SCIENCE-RELIGION DIALOGUE
Summer 2002
 
 

 

 

 

 


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Origin and Evolution of Life in the Light of Islam

Dr. M. IZHARUL HAQ*

 In this article:

 

Life on earth is an old and controversial issue of the modern age. The modern Scientific and archeological discoveries of fossils show that there was life on the earth before human being. On the other hand it is generally believed (as the Bible tells us) that Adam was the first rational being created after the formation of earth, its rivers, dust and other animals. This also gives birth to another controversy. Darwin brought the idea that human being is evolved from ape-like creature. But the religious forum insists that Adam was new creation. Islam has its own point of view, and the Quran and Hadith has hinted to the issue in several verses. This will be discussed in detail in this article.

  1. Islamic concept of the origin of life on earth.
  2. Rational life before mankind; and
  3. Why other species disappeared.

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LIFE ON EARTH IN LIGHT OF ISLAM

The Quran gives some basic information about life on earth. As a basic principle of life, it says: “We created every living thing from water.” (2) This was further elaborated by saying:

And Allah had created every animal from water: Of them there are some that creep on their bellies;Some that walk on two legs; And some that walk on four. Allah has power over all things (3)

It means protoplasm is the basis of all living things and the vital power of it seems to depend on the constant presence of water. According to Parker and Hasell, “Living protoplasm always contains a large amount of water.” (4)

The creation process is discussed in the Bible. If we consider Bible’s story of creation (partially) true, then according to it, after creation of earth and water in it, Allah created grass, fruitful trees, then moving creatures, cattle and creeping things and beasts. (5) Any how, this gives some pictures of variety of life on earth before  mankind. The Bible also indicates that Adam was created just after the creation of earth  and animals on it. (6) However, neither the Quran nor the modern discoveries of fossils accept this point of view.

The Quran has several verses regarding life on earth before Adam. These verses shows that Adam was not the first obligated creature on the earth, rather there were other creatures who were occupying the earth, and were rational and obligated. They were also combination of blood and flesh and had knowledge of using weapons. (7) In this regard Allah says in the Quran:

 “When your Lord said to the angels: I will create a vicegerent/successor on earth.” They said, “Will You place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood? And we do praise You and glorify your name? He said: “I know what you know not” (8)

In this verse Khalifah is the key word of our discussion and needs to be pondered upon. According to a famous lexicographer, Ibn-e-Manzoor Ifriqi, “al-khalfu didd al-qudaam,” khalf (behind/ at the back) is opposite to qudaam (fore part/front part); khalfa fulaamun fulaanan means when some on becomes successor to some one else; wa al-khalifah: alladhi yustakhlafu minimum qablahu,” and khalifah means, the one who becomes successor to his prior. (9)

Imaam Razi also says that, “al-Khalifah, man yakhlufu ghayarahu wa yaqumu muqaamahu” (10) (khalifah is the one who comes after another person and takes his place). As for the calling Adam Khalifah, al-Razi also gives two reasons. The first reason is that When Allah exiled Jinn from earth and sent Adam there, who became successor to Jinn prior to him. The second is that he was called khalifah because he is vicegerent of Allah in exercising His authority among the people obligated to follow His Commands. (11)

Another famous scholar, Ibn-e-Taymiyah also accepts the same meaning of khalifah and says: wal-murad bi “al-khalifah  annahu khalifu man kana qablahu min al-khalq,” (12) (Khalifah means, he (Adam) is substitute/successor to the creature before him). Further more, all dervations of the root word “kh-l-f” used in the Quran reveal the same meaning. For instance: (13)

  1.  “Those who were left behind (Mukhallafan) were glade that they were left behind Allah’s Apostle, for they had no wish to fight for the cause of Allah with their wealth and their person.” (14)
  2. “Remember that He has made you successor (Khulafa) of Aad, and provided you with dwelleings in this land.” (15)
  3. “He has made you successors (Khalaa’if) in the world and exalted some of you in rank above other so that He might prove you with His gifts.” (16)
  4. “Therefore We saved Nuh and those who were with him in the Ark, and made them successors, and drowned those who denied Our revelation,” (17)

These all and other verses (18) reveal that the real meaning of “khalifah” is “successor” or the one who comes after some one else and takes his place. This is why Imam Razi says: “lianna al-Istikhlaf la yakunu illa ‘ala tariq al-badali min al-faa’it” (19) (because a-Istikhlaf occurs by replacing a dead). This discussion illustrates that ‘Man’ is successor to those prior to him.

In the second part of the verse the angels said, “Will You place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood? And we do praise You and glorify Your name?” This part also gives some clue about the creature before Man. The angels’ inquiry about creating another evil creature, is generally interpreted as it was because of especial knowledge they had, or because of knowing human nature. (20) Though, both of the interpretation, khalifah as vicegerent of Allah, and angels’ speculation about the mischievous nature of mankind, are also valid. But there are some reservations on these interpretations. (1) The need of vicegerent or successor occurs when a person or an authority is either absent or dead, while Allah is Present and All Living. In such a case there is no need of having successor or vicegerent to Allah. As for the angels’ speculation, it is also not valid. Because, if the creature is not existing at all, how angels could speculate about mischief of this new creation? And how they knew that Allah is going to create “mankind” and he will shed blood? The reasonable answer, which does not need any interpretation, is that they raised this question because of their previous knowledge and experience with other creatures. Eminent interpreters (of the Quran) and scholars have accepted this explanation.

Ibn Jarir Tabari relates from Ibn Abbas, while explaining “would you place the one who will mischief on the earth and shed blood?” saying: Jinn were dwelling on the earth. Then they did mischief and shed blood, and killed each other. Then Allah sent Iblis with a group of angels who also were called jinn. As a result Iblis and his group killed Jinn, forced them to take refuge in the ocean and the islands.

Another version from lbn Abbas, gives further details in this regard. According to him, Jinn were created two thousand years before Man. When they showed wickedness and shed blood, Allah sent forces of angels who made them flee... When Allah showed His intention by saying: I am going to create a khalifah (successor) on earth, the angels inquired: Will You originate such a creature as who will do evil and shed blood? Allah said: 1 know what you know not.

It is clear from the above discussion that man is successor to some other creatures who were dwelling on earth and they were Jinn. The Quran says:

 “And indeed, We created man from sounding clay, from mud moulded into shape; And the Jinn race, We had created before, from the fire of a scorching wind.”

In Surah al-Rahman it is said:

 “He created man from sounding clay like the clay of pottery, And the Jinns did He create from a smokeless flame of fire.” (24)

Both of the verses reveal that before man, Jinn inhabited the earth. In another verse it is further clarified that, like humans, they were and are obligated to follow Allah’s commands; among them are believers and disbelievers; and in the hereafter, they will be accountable for not following their religion. In Surah al-Jinn, Allah tells us in  the words of Jinn:

 “There are among us some that are righteous, and some the contrary; we are groups each having way (religious sect, etc.). And we think that we can not escape (from the punishment) by flight ‘and indeed when we heard the Guidance (this Qur’an), we believed therein (Islamic Monotheism), and whosoever believes in his Lord shall have no fear, either of the decrease in the reward of his good deeds or an increase in his punishment for his sins. And of us some are Muslims (who have submitted to Allah, after listening to this Qur’an), and of us some are Al-Qasitun (disbelievers — those who have deviated fror the Right Path).” (25)

At another place, we are informed:

“And surely, We have created many of the jinns and mankind for Hill. They have hearts wherewith they understand not, they have eyes wherewith they see not, and they have ears wherewith they hear not (the truth). They are like cattle, nay even more astray; those! They are the heedless ones.” (26)

Until here the Quran has directly mentioned that Jinn were dwelling the earth before humans. But it is not clear whether there were other creatures before jinn. However, some of the commentators and scholars have touched upon the issue and have mentioned other species living earlier.

One of the early scholars, Ala’ud-Din al-Basnawi writes in. his work naming Muhaadaratzil Awwal (dated 988 AD) that: When Adam was created, the earth said to him: “O Adam! You came to me after my novelty, gloom and juvenility is gone, and I am worn out.” (27) This narration reveals that earth has long story of life on it, and that mankind came to it when it was worn out and its own life i coming to an end.

There is another account related by Ibn Kathir, which informs us about other creatures who were bearing the names of “Hinn” and “Bann.” He writes, “Most of the Qur’anic interpreters have said that Jinn were created before Adam. And before them, there were “Hinn” and “Bann” on earth. Allah set jinns on them, who killed them, dispelled them and forced them to return to the state of wilderness, and (jinn) resided there after them.” (28)

Commenting on “a1-khalifa in the Quranic verse 2: 30, the author of Tafseer al-Mannaar says that some of the scholars understood from this verse that there were one or more species of social animals that disappeared. About this species (Adam) angels were informed that He will put him as successor (khalifah) who will take their place as the Exalted One has said ‘Then, after them, we made you successors on earth.” (29)

Referring to Muhammad ‘Abduhu, his teacher, Sh. Rashid Rada writes:

If this statement is true, then Adam is not the first rational creature on earth. The new class of social animal has resemblance with the primitive group or groups in person and nature. But has difference in some ethics and nature. (30)

Then the Shaikh gives another account, referring to other scholars that, before Adam there were creatures, called such as Jinn, Hinn, Bann, or Tamm and Rimm. (31) Imam Abduhu . does not give much importance to this account, but he too agrees that accounts reveal important information about early inhabitants of earth. (32)

Beside  this there is another narration that tells about very long period of rational creature. According to this narration, the Prophet (pbuh) said:

 (Allah has created one hundred thousand Adams before the Adam, known to us).(33)

The same is referred to Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq. (34) Imam Muhammad ‘Ali al-Baqir goes further and is quoted to has said: Indeed, before Adam, our father, one million or more Adams have passed. (35)

These ideas of well versed scholars disclose that before mankind there were several other generations of rational species who had their own ‘Adams’ or originators.

Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas, cousin of the Prophet, his companion and a famous commentator of the Quran, gives more astonishing information, while explaining the Quranic verse 65: 12, in which it is said:

 (It is Allah who has created seven heavens, and likewise earths. His commandments descend through them, so that you may know that Allah has power over all things, and that He has knowledge of all things. ) (36)

Ibn-e-Abbas, when questioned about this, said:

If I tell you its details, you would disbelieve means you would reject it. (Then he said) There are seven earths, and every earth has prophet like your prophet, Adam like Adam, Nuh like Nuh, Ibrahim like Ibrahim, and Jesus like Jesus. (37)

All these narratives suggest that there were other rational beings before and they were also subject to follow Allah’s commands.

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DESTINY OF THESE GENERATIONS

In the modern age, there are several fossil discoveries, which also show that there were several different species from thousands to millions of years ago. The geologists and other specialist have tried to tell about their approximate age. Fossils of the Cromangnan people are estimated to be as old as 32,000 to 38000 year BC. (38) Another species is Neanderthal. The skeletal remains show that they lived approximately 35,000 to 85,000 years ago. (39) There were other species such as Homo sapiens, who were about 3,50,000 year ago, Austropithecuslo, about 3,000.000 (40) or more early, and Ramapethecus, were about 7 million years ago. But these generations disappeared. “The factors responsible for the disappearance of the Neanderthal peoples are an important problem to which there is unfortunately no clear solution.” (41)

The Qur’an, however implicitly solves this problem. It refers to the reasons of early generations’ destruction. Allah has set rules and laws for the universe and are commonly applied everywhere, as He says:

According to this general principal, when people exceed the limits of injustice and oppression, they are destroyed by Allah, and are replaced by another generation. This fact is described in the Qur’an in several places, and reveal the factors involved in their destruction. At one place, it is said:

 “Verily, We destroyed generations before you when they did wrong and denied the clear signs which their messengers had given them. Thus shall the guilty be rewarded? Then We made you their successor in the earth, so that We might see how you would conduct yourselves.” (42)

In one other place Allah says:

 “Your Lord is Self-Sufficient and Merciful. He can destroy you if He wills and replace you by whom He pleases, just as He raised you from the offspring of other nations.” (43)

In Surah al-Nisaa’ , all mankind is warned if they would not obey their Lord, they, as a whole will be destroyed, and replaced with others:

 “If He pleases, He could destroy you all and replace you by others. This He has power to do.”(44)

This reveals that, as has happened in human races, that due to their disobedience, they were destroyed and replaced with other races, it had happened with pre-human rational beings. They were destroyed and replaced with others.

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CONCLUSION

The above discussion reveals that after creation of earth, Allah created water. Then from water He had created other creatures such as reptiles, cattle, and other animals. After their creation, in different period of time some rational creatures, other than humans, were created. These human-like creatures, having blood and flesh, were rational and were subject to follow Allah’s commands. They were called such as Hinn, Bann, Tamm, Rimm, and Jinn. When any of these generations deviated from the right direction, and exceeded the limits, they were destroyed and replaced by another creation. Later on, humans replaced Jinn.

 

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REFERENCES

  1. Bible, Saint James Version, Gen, 1:26-27; 2:1-7
  2. Quran, 21:30
  3. Ibid, 24:45
  4. T. J. Parker and W. A. Haswell, Text Book of Zoology, (London) 1910, 1:15
  5. Bible, Gen; 1:9-25
  6. Ibid.
  7. Shehabud Din Nadwi, Takhliq-e-Adam,
  8. Quran, 2:30
  9. Ibn Manzoor, Lisaan al-‘Arab, (Qum: Nashru Adab al-Hawzah), 1405 AH, 9: 82-82
  10. Imam Razi, Tafsir-e-Kabir, 12:202
  11. Ibid.
  12. Ibn Taymiyah, Fatawa Ibn Taymiyah (Riyad) 1398, 35:43. See also Shehabud Din Nadwi, Takhliq Adam (Lahore: al-Maktabah al-Afshrafiyah) 1987, 66.
  13. Translation of the below verses is taken from The Quran: An English Translation of the Meaning of the Quran, Assisted by a Committee of Muslim Scholars, 1st ed. (Beirut: Dar al-choura), 1980.
  14. Quran, 9:81
  15. Ibid, 7:73
  16. Ibid, 6:165
  17. Ibid, 10:73
  18. For example see these verses: 38:26; 35:39; 7:69; 27:62; 48:11, 15, 16.
  19. Al-Razi, Tafsir-e-Kabir, 12:202.
  20. Muhammad Ali al-Sabuni, Mukhtasr Tafsr Ibn Kathir (Beirut: Dar al-Quran), ND, 1:49.
  21. Ibn Jarir Tabari, Tafsir Ibn Kaathir, 4 vols. (Asad Tarabzoni al-Hussain), ND, 1:70-71.
  22. Ibid; See also al-Suyuti, Durr Manthur (Beirut: Dar al-Marifah), 1:44-45
  23. Quran, 15:27-28; English Trans. Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur’an Text, Translation & Commentary (Lahore: Sh. Muhammad Ashraf), 1990, p.642
  24. Quran, 55: 14-15
  25. Ibid, 72: 11-14
  26. Ibid, 7:179
  27. Muhammad Farid Wajdi, Da’irah Ma’arif al-Qarn al-Ishrin (Printed at the press of Ma’arif al-Qarn al-Ishrin), 1967, 1:125
  28. Ibn Kathir al-Demashqi, al-Bidaayah wa al-Nihaayah, 14 vols. (Lahore: Maktabah al-Quddusiyyah), 1984, 1:55. See also Takhliq Aadam, p.68
  29. Rashid Rada, Tafsir al-Mannar (Beirut: Dar al-Ma’arifah), ND, 1:257-258
  30. Ibid.
  31. Ibid.
  32. Ibid.
  33. Farid Wajid, Da’irah Ma’arif, 1:124
  34. Ibid, 1:126
  35. Al-Razi, Tafsir-e-Kabir, 19:179. Imam Razi has recorded the following words: “Indeed, before our father Adam, one million or more Adams have passed.”
  36. Quran, 65:12
  37. Al-Suyuti, Durr al-Manthur, 5:581-582
  38. The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, 30 vols. 15th ed. (Chicago, London etc;: William Benton, Publisher), 1973-1974, 12:912
  39. Ibid, 911
  40. Ibid, 2:436
  41. Ibid, 12:912
  42. Quran, 10: 13-14
  43. Ibid, 6:133
  44. Ibid, 4:133

 

* Assistant Professor, Department of A. I. R, Gomal University, D.I.Khan

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