Evolution & the 10 year old

Its’s quite daunting teaching Islam to a 10 year old who has not had the benefit of a formal Islamic education system and in addition to the challenges of just living in the west, learns in a school not very conducive to inculcating the Islamic spirit. Oh for the days when al-Imaam Maalik rahimahullah could snub the Abbasid Emperor’s request that he leave al-Madinah and teach his children in Baghdad. The Imaam was adamant that one goes to seek knowledge, it does not run after you. Today we have to maintain the Dien as we can, or am I a contributor to lowering the value of knowledge? But I digress…

On Thursday my rather bright student asked, “You say that Allah created Adam, but science says that we are evolved from apes.” Before getting to the summary of my reply, note the following indications of how the poor boy has already been affected:

1. “You say…” – as if this is my own queer view, not absolute fact.
2. “Adam”  not “Aadam عليه السلام”

Me: Science does not say that. Some people say that, but its not science. I just saw a documentary a few weeks back about how scientists who do not believe in evolution lose their jobs, get fired and are oppressed because they do not believe in evolution, or even just because they want to discuss the possibility that evolution is not true. They are not even allowed to bring their evidence. There are many scientists in the world who are not Muslim, but they do not believe in evolution. As scientists they believe that there is a Creator. Now tell me, what does the word “theory” mean?

Student: Something which might be?

Me: Exactly! It’s not an absolute fact. You will say, “My theory is…. I theorise…” In other words, “I think so.” Its not something that is definitely proven. Even those who believe in it will call it the “theory of evolution.”Evolutionists have never given any absolute evidence for any stage of evolution. Whereas the opposite is true.  Evolution can be disproved at any stage. They claim that at every stage the animal changes to something better. They say from a single celled animal fish came which became amphibians which started walking because they wanted to come onto the land. They became apes and then humans.

Student: Isn’t it that there are bush babies somewhere in there?

Me: Maybe, whatever that is. Let’s just look at the fish story. You go a lot to Durban isn’t it?

Student: Yes.

Me: Does your daddy fish?

Student: No.

Me: Okay, ask him to take you fishing. Now if you take a fish and throw it on the beach, have you ever see it grow legs because it needs to walk on land?

Student (laughing): No.

Me: Okay. Shame. Let’s give the evolutionists another chance. What will happen if you take 20 fish and throw them on the beach?

سليمان الكندي