Islam and Science: Human Creation

Objectives

• Describe the process of human creation according to Islam and Science
• Discuss the life stages and phases of human life

The Concept of Mankind Creation

• Adam (a.s) was the first man created by Allah, followed by his spouse, Hawa (Eve)
• Islam teaches the concept of man as a constituent of 'Ummah', which encompasses the entire humanity with universal honor as the descendants of Adam and Hawa, regardless of race, ancestry, tribe, and color

The Importance of Understanding the Origin of Mankind

• Human beings are the most superior and unique creation of Allah
• Understanding the origin of mankind leads to self-discovery and acknowledgement of Allah's majesty and greatness
• The knowledge of human creation brings about the declaration of human beings as the best creatures by Allah (Surah Al-Tin, 95:4)

The Purpose of Understanding the Origin of Mankind

• To develop a true consciousness of Allah's greatness, as stated in the Quran
• Epistemology involves the revelation of the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad

Human Origins according to Western Philosophers

• Plato (427-347 BC):
  • Believed in the world of ideas and the world of appearances
  • The world of ideas consists of forms or ideas that epitomize the nature of physical objects
  • The world of appearances is changing, variable, and a shadow of the world of ideas
• Aristotle (384-322 BC):
  • Believed in the physical world as the sole existence
  • Contradicted Plato's theory of ideas, considering it unrealistic
  • Humans possess the characteristics of natures, which are either vegetative, sensitive, or rational
• La Mettrie (1709-1751):
  • Believed that humans are identical to machines and animals
  • Material without soul can move, but soul without material is impossible to move
• Feuerbach (1804-1872):
  • Believed that there is nothing but nature
  • Humans are natural things derived from nature
  • Human knowledge is based on experience
• Karl Marx (1818-1883):
  • Believed that humans have no meaning without society
  • Material strengths are the driving factors that determine the history of human society
  • Results of human actions, such as science, art, religion, morality, law, and politics, are depositions of the condition

Human Origins according to Sigmund Freud

• Believed in the existence of an unconscious mind that governs most of individual's behaviors
• Theory of human behavior driven by sexual desires developed since childhood
• The soul has three levels of consciousness: conscious, preconscious, and unconscious

Human Origins according to Islam

• Human beings are composed of two major elements: body and soul
• Each element has its own uniqueness and advantages that shape the personality of an individual
• Humans are also provided with other essential elements, such as heart, mind, and lust, by Allah
• Allah created human beings through two processes: creation from clay and creation through the process of 'kun fayakun'

Stages of Human Creation

• The process of creation from clay involved six stages
• The wisdom behind the creation of human from soil is to develop people's consciousness of their origin and return to the soil after death, and to test man's faith and belief in the Hereafter

Hawwa' (Eve)

• Created by Allah from the left rib of Prophet Adam (a.s)
• Ibn Abbas reported that Hawwa' was created by Allah when Adam was settled in Paradise and needed a spouse to dwell with