Islam's position on the theory of evolution

Answer

As Mawlana Safraz has mentioned, the theory of Macro-Evolution is rejected by mainstream Islam; this is not our belief regarding the origin and continuation of the human or any other species. That said, as Muslims we ought to engage properly and critically with the ideas we encounter -- to refute a claim, we must first study and understand it properly, otherwise we do ourselves a disservice by refuting something in a superficial or ill-informed manner. To say "if we evolved from apes, why are there still apes?" fundamentally misunderstands the theory: it does not claim one species completely transforms into another, erasing the previous form, but that humans and modern apes share a common ancestor, with separate branches leading to both. It is a branching process, not a linear progression -- the existence of one species does not necessitate the extinction of its relatives (wolves and domestic dogs share a common ancestor, yet both still exist). A more engaging line of argument would be to press on the foundational assumptions behind the evolutionary divergence of species itself, and what proof exists for the specific mechanisms claimed. In any case, to confront these ideas and safeguard our youth from the traps of atheism and modern scientism, we must be proper and thorough in our research and engagement. *Jazakum Allah khayran.* *And Allah is all-knowing, ever-informed.*