolution as a concept which as we have seen is an old idea, but with its explanation. He put forward the theory of natural selection and survival of the fittest to explain how evolution of plants and animals has taken place through ages. Opposed to the concept of evolution is idea of special creation which says that all the species of plants and animals have been created in the forms they have today. Species are immutable: one cannot transform into another. Scientists and intellectuals generally do not accept this.
Evolution is also sometimes confused with the denial of God, which has nothing to do with reality. Science as we know does not deal with the question who has created the world. It simply tends to know how it has come into existence, and how it behaves. And, it is what science possibly can, and should, do. God almighty could have created the life forms through special creation, bringing into being all species separately, or He could have brought them into being through an evolutionary process. A great number of facts have been presented to support the latter idea. The believers in God can thus take evolution as process or method He has chosen to create living things. Coming into existence of things according to some mechanism does not disprove the existence of a Creator, whose will operates in the universe through laws of nature which none but He himself has established. One can even further argue that the existence of a system itself is an evidence of the existence of God almighty. In fact, evolution gives an explanation of how God has brought into being the living organisms. Sometime people regard evolution as contrary to human dignity. “God has created man in His own image, how could he be evolved from lower forms”, or “man is the vice-regent (khalifa) of God, evolution would place him among animals”. Such are the voices we often listen. The lowly history of his creation, however, does not negate man’s special status. Our well known humble origin as individuals, for instance, does not degrade our worth as intellectual, moral beings. It is the final state and not the history or process, of coming into existence of a being that determines its position. Although he had stopped believing in the religion, Charles Darwin, as research has revealed, was not an atheist. He was a true scientist and a seeker of truth. His thoughts have even helped us in understanding scientifically how God’s will operates in the universe. In the famous words of Albert Einstein, God does not play dice. His will, or irada in Arabic, does not act haphazardly. He is not a magic man or a juggler, but omniscient, omnipotent (al-Hakim, al-Qadir, al-Khabir) Sustainer (al-Rabb – the Evolver) of the cosmos who created and still continues to create things through a system.
Charles Darwin(died on April 19, 1882)’s contributions to science and learning will hopefully continue influencing human thought pattern for long time to come.
(The writer is an Associate Professor in Forman Christian College University Lahore)
By: Dr. Dildar Ahmed Alavi
The year 2009 marks the 200th birth anniversary of the great scientist Charles Darwin who was born on February 12, 1809, and, coincidently, the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species (published on 24 November 1859).
Charles Darwin is undoubtedly one of the most influential scientists of the modern times. Although many conservatives often use it in a derogatory sense, Darwinism, or even his name, has become synonymous with evolution. His work, or perhaps an interpretation of it, has influenced the Western way of thinking more than any other scientist’s. The matter of the fact, however, is that Charles Darwin is not the first person in the world history who propounded the idea of evolution. He is even not the first in Europe. The French naturalist Jean-Babtiste Lamarck (1744-1829), for example, had already given his theory of evolution called inheritance of acquired character. It is notable that generally people fail to distinguish between evolution as a concept and theories of evolution. The idea that all plants and animals (including humans) which we see around us today have gradually evolved from lower life forms in a long span of time (some 3.5 billion years) is accepted by almost all scientists – biologists, paleontologists, geologists, etc - of the world. This is almost taken as a reality. All biology text books are written with this concept taken as an obvious, as if self evident, fact. The roots of this concept go long into the history, and, for example, a number of outstanding Muslim intellectuals and thinkers from the Middle Ages through the present, shared this idea in one form or the other. The idea of evolution is now not limited to the living world only. The whole universe is thought to have been evolved gradually in billions of years, the process that is still going one.
But, how has organic evolution, the evolution of living things, taken place? This is the subject-matter of the theories of evolution. Darwin’s work, like that of Lamarck, does not primarily concern with evolution as a concept which as we have seen is an old idea, but with its explanation. He put forward the theory of natural selection and survival of the fittest to explain how evolution of plants and animals has taken place through ages. Opposed to the concept of evolution is idea of special creation which says that all the species of plants and animals have been created in the forms they have today. Species are immutable: one cannot transform into another. Scientists and intellectuals generally do not accept this.
Evolution is also sometimes confused with the denial of God, which has nothing to do with reality. Science as we know does not deal with the question who has created the world. It simply tends to know how it has come into existence, and how it behaves. And, it is what science possibly can, and should, do. God almighty could have created the life forms through special creation, bringing into being all species separately, or He could have brought them into being through an evolutionary process. A great number of facts have been presented to support the latter idea. The believers in God can thus take evolution as process or method He has chosen to create living things. Coming into existence of things according to some mechanism does not disprove the existence of a Creator, whose will operates in the universe through laws of nature which none but He himself has established. One can even further argue that the existence of a system itself is an evidence of the existence of God almighty. In fact, evolution gives an explanation of how God has brought into being the living organisms. Sometime people regard evolution as contrary to human dignity. “God has created man in His own image, how could he be evolved from lower forms”, or “man is the vice-regent (khalifa) of God, evolution would place him among animals”. Such are the voices we often listen. The lowly history of his creation, however, does not negate man’s special status. Our well known humble origin as individuals, for instance, does not degrade our worth as intellectual, moral beings. It is the final state and not the history or process, of coming into existence of a being that determines its position. Although he had stopped believing in the religion, Charles Darwin, as research has revealed, was not an atheist. He was a true scientist and a seeker of truth. His thoughts have even helped us in understanding scientifically how God’s will operates in the universe. In the famous words of Albert Einstein, God does not play dice. His will, or irada in Arabic, does not act haphazardly. He is not a magic man or a juggler, but omniscient, omnipotent (al-Hakim, al-Qadir, al-Khabir) Sustainer (al-Rabb – the Evolver) of the cosmos who created and still continues to create things through a system.
Charles Darwin(died on April 19, 1882)’s contributions to science and learning will hopefully continue influencing human thought pattern for long time to come.
(The writer is an Associate Professor in Forman Christian College University Lahore)
EVOLUTION, DARWIN, ISLAMIC CONCEPT
Dr Dildar Ahmed Alavi
I am an evolutionist, and believe in "evolutionary creation", which in my view is the best depiction of the Islamic concept of creation. Although I am a supporter of natural selection, Darwin is not the only or the first person who proposed theory of evolution. He is even not the first in the West. I don't know why there is a fashion to criticize him. His critics should criticize the whole evolutionary history, which they have every right to do, but with scientific reasons and not ridicule or rhetoric, etc.We however should be the true and sincere seekers after truth irrespective of the fact who has said that.
Dr Dildar Ahmed Alavi
I am an evolutionist, and believe in "evolutionary creation", which in my view is the best depiction of the Islamic concept of creation. Although I am a supporter of natural selection, Darwin is not the only or the first person who proposed theory of evolution. He is even not the first in the West. I don't know why there is a fashion to criticize him. His critics should criticize the whole evolutionary history, which they have every right to do, but with scientific reasons and not ridicule or rhetoric, etc.We however should be the true and sincere seekers after truth irrespective of the fact who has said that.
The Qur’an and Human Evolution By Dr Dildar AhmedHow man has come into being, is one of the most baffling questions. Religion, philosophy and science all have to say something on the topic. The question fascinates both an expert and a layperson. Wherefrom have I come? How have I been created? Are evolution and creation contradictory to one another? Or, they are two facets of the same coin. Was Darwin the first who propounded the theory of evolution or there were other philosophers and scientists who put forward the idea long before him? Is the ‘story of Adam’ a history or an allegory? In The Quran and Human Evolution, Dr Dildar Ahmed attempted to answer these and other related questions on the basis of his in-depth study of the relevant verses of the Qur’an. He tried to explore the scientific meaning underlying some of the Qur’anic verses pertaining to human creation. Dr Ahmed, who is a PhD in Organic Chemistry, has searched for the chemical meaning of the Qur’anic terms such as turab, teen, salsaal, hama, sulala and others and, on the basis of his study, he attempted to understand and explain the Qur’anic concept of the creation of human beings. The basic question is: is the bringing into existence of man an outcome of an arbitrary act of God or it is a result of an organized and systematic process? Dr Ahmed believes that God created man, and the universe, through a systematic process governed by the laws of nature ordained by God in the universe. He came up with the idea of ‘evolutionary creation’ according to which God has created humans through a long evolutionary process. According to him the Qur’anic term takhliq describes the overall or end product, while rabubiyyah illustrates the process through which a thing is created.Dr Dildar Ahmed has also discussed some of the common objections raised against the concept of evolution of man. The Qur’an and Human Evolution also deals with the Qur’anic story of Adam, and discusses how it can be taken as an allegory of human destiny. It is not a history of a couple but the story of entire human race described in an allegorical form.The book is published by Paramount Publishing Enterprise, 152/O, Block-2, PECHS, Karachi, Pakistan. Tel. 92-21-4310030. E-mail: paramount@cyber.net.pk
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