Faith and science
Evolution and Adam
What does Islam say about evolution and the creation of Adam?
Reviewed by Bayan
Simple answer
These verses describe Adam as created from dust and clay by God's command. 3:5932:7
They describe his descendants as coming afterward from an extract of fluid and being formed by God. 32:832:9
Ibn Baz rejects the claim that human beings originated as apes and holds that Adam was created from clay. Ibn Baz
Quran
Quran 3:59
إِنَّ مَثَلَ عِيسَىٰ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ ءَادَمَ ۖ خَلَقَهُۥ مِن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُۥ كُن فَيَكُونُ
In God’s eyes Jesus is just like Adam: He created him from dust, said to him, ‘Be’, and he was.Translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem
Quran 3:59Quran 32:7–9
ٱلَّذِىٓ أَحْسَنَ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ خَلَقَهُۥ ۖ وَبَدَأَ خَلْقَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنِ مِن طِينٍ
who gave everything its perfect form. He first created man from clay,Translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem
Quran 32:7ثُمَّ جَعَلَ نَسْلَهُۥ مِن سُلَـٰلَةٍ مِّن مَّآءٍ مَّهِينٍ
then made his descendants from an extract of underrated fluid.Translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem
Quran 32:8ثُمَّ سَوَّىٰهُ وَنَفَخَ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِهِۦ ۖ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلسَّمْعَ وَٱلْأَبْصَـٰرَ وَٱلْأَفْـِٔدَةَ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَشْكُرُونَ
Then He moulded him; He breathed from His Spirit into him; He gave you hearing, sight, and minds. How seldom you are grateful!Translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem
Quran 32:9Scholar quotes
Shaykh Abdul-Aziz ibn Baz
الرد على نظرية أن الإنسان أصله قرد
AI translation, check the Arabic original
نظرية دارون تقول: الإنسان أصله قرد، وإن ابن آدم حيوان ينطق، وكلنا حيوان، فالله خلق لابن آدم حياة وجعل له عقلًا ونطقًا، ولكن هذه النظرية الخبيثة باطلة بإجماع أهل العلم، فالقردة أمة من الأمم، والكلاب أمة من الأمم، والخنازير أمة من الأمم، والقطط أمة من الأمم، وهكذا الأسود والنمور والفهود وغيرها، أما الإنسان فهو حيوان مستقل ناطق عاقل، خلقه الله من ماء مهين، وأبونا آدم عليه الصلاة والسلام خلقه الله من طين، فهو حيوان مستقل وأمة من الأمم قائمة وهم بنو آدم، والجن أيضًا أمة قائمة خلقوا من مارج من نار، وكل نوع من الحيوان أمة قائمة حتى النمل أمة.
Darwin's theory says: man's origin is an ape, and the son of Adam is an animal that speaks, and all of us are animals; so Allah created life for the son of Adam and gave him intellect and speech. But this wicked theory is false by the consensus of the people of knowledge. For apes are a distinct community of communities, dogs are a community, pigs are a community, cats are a community, and likewise lions, tigers, leopards, and others. As for man, he is an independent living being, articulate and endowed with intellect. Allah created him from a despised fluid, and our father Adam—peace and blessings be upon him—Allah created him from clay. Thus, he is an independent living being and an established community among communities, and they are the Children of Adam. The jinn are also an established community created from a smokeless flame of fire, and every kind of animal is an established community, even the ants are a community.
The scholar's own words in Arabic (short quote)
مجموع فتاوى ومقالات الشيخ ابن باز (28/ 275)
Read the full fatwa on the scholar's website