New Book on Islam & the theory of evolution

[tufail]

The theory of evolution has Islamic roots. Fact or fiction? In T.O. Shanavas’ provocative new book, Creation AND/OR Evolution, get to know the real score and witness human life, as you know it, unravel truths that will challenge everything you think you know.

Here, Shanavas goes against the flow of established truths and boldly
uncovers the theory of evolution as originally proposed by Muslims who lived
centuries before Charles Darwin. These Muslims, coupled with their literal
reading of the Qur’an, advocated evolution of life and natural selection.

History shows that Erasmus Darwin, grandfather of Charles Darwin, influenced
the latter to study the nature and the evolution of life. The older Darwin
learned about the evolution of life from books written by Muslim
philosophers and scholars who preceded him by centuries. The young Darwin
then collected evidence to support the theory of evolution.


In Creation AND/OR Evolution, Shanavas describes an Islamic theory of
creation that is not incompatible with evolution. He accomplishes this by
weaving together insights from modern science, the Qur’an, and
pre-Renaissance Muslim history. He proposes that evolution is an
intelligent design created by a higher power to manifest His omniscience,
supremacy, and grace in a universe constructed with creatures with limited
free will, rendering his work an important contribution to the ongoing
debate between creationism and evolution.

This book also answers the question: Why Allah allows evil.



TABLE OF CONTENTS


Introduction
Chapter 1 Inshah Allah--The Islamic Metaphysics of the Future
Chapter 2 The Concept of Time: New Physics and the Qur’an
Chapter 3 Creation and the Fate of the Universe
Chapter 4 The Age of the Universe, Uniformitarianism, Fossils, and Muslims
Chapter 5 A Brief Review of the Theory of Evolution
Chapter 6 Pre-Darwinian Muslims and the Theory of Evolution
Chapter 7 The Qur’an and the Origin of Man
Chapter 8 The Creation of Adam and Eve from Animal World
Chapter 9 The Location of the Garden of the Forbidden Tree
Chapter 10 God and Chance Events
Chapter 11 The Structure of the Universe: A Master Design
Chapter 12 Self and Subjectivity of the Animate and Inanimate World
Summary
Notes
Bibliography
Glossary
Suggested Books for Further Reading
Index

Creation AND/OR Evolution An Islamic Perspective. [ISBN 1-4134-6581-1]
By T.O.Shanavas
282 pages; $31.99;

[I, Brian]

This is obviously spam - but it would be interesting to see if any of the claimed arguments are a valid contribution to the discussion of the topic within Islam - so I'm not going to remove this thread on the grounds that there may be a potentially useful discussion to arise from this.

[mansio]

I've seen one of the main contributor on an Islamic discussion forum suddenly agreeing with me on evolution. Could it be Shanavas' influence ?

[tufail]

Originally Posted by tufail

The theory of evolution has Islamic roots. Fact or fiction? In T.O. Shanavas’ provocative new book, Creation AND/OR Evolution, get to know the real score and witness human life, as you know it, unravel truths that will challenge everything you think you know.

Here, Shanavas goes against the flow of established truths and boldly
uncovers the theory of evolution as originally proposed by Muslims who lived
centuries before Charles Darwin. These Muslims, coupled with their literal
reading of the Qur’an, advocated evolution of life and natural selection.

History shows that Erasmus Darwin, grandfather of Charles Darwin, influenced
the latter to study the nature and the evolution of life. The older Darwin
learned about the evolution of life from books written by Muslim
philosophers and scholars who preceded him by centuries. The young Darwin
then collected evidence to support the theory of evolution.


In Creation AND/OR Evolution, Shanavas describes an Islamic theory of
creation that is not incompatible with evolution. He accomplishes this by
weaving together insights from modern science, the Qur’an, and
pre-Renaissance Muslim history. He proposes that evolution is an
intelligent design created by a higher power to manifest His omniscience,
supremacy, and grace in a universe constructed with creatures with limited
free will, rendering his work an important contribution to the ongoing
debate between creationism and evolution.

This book also answers the question: Why Allah allows evil.



TABLE OF CONTENTS


Introduction
Chapter 1 Inshah Allah--The Islamic Metaphysics of the Future
Chapter 2 The Concept of Time: New Physics and the Qur’an
Chapter 3 Creation and the Fate of the Universe
Chapter 4 The Age of the Universe, Uniformitarianism, Fossils, and Muslims
Chapter 5 A Brief Review of the Theory of Evolution
Chapter 6 Pre-Darwinian Muslims and the Theory of Evolution
Chapter 7 The Qur’an and the Origin of Man
Chapter 8 The Creation of Adam and Eve from Animal World
Chapter 9 The Location of the Garden of the Forbidden Tree
Chapter 10 God and Chance Events
Chapter 11 The Structure of the Universe: A Master Design
Chapter 12 Self and Subjectivity of the Animate and Inanimate World
Summary
Notes
Bibliography
Glossary
Suggested Books for Further Reading
Index

Creation AND/OR Evolution An Islamic Perspective. [ISBN 1-4134-6581-1]
By T.O.Shanavas
282 pages; $31.99;

A Review of “Creation AND/OR Evolution: An islamic Perspective” by T.O.Shanavas

Shanavas’ son asked: “Dad, you send me to the best school around our home to study science. You send me to the Islamic Center to study the Qur’an. Science says that human beings evolved from the world of apes, but the Islamic Center teaches us that humans were initially created in heaven and came to earth fully formed. What is the truth?” Creation AND/OR Evolution: An Islamic Perspective is the answer to the question.

In Creation AND/OR Evolution: An Islamic Perspective, Shanavas describes a novel concept of Islamic metaphysics of the future focusing on the phrase, Inshah Allah (God so will). Within the Islamic metaphysics of the future, all separately identifiable small or large components of the universe have self and subjectivity and the creation is a process. In this process, our short-lived and imperfect universe evolves as creatures of all varieties choose the divine proposals carried within arriving moments of future and objectify them into material realities. It is reasonable to anticipate a chaotic universe, which evolves through practice of free choice. Yet, stunningly, in this potentially chaotic universe, which evolves through the practice of free choices of millions or billions of animate and inanimate creatures, order emerges. Shanavas brilliantly describes how the order evolves in universe where chance events are daily affairs. Shanavas accepts chance events without rejecting Allah’s Providence. The author gives logical explanation for the existence of evil in the universe under a compassionate God.

Quoting Qur’anic verses, Shanavas systematically and methodically argues that Adam and Eve were created on the earth originally. Reference from pre-Darwin Muslim scholar shows that the story of the creation of Eve from Adam’s rib was a Judeo-Christian story imported to Islamic faith by Muslims converted from the People of the Book.

According to the author, the theory of evolution is no way anti-Islamic. Pre-Darwin Muslim scholars originally proposed the theory of evolution centuries before Charles Darwin. An American scientist, contemporary of Charles Darwin, described the theory “the Muhammadan theory of Evolution.” Historically, Muslims were the first to record the discovery of human origin from the world of apes even though we know now that apes and human have common ancestor. The book gives logical explanation for the birth of new species, mutation, fossils, and “missing links.” The author has meticulously recorded the references to every point that he makes in the book. It is a ground breaking book.

[Yaqinud Din]

Evolution is refuted here http://www.allaahuakbar.net/ATHEIST/evolution/index.htm

[redindica]

Hi tufail

I'm very interested in this subject. Could you tell me who the individual you quoted (below in bold) is so that I may read up on them?

According to the author, the theory of evolution is no way anti-Islamic. Pre-Darwin Muslim scholars originally proposed the theory of evolution centuries before Charles Darwin. An American scientist, contemporary of Charles Darwin, described the theory “the Muhammadan theory of Evolution.” Historically, Muslims were the first to record the discovery of human origin from the world of apes even though we know now that apes and human have common ancestor. The book gives logical explanation for the birth of new species, mutation, fossils, and “missing links.” The author has meticulously recorded the references to every point that he makes in the book. It is a ground breaking book.

[tufail]

I want to be fair to the author of the book, Creation AND/OR Evolution: An Islmic Perspective, by not posting fine details from the book. The author has given complete reference including the title of books, or name of the journal, volume, page number etc in his book by the author, T.O.Shanavas. I refer all to the outstanding book for details.

[I, Brian]

Sorry, tufail, but you'll have to do better than that to keep the discussion alive.

I allowed this thread to stand to let it develop as an interesting discussion topic. If you're telling me there is no discussion without reading the book, then I may as well remove this thread from the public forums as the spam it is.

[tufail]

The American contmporary is John William Draper (1812-1883). In fact, during the presentation of a paper in British Association of Advancement of Sciences by Draper and four months after publication of Origin of Species, the first discussion of the Origin of Species took place in a scientific meeting. It was during this discussion of Draper's paper, Bishop Wilberforce of Oxford contemptuously inquired Thomas Huxley whether Huxley claimed his descent from monkeys "through his grandfather or grandmother."

[n4h1z]

Peace to all...

This thread really caught my attention as for the book title:"Creation AND/OR Evolution An Islamic Perspective"..yes, that is very provocative.

Here, Shanavas goes against the flow of established truths and boldly
uncovers the theory of evolution as originally proposed by Muslims who lived
centuries before Charles Darwin.

As far as my limited knowledge knows, the first notion of evolution was seen in inscriptions in ancient Sumeria and shaped in ancient Greece. The pagan Greek philosophers such as Thales, Anaximander and Empedocles, claimed that living things, in other words human beings, animals and plants, formed themselves from such inanimate substances as air, fire and water. According to their theories, the first living things suddenly emerged in water and then adapted to the land. Thales had spent time in Egypt, where the superstition that "living things formed themselves out of mud" was widespread. The Egyptians believed that in this way the frogs which appeared when the waters of the Nile receded were formed.

These Muslims, coupled with their literal reading of the Qur’an, advocated evolution of life and natural selection.

Very much doubt with their "literal reading" though. If they were really reading the holy Quran, they might find a major contradiction with evolution in it.
"It is He Who brings out the living from the dead, and brings out the dead from the living." (Surah Rome: 19)
Evolutionist says that the first organism was a cell that emerged from inanimate matter by chance. This evolutionary claim,however, is contrary to one of the most fundamental rules of biology: Life comes only from life, which means that inanimate matter cannot generate life.Life cannot come out from something lifelessness.This shows that the first life ever comes from life Itself, which is God.Only God could give life out of lifelessness.

So i would say that this book is non other than to associate Islam with atheist belief and to raise confusion among Muslims and non-Muslims on the interpretations of the Quran...

[tufail]

I agree with n4h1z about Greek history. In fifth century BC, Empedocies of Acragas put forward that "heads without necks appeared on earth, arms wandered without shoulders, and eyes with no forehead moved hither and thither..." In his view, these separate organs were brought together by influence of Love, and that was how living beings were formed.

IN 6th centuryAnaximander of Miletus thought that 'man, at the origin, was born out of animals of another kind."This was, he said, borne out by the fact that human children take a long time before they can feed themselves unaided.

However, I respectfully disagree with n4h1z's point of view that Creation AND/OR Evolution An Islamic Perspective " raises confusion among Muslims..." The confusion created in mind of Shanavas' son by what is taught in Islamic Center and his science class is the reason for the book. The book resolves the conflict between science and Islam.

I would like to know how would n4h1z answer the question of Shanavas' son that I have quoted earlier.

Furthermore, Qur'an commands Muslims to "travel around the earth and see how Allah Creates original creation and later creation." The verse suggests that the divine process of creation and the products are comprehensible for human beings. If what man "sees" on the earth regarding the origin of all beings conflict with what is in the Qur'an, won't it be a reason for Muslims to "associate with atheism?"

On the contrary, Shanavas has done a great service to prevent the critical thinking Muslim children drifting into atheism.

[thipps]

Originally Posted by tufail

Furthermore, Qur'an commands Muslims to "travel around the earth and see how Allah Creates original creation and later creation." The verse suggests that the divine process of creation and the products are comprehensible for human beings.

Which verse is that you're quoting? Appreciate a reference. thanks.

[tufail]

verse 29:20