Islam and Evolution

Malik offers a broad yet approachable survey of how Islam and the theory of evolution relate. Rather than focusing on one argument, the book maps the many factors that shape the ongoing exchange between Muslims who defend creationism and Muslims who engage with evolutionary science.

The author takes as his guide al-Ghazālī (1058-1111), a medieval Islamic intellectual whose work is widely known. He is read here as an Ash’arite theologian, part of the Sunni theological tradition. Drawing on al-Ghazālī's metaphysical and hermeneutic ideas, the study asks whether Neo-Darwinian evolution can be accepted, and if so to what extent. Its central claim is that his thought can bring Islam and Neo-Darwinian evolution into alignment.

The book aims for clarity rather than consensus, offering a close examination of a debate marked by sharp division among Muslims. It will be of particular interest to scholars of science and religion, theology, philosophy of religion, Islamic studies and religious studies more broadly.