Evolution: Importance and Religious Integration

12:11

1 May 2015

Evolution

Salman Hameed

Salman Hameed defines and discusses the relationships between Muslims and biological evolution through natural selection.  He suggests that Muslims can find inner peace from their understanding of this unity of life through biological evolution.

Hameed quotes Carl Sagan that we are all made up of “star stuff”, and briefly presents how those atoms get from stars to us.  As gravity builds stars and planets, evolution is the process through which life diversifies.  He then makes the analogy that our connection to the stars is not different from our connection to other forms of life on Earth.

Hameed notes that biological evolution is a fact of science.  He suggests that Muslims who choose to reject it are going to lag behind scientifically in the 21st century, which he suggests will be the century of biology, as the 20th century was the century of physics.

Hameed concludes by stating that “there is something wonderful about … those atoms that are coming from stars gave shape to different types of life here on Earth.”

The video is part of a media documentary series by the Rationalist Society of Pakistan.  This video was directed by Akif Khan, and the media coordinator was Anila Athar.

Evaluation:

Islam:  The material on Islam is within the bounds of what Muslims have historically understood as acceptable.

Science:  The scientific discussion here is accepted by contemporary scientists.

History:  There is insufficient historical material on which to base an evaluation.