The Stages of Creation Evolution in the Quran

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Arnold Yasin Mol

The Stages of Creation Evolution in the Quran

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The six stages of the Creation in the Quran
Arnold Yasin Mol©2006

29:20 Say, “Travel in the earth and find out how He originated creation. And how afterward, Allah brings forth entirely new forms. Verily, Allah is the Designer of all things.”

A small introduction.

10:3 But, your Lord (Who sent this Book) is Allah Who created the heavens and the earth in SIX STAGES, and is established on the Throne of His Almightiness in Supreme Control. He, the Director of all directions, Issuer of all decrees, runs the Universe according to His Laws. No intercessor can stand in His Court but as a witness of Law (2:255, 16:111)). Such is Allah, your Sustainer. You shall serve Him. Won’t you use your intellect and reasoning?

11:7 He created the heavens and the earth in SIX STAGES and established Himself on the throne of His Almightiness. He has Supreme Control over the origination of life which began in water (21:30). Life is a test for yourselves to see which of you leads a balanced life and is best in conduct. Yet, if you (O Prophet), say, “You will be raised again after death,” the rejecters of the Truth will surely answer, “This is clearly nothing but a fabulous delusion!” (45:24).

32:4 Allah it is Who has created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in SIX STAGES, and is established on the Throne of His Almightiness of Supreme Control (7:54). You have no patron and no intercessor beside Him. Will you not, then, bear this in mind?

57:4 He it is Who has created the heavens and the earth in SIX STAGES, and is established on the Throne of His Almightiness of Supreme Control. (7:54,10:3, 13:2, 20:5, 25:59, 32:4, 57:4). He knows all that enters the earth and all that comes forth from it, and all that descends from the sky, and all that ascends therein. And He is with you wherever you may be. And Allah is Seer of what you do.


The 6 Stages are from the moment of the creation of matter, and the organizing of the matter into clusters and eventualy into stars and planets and so on from the big-bang to now. The evolution of the universe took 6 different stages, and the earth and other planets and stars were developed in 2 stages. Life was developed in 4 stages. So together, it took 6 stages to result in evolved life. These stages don't refer to time stages, but to different levels of evolution of the universe and its life in it, each needing its own step with its own timespan. The biggest mistake people make is looking at the stages as if they occur with each taking the exact same time. So let's see what the Quran tells us more.

41:9. Say: "Do you refuse to believe in Him who created the earth in TWO SPANS of time, and set up compeers to Him, the Lord of all the worlds?

41:9 Say, "What! Do you indeed deny Him Who has created the earth in TWO STAGES? (Firstly when it shot away like a fiery ball from the Cosmic matter and secondly, when it cooled off sufficiently to become habitable). And would you still ascribe rivals unto Him? He it is, the Sustainer of the Worlds." (36:40, 79:30).


As you can see, the Quran explains here, that the earth is part of the heavens, the stars and all other formations in the universe. So this refers to all formations in the universe of stars and planet-bodies took 2 stages. Remember these stages don't refer to every stage taking the same amount of time, but refer to different stages, parts of development. So let's see to which stages the Quran refers too:

THE TWO STAGES OF CREATING THE PLANETS AND STARS.

STAGE 1 THE BIG-BANG

21:30 Are the unbelievers not aware (after this proclamation) that the heavens and the earth used to be ONE SOLID MASS/RATAQ/ رتقا that We exploded into parting/FATAQ/ففتقناهما? And that out of water We made every living thing? Will they not, then, acknowledge the Truth?

Cosmologist Martin Rees in his book "Our cosmic habit":
"Our universe may once have been squeezed to a single point, but everyone whether on earth, or Andromeda, or even on the galaxies remotests from us can equally claim to have started from that point.."(page 55)

Astrophysicist Paul Davies in his book "The mind of God":
"....the basis of the well-known big-bang theory, according to which the entire universe came into existence abruptly, about fifteen billion years ago, in a gigantic explosion."(page 47)

"The universe evidently began, in some sense,"wound up", and is still currently unwinding.[..]If one imagines "running the cosmic movie backward", then the galaxies get closer and closer together until they merge.(pages 47-8)

Look at the words he choose:"wound up", and see what words God used for:"solid mass/bound together". It coincides perfectly.

Also really important note is the use of the word "fataq" which means: to break, dissolve, seperate, split. And the opposite word "rataq" meaning: to merging, attaching of elements to make them one. These are the perfect definitions for the big-bang, as the opposite of the word “fataq”.

“rataq” defines exactly the situation from before the big-bang, where all energy of the Universe was bound together, as the word “fataq” defines exactly the situation of the big-bang itself, when the energy was unwounding.

Just as the Big Bang in reality is an unwinding of the Universe, in the same way it will role up again. Or as explained by Edward Hardy in his "Origin and Evolution of Universe":
“In some tens of times 10to the 9th years, the recession of the neighboring galactic systems will cease, and the process will start to reverse.”

21:104 On that Day We shall roll up the Sky as a written scroll is rolled up. Then, just as We initiated the first Creation, We shall create a new Universe. This is a Promise incumbent upon Us. Truly We shall fulfill it.

Then the expansion began, Paul Davies again:
"They found that the universe is, in fact, EXPANDING, with the galaxies rushing away from each other."(page 47)

51:47 And it is We Who have built the Universe, and behold, We are steadily STEADILY EXPANDING IT.


STAGE 2 EVOLVING FROM LOOSE ENERGY AND MATTER INTO CLUSTERS OF PLANETS AND STARS

41:11 Likewise, He it is Who designed well the Sky when it was SMOKE/DUKHAAN (Nebulae of gas). And He said to it and the earth, "Come both of you willingly or unwillingly." They said, "We do come, obedient." (‘Thumm’ = Afterward, then, so, likewise, similarly, in the like manner. The Cosmic bodies coming into their orbits willingly or unwillingly indicates their having been made subservient to the Divine Laws, without free will 3:82, 13:15).

Astrophysicists Neil deGrasse Tyson and Donald Goldsmith in their book "Origins":
"[..attempting to explain the formation of the sun and its planets, Kant proposed a "nebular hypothesis" according to which a SWIRLING MASS OF GAS AND DUST that surrounded our star-in-formation condensed into clumps that became the planets.[...]Astrophysicists now have good evidence that stars form, not one by one but by the thousands and tens of thousands, within giant CLOUDS OF GAS AND DUST that may eventually give birth to about a million individual stars."(page 185-6)

Now look at the term used here in the Quran, the word "dukhaan" which means literaly "smoke". Smoke is made up out of GAS AND DUST, so there could not have been a better word for it to be used. As in the quote above it is clearly mentioned the stars and planets where formed out of GAS AND DUST .

After these 2 stages that took billions of years(estimated around 10 billion years) our earth was formed, then after the forming of the young earth the last 4 stages occured that formed life.

79:30 And after that He made the earth shoot out from the Cosmic Nebula and made it spread out egg-shaped. (‘Dahaha’ entails all the meanings
rendered 21:30, 41:11).

41:10 And He it is Who placed therein firm mountains towering above it, and bestowed enduring Bliss upon it. And He measured therein its sustenance in Four Seasons, alike for all who (invariably) need it. (39:67, 56:63-73).


21:30 Are the unbelievers not aware (after this proclamation) that the heavens and the earth used to be one solid mass that We exploded into parting? And that out of water We made every living thing? Will they not, then, acknowledge the Truth?

20:50 He replied, "Our Lord is He who creates and shapes everything, assigns its role and guides it aright."

THE FOUR STAGES OF LIFE.

These are the last four stages, which together with the first two stages of the creation. Give together the six that are mentioned in the verses 10:3, 11:7, 57:4 and 32:4.

Allah is called our Rabb, which means: Who fosters, nourishes, brings up and regulate the things from the crudest state to that of the highest perfection, is such a matter to make it attain one condition after an other until it reaches its goal of completion.

He is also called Al-Bari, the Evolver and Al-Masuwwir, the Bestower of Forms/Fashioner in 59:24.

The concept of Evolution was first described by the Greeks, but it was further developed by the early Muslims. Great Muslim scholars and scientists as Al-Kindi, Ibn-Rushd, Ibn Tufayl, Ibn-Arabi, Ibn-Khaldun al described and promoted the concept of Evolution. Before the 1800's, Evolution Theory was known in Europe as the 'Muhammedan Creation Theory' and was described in almost all Muslim Medicine and Science Books. It was also part of normal education in the Muslim schools and Universities.

Ibn Khaldun [1332-1406, 400 years before Darwin!] wrote in his Muqaddimah, an Introduction to History:

"One should then 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 seedles plants. The last stage of plants such as palms and vine sis connected with the first stage of animals, such as snails and shellfish which have only the power to touch. The word 'connection' with regard to these created things means that the last stage of each group is fully prepared to become the first stage of the next group. 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, but which has not reached the stage of actual reflection and thinking. At this point we come to the first stage of man ( after the world of monkeys). This is as far as our (physical) observation extends."

This is just one example out of hundreds of opinions and observations made by Muslim scholars in the early centuries of Islam. When Darwin made his own speculations based on the Muslim Theory of Evolution, it was taken up by the Materialist Movement of the West. Darwin's grandfather and father were both Biologist and a Doctor, and thus had translated Muslim books on Biology and Medicine at home. It is no surprise Darwin got the Theory from these books. Because the Theory of Evolution is not supported by the Bible, and also because Darwin's speculations gave a bit of room for a Creator-less creation, Darwin's version of the Theory was taken up by the Atheists. Through this Evolution Theory was seen as equal to Atheism, and Muslims, through loss of their knowledge and their aversion of the Materialist Colonial powers of the West that had conquered them, became to reject the Theory of Evolution. And took up together with the Christian world, the concept of Instant Creation. A concept that goes directly against the language of the Quran and its Message as will be shown.

The FIRST of these four, refer to the emergence and forming of the first larger amino-acids, which formed RNA and DNA. This started in water, and then from clay. The primal soup is were the first amino-acids were formed, and which afterwards developed further into RNA and DNA in the clay-layers surrounding the pools. These pools were a mixture of sulphurs, acids and salts, which were heated by the young earth's crust. These pools can still be found today around the earth, and also at the seabottom you have underwater volcano's which gave the perfect mixture of heat, carbon, sulphurs, acids, salts and water. Both places are adressed in the Quran.

Primal soup and underwater volcano's:

25:54 And He it is Who has created the human being from this very water, (21:30, 24:45) and then He has established relationships by lineage and by marriage, for, your Lord is the Designer of all things. (The best relationships are established on the basis of Ideology 3:102, 49:10-13).

21:30 Are the unbelievers not aware (after this proclamation) that the heavens and the earth used to be one solid mass that We exploded into parting? And that out of water We made every living thing? Will they not, then, acknowledge the Truth?

24:45 And Allah has created every living creature from water. (Life began in water 21:30). Some of them crawl on their bellies, some walk on two legs, and some walk on four. Allah creates things with a Purpose and according to His Laws. He has Supreme control over all things and events and verily, Allah is the Appointer of due measure of all things.

Development of RNA and DNA in the Clay particles surrounding the heat pools:

32:7 Who created everything in perfect balance. Thus He initiated the creation of man (kind) from hydrated inorganic matter.
32:8 Then He made him to be reproduced out of the essence of a humble fluid. (The inorganic matter was hydrated and from its extract life was initiated. Eventually, the evolution reached a point when procreation with male and female gametes was established 37:11).

15:26 And, indeed, We created man from sounding clay, out of dark inorganic matter. (37:11).

15:28 Recall when your Sustainer said to the angels, "Behold, I am about to create a mortal man out of inorganic matter.” (2:30-35, 7:11-22, 17:61, 19:21, 20:116-120).

15:33 He replied, "I am not one to bow to man whom You have created from sounding clay out of inorganic matter."

32:7 Who created everything in perfect balance. Thus He initiated the creation of man (kind) from hydrated inorganic matter.

55:14 He created/Khalaqa the human out of inorganic matter that sounded like an empty pot/Fakha'ar. (And it was empty of a trace of the finished form).


The word Fakha'ar means: baked pottery or a baked vessel of clay. The word Khalaqa means: To bring a thing into existence according to a certain measure, or proportion, so as to make it equal to another thing that is not pre-existing. Together it will make the verse like this:

55:14 He formed and proportioned the human through succisive stages as Clay is molded into shape and stages and baked into pottery.

23:12 Now, indeed, We created the human being from the essence/Sulalah of clay. (22:5).


The word Sulalah means: An extract of a thing, the clear, or pure, part or choice, or best, or most excellent part of a thing. One may conclude that man was created from an extract of clay. Does sulalah refer to silicone? Scientists belief that mineral Clay particles were the cataclysts, as well as stabilizer in the polymerization reaction of amino acids to RNA and DNA.

Here is an quotation of one of Holland's leading scholars, Professor dr. Stephen B.J.Menken, Chief Evolutionbiologist of Amsterdam University:

"With the making of the first step to the primal soup which contains all basicelements for life to a living organism, we stumble upon a lot of problems. One of the problems is the UV-radiation of the sun. We are protected by our skin and the earth's ozonlayer from the worst radiation. The young earth didn't have a protecting ozonlayer, so the UV-radiation reached freely the atmosphere and the top waterlayers. A second problem is that the most simple organic substances can move in all directions in a watery substance. For life to emerge, it is necassery that the substances remain together, a third problem is the sensitivity of DNA and RNA, mainly the carbonic-sugars, which brake apart easy.

There must have happened two things will the substances of the primal soup evolve to something more complicating, to life. The substances must remain together and protected against harmfull influences from outside.[..]

The second most important theory is that of the clayparticles. These particles are common on earth. They're layered, smaller then two micrometre and can bind all organic molecules and make them react with each other. On the surface of the clayparticles, can by example, RNA been build up from simple molecules. Next to that, enhance the clayparticles, the forming of fatty-acids, in which an enviroment can evolve which is seperated from the outside world.[..] The walls of every cell, of plants, animals and fungies, are build up out of double layered fatty-acids.[..] In a solution of fatty-acids together with clayparticles, bindings emerge of double layered fatty-acids.[...] If on the surface of the inclosed clayparticles, molecules get 'stuck', this can be most important for the origins of life, then by this theory can we explain the build of the primitive cell."

7:189 (The Message encompasses life in its totality.) Recall that Allah created life from a single life cell, then made male and female cells, and then shaped you into human beings, males and females..... .”


The SECOND STAGE is that of the first one-celled, the blue-algues that produced also large countities of oxigen. These one-celled made the first steps for complexer organisms, and evolved further into other one-celled, and later one formed complexer multi-celled clusters. In these clusters, each cell got its own function, as they were all seperate cells working together, without a central nerve-system. As the enviromental changes forced the clusters into becoming more complex and in need for a central control centre, which triggered the forming of cells with the function of guiding the other cells functions, a simple nerve-system.

The Algues were the first producers of Oxigen. Without these large amounts of algues, the Oxigen layer would not have formed, and further complexer life would not have been possible. Oxigen is only formed in plantlife, with exception of some Bacteria. Without the green plants, we would not have been here:

36:80 (The same Creator) Who produces for you fire out of the GREEN TREE, so that, behold, you kindle from it.

Green trees produce Oxigen that makes fire possible. It is open carbon fuel fire that pushed our development. When man was still in its prehistoric form, we ate raw meat and plants. To chew on this, large muscles were needed for our jaws and also large intestines were needed to process the raw food. When mankind started to use fire for cooking its food. The bodies of cells in the food were broken, and thus easier to process. Normally it took us hours of chewing to destroy the cell-bodies in the food. Now it only took minutes. This meant that the large muscles on our skulls were not needed anymore, and so more room was given for growth of our brain, that first was held up by the needed space for the large jaw-muscles.

Also our intestines could become shorter, and so our body could walk more erect. This simultaneous spur of growth and new possibilities for our brain and body, made us take large steps of development, that before took 100.000's of years, and which now were taken in steps of 40-20.000 years.

The green plantlife created the possibility for complex life by creating an Oxigen atmosphere, and it also created the way for ancient man to make the step from ape-man to modern humans. This is why fire is so important to mention as done in 36:80.


The THIRD STAGE was the multiple-celled organisms that emerged from the multi-celled clusters that had simple nerve-systems. These evolved further into far complexer organisms with specific organs and highly complex nerve-systems. As the early reptiles(including dinosaurs), birds, insects, fishes and other sealife, amfibiants and mammals. After this third stage, it was ready for the fourth and last stage, that of the beings with highly evolved nerve-systems that have high conciousness's.

24:45 And Allah has created every living creature from water. (Life began in water 21:30). Some of them crawl on their bellies, some walk on two legs, and some walk on four. Allah creates things with a Purpose and according to His Laws. He has Supreme control over all things and events and verily, Allah is the Appointer of due measure of all things.

STAGE FOUR The emergence of humans. This process took millions of years. Where each stage succeeded one another. Till we, the homo sapiens are the last result. And also other higher mammals as whales and dolphins.

Stephen Jay Gould says in "Ever Since Darwin":
Evolution usually proceeds by "speciation"---the splitting of one lineage from a parental stock---not by slow transformation of these large parental stocks. Repeated episodes of speciation produce a bush.(Page 61)

82:7 Who created you, then fashioned you, then proportioned you? (95:4).
82:8 Having shaped you and put you together well/Rakkaba in accordance with His Laws. (59:24).


The verb Rakkaba means "to create a thing from components; put or set one part of it upon another". Thus referring that we are the results of earlier processes.

80:17 Man destroys himself, how ungrateful, rejecting the Sublime Truth!
80:18 Out of what thing has He created him?
80:19 From the male and the female gametes He created him, and then
fashioned him in DUE PROPORTION/FAQADDARAHU.


Faqaddarah means:
Fa= (Allah) determines
Qaddara=proportions/measure
Hu=of ( the newly formed human)

This can be seen as a reference to the DNA, which contains the complete program of all the proportions of the human body.

7:11 We created you, then shaped you, then told the angels, "Be of service to Adam! And they agreed to be of service, all but Iblis (Satan). He was not of the subservient. [Take a panoramic view of your common origin. Life began as a single life cell from hydrated inorganic matter (23]

The word Adam comes from the Root Adama which literally means: To reconcile, to be brown.
Adam means: Human skin, Human being, Man, Person, Intelligent Person, Brown Man, Human Race, Mankind, Civiled Person, Person who is created from different substances, Person in possession of different powers, One who has heirs, One who enjoys the conforts of Life, One who is by nature social and hard.

2:30 Your Lord announced His Plan to the angels (the Laws and Forces in the Universe), “Behold, I am about to place on Earth A NEW CREATION/KHALIFAH that will have dominion over it.”

Adam means Intelligent Man, which is also the exact meaning of Homo Sapiens, the scientific term for Modern Man. In 2:30, the first humans are called Khalifah, which means One who comes after and stands in the place of someone who precedes him.

6:133 Your Lord is Absolute, the Lord of Mercy. He could replace you with whomever He Will, like He RAISED YOU FROM THE GENERATIONS OF OTHER FOLK.

And who did we succeed? As explained earlier, we used to be different of body-structure because we ate raw food. After we started to cook our food, our body structere became more developed and our brain grew larger. This is directly explain in this verse:

76:28 (Who gave them the mind and body to behave the way they choose?)We it is Who have created them, and strengthened their frame. And if We Will, We can replace them entirely with other nations.

And that our brain grew larger because of the change, through this we developed a personality that could make use of a larger memory and insight:

2:31 And Allah endowed humanity/Adam with the capacity to attain knowledge. Then He showed the angels certain things and said to them, “Tell me if you have the capacity of learning about these, if you are truly better qualified to have supremacy in the planet Earth.

15:29 And when I have perfected him in due proportion and breathed into him something of My Energy, bow before him.” (That something will be the gift of free will, the ability to make decisions 76:3).

We also know that the first humans developed in Africa between 2 million and 200.000 years ago. So our ancestors were black of skin, which is also the MAIN meaning of Adama, To be brown.

71:14 Knowing that He has created you in successive stages.

71:17 And Allah has caused you to grow as a growth from the earth/as a (geneological) tree.




The earlier species were more animal-like, and a lot more aggressive towards other species because of instinct, but our Free Will has not made us less aggressive. This is expressed in 2:30 by the Malikah, the Forces of the Universe:

2:30 .....They exclaimed, “Will you place on it such creation as will cause disorder therein and shed blood! - Whereas we strive to establish Your Glory in the Universe and make manifest that You are Impeccable!” He answered, “Behold, I know that which you know not.”

The Quran shows us perfectly our path from the smallest life cells to the first plantlife. Then to the ape-man to Modern Man who eventually spread from Africa towards the most outer borders of the Earth.

7:172 Your Lord brought forth generations from the Children of Adam, and they have been the living testimony that He creates and provides them with sustenance. “Am I not your Sustainer?” They practically admit, “Yes, verily. We testify.” Thus you cannot say on the Resurrection Day, “We were not aware of this.”

Through this spreading over the earth. The Children of Adam were exposed to different circumstances, and thus their bodies adapted to these circumstances. Eyes adapted, skin color, body hair, body length and so on.

35:28 And of human beings, and other creatures, and the cattle have diverse colors. This is how it is: of all His servants only the ULAMA get some idea of the Glory of Allah (by examining the wonders in Nature. ULAMA = men and women of scientific knowledge. They understand that) Allah is Almighty, the Absolver of imperfections.

30:22 And of His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the diversity of your tongues and colors. Herein, behold, are Signs for those who make best use of what they learn.




And we know today also that species are still in constant development:

29:20 Say, “Travel in the earth and find out how He originated creation. And how afterward, Allah brings forth entirely new forms. Verily, Allah is the Designer of all things.”



42:29 And among His Signs is the creative design of the Heavens and the Earth, and the living creatures which He has dispersed throughout them. And He is Able to gather them together when He will. (Herein is an allusion to the existence of life in other celestial bodies, and to man meeting with the 'aliens' some day 16:49).

87:1 Strive to raise the Name of your Lord, the Most High.). 87:2 Who creates and proportions. (So that all things might become what they are meant to be). 87:3 And Who appoints due measure and then shows the way (to all things as to their functions and fullfillment).

BISMILLAHIR RAHMANIR RAHIM
With the Glorious Name of Allah, the Source of Instant and Eternal Beneficence and Mercy Who embraces the entire Universe in His fold, nourishing and taking care of all things for what they are meant to be, just as a mother's womb nourishes the embryo without any returns.
['Rahm' in 'Rahman' and 'Raheem' encompasses all the meanings rendered.]


I highly recommend to obtain the below mentioned books for further research and understanding.

sources:

"Dictionary of the Holy Quran" by Abdul Mannan Omar

"Lane's Lexicon Arabic English Dictionary" by Lane

"Quran As It Explains Itself" by Shabbir Ahmed M.D.

"The Unifying Theory of Everything: by Muhammed Asadi

"Wonders of the Quran" by Organisation Salaam

"Origins of Man" by Maurice Bucaille

"Creation and/or Evolution" by T.O. Shanavas

"Origins" by N.D.Tyson and D.Goldsmith

"The mind of God" by P.Davies

"Our cosmic habitat" by M.Rees

“Origin and Evolution of Universe” by Edward Hardy

"The Origin" by Niki Korteweg
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