By: Allama Mohammed Shihabuddin Nadvi
Divinity and Denial of Evolution
No member or species of Hominid which forms the link between the man and the apes is now found in the world. The extinct species include Homo erectus and two species of Homo sapiens: Neanderthal man and Cro-Magnon man.
The question that as to how at once they disappeared from the earth is a natural one, as, except for a few species, no family or phylum has lost all its species from amoeba to man. Why after all only species proximate to man should disappear? No evolutionist has any satisfactory answer for all this.
This fact effectively refutes the evolution theory. If ever the evolution theory could have any truth, the new varieties or species were more likely to disappear rather than the older ones, as the older species quantitatively as well as qualitatively fare better than every new species. Even the archaeologists concede that the weapons making has been in vogue for lakhs of years. The oldest tools found so far date back to at least 26 lakh years. It could only mean that the weapon making was in practice even before the appearance of Homo erectus and Homo sapiens. Then how could it be possible that the new species eliminated the stronger and numerically more members of the older species? But the riddle we face is that there were hardly any encounters between the old and the new. Although the disappearance of the new species is a proven fact according to the given accounts, this is further reinforced by the archeologists’ argument that there were age gaps between several species. And it is clearly accepted that Neanderthal man disappeared suddenly from fossil records which can only mean that a new species replaced it suddenly. This can be interpreted as absence of “encounters” or collision between a few old and new species and the older species vanished or perished without any war. How? Who eliminated them? And by what means? Hardly any evolutionists has a solution for this riddle.
A likely answer could be that species or animals such as dinosaurs etc. also vanished from the earth just like the Hominid. But it can be dismissed easily as the dinosaurs were only remotely related to man and inhabited the earth in different circumstances. But my question pertains to proximate species. How could they vanish when amoeba, unicellular species survives? How could one explain the survival capacity of the weaker species in comparison to the developed species? The theories of “Struggle for Existence” and the “Survival of the Fittest” do not support this phenomenon. How could this natural selection in reverse gear be explained?
From the religious point of view, the answer could be that, if at all, those accounts given by the archaeologists are accurate, these fossil remains have been preserved by the nature in order that man could learn from them. It has twin advantages: it not only proves existence of God, but also verifies Islam’s truth. All conscious creatures and law-bound (Shariah-bound) creatures (genus Homo according to the present terminology) are created for test on this earth in that they differentiate between right and wrong and virtues and vices. They are eliminated if they constantly indulged in disobedience of divine commandments as could be gathered from the numerous verses in the holy Qur’an administering warning to the erring nations.
Therefore it could be believed that several conscious or law-bound creatures were obliterated from the face of the earth in retribution for their excessive disobedience. The Qur’anic reference to the elimination of Jinns from the earth by a heavenly creature prior to Adam is one example.
Islamic Philosophy of Elimination of Nations
The Qur’an attributes the excessive disobedience of the divine law and disloyalty towards Allah as the reason for fall, decline and phasing out of nations from the earth. It uses the term Fitna (wrong-doing and transgressing the limits) for them. This tradition has been equally applicable on the pre-Adam and post-Adam creations! The Aad, Thamud and several other nations were destroyed just as the Jinns and Hinns were eliminated from the earth for indulging in sins. This tradition continues from antiquity:
Generations before you were destroyed when they did wrong: their Apostles came to them with Clear Signs, but they would not believe! Thus do We requite those who sin. Then We appointed you as viceroys in the earth after them, that We might see how ye behave. (Qur’an, 10:13-14)
These two verses while explaining the divine law have laid down the philosophy of “Caliphate of the earth.” (Vicegerency in the World)
How many populations have We destroyed which were given to wrong doing? They tumble down their roofs.
(Qur’an, 22:45)
How many were the populations We utterly destroyed because of their iniquities, settling up in their places other peoples?
(Qur’an, 21: 11)
See they not how many of those before them We did destroy?- Generations We had established on the earth, in strength such as We have not given to you – for whom We poured out rain from the skies in abundance, and gave (fertile) streams flowing beneath their (feet): yet for their sins We destroyed them, and raised in their wake fresh generations (to succeed them). (Qur’an, 6:6)
This last verse fully applies to the modern age as it invites one to ponder over the fate of previous nations with the help of the study of their remains. In their modern context it must include archaeology and paleontology which looms as a question mark over the humanity. What we need is a pining for lesson.
On this occasion, it must be borne in mind that in the present day world where so much of development has taken place in the atomic and interplanetary communication fields, that any confrontation between two super powers, even though as a result on some misunderstanding, can destroy the entire human habitations. It will be a punishment for the criminals and ungodly persons among the human beings. But the entire human race will have to bear the consequences. In this way, another epoch will end without any “divine intervention.” The human beings will eliminate themselves. And perhaps this will be the occasion when the Doomsday will be proclaimed.
On you will be sent (O Ye evil ones twain!) a flame of fire (to burn) and a smoke (to choke): No defence will ye have. (Qur’an, 55:35)
Warning for the Humanity
The sudden elimination or phasing out of the previous “conscious species” constitutes a warning for the humanity, especially for the evolutionists, lest they make a mockery of the divinity. They should shed their self-centrism and arrogance and follow the divine dictates whole heartedly. Otherwise the threat of sudden divinely ordained destruction might prove real. All “conscious” and “law-bound” species were given opportunity to adopt the right path. However if they continued with misdeeds they were suddenly eliminated, as is evident from the consequences of various species under genus Homo. Allah has explained his law thus:
Never did We destroy a population that had not a term decreed and assigned beforehand. Neither can a people anticipate its term, nor delay it. (Qur’an, 15:4-5)
And how many populations We destroyed, which exulted in their life (of ease and plenty)! Now those habitations of theirs, after them, are deserted,- all but a (miserable) few! And We are their heirs! Nor was thy Lord the one to destroy a population until He had sent to its Centre an apostle, rehearsing to them Our Signs; nor are We going to destroy a population except when its members practice inequity. (Qur’an, 28:58-59)
And verily We have destroyed your fellows; but is there any that remembereth? (Qur’an, 54:51)
Affirmation of the Special Creation of Adam
In the final analysis, it could be said that the conscious creatures or law-bound species appeared and disappeared from the earth suddenly. This in itself is an incontrovertible evidence of “special creation”. Had they been result of evolution, they could not have disappeared suddenly, as is evident from other existing species. All this leads to proving of the existence of a metaphysical power. No interpretation other than this will be accurate. It is this unseen power which is responsible for this creation and elimination. He creates everything and all His creations carry the divine stamp in the form of similarities and resemblances, a symbol of unity of God and unity of creation. Man has erred in misinterpreting them as evolution. Only “matter” cannot be responsible for these many miraculous diversities in nature. The materialists have replaced the God with matter and have attributed divine properties to it which has made the matters even more mysterious.
Man is Unaware of the Origin of Life
As several of the biological and physical mysteries of the universe could not be unravelled by the man due to his limited knowledge, the actual nature of the special creation cannot also be known by him. These are in reality “mysteries” which must remain mysterious.
Every species has appeared suddenly in the nature much in the same way as the elimination of a species takes place suddenly and abruptly. The story of Adam explains these phenomena and the fossil remnants reinforce their veracity. For Almighty Allah it was enough to say that Adam was created out of mud and spirit was blown into it. Man could not have been in a position to grasp anything more than this. Even in this adult and matured age he is unable to grasp several metaphysical facts as he has not been endowed with knowledge to unravel the mysteries of nature and metaphysics. The Qur’an says:
Of knowledge it is only a little that is communicated to you (O men!). (Qur’an, 17:85)
The most important question in biology is what after all is “Life”? How did the protoplasm come into being? But all scientists are tight-lipped over this. These constitute a challenge for the human wisdom. A.C.Dutta, a biologist, confesses the man’s inability to encompass or comprehend mysteries of life:
Life itself is mysterious and its origin still remains shrouded in mystery.100
Dr. Issac Asimov argues on the DNA and its mysterious structure on the following lines.
How, then, did DNA, and life, start? This is a question that science has always hesitated to ask, because the origin of life has been bound up with religious beliefs even more strongly than has the origin of the earth and the universe. It is still dealt with only hesitantly and apologetically.101
Thus to comment or opine about the biological changes almost amounts to claiming “divinity” for oneself as none other than Allah is aware of them. Biologist Simpson has rightly admitted that the beginning of life is a mystery, the perception of which is beyond the realm of science. And man can never get to it.
References:
- Dutta, A.C., Botany for Degree Students, Oxford University Press, 1979, P. X.
- Asimov, Dr. Isaac, Asimov’s Guide to Science 2, The Biological Sciences, England, 1978, P.172-73.