Why does the Quran matter?

Ariji

The problem is that the Bin Laden and the Khomeinis believe the Quran is a Book to be recited and maybe memorized. They don't believe you take your Islam form the Quran. Just like Jews take their Judaism from the Talmud.

I am taking my Islam from the Quran. Thats why we have different interpretations. Offensive Jihad is in the books of hadiths. Just like Jewish supremacism and non Jews dehumanizing is from their oral traditions. At least thats how I see it.

Looks like you came here and thought you can attack. Did not know who we are and what is the Quran. So now you know.

As far as the Holocaust. I don't deny that Hitler killed many Jews, but more than 60 million died in WW2. I just don't believe the Holocaust gives Jews any priveleges over other humans. Maybe you do, but I don't. Plus you don't sound like a humanist. Just a typical Islam basher who can't believe that the Quran is what it is.

Why don't you go to a Sunni or Shia website. We follow something else here.

bravo

Humanist

You fail to see that its just a matter of interpretation. The quran can be interpreted to allow war, slavery, violence and persecution very easily as proven over the last 1500 years. I point out irrefutable facts, history as recorded by the ages and the current situation in muslim countries, while what you are arguing is conjecture at best. You think only you and your group of people know the real quran but you are wrong. The interpretation of the extremists is as legitimate as yours. Theirs is an extreme interpretation while yours may be moderate yet nobody can say either is right or wrong as it is a matter of understanding something which is so deeply flawed. Anyway, this is a dead end since you can`t accept the possibility that there are legitimate interpretations other than yours (funny considering how much you have in common with the extremists then). You believe the quran is the truth, I would test it against modern science.

1526 And We did certainly create man out of clay from an altered black mud.

1528 And , when your Lord said to the angels, "I will create a human being out of clay from an altered black mud.

1529 And when I have proportioned him and breathed into him of My soul, then fall down to him in prostration."

719 And "O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise and eat from wherever you will but do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers."

What about evolution? What about the theory of evolution as disovered by Charles Darwin (pbuh) hail ? Darwin discovered, and this has been proven, that man evolved from an ape like species into what we are today. Your quran states that god created man. god did not create man as man evolved from an already existing species. Man already existed, just not in the form which we have today. What is your answer to this?

Of course there are muslims who try to counter this with alternative interpretations of these verses. Which only further proves that scripture is a matter of interpretation and nothing can be taken literally, rendering it a very confusing and confused piece of work. I am a humanist because I believe in the dignity and sanctity of human life. I belive that works like the quran and bible confuse mankind and drive him to do evil deeds while mistakenly believing they are doing good. Any good which comes from scripture could easily be obtained from other sources. The quran and bible are outdated and useless in the modern context, a relic of an ancient era when man was far less advanced and needed fantasy to make sense of a dark and confusing world. continued reliance and devotion to these books result in the conflict and retardation of mind and soul which we see throughout the world.

SarahY

Humanist

You fail to see that its just a matter of interpretation. The quran can be interpreted to allow war, slavery, violence and persecution very easily as proven over the last 1500 years.

Matters of interpretation need proof, you cannot interpret something without justification. So these peoples interpretation is bias.

What about evolution? Whats so great about Charles Darwin? There are lots of theories against him. Tell me other than humans what species evolved from one into another? Evolution isnt totally flawed otherwise wed all look the same. Our genetics forms us and changes us, we evolve. Though I personal disagree in the way youre seeing it.

Why are our reproductive systems different than the ape ancestry? Isnt this a flaw in the so called evolution of men? What about natural selection? if humans evolved from apes why do apes still exist theyd be wiped out if we evolved from them.

Tell me what benefit do you get in apparently knowing you were an ape? If you believe you were an ape thats no problem but maybe you should consider renaming your Humanist nick into Apeman, thatll better fit you.

Dignity of humans? Equating them to apes?

You never told me what were the evil deeds that we muslims are driven too?

Modern contexts learnt from the ancient era, without them theyd never encompass what they know today.

BTW what are you doing here? And quit your evasiveness and preaching. None of us are like you so what is your point? That you disagree with Quran? We get that already.

Another thing Mr evasive I told you to look at the site, you said you did and didnt understand things so why dont you discuss that in light of so called verses you read? Like I mentioned before, you dont genuinely want to see your misconstrued opinion. You dont wanna hear it, all you wanna do is except some crap you think is islam and argue. Well frankly Ive had enough of your ignorant egoistic arguments. When you start taking things seriously Ill consider replying

Well Apeman enjoy the human world, its way above the ape one.

Ariji

Humanist

Matters of interpretation need proof, you cannot interpret something without justification. So these peoples interpretation is bias.

What about evolution? What?s so great about Charles Darwin? There are lots of theories against him. Tell me other than humans what species evolved from one into another? ?Evolution? isn?t totally flawed otherwise we?d all look the same. Our genetics forms us and changes us, we evolve. Though I personal disagree in the way you?re seeing it.

Why are our reproductive systems different than the ape ancestry? Isn?t this a flaw in the so called evolution of men? What about natural selection? if humans evolved from apes why do apes still exist they?d be wiped out if we evolved from them.

Tell me what benefit do you get in apparently knowing you were an ape? If you believe you were an ape that?s no problem but maybe you should consider renaming your Humanist nick into Apeman, that?ll better fit you.

Dignity of humans? Equating them to apes?

You never told me what were the evil deeds that we muslims are driven too?

Modern contexts learnt from the ancient era, without them they?d never encompass what they know today.

BTW what are you doing here? And quit your evasiveness and preaching. None of us are like you so what is your point? That you disagree with Quran? We get that already.

Another thing Mr evasive I told you to look at the site, you said you did and didn?t understand things so why don?t you discuss that in light of so called verses you read? Like I mentioned before, you don?t genuinely want to see your misconstrued opinion. You don?t wanna hear it, all you wanna do is except some crap you think is islam and argue. Well frankly I?ve had enough of your ignorant egoistic arguments. When you start taking things seriously I?ll consider replying

Well Apeman enjoy the human world, it?s way above the ape one.

Apeman??? rotfl rotfl rotfl rotfl rotfl rotfl

Humanist

Humanist

Matters of interpretation need proof, you cannot interpret something without justification. So these peoples interpretation is bias.

Rubbish. Interpretation of scripture which is vague and archaic is easily done to suit whatever your needs are. There is no clear meaning for the scripture and bin laden etc are justified in doing such based on your scripture. If is outdated, backward and needs updating which can never happen. Therefore, like everything else which cannot change, it belongs in the library, museum or rubbish heap.

What about evolution? What?s so great about Charles Darwin? There are lots of theories against him. Tell me other than humans what species evolved from one into another? ?Evolution? isn?t totally flawed otherwise we?d all look the same. Our genetics forms us and changes us, we evolve. Though I personal disagree in the way you?re seeing it.

Why are our reproductive systems different than the ape ancestry? Isn?t this a flaw in the so called evolution of men? What about natural selection? if humans evolved from apes why do apes still exist they?d be wiped out if we evolved from them.

What total ignorance from somebody brought up in a western country. How closed is your mind and how brainwashed are you to reject completely the evidence and knowledge? We did not evolve from apes. We evolved from an APE LIKE species. Apes are from the same family tree hence the similarities. perhaps if you read my post rather then getting your knickers up in a twist everytime I post something maybe you would understand better. You know scripture while you are totally ignorant of the origin of the species.

Tell me what benefit do you get in apparently knowing you were an ape? If you believe you were an ape that?s no problem but maybe you should consider renaming your Humanist nick into Apeman, that?ll better fit you.

So, we should only say and do things which benefit us? What about the small matter of the truth? I believe that my ancestors were a less evolved species of man who evolved into what we are today, inventing allah and the quran along the way during his more ignorant and fearfull days to explain when he did not know about the world. Just like adam and eve, this has all been proven wrong, and now is the time to reject teachings disproved by science and the supremecy of man.

Dignity of humans? Equating them to apes?

So what I have no problem saying that mankind was not always living in buildings, able to use the internet, ate cooked food and use toilet paper to wipe his ass. How do you think humans lived 000s of years ago, before civilization? How do you think the abbos in your country lived, how different is that to apes? The coming of civilization lifted us above the other species, discoveries and progress made man the alpha on the planet, not the quran. We were doing fine before the quran came along and we will be doing fine long after its gone.

What dignitiy to women enjoy in the muslim world? What dignity do people forced to believe in what you believe in enjoy? What dignity does the mind shackled by outdated and irrelevant scripture enjoy?

BTW what are you doing here? And quit your evasiveness and preaching. None of us are like you so what is your point? That you disagree with Quran? We get that already.

Another thing Mr evasive I told you to look at the site, you said you did and didn?t understand things so why don?t you discuss that in light of so called verses you read? Like I mentioned before, you don?t genuinely want to see your misconstrued opinion. You don?t wanna hear it, all you wanna do is except some crap you think is islam and argue. Well frankly I?ve had enough of your ignorant egoistic arguments. When you start taking things seriously I?ll consider replying

I have already stated I wanted to know how an intelligent mind could accept false teachings in the era of knowledge and information. How am I preaching by putting my points accross? I just want to understand why you believe what you believe in? Based on your replies, its clear to see that a portion of the mind is closed off to anything which threatens your simple beliefs. anything which is contra to your beliefs is rejected out of hand without any consideration. Clearly 1500 years of brainwash from generation to generation is hard to let go off, and forms part of your psyche. I have quoted numerous verses throughout these last 6 pages perhaps you might want to reconsider your viewpoint? Why not answer those?

How easy to label as ignorant and egoistic something which is not within your value system. Tell me, does the freedom of speech and thought not apply to australian muslims?

Humanist

Apeman??? rotfl rotfl rotfl rotfl rotfl rotfl

I guess your the mindless little tool who gets to wear the exploding underpants. Make sure you get your mixtures right or it will fail to explode.

SarahY

Humanist

Rubbish. Interpretation of scripture which is vague and archaic is easily done to suit whatever your needs are. There is no clear meaning for the scripture and bin laden etc are justified in doing such based on your scripture. If is outdated, backward and needs updating which can never happen. Therefore, like everything else which cannot change, it belongs in the library, museum or rubbish heap.

No interpretation of scripture is not always vague. Quran describes how it?s written allegorically, even clearly defined (37)

The fact that you recognise people use scripture to interpret things how they like shows how human error can come into play by following wishes and whims.

?Cannot change?? what is it that Quran restricts you from changing? What kind of change are you indicating? Quran advises those who take heed to verify knowledge, to be logical to search for truth. It implores science. So what exactly are you on about?

I mentioned ape ancestry, even in the west people disagree with Darwin. I will admit I have limited knowledge on this matter. I don?t believe it is a very logical argument.. it?s something I could look into though I have no interest in it. you can believe as you like. Why is it a need to know the origins of species? What is the origins of ape ancestry? Seeming you have knowledge on this matter do share.

We should do what benefits us, why not? Matters of truth benefit us. You haven?t proved anything, you?ve just shared your bias opinion and hatred towards Quran and muslims.

So what I have no problem saying that mankind was not always living in buildings, able to use the internet, ate cooked food and use toilet paper to wipe his ass. How do you think humans lived 000s of years ago, before civilization? How do you think the abbos in your country lived, how different is that to apes? The coming of civilization lifted us above the other species, discoveries and progress made man the alpha on the planet, not the quran. We were doing fine before the quran came along and we will be doing fine long after its gone.

There is a difference in recognising technology and recognising mankind as a different species or linking with a species. Technology has nothing to do with biology.

What is "fine"? Quran came along later, true but islam existed way before Quran. Quran is confirming the past and what we need to know.

What dignitiy to women enjoy in the muslim world? What dignity do people forced to believe in what you believe in enjoy? What dignity does the mind shackled by outdated and irrelevant scripture enjoy?

Again you fail to read. Who is forcing anyone to believe in what I believe? People can believe as they wish. As I said earlier if they?re in countries or in households where they are subjugated that?s oppression and not islam. Do you see me saying you must be muslim? If you don?t want to be that?s your choice. Right? So why are you arguing?

I enjoy much dignity, little do you know. I?m not devalued as a muslim I?m not sure why you are so concerned as if to imply you have a better life than me for simply being non-muslim or male, how pathetic, sexist even discriminatory.

I have already stated I wanted to know how an intelligent mind could accept false teachings in the era of knowledge and information. How am I preaching by putting my points accross? I just want to understand why you believe what you believe in? Based on your replies, its clear to see that a portion of the mind is closed off to anything which threatens your simple beliefs. anything which is contra to your beliefs is rejected out of hand without any consideration. Clearly 1500 years of brainwash from generation to generation is hard to let go off, and forms part of your psyche.

What are the false teachings? I?m not accepting false teachings. Quran is for every era and knowledge is something which should be sort by everyone. I believe in what I believe because it?s unique, it makes sense, it?s logical and the book allows me to verify knowledge, it?s a guide and helps me reflect on myself and improve.

I don?t have to follow Quran but I choose because i believe in it. I am yet to meet someone who can genuinely prove it wrong or bad or any of that. Most people like yourself tend to take the sectarian approach or mention things as Islamic which really aren?t. the arguments are weak and the debate is pretty useless because they don?t want to recognise the others views but stick to their misconstrued understanding and yeh their misconstrued understanding is very wrong and illogical. But how can you argue with a wall?

I have quoted numerous verses throughout these last 6 pages perhaps you might want to reconsider your viewpoint? Why not answer those?

I didn?t read all your responses. I answered the verses you posed to me, you had no response to them you just kept going on to another argument. Maybe if you actually proved your points and made your arguments clear it would be easier. Besides such points should be argued in the right threads. You?re totally derailing your own topic.

How easy to label as ignorant and egoistic something which is not within your value system. Tell me, does the freedom of speech and thought not apply to australian muslims?

I label what I perceive and sometimes one can be in error. Freedom of speech exists to a certain degree. you have said what you have liked just as i have.

you still continue to be evasive, where do you live? What country? I?m curious because you have a biased understanding of muslims/quran/islam and you seem to imply you?re western or some sort of intellectual so I?m guessing your own sociocultural background is really affecting your judgement. But that?s ok no one is perfect maybe one day you?ll swallow your pride and actually consider what people here are saying. Forget about the need of the Quran but rather focus on the content.

So what do you believe and why is that better than Quran? Enlighten us with your wisdom because obviously you seem to think our intellect is clouded

No longer a Sunna-rejecter

@ Sarah

Why is it a need to know the origins of species?

2920 Say, "Roam the earth and observe how He initiated the creation. Then God will establish the final design. God has power over all things."

@ "Humanist"

Tell me, does this go against what modern sciences teaches?

2445 God created every moving creature from water. Some of them move on their bellies, some walk on two legs, and some walk on four. God creates whatever He wills. God has power over all things.

2130 Did those who reject not see that the heavens and the earth were one mass and We tore them apart? That We made from the water everything that lives. Will they not acknowledge?

5147 We constructed the universe with might, and, certainly, We are expanding it.

7114 ...He created you in stages.

2133 He is the One who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon, each swimming in an orbit.

These facts were written in The Quran in the 7th century. Only many, many years later did Europeans/Americans/etc. find out about these things.

afridi220

Amr ibn Hishm (Abu Jahl) (died March 17, 624) (Arabic &#8206, better known as Abu Jahl, was one of the Meccan leaders, known for his hostility against the Muslims.

Abu Jahl was the bitterest opponent against the budding monotheistic religion and thus his belligerent stance earned him the name Ab Jahl the Father of Ignorance
He disliked Muhammad and would at any opportunity rebuke and publicly humiliate him.

unknownuser

Peace,

754 fingerprints bar-code
http//www.google.com/images?hl=en&sa=1&q=fingerprints&aq=0&oq=finger&aqi=g10&start=0

Human composition mostly

Mineral/clay %

Oxygen 65
Carbon 18.5
Hydrogen 9.5
Nitrogen 3.3
Calcium 1.5
Phosphorus 1
Potassium 0.35
Sulfur 0.25
Chlorine 0.15
Sodium 0.15
Magnesium 0.05
Silicon 0.05

Total 99.8

DNA Replication
http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jtmOZaIvS0

Therefore, the assumption is the natural elements formed themselves by themselves into 4-bit chemical programmed machines by rubbing over time to one day "awake" call themselves humanists and other pseudonyms as NunHolidayPseudoEidRex -- interesting indeed!

Bigmo

We have Quranist who believe in evolution. We have Edip Yuksel and Arnold Yassin who both believe the Quran talks about evolution. I am not against evolution in any way, I am just against the science behind it. I think that many Scientist exaggerate the scientific evidence for their own philosophical reason.

There is a cse to be made from the Quran about evolution. Though the verses can be interpreted differently by different people. I have seen the case made and some of it was pretty interesting. The Quran however is not a science book. At least to be its not.

CavemanDoctor

Regardless of what direction one believes the scientific evidence leans toward, it should be noted that the quran is absolutely NOT at odds with evolution; neither micro- nor macro-evolution.

People like Humanist must stop painting with such broad strokes. We are not Sunnis. We are not fundamental Christians. Just because we nominally share the same umbrella of 'religiosity' with those groups does not mean that our beliefs are one and the same.

I personally accept evolution. And I do not have to twist or bend any verses from the quran to justify my belief, in spite of what people like Humanist may think.

This has never been an issue to me and it simply baffles me that it is an issue to some. The quran describes God as having created life, including man. Any assumption of mutual exclusivity between such divine creation and the idea of macro-evolution is just that...an assumption. God envisions creation. The process of creation is carried out through eons in a process we have come to call evolution. There is absolutely no logical conflict in that statement. God creates. How? Evolution.

The same ideas apply to any theories of cosmic evolution. God created the universe including planets, stars, lunar bodies. How? Through the Big Bang and all ensuing emergent properties that inhere themselves in the natural order, progressively evolving gases into bodies known as stars, and eventually planets. Again, no contradiction.

Any idea that a star, or a human being, just 'popped' into existence instantaneously ready-made is simply a projected interpretation onto the text, perpetrated by a reader ignorant of science.
And any idea that such an interpretation is thereby forever latched onto a text innocent of such presumptions is simply a projected interpretation of human nature, perpetrated by a reader ignorant of how the human mind, and textual criticism, works.

Peace.

unknownuser

peace All,

This is for example one of the Muslim scientists who developed the Theory partially

Ahmed bin Muhammad Ali Maskawaih (d. 421 A. H./1000AD [700 years before Darwin!!)
His Theory of Life as an Evolutionary Movement

by Dr. Manzoor-ul-Haque

BRIEF HISTORY

Different theories about the origin of existing species including man came into vogue during the last few centuries. As they could not be supported by scientific evidence, they ultimately became obsolete one after the other. The actual forces that brought about evolution were gradually discovered and are now thoroughly understood.(1)

Primitive human races had various myths to explain the origin of man and animals by the creative acts of supernatural powers. Until the last century most of the people including such scientists as Linnaeus, Cuvier, Agassiz and Owen believed that species had been created separately. Cuvier thought that the disappearance of fossil species had resulted from a series of catastrophes, the last being the Noah?s flood; and after each of these the earth had been repopulated by new creation of higher type. The belief in catastrophes was dispelled by the Scottish geologist Charles Lyell (1797-1875) who showed that the geological processes of sedimentation, uplift and erosion are essentially continuous. Some early Greek philosophers had vague notions of an evolutionary process. Anaximander, Empedocles, and Aristotle (6th to 4th century B. C.) independently came to the conclusion that living creatures possibly did not come into existence at random and independent of one another; they rather appeared in succession.(1)

In the Middle Ages when the whole of Europe was averse to scientific pursuit, the Arabian Muslim scholars, Ibn Tufail, Ibn Badja, Abu-Nasar-Farabi, Ibn Miskawah, etc., in North Africa and Spain preserved the old branches of learning and also made some useful observations to strengthen the idea of evolution. Muslim thinkers were the pioneers.(1)

IBN MASKAWAIH An Isagogic Infrastructure(2)

Ahmed bin Muhammad Ali Maskawaih is known as Ibn Maskawaih. Syed Abdul Wadud in his book Phenomenon of Nature and the Quran has spelled him as Miskawah. He is the scientist for discussing and researching the academic and scientific pursuits of knowledge for the things in the universe. He is a peculiar expert with special knacks in the domain of Biology; he is the first scientist discovering life in plant in general, probing and prompting the mysteries of life, explaining and categorizing the evolution of mind. He is the discoverer of the sense of touch in the animals. He is the sociologist, the expert in demystifying the delicacies of culture and civilization with specific reference to the discipline of Psychology as an in-depth expert. He is an investigator, researcher and thinker of ethics and spirituality; he is the formulator of principles pertaining to be successful citizen; and last but not the least he is the first great writer of the book on morality.

Country Rey

Birth 322 A.H. approximately

Death 421 A.H./1032A.C.

Age About 99 years (3)

Book on Evolution Al-Fauz al-Asghar; also refer Development of Metaphysics in Persia where an account of Ibn Maskawaih?s theory of evolution is given as summed up by Shibli Nu?maani in his Ilm al-Kalam (4)

IBN MASKAWAIH?S THEORY OF EVOLUTION

Since thousands of years from now, Ibn Maskawaih pondered deeply over life, its mores in sociological backdrop, explained the philosophy of life on academic and scientific pursuits and emerged as the first to establish the theory of evolution.

The stark fact is that he, on the basis of intellectual horizon, wanted to establish mutual inter-relatedness found among the various stages of life in the things. With observations and experimentations, he manifested the evolution of life and as the final analysis of the things he classified into categorized the various living beings of this universe. Summing up the results of his observation and experimentation he writes ?the first impact of life in the living beings of the universe emerged in the form of plants. It was because the plants have movement in them and stand in need of food. These are the two very peculiar traits, which make them singularly distinct from the rest of the things in the universe?.

Now the searching question was that the movement phenomenon of life he discovered came to take its effect in too many stages. So Ibn Maskawaih classified plants into numerous categories. He says there was gradual evolution in the plants. He explains this gradual evolution distinctly with reasons and arguments. This led him to conclude, ?there is life in plants.? And became the first to put forth the theory of plant-life.

GRADUAL EVOLUTION IN PLANT-LIFE

Ibn Maskawaih established three stages of gradual evolution in plants.

FIRST STAGE This stage has further two sub-stages

This is the lowest stage of evolution in plant-life where the plant does not need any seed for its birth and growth. Nor does it perpetuate its species by means of the seeds. This kind of plant-life differs from minerals only in some little power of movement.
After this entirely the lowest stage of evolution in plant-life, there comes to play further growth as the impact of life. It grows in higher forms and reveals itself further in that the plant spreads out its branches and perpetuates its species by means of the seeds. This sub-stage of plant-life is more representative of Allah?s rational phenomenon than that of the first lowest stage of evolution. This gradual evolution of plant-life as the result of power of movement gradually furthers until we reach the second stage.

SECOND STAGE This second stage has also two sub-stages.

At this stage, we reach trees, which possess a trunk, leaves and fruit. With this fruit they perpetuate their species. But they differ from what they were in their first stage; though they perpetuate their species by means of seeds but they are not planted; they grow in the forests, mountains and plains and complete their growth in a much longer period of time. The initial stage of these trees is comprehensively integrated with the first stage.
At the second sub-stage, these trees gradually grow further. Now these trees can also be planted, but nature alone nourishes them. After this comes the third stage.

THIRD STAGE This third stage has also two sub-stages.

This is a higher stage of evolution and comes to bring forms of plant-life, which need better soil and climate for their growth. In other words it means clean water, air, light, pleasant and moderate season. The examples of plant-life at this stage include olive, pomegranate, apple, fig etc.
The development at this sub-stage reaches the maximum. This, the last stage of development, is reached in vine and date palm and stands on the threshold of animal life. Now take the example of date palm. Pondering from various dimensional aspects, the following characteristics are found in the date palm

a) A clear sex-distinction appears in the date palm. It needs the procreation process, the combination of the pair, the male and the female, for bringing its fruit.

b) Besides roots and fibres, it develops something new which functions like the animal brain, on the integrity of which depends the life of the date palm. As the cutting of the animal brain annihilates the animal so is the plant-life at its last stage of development. This is the highest stage in the development of plant-life, and a prelude to animal life. It means the last and the highest stage of development of plant-life is the initial stage of the animals.

Besides these two peculiarities, there are many other similarities in both the date palm and the animals. The last stage of plant-life is that they need not to be planted in the soil. They can exercise, they can enjoy their freedom in the form of volunteer movement without the soil and get their feed to grow. This is the highest stage of development of the plant-life. Ibn Maskawaih says these observations in the light of evolution theory prove that the highest stage in the development of plant-life is the prelude to animal life because both exercise freedom as a common denominator.(3)

EVOLUTIONARY LIFE IN ANIMALS

After proving plant-life -the life that is dynamic and progressive in its nature, that plant-life whose highest stage of development is the prelude to animal life -and incorporating adequately an appropriate degree of similarity as a common denominator in both, the plants and the animals, Ibn Maskawaih leaps a forward step and discusses animal life. In his book, Al-Fauz al-Asghar (4), Ibn Maskawaih writes ?the first forward step towards animal life is freedom from earth-rootedness, which is the germ of conscious movement. This is the initial stage of animality in which the sense of touch is the first to appear, i.e. a weak sort of ?sense of touch? along with ?movement?. Both these powers initiate their development?.

Based on his observations Ibn Maskawaih expounds the results of his investigations with examples. He says this is the initial stage of animal life at which the animals lack other senses. He takes the example of oyster and snail found abundantly on the seashores and riverbeds. They have both the sense of touch and the movement but these are at the lowest ebb at this stage. They have very slow and weak movement. Their sense of touch can be perceived if they are abruptly taken up, they leave their position and come to your hand. The reason is that they have weak sense of touch and that it takes them long to sense that someone else is touching them upon. And if they are touched upon slowly but gradually and then are taken up, they stick to their position in lieu of leaving their abode in a rather quick mode. It is because they start perceiving by means of sense of touch that some one wants to take them up ? And then they readily defend themselves and stick to their position. Ibn Maskawaih is also the proponent of the theory that the life first appeared in water.

EVOLUTIONARY STAGES IN ANIMAL LIFE

Ibn Maskawaih says the animal life burgeoned with the initial evolutionary stages. In its proof he gives the examples of sea worms and establishes three stages

FIRST STAGE This stage incorporates three sub-stages.

At this first sub-stage the ?freedom of movement? and ? sense of touch? are very weak and are of an ordinary nature.
At the second sub-stage, the freedom of movement and the sense of touch increase in magnitude as compared to its previous stage. Worm, reptile etc is its example.
At the third sub-stage the animals that acquire four senses come up just. at the lowest level. The muskrat is its example.

SECOND STAGE At this stage the development of senses augments further and the animals acquire the fifth sense, the sense of sight at the lowest level. The examples of this stage are the ants and the bees. At this stage eyelids are not found on their eyes.

THIRD STAGE At this stage, animality reaches its perfection and acquires all the five senses though of varying nature. After entering this animality stage, the evolution picks up a new mode and gradually continues its perfection. The last stage of animality is the man.

During these evolutionary stages some animals are acute in senses, comparatively sharp in comprehension and acquire the obeying or disobeying capability. That is why they can be tamed and trained as desired. This is the lowest stage of animality and incorporates the following animals

Dull and insensitive animals. They are also of varying degrees.
Sensitive and sharp animals, e. g. deer, white-footed antelope etc.
Sensitive, sharp plus obeying or disobeying capability animals e. g. horse, falcon etc.

The next forward step in the evolutionary stages in animal life gradually leaps up and culminates to perfection of animality as its last stage in the scale of evolution. It is the place where this last stage coincides to the lowest stage of man. Ibn Maskawaih includes the following trait-manifesting animals in this higher stage of animality

Sensitive, sharp animals manifesting the lowest degree sense of imitating things e. g. parrot starling etc.
More sensitive, sharp animals manifesting the trait of living in the form of herds e. g. monkey, chimp. Pondering over the animals of this stage brings forth the feeling that their posture is straight and the formation of their body is similar to that of the man, they have a little bit of discrimination power; but all these energies, powers and potentialities are at the lowest ebb. It is because of these traits that these animals concede to the impact of training and teaching comparatively in a better and quick mode of action.
This is the highest stage in animality where animal potentialities and powers reach perfection. The sex changes and the nature?s wonder emerge. From this highest degree of animality as its last stage emerges the lowest stage of humanity. At this very stage there is similarity in the temperamental dispositions, faculties, potentialities, characteristics and modes of operation of the man and the animal. The examples of this phenomenon are the tribes, the wild inhabitants and the negroes of the distant areas. General potentialities and capabilities among men and animals end here at this stage.(3)

HUMAN EVOLUTION

Criterion of Human Evolution Allah has endowed man with a multitude of possibilities and potentialities. Movement of life has touched its culmination reached in him and so is the evolution in its perfection. But it is of a changed criterion and imbibes to the highest stage of humanity in terms of head and heart capabilities, moderate temperament, civilization and culture, habits, and the mores and cores of society, all integrated in the humans(3). In the words of Allama Muhammad Iqbal(5) ?Ibn Maskawaih (d. 421, A. H.) was the first Muslim thinker to give a clear and in many respects thoroughly modern theory of the origin of man (Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam, p. 96) and especially the man in terms of biological evolution. Allama Muhammad Iqbal has also given the substance of his evolutionary hypothesis in these words According to Ibn Maskawaih plant-life at the lowest stage of evolution does not need any seed for its birth and growth. Nor does it perpetuate its species by means of the seed. This kind of plant-life differs from minerals only in some little power of movement which grows in higher forms, and reveals itself further in that the plant spreads out its branches, and perpetuates its species by means of the seed. The power of movement gradually grows farther until we reach trees which possess a trunk, leaves, and fruit. At a higher stage of evolution stand forms of plant-life which need better soil and climate for their growth. The last stage of development is reached in vine and date-palm which stand, as it were, on the threshold of animal life. In the date-palm a clear sex-distinction appears. Besides roots and fibres it develops something which functions like the animal brain, on the integrity of which depends the life of the date-palm. This is the highest stage in the development of plant-life, and a prelude to animal life. The first forward step towards animal life is freedom from earth-rootedness which is the germ of conscious movement. This is the initial stage of animality in which the sense of touch is the first, and the sense of sight is the last to appear. With the development of the senses the animal acquires freedom of movement, as in the case of worms, reptiles, ants, and bees. Animality reaches its perfection in the horse among quadrupeds and the falcon among birds, and finally arrives at the frontier of humanity in the ape which is just a degree below man in the scale of evolution. Further evolution brings physiological changes with a growing power of discrimination and spirituality until humanity passes from barbarism to civilization.

AN OBSESSION

?The theory of evolution?, in the words of Allama Iqbal, ?has brought despair and anxiety, instead of hope and enthusiasm for life, to the modern world. The reason is to be found in the unwarranted modern assumption that man?s present structure, mental as well as physiological, is the last word in biological evolution, and that death, regarded as a biological event, has no constructive meaning. The world of today needs a Rumi to create an attitude of hope and to kindle the fire of enthusiasm for life. His inimitable lines may be quoted here

First man appeared in the class of inorganic things,
Next he passed therefrom into that of plants.
For years he lived as one of the plants,
Remembering naught of his inorganic state so different;
And when he passed from the vegetive to the animal state
He had no remembrance of his state as a plant,
Except the inclination he felt to the world of plants,
Especially at the time of spring and sweet flowers.
Like the inclination of infants towards their mothers,
Which know not the cause of their inclination to the breast. . .
Again the great Creator, as you know,
Drew man out of the animal into the human state.
Thus man passed from one order of nature to another,
Till he became wise and knowing and strong as he is now.
Of his first souls he has now no remembrance.
And he will be again changed from his present soul.?

According to Allama Iqbal, ?the point which has caused much difference of opinion among Muslim philosophers and theologians is whether the re-emergence of man involves the re-emergence of his former physical medium. Most of them . . . are inclined to think that it does involve at least some kind of physical medium suitable to the ego?s new environment.? Allama Iqbal further says ?the nature of the universe is such that it is open to it to maintain in some other way the kind of individuality necessary for the final working out of human action, even after the disintegration of what appears to specify his individuality in his present environment. What that other way is we do not know.? Here at this juncture of cross-roads come the teachings of the Quraan and provide solution to the man where at the scale of evolution he stands today. This is the end-product of evolutionary movement Ibn Maskawaih had put forth.

REFERENCES

Wadud, Syed Abdul Phenomena of Nature and The Quran (1st Edition), Syed Khalid Wadud, 32-Nisbet Road, Lahore(W. Pakistan) 1971.
Mughal, Abdul Rahman N. and Manzoor-ul-Haque Science Education An Isagogic Infrastructure, The Sind University Journal of Education, Vol. XXIII, 1988, 1-14.
Ibn Misk http//www.aboutquran.com/ibn_misk.pdf
Parwez, G.A. Iblees-o-Adam (4th Edition), Idara Tolu-e-Islam, Gulberg, Lahore, 1983.
Allama Muhammad Iqbal The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam (2nd Edition), Iqbal Academy Pakistan, Institute of Islamic Culture, 2-Club Road, Lahore, 1989.

peace