Darwin and Dunya: Muslim Responses to Darwinian Evolution

Abstract

Darwin’s theory of evolution caused considerable controversy among conservative Christians, but his ideas were not immediately available to Muslims. The first Arabic excerpts of Darwin’s work were made in 1876 by a Syrian Christian who was influenced by pro-creationist Protestant missionaries. This article provides a brief historical overview of the debate among Muslim scholars about Darwin’s theory of evolution. The range of reactions to Darwinian evolution in the Muslim world has included that of traditionalist scholars, who adhere to medieval views of a flat earth, to that of Western-trained Muslim scientists who see no contradiction between Darwinian evolution and Islamic religious beliefs. Since the Qur‘ān does not provide as many details regarding theistic or God-guided evolution as appear in the biblical book of Genesis, Muslims can argue that Darwinian evolution does not directly contradict or harm Islamic teachings; nevertheless, “Islamic creationism” is on the rise, especially in cyberspace, particularly on the websites of Harun Yahya, who, in 2007, sent an Atlas of Creation to scientists in the Western world.

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