Evolutionist muslim scholars before Darwin and Lamarck

1. EVOLUTIONIST MUSLIM SCHOLARS

2. EVOLUTION DICTIONARY
 Nazzam: Tajdeed and istihale
 İkhwan al-safa: al-hikmah al-sariyah and al-hikmah
al-ilahiyyah
 İbn Miskawayh: al-hikmah al-sariyah
 İbn Khaldun: İnsilakh(mutation)
 Usage word of takamul became widespread after
13th century

3.  Is that enough to qualify them as evolutionists
because of partially overlapping or tangential
thoughts with evolution theory?
 Or do we ignore their partially overlapping or
tangential thoughts with evolution theory?
 Are there different schools and approaches?

4. WHO ARE EVOLUTIONIST MUSLIM SCHOLARS?
 Al - Jahiz (160-256A.H/776-869 A.D)
 Al-Mas'udi (d. 345/957)
 Ibn Miskawaih (325-442 /- 1032)
 Al-Biruni (362-448/973-1048)
 Ibn Tufayl (1100-1186
 Al-Khazini (1115-1130 )
 The Ikhwan al-Safa‘
 Jalal al-Din Rumi (1207-1273 A.D.)
 Ibn-Khaldun (732-808/1332-1406)
 Muhammad Hamidullah
 Mohammad Iqbal
 Muhammad Abduh
 Muhammad Asad
 Ahmamd Hamdi Aksaki
 Emalılı Hamdi Yazır
 Mahmud Akkad
 …

5. WHAT ARE VIEWS OF EVOLUTIONIST MUSLIM AND
APPROACHES?
 Spontaneous creation connected to divine laws of
natura/ Abiogenesis: Jabir b. Hayyan, İbn Ebi al- hadid,
 Cosmological creative evolution: Nazzam
 Biological evolution : Jahız, Ibn Khaldun
 Jeolojic- chemical evolution: Biruni
 Psycho-sociological evolution: Ikhwan al-Safa‘
 Naturalistic evolution: Ibn Tufayl, Ibn Nafis
 Hierarchical evolution : Ibn Miskeweyh
 Spiritual evolution: Jalal al-Din Rumi

6. SPONTANEOUS CREATION CONNECTED TO DIVINE LAWS
OF NATURA/ ABIOGENESIS: JABIR B. HAYYAN
 Main theory is spontaneous creation. He claims that the creation of the first
livin beings are based on the four elements and some conditions like
heathness and coldness, dryness and wetness. Allah, directly created these
conditions and elements and then he demanded the living beings to exist.
Some plants, animals and the first human being was created on their owns
spontaneously. Human being can be produced artificially. He uses tawlid and
tawallud for the word spontaneous. He uses tawâlud and takween for the
word artificial. He influenced;
-Ikhwan as Safa:
-Ibn Sina (Avicenna):The plants to existed by themselves
-Majridi:Some insects existed by themselve
-Ibn Tufeyn:
 In Europe, similar approaches occured. For example Burdach’s theory of
heterogenie.
 Kitab al-tajmi

7. COSMOLOGICAL CREATIVE EVOLUTION:NAZZAM
 Kumun theory: The core being (the essence of the first existening
being) of the universe and species, to contain the original form of
the existences (living and non-living) hidden (and bi’l quwwa). It
implies the first creation. He bases his theory on the verse
meaning; (min nafs al wahide).
 Zuhur: The existence of plants, animals and other living and non-
living creations to occur from the core being in time. This is the shift
from the stage bi’l quwwa to bi’l fiil. There is an evolution from
simple beings to complex beings. Every species occur from the
core being without any dependance to other species.
 Tajdid: The living beings to transform from one form to another form
continiously. Species never die out. He believes in the stability of
the species. For example, a plant can transform into another plant,
but cannot transform into an animal.
 Origin of human beings: Human did not evolve from animal
species. The human species, which is capable to evolve, became
varied depending on environmental and atmospherial and
especially on hotness(human races, skin and hair colours,physical
structures and characteristics).

8. BİOLOGİCAL EVOLUTİON : Jahız, Ibn Khaldun
 The first Muslim originator of the idea of evolution was
medieval 1st century Muslim Al-Jahiz.
 Bayrakdar explains that Al-Jahiz was a proponent of the
idea that God Almighty was the progenitor of all
mutation and transformation
 He also believed that environmental factors such as
food, climate and shelter affected species
psychologically and biologically.
 According to Al-Jahiz, “inanimate creations”, or
unicellular organisms, were elevated to plants, which
then evolved to animals.
 This indicates that Al-Jahiz believed that transformation
of species and mutation was possible as a result of the
biological struggle for existence and adaptation

9. AS TO KNOW THE MECHANISMS OF EVOLUTION, AL-
JAHIZ DESCRIBED THREE MECHANISMS:
 Struggle for Existence
 Transformation fo species into each other
 EnvironmentaI Factors

10.  His theories are based on his observations. For example, he, himself
observed the lifes and conditions of dogs, foxes, wolves, pigeons.
 1-The previous simple specieses transform into the new(next) forms. He
differs from his master Jabir on the point of stability. Spcieces can
transform for new specieses. He says specieses can have quick
transformations regarding to a verse meaning ‘be like dirty monkeys’. He
says that a human from a region (Nabat) has a tail. He also says : Nabatian
peoples faces look like monkey faces. These people can be affected by
polluted air, dirty water and bad ground.
 2-Evolution has some environmental factors; environment, climate and
the adaptations of the species. Environmental factors are polluted, dirty
water and foods. They either adapt themselves to these conditions or the
destroy themselves.
 3-Struggle for survive (Natural selection): The stronger and more capable
one survives. For example, field mice eat small birds. Snakes eat these
small birds. Hyenas eat these snakes. It goes on like this

11. STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE
 "The rat gocs out for collccting his food, and it searches
andjscizes thcm. it eats some other inferior animaIs, like
smaIl animals and smaIl birds. .. it hides its babies in
disguised underground 'tunnels for protecting them and
himself against the attaek of the snakcs and of the
birds. Snakcs like eating rats very much. As fot the
snakes, they defend themselves from the danger of the
beavers and hyenas; which are more powerful than
themselves. The hyena can frighten the fox, and the
latter frightens all the animals which are inferior to it ....
This is the law that some existences are the food for
others ... All small animals eat smaller ones; and all big
animals cannot eat bigger ones. Men with each other
are likc animals. .. God makcs causc of some bodies life
from some bodics' dcath and vice vcrsa ... "D.

12. TRANSFORMATION OF SPECIES:
 "People said different things about the
existenee of almiskh (= original form of
quadrupeds)l5. Some acceptcd its evolution
and said that it gaye existence to dog, wolf,
fox and their similars. The members of this
family came from this form (al-miskh).

13. ENVIRONMENTAI FACTORS
 "Without doubt, we have seen that some nabathecn
navigators resembled the ape in some geographical
environment, likely we have also seen some' people
from Morocco and have found , then as like as aI-
maskhI, except for a little difference... And it is possible
that the polluted air and water, and dust made this
change in the character of these Moroccans... if this
effect goes on more and more in them, those changes
in their bristles, cars, colours, and form (similar to the
ape) increasc more ... "

14. İNFLUENCE’S JAHIZ UPON OTHER SCHOLARS:
 As sociologicaI phenomena : Ibn Miskawayh
and ıbn Khaldun
 Ikhwan al-safa, llm Miskawayh, al-Biruni, ıbn
Tufaly
 al -Zakariyya' al-Qazwini (Aja'ib al-Makhluqat,
MustawfI al-QazwInI (Nuzhat al-Qulub) and al-
Damiri Hayat al-Hayawan

15. WHAT ARE MAIN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AL-
JAHIZ’S THEORY AND DARWIN& LAMARCK
 theologic and more transcendental
 God and that the other factors are secondary
 immanent and materialistic.
 different paradigms

16. IBN KHALDUN
 One should then take a look at the world of
creation. It started out from the minerals and
progressed, in an ingenious, gradual manner, to
plants and animals. The last stage of minerals is
connected with the first stage of plants, such as
herbs and seedless plants.
 The last stage of plants, such as palms and vines,
is connected with the first stage of animals, such as
snails and shellfish.
 The animal world then widens, its species become
numerous, and, in a gradual process of creation, it
finally leads to man, who is able to think and reflect.
The higher stage of man is reached from the world
of monkeys, in which both sagacity and perception
are found..

17. JEOLOJIC- CHEMICAL EVOLUTION: BIRUNI
 The origin of species: There is no transformation between
species. Every species is created independent from others
with divine law. Sayid Huseyn al Nasir claims that Biruni
accepted human race evolved from monkeys.
 Natural selection: As Jahiz, species struggle within
themselves or with other species to survive. He claims the
stronger ones always come dominant over the weaker ones.
 Artifical selection: Biruni is the first to mention. Darwin also
had mentioned. The human to chose the better and
appopriate ones and gain a development on them. For
example, the gardner to prefer the better tomatoes and gain
better result on them.
 The general and geo-chemical evolution of the universe
becomes appropriate and mines and diggings and living
beings occur independently and spontaneously.
 He believes in bio-genesis, in the transformation of some
living beings from some other living beings. For example, the
scorpions from the figs, the bees from ox meat, the vespula
from horse meat.

18. PSYCHO-SOCIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION:IKHWAN AL-SAFA‘
 They claim that there are shift stages between the universes of
mines, human beings, animals, plants. In detail, there is shift species
between mines and plants; coral (mercan).
 They believe in the stability within the species, like Ibn Miskawayh.
They are the first ones to mention that human beings evolved as a
social and psychological being. This theory depends on the dialectic
analysis of human history. They claim that human evolutions are the
reasons for religious revelations, causes of religions. This evolution
can be seen in tongue, in art, and in professions. Factors of social
evolution;
 1-Divine factor: Every religion brings new concepts, norms and
laws which were not existing in the previous ones. They claim that
prophets and Imams are not only religious and political leaders but
they are patterns in many aspects of life.
 2-Aeral and geographic factors: Aeral objects and geo-
atmospheric affects cause changes in the earth. As result, a culture
can be transferred to the other, and the authority also.
 3-auto-dressing:Human being has a love towards to the God
within himself. And every of them want to reach the love. Removing
the negative attributes from the soul is necessary to reach the love.
(Prophets and Imams)

19. NATURALISTIC EVOLUTION:IBN TUFAYL, IBN NAFIS
 He wrote his book named ‘hayy ibn Yakzan’ considered the first
novel of Islam in that view
 Human being is formed by four main substanse soil,water,oxygen
and fire by leavening
 Hayy bin Yaqzan:He lays out the human origin and human
development in a naturalistic approach. Hayy bin Yaqzan
represents Adam. And Adam gained presence in India, in a deep
hole, from a ground which was mixed with water and air which was
leavened in time time in an affect of sun lights. This is called Tin al
Mutahammiran. This reflects(tajalla) in the Hayat name of Allah.
And Allah gives a soul to it. So, the first human became into
existence.
 Ibn Nafs uses Kamil instead of Hayy and he uses a different
place(in a green forest). There happens a flood in the island in a
sunny summer day. A mud occurs and Allah creates the body of
the human from the mud. And Allah creates the soul from the
vapour of the mud. After 12 years, the being exits from the cave
and meets the nature and observes it. So, he gains knowledge.

20. HIERARCHICAL BEING EVOLUTION IBN MISKAWAYH
 Late 1st century Persian Muslim philosopher Ibn Miskawayh described the
theory of evolution similarly to Al-Jahiz but in more detail.
 Asset hierarchical: Each range is subject to the evolution in its own.
Beings are in a hierarchical rang from the bottom to the top: minerals,
plants, animals, people, angels
 Every class has a hierarcy in itself. For instant, animals class ends with
monkey. Every class’ evolution is in itself
 In his book "Al-Fauz Al-Asghar" (The Smallest Achievement), he wrote
that, “Every animal really originates from a non-animal, for the seminal fluid
isn’t itself an animal. This fluid is made of blood and blood of food and food
of plants and plants of elements and elements of the simple atoms and
these latter of ' form' and 'matter'.”
 Ibn Miskawayh attributed the processes of both creation and evolution to
Allah the Creator

21. Spiritual evolution: Jalal al-Din Rumi
 ‘’Evolution passes through certain stages. The inanimate level is
transformed to the animals and then to the level of man. The evolution
does not stop here. From man, it climbs to the stage of angels and
finally reaches the stage of God.’’
 Jalal al-Din Rumi’s view under the influence of Ikhvan al-Safa’s theory
 Spiritual evolution follows the biological evolution
 Hereafter is the inevitable end of the evolution
 A species transforms to next one by absorbing the previous one. For
instant, plant transform the minerals to the plant by water, animal
transforms the plants to living being by eating. In this way, maturation
(takamul) continues
 "I died to the inorganic state and became endowed with growth and then
I died to (vegetable) growth and attained to the animal. I died from
animality and became Adam (man): Why, then, would I fear? When
have I become less by dying? At the next remove I shall die to man, that
I may soar and lift up my head amongst the angels; Once more I shall
be sacrificed and die to the angel; I should become that which enters
not into imagination. Then I shall become non-existence: non-existence
saith to me, (in tones loud) as an organ, Verily unto Him shall we
return".

22. WHAT ARE THE MAIN DIFFERENCES IN
THE APPROACH BETWEEN PRE-MODERN
AND POST-MODERN SCHOLARS?
 Supporting by the Qur’an
 Not as a science
 Talking after theory
 Science tells us how we were created.
 Revelation tells us why we were created

23. IBRAHIM HAKKI
 Ibrahim Hakki in his famous work, Marifetname (Book of Gnosis)
explains the problematic as:

With the command of God heavens and stars moves, four elements mix
with each other, and merge. Before this merging, matters come into
existence. From these plants, from plants and matters merging, animals
come into existence and when animals find their best form humans come
into existence.
Ibrahim Hakki mentions the transition of molecules and atoms and their
levels of existence in the human body. In fact, couple of paragraphs later,
he explains it clearly:
That transitional body while entering into the realm of plants such disease
can harm it; thereby it cannot become a plant. Or while becoming plant,
before it maturates it spoils. It becomes crappy and no more, good as a
food for the animals. Or maturates, but perishes before it is eaten, so years
pass. Sometimes animals perish before they are eaten so it cannot become
to the level of humans. However, sometimes it keeps and it is carried to
the level of human.

24. DID DARWIN BORROW THE CONTENTS OF HIS
THEORY?