Author: M. Asim Ismail Zahi
Examining Darwin’s Theory (Part Five)
The Spiritual and Divine Dimension (Blowing the Spirit):
10. The transformation and evolution of species, including the emergence of humans from animals—the foundation of Darwin’s theory of evolution—remains a theory. Therefore, it is inappropriate to measure the verses of the Holy Qur’an and its established truths against hypotheses, theories, and scientific assumptions. What is considered a theory today may be refuted or replaced by another tomorrow, or a new hypothesis may emerge as a more suitable explanation for the phenomena of existence. Scientific theories and hypotheses are often subject to error, although they may also be accurate. Thus, they carry the possibility of being correct or incorrect.
For us, the Holy Qur’an serves as the ultimate criterion, scale, and standard of truth. This does not imply that we should entirely disregard or ignore the findings of science, research, and studies related to the phenomena of existence and human anthropology (both external and internal aspects). On the contrary, these findings—though limited, incomplete, and subject to change—provide a form of interpretation for the miraculous scientific references in the Qur’an. Nevertheless, we do not see the need to reinterpret definitive, clear, and certain Qur’anic texts to align them with uncertain theories or even with so-called scientific facts derived from human research and experiments.
The Qur’an is independent of such scientific assertions, as it is science that requires validation from the Book of the All-Knowing and Almighty Allah.
It is crucial to distinguish between fixed scientific laws and theories. Scientific laws and absolute truths should be considered separately from scientific theories and hypotheses. When seeking harmony between Qur’anic texts and scientific theories, we must acknowledge this distinction.
For us, the “certain” and “absolute” truth lies in the Holy Qur’an, which serves as an eternal guide for humanity. The Qur’an and sound science (science that aligns with the interpretation of Qur’anic scientific verses without contradiction) do not conflict with one another. Dr. Abdul Raouf Mukhlis states:
“It is not the purpose to prove the Qur’an through human science or use human science to validate its truth. Rather, it is science that requires the support of the Divine Book to substantiate itself. With firm faith, we recognize that there is no conflict between ‘correct’ science and ‘explicit’ revelation. Such a clash is only possible if the scientific theory is flawed or our understanding of the Qur’an is erroneous.”
The Holy Qur’an is a guide for human life and a book for nurturing humanity. It is not a textbook of chemistry, physics, or mathematics, nor is it intended to exhaustively explain the natural sciences. The Qur’an touches upon these sciences as needed, aiming to awaken humanity and inspire intellectual inquiry in alignment with its guidance.
The primary purpose is for humans to fulfill their responsibilities and obey the divine commands with sincerity, thereby achieving true humanity and closeness to Allah (s.w.t).
“وَما خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ” “I did not create jinn and humans except to worship Me.”
The Qur’an is not obliged to affirm or deny every scientific theory, as it is a book of guidance and uses scientific references solely to fulfill this purpose.
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