Is the Theory of Evolution Compatible with Islamic Beliefs?

Excerpt from a Q&A session: Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl offers insight into how the Islamic tradition and the text of the Qur'an accomodate the possibility of life being created "in stages".

Full Q&A session link:    • Part 2 of 2: Usuli Institute Q&A with...  

Full question text: My question concerns the scientific theories of evolution versus creationism and the relationship between them through the lens of Islam. When I imagine the evolution of planet Earth, I imagine hot lava flowing, ice ages and supercontinents breaking up, tectonic plates rupturing, mountains rising, lakes drying and valleys forming, islands sinking to the bottom of the ocean while other land masses eventually rising from the sea floor, the extinction of some species and the rapid evolution of new species, non-verbal cavemen who eventually discover the wheel, massive predators, creatures like dinosaurs and then, bam! Modern day humans existing on present Earth. How did we come to be in that history and how did it all unfold on one planet and why? Because when I recount just a fraction of this planet’s known history, it starts to feel like the stars are less than just decoration in the sky for humans. Some questions that circle my mind are: When Allah created Adam and Eve, did dinosaurs still roam the Earth? Were they given the authority to name all the animals on the planet, as I was taught in Islamic school? And if so, are they the same animals that exist today? Are we descendants of slowly-evolved cavemen who eventually discovered the wheel and learned the protection of fire? Or have we always existed in our present form? Lastly, when something like mummified cavemen from at least 3500 BC with vocal chords far different than present day humans are discovered, what impact do those scientific discoveries have on our view of creationism in Islam? Does it mean that this human existed without being tested in this life, like modern humans are? And without the knowledge of Allah or the proper vocal chords to even use language to talk about God?

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