Does gene commonality necessarily entail common ancestory? The engine of a Ford has the same basic mechanisms as an engine for a VW; both are created from the same knowledge source, namely, man. Expanding this analogy, is it not possible that the similarities between Man and Primate exist because they, too, were both created by a singular, Transcendent source?

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The belief that life could arise, fortuitously, from a primordial soup and, through the accumulation of trillions of fortuitous mutations, result in the rich bio-diversity this planet has to offer is a quite staggering one. The theory of evolution, from abiogenisis through to consciousness requires a huge leap of faith.

Brother Jamal, here is a lecture [by brother Gary Miller] which answers your questions of problem of evil.

Nature of Belief:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxCTAzvDWfQ

I’ll also recommend other lectures by Brother Miller which include, Basis of Muslim Belief, Reason and Revelation, Amazing Quran and History of Religion.

http://nadeem.lightuponlight.com/indexaudios3.html#Gary_Miller

As to atheistdebator, see the problems with critics [like you] is that you are too quick to quite an interpretation to any verse and than deny the book. Quran Verse 3:7 states that there are two kinds of verses in it, verses that a clear [Explicit] and verses that are Implicit [i.e. they could mean this or they could mean that]. To get an understanding of these verses we should place them next to verses that are explicit, than we wont go astray.

As to your question;

Verses 39:5 uses a most interesting verb in describing the succession of the day and the night, the verb يكور (“yukawwir”) which means that their succession is the result of a rotation of a ball.

Using the method of elimination we can conclude whatever that ball is [though there are interesting verses on this subject i.e. on the coiling of the day with night and vice versa], it’s not sun because verses 91:3 states that it’s the day that unveils the sun [and the night conceals the sun]. Had sun been orbiting round the a stationary earh that it would be the sun that would display the day and not the other way round.

And [by] the day when it displays it i.e. the sun.

Mashallah, this is a great article–and the comments have been interesting as well. I especially like the responses some of the brothers have given to the common questions above (about science, miracles, evil, etc.)–these questions are quite typical and I’m very impressed with some of the answers (from Man and Furhaan, to mention just a couple!!). Thanks for showing the importance of knowledge and critical thinking, coupled with faith and taking the Qur’an for what it is

I agree coolred38, it is true, humans are the ONLY creatures who go to such extremes of pointless violence, lust and greed. Interesting. Personally I think we are meant to better ourselves continuously (away from these feelings to a point – but not so far that we aren’t human…we need some passions in our lives or we would be dull and unmotivated) and religion (when used correctly) can be a tool for that, as can many other things that produce positive outcomes. That’s a sort of social evolution if you will…. As we need to have a purpose, a goal as humanity to attain, evolution or not.

– we know from both Quran/hadith that Adam was in paradise first before descending to Earth. Allah commanded the angels to prostrate to Adam IN JANNAH, Iblis refusted to prostrate and was kicked out OF JANNAH. Adam and Hawa’ (Eve) made the mistake of eating from the tree, and thus were made to LEAVE JANNAH and descend to Earth. (see surat al-’araaf 11-27). From what I understand, until Adam left jannah, ALL of these events happened in jannah (angels refusing to prostrate to adam, iblis refusing to prostrate, Adam/eve eating from the tree, etc.)

– Pure evolutionists assert that humans developed gradually ON EARTH, descending from a long line of other organisms. Chemicals developed into bacteria, into multicellular organisms, into algae, into simple animals, into monkeys/apes, into ignorant cavemen, and into humans, ALL ON EARTH.

I hope this evolutionary contradiction with Quran is more clear.

The entire development of human beings, according to evolutionists, is on earth, because they do not believe in the unseen. However, as Muslims, we believe that Adam was created and put in jannah, lived in jannah for a while, and then came to earth in his full, final form.

Is it not enough that the people who concoct these theories do not believe in Allah nor in the last day? Do you see how their rejection of iman is reflected in their theories? A purely secular biologist will never acknolwedge jannah in their scientific theory, because it goes against basic scientific principles to use something “unseen” – e.g. something you cannot see, hear, smell, touch, or taste.

wallahu a’alam,