Becoming Bani Adam: Exploring Twelver-Shii Discussions on Human Ancestry - Mizan Institute By cover art

Becoming Bani Adam: Exploring Twelver-Shii Discussions on Human Ancestry - Mizan Institute

By: Sr. Fatemah Meghji Br. Justin Mashouf
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  • Summary

  • “Becoming Bani Adam: Exploring Twelver-Shii Discussions on Human Ancestry” is a new podcast series which is an audiobook version of a long paper written by Ustadha Fatemah Meghji on the topic of human evolution in Twelver-Shii tradition with a focus on exegetical literature i.e. from tafsir. How does a person of faith grapple with evolution in today’s world? The audiobook is narrated by Br. Justin Mashouf and each episode includes an introduction by the author herself with a summary of previous episodes and at times, brief helpful explanations. Each episode spans between 10-20 minutes.
    Mizan 2022
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Episodes
  • 10. Conclusion and Further Considerations

    10. Conclusion and Further Considerations
    Dec 13 2022
    In this tenth and final episode, we will wrap up the discussion on human evolution and discuss further considerations to the subject. A few topics that will be touched on are questions with regards to consciousness which cannot be studied through empirical science as well as how the language of evolution can evoke a sense of godlessness. Finally, we will end with a discussion on the true purpose of human beings and how this discussion should not impact our faith and the important answers that Islam does give us. References: Quranic verses referred to: Q.15:28-30, Q.30:7, & Q.59:19 Haider Hobbollah, “Brief Overview of the Relationship Between Rationality and Revelation – Iqra Online,” ed. Muhammad Jaffer, Iqraonline.net, 2020, https://www.iqraonline.net/brief-overview-of-the-relationship-between-rationality-and-revelation/. Shoaib Malik’s “Does Belief In Human Evolution Entail Kufr (Disbelief)? Evaluating The Concerns Of A Muslim Theologian” Sayyid Muneer al-Khabazz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VK0rVfy9pMs Christof Koch, “What Is Consciousness?,” Nature.com, 2018, https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-05097-x. Oliver Burkeman, “Why can’t the world’s greatest minds solve the mystery of consciousness?” The Guardian, modified January 21, 2015, http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jan/21/-sp-why-cant-worlds-greatest-minds-solve-mystery-consciousness. Jared Diamond, “Evolution, consequences and future of plant and animal domestication” Nature 418 (8 August 2012), http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v418/n6898/full/nature01019.html, 700-707. William C. Chittick, Science of the Cosmos, Science of the Soul: The Pertinence of Islamic Cosmology in the Modern World (Oxford: Oneworld, 2008), 83. Ibn Bābawayh (Shaykh al Ṣadūq), Muḥammad b. ʿAlī. ʿIlal al Sharāʾi. Vol. 1. Qom: Davari Bookstore, 2006 Seyyed Hossein Nasr, “On the Question of Biological Origins,” Islam & Science 4, no. 2 (2006), http://www.cis-ca.org/jol/vol4-no2/nasr-f-prn.pdf.
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    21 mins
  • 9. Qur’anic Interpretations on Q.4:1 contd.

    9. Qur’anic Interpretations on Q.4:1 contd.
    Dec 6 2022
    This episode continues to discusses the scriptural evidence for the idea that Adam (a) is the forefather of all of humanity today. Various Twelver-Shii scholars opine that the literal meaning of this verse, or its dhuhur, indicates that all of humanity today are the offspring solely of Adam and Eve with no third-parties involved. However, there are some mufassirin who posit that though this is the dhuhur or more likely prima-facie meaning, there is still room for other literal possibilities. As such, even though we know that Adam (a) was created in a miraculous unique process outside of evolution, it is possible that there were other Homo sapiens which his offspring mated with, and this idea would explain the existence of the DNA in the current human population showing genetic markers and indicating that we have a mixed ancestry. This possibility however should only be taken in the case that we have definitive empirical data that shows the impossibility that we are only from Adam and Eve if we are to remain true to the hermeneutical principles that we established earlier. We will also discuss what some possible explanations are for the genetic data that we see in the human population today. References: Ayatullah Nasir Makarim Shirazi, Tafsire Nemune, Volume 3, accessed with NOOR Software: Jami al-Tafasir. ʼAyātullah Jawādī ʼĀmulī , Tafsir Tasnīm, Volume 17, accessed on Nashre Esra CD. Ayatullah Jawadi Amuli, Recorded and Transcribed Lectures of the Commentary of Surah al-Nisa, accessed February 20th, 2015, http://www.portal.esra.ir/Pages/Index.aspx?kind=2&lang=fa&skinid=66&id=Nzk4-nik5IJYu24s%3d. “Punctuated Equilibrium,” www.fossilmuseum.net, accessed April 4, 2020, http://www.fossilmuseum.net/Evolution/punctuated_equilibrium.htm. See Allamah Majlisi, Hayat al-Qulub, v. 1 Q.15:28 وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي خَالِقٌ بَشَرًا مِّن صَلْصَالٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ ﴿٢٨﴾ “When your Lord said to the angels, ‘Indeed I am going to create a human out of a dry clay [drawn] from an aging mud.”
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    15 mins
  • 8. Are we all descendants of Adam?

    8. Are we all descendants of Adam?
    Nov 29 2022
    This episode discusses the scriptural evidence for the idea that Adam (a) is the forefather of all of humanity today. The answer to this question from a scriptural perspective is multi-fold. The ahadith are pretty clear that he is, however the Qur’an does not include much in a literal way, except for in the first verse of Surat an-Nisa. Various Twelver-Shii scholars opine that the literal meaning of this verse, or its dhuhur, indicates that all of humanity today are the offspring solely of Adam and Eve with no third-parties. However, in the event that there is definitive evidence otherwise, this dhuhur is not binding to a literal understanding of the verse. This is possibly the most crucial question in the series and this episode will break it down in detail. References Qur’anic References: Q.4:1 Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, “Genetics,” The Smithsonian Institution’s Human Origins Program, March 2010, http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/genetics. “Behind the Science” The Genographic Project: National Geographic, accessed February 20, 2015, https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/science-behind/ Dennis R Venema, Adam and the Genome: Reading Scripture after Genetic Science (Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2017). Dennis Venema, “Adam, Eve, and Human Population Genetics Part 4: Signature in the SNPs” The Biologos Forum: Science and Faith in Dialogue, modified January 16th, 2015, http://biologos.org/blog/signature-in-the-snps. “Modern Human Diversity- Genetics” Smithsonian Natural Museum of Natural History, accessed February 20, 2015, http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/genetics/skin-color/modern-human-diversity-genetics Lin Edwards, “Humans were Once an Endangered Species” phys.org, modified January 21st, 2010, http://phys.org/news183278038.html. Nature Research Ecology & Evolution Community, “Adam and Eve: A Tested Hypothesis?,” Nature Research Ecology & Evolution Community, October 28, 2017, https://natureecoevocommunity.nature.com/users/24561-richard-buggs/posts/22075-adam-and-eve-a-tested-hypothesis. Ewen Callaway, “Genetic Adam and Eve did not live too far apart in time” Nature, modified August 6th, 2013, http://www.nature.com/news/genetic-Adam-and-eve-did-not-live-too-far-apart-in-time-1.13478#/b2. Douglas L. T. Rohde, Steve Olson & Joseph T. Chang, “Modelling the recent common ancestry of all living humans” Nature 431, 562-566 (30 September 2004). http://www.nature.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/nature/journal/v431/n7008/full/nature02842.html
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    21 mins
Islam Spirituality Science
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