Reflection : Evolution Revisited

I am not a biologist, nor a biochemist:  hard-core scientists able to dissect life into genomes, epigenomes, proteins and finally look down to basic building blocks of life, the amino acids etc and etc. I am just a 'soft scientist', a chap who uses science in my daily life. Actually I am just a 'plumber'. A 'plumber' deeply involved in science as science forms the very basis of my day-to-day work. 

I believe Islam is a very 'scientific' religion, able to bring the world from pre-Islamic, 7th century darkness and pestilence. Within the first 100 years of  Islam in Arabia , it was able to bring dark and  plague-ridden Spain into progressive Cordoba and Servile through scientific inquiries and the 'right reading' of the 'other book'......until we Muslims somehow got deeply immersed  and stuckin this 'mumbo-jumbo' which I term as the ' ablution phase' of Islam. We have been stuck in this 'ablution phase' much too long!..... Thinking and thinking aloud is not allowed. Already seven centuries to be exact. Some bright sparks decided at the end of the 14th century, in a grand way, that all the thinking that need to be done for the ummah had been done, from then on no more thinking required. No ijtihad  as well.

Islam does not need modern science to validate it. I have no problem with that. If there is a hiatus between science and Islam, I will keep science on the 'backburner' and wait for better science. 'Evolution' is one of the hiatus and I will wait for 'better science'. And oftentimes I will also have to wait for the 'traditional scholars' to grow out of their shells and 'kopiah'. Scholars who are steeped in both the Qur'anic understanding as well as bludgeoning knowledge of science are a rarity or probably non-existent at present. Scholars who can 'decipher' with confidence the ayats in the Qur'an that are 'muthashabihat' and explain the cosmic intricacies surrounding our universe.  And that is like waiting for a cat with horns!
Easier to wait for 'better science', even from non-Muslims!

In the mean time I too get excited when young Muslims in Europe and America do take the lead to discuss some watershed issues that seem to boggle us , this current ummah.

I find Yasir Qadhi's parallel theory about 'evolution' and that of man quite interesting, and I have been thinking about this as well for years, reconciling myself to the fact that science and Islam are perfectly compatible,and why not !? 

In a nutshell, man is 'extraterrestrial'. Prophet Adam is extraterrestrial. If his genetic template bear some distant resemblance to some simple multicellular 'algae' in the sea, so what is the big deal? Both come from Allah. Allah is a 'scientific' God. There is 'order' in all his creations, inanimate and animate. He chooses whatever 'genetic' template He chooses. That there appear some degree of conguence in all the  genetic templates in His animate creations shows simply that He, and only He, is a God of ORDER.

And it is not difficult to imagine this. The universe we live in is infinitely more complex than man. Without ORDER, this expanding universe could either disappear in oblivion or end up in a big gigantic crush.

Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth Able to create the like of them? Aye, that He is! for He is the All-Wise Creator, But His command, when He intendeth a thing, is only that he saith unto it: Be! and it is. Therefor glory be to Him in Whose hand is the dominion over all things! Unto Him ye will be brought back. ( Yaseen : 81-83)

It remain for us, present day Muslims ,to fill in the dots!

Dr Nik Howk


PS : Let us listen to Shaykh Yasir Qadhi for some 20 minutes, and if you still have the stamina carry on from there....

[ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGdXKLipHfY ]..[.45 minutes ]

The Full Conference on Evolution [ a long one , more than 4 hours, but worth it! Especially for young people in science........
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbynBJVTWKI



Backstage with the speakers !...30 minutes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24-4AX6jYSQ



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from Pearls &  Gem  :

An Aidil Azha Letter To An Agnostic Friend:
http://drnikisahak.blogspot.com/2010/11/z-i-feel-humbled-by-your-frank.html





some food for thot on science.....:

top biochemists see life just as a 'sea of chemical reactions'
the world of richard dawkins think life only in terms of evolution, evolution and evolution.
theologians, the world over, ponder about the soul, its journey before time, now and hereafter.
the 'arrived scientific- muslim' tops them all:
life is a sea of chemical reactions, separated by a complex labyrinth of cell-membranes,
clothed in the body of man, divinely gifted with the soul, and
Unto Allah is the journeying

Surah an-Naml , 27..Epilogue

Recitation , whole surah, Shaykh Mishari Rashid al-Afasy

This surah contains a verse which speaks of a mysterious creature which will appear on earth towards the last days, and which will, by God's permission, speak to humans and severely reprimand them for their laxity, negligence, and failure to recognize God and serve Him as he should be served. It will condemn a great deal of  the corruption, injustice, and evil which many individuals and societies have perpetrated on this earth. There has been a great deal of speculation with respect to the real nature and identity of this beast, but most of it is mythical and none of it carries any credibility. We need not go further than what the surah tells us: "And when the word is fulfilled concerning them, We shall bring forth a beast of the earth to speak unto them because mankind had not faith in Our revelations." (82)


The surah concludes with a few words on the hereafter and the Day of Judgement. On this terrible day, accountability will be in accordance with the following principle:

Whoso bringeth a good deed will have better than its worth; and such are safe from fear that Day. (89) And whoso bringeth an ill-deed, such will be flung down on their faces in the Fire. Are ye rewarded aught save what ye did? (90)

The closing verses remind Muhammad and his followers of their mission in this world: to lead humanity and guide people to their Lord in the light of Qur'anic revelation. They are also reassured about the future.

(Say): I (Muhammad) am commanded only to serve the Lord of this land which He hath hallowed, and unto Whom all things belong. And I am commanded to be of those who surrender (unto Him), (91)

Time shall be the judge, both in this life and in the life to come, between those who believe and those who do not. "And say: Praise be to Allah Who will show you His portents so that ye shall know them. And thy Lord is not unaware of what ye (mortals) do. "(93)


" A Thematic Commentary On The Qur'an "
Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali








Epilogue, Surah an Naml : [ Imam Zia ]

Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ublo-2FG4E8


Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmCpE_mk_3Y



Part 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnbUmESMSc8

Surah an-Naml , 27....Syirik vs Tawhid

Recitation, part of the surah, Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Sudais

The surah then poses the following rhetorical question:  "Say (O Muhammad): Praise be to Allah, and peace be on His slaves whom He hath chosen! Is Allah best, or (all) that ye ascribe as partners (unto Him)? "(59). This is reminiscent of Joseph's plea to his prison mates when he said to them: '"O my fellow-prisoners! Are diverse lords better, or Allah the One, Almighty? '"(Yusuf: 39)

This is yet another assertion that tawhid is the common denominator of all heavenly revealed religions. Polytheism, or syirik, is an aberration that occur in societies that have had no genuine guidance or have lost their way. The Arabs practised more than their fair share of syirik, and this surah gives five basic arguments for tawhid, which no sensible and rational human being can fail to understand and appreciate.

1.    " Is not He (best) Who created the heavens and the earth, and sendeth down for you water from the sky wherewith We cause to spring forth joyous orchards, whose trees it never hath been yours to cause to grow. Is there any God beside Allah? Nay, but they are folk who ascribe equals (unto Him)! " (60)

Not even the most ignorant person would agree that an idol or man-made deity is capable of creating the heavens or the earth, or that it can cause the rain to fall from the sky or the plants to grow out of the soil!

2.   "Is not He (best) Who made the earth a fixed abode, and placed rivers in the folds thereof, and placed firm hills therein, and hath set a barrier between the two seas? Is there any God beside Allah? Nay, but most of them know not!" (61)

The balance and stability of the earth and its orderly movement are a fascinating feat. The earth is not only moving around its own axis but it is also moving around the sun as part of a complex and intricate system. Nevertheless, the earth retains its stability and perpetual equilibrium, and nothing 'falls off ' its surface.

The earth is a sphere with eighty per cent of its surface covered with sea water. Rivers  and lakes form all over the land, but due to different chemical and physical properties their clean water is never soiled by sea water. Do these observations not lead one to search for their Creator?

3.   "Is not He (best) Who answereth the wronged one when he crieth unto Him and removeth the evil, and hath made you viceroys of the earth? Is there any God beside Allah? Little do they reflect! "(62)

This verse points to God's grace towards humans, and to their need for God's help and care when they are hit by disasters and afflictions they cannot cope with. God is always there to alleviate the pain and relieve the suffering.

4.   "Is not He (best) Who guideth you in the darkness of the land and the sea, He Who sendeth the winds as heralds of His mercy? Is there any God beside Allah? High Exalted be Allah from all that they ascribe as partner (unto Him)! "(63) 

God has provided man with the means of navigation for use on land and in the sea and air. He has also harnessed the wind for man's benefit. Which of the other alleged gods is capable of  any of this?

5.   " Is not He (best) Who produceth creation, then reproduceth it, and Who provideth for you from the heaven and the earth? Is there any God beside Allah? Say: Bring your proof, if ye are truthful!" (64) 

No such proof has been forthcoming.



To deny the existence of God is a syndrome, not a philosophy or a science. It is a product of arrogance and fanciful theorization, and cannot be accredited with any logic or intellectual respectability.
Contemporary scientific materialism is a rehash of ancient pagan philosophies. Its danger lies in the fact that it has come to be considered as science, purported to be based on evidence and tangible proof. This thinking is the underlying cause behind today's global malaise which is leading humanity to disaster. The ancient unbelievers said:

"When we have become dust like our fathers, shall we verily be brought forth (again)? (67) We were promised this, forsooth, we and our fathers. (All) this is naught but fables of the men of old." (68) Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Travel in the land and see the nature of the sequel for the guilty! (69)

Muhammad was instructed to rebutt such arguments and to bring people face to face with the reality of the hereafter. His mission was to give the world a civilization with a strong faith in God, built on authentic revelation, whose people are taught and prepared to face accountability in the hereafter. Islam has established a society whose laws, relationships and behavior are shaped by belief in the hereafter. it is not for nothing that Muslims stand up to face God in prayer five times every day of their lives.


"A Thematic Commentary On The Qur'an "
Shaykh Myhammad al-Ghazali
[ 1917 - 1998 ]




................................




Reflection and commentary by Imam Zia,

session 7.1

session 7.2

session 7.3

Session 7.4 :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHEnP4J5KY0

............................................

what I cannot perceive, nor measure , is not there....arrogance bordering on  imbecility of the post modern man !

have there been a situation when mutation produce better genes, prof?....

Surah an-Naml , 27....Of Thamud, Lot, Homosexuality etc and etc.

Surah an-Naml, full recitation, Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Sudais

The Surah then moves on to narrate the story of Thamud, another example of a people given to stubbornness and arrogance. As soon as a prophet named Salih emerged amongst them to lead them to God and a better life, they embarked on a scheme to kill him saying: "' Swear one to another by Allah that we verily will attack him and his household by night, and afterward we will surely say unto his friend: We witnessed not the destruction of his household. And lo! we are truthtellers. '" (49)  . However, it seems that instead of killing prohet Salih, they decided to kill the she-camel which God had sent to them as a sign of Salih's credentials. Their end was tragic.

So they plotted a plot: and We plotted a plot, while they perceived not. (50) Then see the nature of the consequence of their plotting, for lo! We destroyed them and their people, every one. (51) See, yonder are their dwellings empty and in ruins because they did wrong. Lo! herein is indeed a portent for a people who have knowledge. (52)

The surah continues citing the story of the prophet Lot and the town of Sodom whose inhabitants practiced perversion in their public places of gathering. Lot was an Israelite who had migrated to Sodom only to discover shockingly that open homosexuality was practiced by the men of the place as a matter of course. When he objected to this abomination the people decided to expel him. The surah says:

And Lot! when he said unto his folk: Will ye commit abomination knowingly? (54) Must ye needs lust after men instead of women? Nay, but ye are folk who act senselessly. (55) But the answer of his folk was naught save that they said: Expel the household of Lot from your township, for they (forsooth) are folk who would keep clean! (56)

The people of Lot were also destroyed and their city turned upside down. Although these vile practices were well known to the Jewish and Christian communities, whose books severely condemned them, they have come to be accepted today in the modern Judeo-Christian societies of America and Europe. Right from the beginning of this surah, we note that these practices and the people who promote them have been implicitly condemned to severe punishment. the surah says:

Lo! as for those who believe not in the Hereafter, We have made their works fairseeming unto them so that they are all astray. (4) Those are they for whom is the worst of punishment, and in the Hereafter they will be the greatest losers. (5)





" A Thematic Commentary On The Qur'an "
Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali






..............................

and the west has been..... Drawing Lines in The Sand.....from time immemorial

Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State
United States Of America on Gay Rights, Homosexuality, Lesbianism and Human Rights.....

....only we choose to fail to recognize to whom it was addressed
.......................................



Reflection and commentary by Imam Zia of Irving Islamic Center, Texas





session 5.1

session 5.2

session 5.3

session 5.4

Surah an-Naml , ... Of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba...

Beautiful recitation by Shaykh al-Sharkawi ,

When Moses saw his staff turn into a serpent, he was alarmed and ran away, but God addressed him:

....O Moses! Fear not! the emissaries fear not in My presence, (10) Save him who hath done wrong and afterward hath changed evil for good. And lo! I am Forgiving, Merciful. (11)

These words were designed to reassure Moses that God had forgiven him for the killing of the Egyptian man as specified in al-Qasas: 15-16. Following this incident, Moses had said: '"My Lord! Lo! I have wronged my soul, so forgive me.'" Then He forgave him. Lo! He is the Forgiving, the Merciful  "( al-Qasas :16).  The surah affirms that the Pharaoh and his people had persistently and deliberately rejected God, despite their belief that Moses was truthful and right and that their hostility to him was unjustified. it say: " And they denied them, though their souls acknowledged them, for spite and arrogance. Then see the nature of the consequence for the wrong-doers! "(14)


Before proceeding to the case of Solomon, we should recall the verse in al-An'am which says: " There is not an animal in the earth, nor a flying creature flying on two wings, but they are peoples like unto you. We have neglected nothing in the Book (of Our decrees). Then unto their Lord they will be gathered. "( al-An'am : 38) . Members of these kingdoms live and communicate among themselves using special languages which are possible for man to discover and understand. God had endowed prophet Solomon with the gift of understanding animal communication methods and the ability to communicate with them: " And Solomon was David's heir. And he said: O mankind! Lo! we have been taught the language of birds, and have been given (abundance) of all things. This surely is evident favour. "(16) 

In one incident cited, Solomon could hear what a particular ant was saying when it warned its fellow ants:

"O ants! Enter your dwellings lest Solomon and his armies crush you, unperceiving. "(18) And (Solomon) smiled, laughing at her speech, and said: My Lord, arouse me to be thankful for Thy favour wherewith Thou hast favoured me and my parents, and to do good that shall be pleasing unto Thee, and include me in (the number of) Thy righteous slaves. (19)

The surah also refers to a hoopoe which had brought Solomon the news that Balqis, the Queen of Sheba, and her people were sun-worshipers. The hoopoe had been astonished to see them worshiping something else other than God and he had exclaimed to Solomon:

"I found her and her people worshipping the sun instead of Allah; and Satan maketh their works fairseeming unto them, and debarreth them from the way (of Truth), so that they go not aright; (24) So that they worship not Allah, Who bringeth forth the hidden in the heavens and the earth, and knoweth what ye hide and what ye proclaim, "(25) 

Solomon despatched a message to the Queen of Sheba which said: "' Lo! it is from Solomon, and lo! it is: In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful; (30) Exalt not yourselves against me, but come unto me as those who surrender.'" (31)

Islam, the essence of which is tawhid and submission to God, is the religion taught and advocated by all prophets without exception. Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad have preached, upheld, and propogated one and the same religion. The Queen of Sheba took time to consider Solomon's invitation and to consult her advisors. Above all, she was anxious to establish whether Solomon was like all other sovereigns she had known who had only been interested in wealth and power. When her delegation arrived at Solomon's court with expensive gifts and precious souvenirs, he immediately realized what she was after. Solomon said to the delegation: "' What! Would ye help me with wealth? But that which Allah hath given me is better than that which He hath given you. Nay it is ye (and not I) who exult in your gift.'" (36)

Solomon was prompted to present the Queen of Sheba with a feat that would convince her of his truthfulness. He said to his courtiers: '"O chiefs! Which of you will bring me her throne before they come unto me, surrendering? '"(38)

In an instant, the surah tells us, the Queen of Sheba's  throne was miraculously transported from Yemen to Jerusalem. When Solomon saw it he was overawed and said:

"This is of the bounty of my Lord, that He may try me whether I give thanks or am ungrateful. Whosoever giveth thanks he only giveth thanks for (the good of) his own soul; and whosoever is ungrateful (is ungrateful only to his own soul's hurt). For lo! my Lord is Absolute in independence, Bountiful." (40]

Although we cannot be certain how this happened, modern science has shown us today that mass and energy are only different states of the same matter, and that both can be made to travel at incredibly fast speed. When Balqis arrived in Jerusalem she was completely amazed at seeing the throne there and when asked if her her own throne was like the one she was looking at, was not certain, but replied: '" (It is) as though it were the very one '"(42). She was to learn more from Solomon that he was a messenger from God, and finally said: '" My Lord! Lo! I have wronged myself, and I surrender with Solomon unto Allah, the Lord of the World '". (44).


"A Thematic Commentary On The Qur'an "
Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali










Reflection and commentary by Imam Zia of Irving Islamic Center, USA


session 2.1

Session 2.2

                           https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjofw4szxEI


session 2.3

session 3.1

session 3.2

                                          

session 3.3

Session 3.4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qmrs2vI8NXo

Session 3.5

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivQiZiHh-cs

session 4.1

session 4.2

                                         

session 4.3

                                        

Recitation , full surah, by Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Sudais