Islam And Evolution

[nailit]

Do muslims share the christian belief that the earth is only 6000 yrs old and that dinosauars walked alongside man?
Do they accept evolution?
Or is there a difference of opinion in the islamic faith?
Thanks.

[Peter Pedant]

// Mikey, The young earth theory emanated from James Ussher, Archbishop of Armagh, in the 17th century. The rest have jumped on that bandwagon. //

further on it says
Ussher's proposed date of 4004 BC differed little from other Biblically-based estimates, such as those of Jose ben Halafta (3761 BC), Bede (3952 BC), Ussher's near-contemporary Scaliger (3949 BC), Johannes Kepler (3992 BC) or Sir Isaac Newton (c. 4000 BC).

Numerology in the seventeenth century was a big thing
Dimensions of the temple had mystical meaning

I think Bishop Ussher himself would be surprised to be told he led the pack

[naomi24]

PeterPedant, during 800-1200 (AD) they had no need to attempt to reconcile the Koran with indisputable fact. Whether it is now known to be right or wrong, the ‘science’ in the Koran, gleaned predominantly from the Greeks, was already in the public domain when it was written. With human progress that information has proven to be not quite as indisputable as they thought it was then.

Yes, the Koran was written by a human being, but unlike the authors of the bible who were allegedly only ‘inspired’ by God, Mohammed claimed that his book was dictated to him directly by God’s messenger and was the indisputable word of God. A big difference.

[Peter Pedant]

yes yes I agree there is a difference Nigh
This is the difficulty of christians discussing someone else's religion

I think for example there was a strong oral tradition to the Koran
and that it was memorised in the first decades by muezzin
and it was only when there was discussion and dispute about its text ( that is which one was the true word of God ) that it came to be written down

( evolution of kufic and invention of rasm and i'rab )
but you are right amongst christians who am I to say ?

[Khandro]

Welcome back jomifl; last time I looked the birds seemed to be doing pretty well staying airborne by flapping their wings, though I haven't as yet got the knack of it.

[keyplus90]

Muslims do not believe that the Earth is 6000 years old or 60000000000000 years old. Because there is nothing in Quran to specify that.

Khandro need to learn or understand Arabic. Quran does not say Sun and Moon emit light, a wrong translation may do. Arabic is a vast language and one word could mean many different things. Now its up to the translator which one he picks according to his knowledge. Quran says that Sun is "Siraj" and moon is "wahaj". And these words are used in Arabic for many different things, but mainly "Siraj" means something that emits light. For example a lamp. And "wahaj" could be anything that reflects light. It could be a mirror, a shiny surface etc.

[Peter Pedant]

thanks Keyplus

[Khandro]

naomi; //the ‘science’ in the Koran, gleaned predominantly from the Greeks,//

What? Thales, Pythagoras, Aristotle, Euclid, Ptolemy, to name but a few?

[Peter Pedant]

No Khandro
none of those are in the Koran
but you are correct the arabs held up the scientific tradition in the Golden age and saw no conflict in it

this again is the difficulty of christians earnestly discussing the koran

[naomi24]

PeterPedant, //none of those are in the Koran //

Of course the Greeks aren't mentioned by name in the Koran. Re-read what's been said.

[jomifl]

/ Arabic is a vast language and one word could mean many different things. Now its up to the translator which one he picks according to his knowledge./
I think we have already grasped that and may be a little ahead of you, enjoy lifting yourself by your bootstraps.

[Khandro]

naomi; Well if not them, which Greeks was the Koran 'predominately gleaned from'?

[naomi24]

Khadro, I didn't say it wasn't them. I said the Koran doesn't mention Greek scientists/philosophers by name. I don't have time for any more now, but if you google you'll find plenty of information. Got to go.

[Khandro]

P.P. //the arabs held up the scientific tradition in the Golden age and saw no conflict in it//

Well said; they upheld the tradition and according to scholars such as Hamad Abdel-Samad, the 'Golden Age' was a period of discovery of earlier learning from Greece and Persia etc. rather than a period of invention, as many Muslims like to claim.

[jomifl]

The Arabs invented 0....improved my bank balance no end, just adding 0 makes such a difference.

[vetuste_ennemi]

Here is a real scientist making well-known liar for Islam Andreas Tzortzis look stupid.

Persevere to the end:

Intelligent conversation? Who with?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNqNKZePcn8

[vetuste_ennemi]

Answers in part an earlier question by Khandro.

[vetuste_ennemi]

The zero was the invention of Hindu mathematicians I believe, Jom.

[jomifl]

V-E, :-( so the Arabs didnt invent a damn thing? ...apart from the seraglio ..selflessly.

[wildwood]

keyplus on the Koran... //Arabic is a vast language and one word could mean many different things. Now its up to the translator which one he picks according to his knowledge.//

Well, that explains it all.

[keyplus90]

Ok Jomifl. Just wake me up if you need me again. Thanks