The Clay

In the name of Allah SWT, The Beneficient, The Merciful

Salam Syawal, 

I might understand Charles Darwin's theory of evolution about the evolution of the other species of living organisms, based on the knowledge of the subject i have today. 

But i cannot buy the idea that we human beings evolved from apes. 

The scientists might have found the Neanderthals, etc. But i still cannot accept the idea of the human beings evolving from ancient chimpanzees. The height of Adam a.s as reported in the hadiths doesn't jive with the height of the Neanderthal (one can google that).

In the Al-Qur'an, Allah SWT said that He taught Adam a.s the 'names of things'. The angels couldn't even tell Allah SWT the 'name of things' which were taught to Adam a.s. Think of a Neanderthal and what it is capable of. 

so, the Neanderthals actually know 'the names of things'.. better than the angels? Anybody studied the brain of the Neanderthals yet? Is there even a physical brain to begin with?

From Muhammad Asad's "Message of the Al-Qur'an", i understand that the 'names of things' relates also to conceptual thinking. Simply means that Adam a.s was taught how to think like a human being should. To my mind, there is no process of evolution there. I relate that to how a Neanderthal might learn to grow from an instinctive being to a being with concepts and ideas to a being who knows how to distinguish between right and wrong - i.e, having morality.

If we relate that to the story of Adam a.s and Hawa eating the fruit from the forbidden tree, as insinuated by iblis, we can conclude that Adam a.s and Hawa exercised free will to eat the fruit from that tree. Both of them know that it's forbidden but then they were manipulated by iblis. 

Free will and conceptual thinking. Something a Neanderthal possess? How about speech then? Or some other intelligent ways for Adam a.s and Hawa to communicate with Allah SWT?

in Surah Al-Hijr Ayat 26 

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيْم

(26) AND, INDEED, We have created man out of sounding clay, out of dark slime transmuted
(note 24) - 

(15:27) whereas the invisible beings We had created, [long] before that, out of the fire of
scorching winds. (note 25) 

(15:28) And lo! Thy Sustainer said unto the angels: "Behold, I am about to create mortal man out of sounding clay, out of dark slime transmuted; 

(15:29) and when I have formed him fully and breathed into him of My spirit, fall down before him in prostration!"(note 26)

(15:30) Thereupon the angels prostrated themselves, all of them together, 

(15:31) save Iblis: he refused to be among those who prostrated themselves.(note 27)

Sadaqalla-hul-'Azim. 

kindly read the explanatory notes as well especially note (24), quoting the Translation :-

"(note 24) There are many references in the Qur'an to man's having been "created out of clay (tin)" or "out of dust (turab)", both these terms signifying man's lowly biological origins as well as the fact that his body is composed of various organic and inorganic substances existing - in other combinations or in their elementary forms - on or in the earth. The term salsal, occurring in three verses of this surah as well as in 55:14, adds a further dimension to this concept. According to most of the philological authorities, it denotes "dried clay that emits a sound" (i.e., when it is struck); and since it is used in the Qur'an exclusively with reference to the creation of man, it seems to contain an allusion"

Regarding allegories used in the Al-Qur'an, for instance, Allah SWT describe Paradise as as 'gardens through which running waters flow' (Al Baqarah Ayat 25 and many other Ayats in the Al-Qur'an).

Here's how i break it down as an engineer by training...

Water is H2O. Is 'water' in Paradise also H2O? H2O is something we understand here in this life but if 'water' in Paradise is a concept of the al-ghayb, then 'water' in Paradise is an allegory told to us because we simply cannot imagine what 'water' is in Paradise. 

To make water flow, we need difference in potential energy. Water flows from a state of higher potential energy to a lower state of potential energy. That's how we understand it in this physical world. Yes.. potential energy requires gravity. Yes.. more concepts to ponder, no?

In Paradise, that concept is different. Allah SWT has the ultimate knowledge of making a fluid (it may not even be a 'fluid' in Paradise for all we know) flow in the absence of potential difference. 

Running waters means that water travels due to difference in potential, i.e from high altitude to low altitude.

We believe that we cannot imagine how Paradise or Hell looks like or feels like. It's beyond our comprehension as human beings as we can only imagine things and to feel things based on our own limited knowledge, experience, memory, imagination and perception all rolled into one. 

Hence the allegories. So that we may have some idea of the things and concepts which we can relate to based on what we know of - of this life on earth, which in actual fact is beyond our perception (al-ghayb).

Have all the scientists all over the world went out all over the world to find this 'clay' that was alluded to in the Al-Qur'an? If they have not, then why not?

Even if they found the 'clay' and examined it thoroughly and try to find similarities between the chemical composition of the 'clay' and the chemical composition of the earliest form of the human being they could find, will they see any similarities? What if they couldn't? Will they still bent on the Neanderthal idea, because it's convenient? Besides, Allah SWT only mentions 'clay' and not some other materials or chemicals that probably goes into the clay to form Adam a.s. 

Why is that?

Only Allah SWT knows best.

Allah SWT also mentions in the Al-Qur'an that He can tell us about the parable of a gnat.

Surah Al Baqarah Ayat 26

(translated by Muhammad Asad)

 بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيْم

Behold, God does not disdain to propound a parable of a gnat, or of something [even] less than that. Now, as for those who have attained to faith, they know that it is the truth from their Sustainer - whereas those who are bent on denying the truth say, "What could God mean by this parable?"
In this way does He cause many a one to go astray, just as He guides many a one aright: but none does He cause thereby to go astray save the iniquitous, 

(2:27) who break their bond with God after it has been established [in their nature], and cut asunder what God has bidden to be joined, and spread corruption on earth: these it is that shall be the losers.

Sadaqallah-hul-'Azim.

Kindly read the explanatory notes as well. 

I understand it as Allah SWT doesn't have to prove anything to us. Everything that is revealed in the Al-Qur'an is the ultimate and absolute truth. We just have to believe in the Al-Qur'an. Plus Allah SWT asked us to study His creations.  If scientists want to go out on a mission to verify the 'clay' or 'conceptual thinking and free will' of the Neanderthals or any other species they think that the human beings might evolve from, by all means, please go ahead but for the rest of us Muslims, we have faith in Allah SWT and the Al-Qur'an. 

That's how simple faith is. Plus human beings are not compelled to believe in the Al-Qur'an. For Muslims, it's an exercise of what i'd call as 'guided free will', which guidance comes from none other than Allah SWT alone. 

The Al-Qur'an is not a science book. It's not a history book. It's the Guide to spiritual righteousness, moral righteousness which has absolutely no errors and free of any doubts. Plus the Al-Qur'an also tells us about Allah SWT's creations, but Allah SWT doesn't have to go to details and Allah SWT doesn't have to tell us everything also. 

Just believe. 

Just because science today cannot prove the origins of the human species going back all the way to the 'clay', well, try harder. Or stop trying and just.. have faith. Or if one should do all he or she can to prove it scientifically so that the human race, especially those who do not believe in the Al-Qur'an can get a glimpse of the truth already revealed,  my advice is simple.. ask for guidance from Allah SWT and keep trying. 

Has anyone found out anything written on the 'fossil of Adam a.s?'

or probably sounds like a good idea to carry out more studies. 

Rasulullah SAW said that Adam a.s is 60 cubits tall. Convert that to metric and that's the height of Adam a.s. 

Maybe there is a reason why the Adam a.s remains was never found to this day. And only Allah SWT knows why. 

https://www.usna.edu/Users/humss/bwheeler/adam.html 

The only evolution with regards to the human beings i can comprehend is evolvement from Adam a.s and Hawa - to the human beings we have today on earth. Biological variations, as i put it. 

We don't know much. There's still a lot more things to know and there's popular saying that 'the more we know, the more we realize that we don't know about a particular subject'. 

Surah Al-Kahf Ayat 109

 بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيْم

SAY: "If all the sea were ink for my Sustainer's words, the sea would indeed be exhausted ere
my Sustainer's words are exhausted! And [thus it would be] if we were to add to it sea upon
sea.

Sadaqallah-hul-'Azim.

Just believe in the Al-Qur'an and insha Allah, we will be rightfully guided.

Wassalam,