Preface
Human evolution since many years still be a mystery. Many agree and disagree statements have been offered, but the theory of it still cannot be proved. Charles Darwin, that offered the theory of evolution actually wasn’t the first man that has evolution idea. Buffon (1707-1788) Lamark (1744-1804) and Schopenhauer (1788-1860) were often used the word of evolution to indicate the development in human being.[i] But they were unknown because they didn’t write their idea in a specific book, they different with Darwin that eternal his idea in his book The Origin of Species.
In Islamic perspective, especially in the scripture, there is no statement that strictly agree or disagree with Darwin theory, but the majority of Moslems say that evolution theory is a kind of deviation with the scripture, because in their beliefs Adam was the first man that created by Allah. So Darwin ideas against the scripture and must be rejected.
But, there is a new perspective of interpretation offered by Muhammad Shahrour. By his intellectuality he tries to find another way to interpret Qur'anic verses, especially, for our discussion, human evolution. By his technical abilities and his skill in tinker with the sentence of Qur’an he successfully observe and state that human that been in this earth were result of development and evolution (tathawwur) in billion year. This was we will discuss in this article. In the analysis I will try to a little bit compare with Darwin theory on evolution.
Muhammad Shahrour: Life and Thoughts
He was born in Damaskus on March 11 1938. His educational background actually doesn’t come from Islamic education, but he was a technical scholar since his undergraduate until doctoral program. But he got Islamic education and study Arabic literacy by autodidact and just has one teacher i.e Dr. Ja’far Dikk Babb.
During his life, he wrote about four serious and phenomenal books:
1. Al-Kitab wa al-Qur’an: Qiraah Muashirah.[ii]
2. Dirasah Islamiyah Muashirah: fi al-Dawla wa al-Mujtama’[iii]
3. Dirasah Islamiyah muashirah al-Islam wa al-Iman Manzumat al-qiyam[iv].
4. Nahwa Ushul Jadidah fi al-Fiqh al-Islamy[v]
5. And many articles
Peter Clark in his article “The Shahrour Phenomenon, A Liberal Islamic Voice from Syiria” said that Arab world in 1990 was shacked by a controversial book written by Muhammad Shahrour by the title AL-Kitab wa al-Qur'an: Qiraah Muashirah.[vi] This book offered the new brilliant and liberal ideas on the Qur’anic’s concept related with theology, law, moral and social. This thick book has been very controversial because it deconstructs all of Moslems’ exist mindsets and beliefs. The human evolution just only a small part of his controversial ideas. And his first book, even all of his book, are countered by many scholar in Arab even in Europe. The reactions were different, agree and disagree. Many of them write books or articles just for counter his ideas. I can mention some here the books, Tahafut Qiraah Muashirah, written by Mahami Munir Mahmud Syawwaf, Baidlatut Dikk: Naqd Lughawi li al-Kitab Wa al-Qur'an, written by Syaidlawi and many others.
In general, the book that written by Shahrour tried to critique to the conventional religious policies and intolerant radical thought. From it, what actually Shahrour wanted is the need to reinterpret qur’anic verses according to development and interaction inter-generations.[vii] The most common statement that usually used by Shahrour is Tsabatun Nash wa Harakatul Muhtawa (the silent text but the meaning is dynamic).[viii]
Muhammad Shahrour and Evolution
Actually it’s difficult to explain shahrour theory without knowing all of Shahrour formulation that written in al-Kitab wa al-Qur'an. Many keys term that have to be understood before coming and describing Shahrour ideas on evolution. Shahrour describes human evolution on the chapter Jadal al-Kaun (the dialectical of universe). He placed dialectical as an qur’anic epistemological axis to understand nature, human and God.
The understanding of basyar creation begun with the verse “Khalaqakum min nafsin wahidah” it means that the basic of creature is one not from couple. When the life being existed in this earth, in the first time begun with the existence of creatures that have one cell that then grow by the way cracking, not by sexual relationship (talaquh zaujy). Those creatures then grow until have different variants. Then the verse Al-Insan: 2, indicates that life being continues until basyar reach his the maturity, namely when basyar passed three phases of creation process, first, sea period, second, sea-land period, and the last, the land period. And in this process human born in the land period and grow within sexual relationship. [ix]
Everything, except God, has dualistic (tsunaiyah) character that connected on a dialectical of interactive relation. For him, internally, dialectical movement between two different unsure results in development and changing continuously.[x] He uses the term cell differentiated and cell undifferentiated the term that are common in molecular biology, [xi] in explaining and making both of them equivalent with Mukhallaqah, and ghairu mukhallaqah that been in the surah al-Hajj: 5
This verse is understood in the framework of evolution law (qanun al-Tatawwur wa al-irtiqa) that be as the basic dialectical relationship between physiological form of human and other life creatures. When the smallest unsure that form a plan can be differentiated in a measurable system, so it called as mukhallaqah. This entity that he calls as cell differentiated.
But if that plan cannot be described by the measurable system, it called as ghairu mukhallaqah that understood as cell undifferentiated. Shahrour emphasizes that in dialectical relationship between cell differentiated and undifferentiated there is the secret of organic growth of life creatures.
If the groove of growth reaches the system in cell differentiated, so the organic growth will walk safely, but if the groove becomes far and reaches the system in cell undifferentiated, the organism that grow will get deformities.[xii] So all of this process, according to Shahrour, follows the evolution law. This understanding is same with the contemporary academic data.[xiii] For example, in the microbiology discipline stated that as long or after the growing and development of morfogenetic, the chemical composition and structure of cell slowly will be differentiated between one another. In the animal world, a group of embryonic cell that called as stem cell has a potentiality to grow be a specific cells in an adult animal. This differentiation of cell could be happened on a group of cells that form network (like nerve) and then form an organ (heart and brain). This differentiation process happened after the assembling of cell division (cell that has differentiated and cracked) as in the form of blood cell and germ cell (sperm and ovum). [xiv]
The growing of life creatures from one cell to two cell then continues millions years until the appearance of species that called as basyar that was already different with the other creatures. It’s because basyar has different shape. Shahrour believe that basyar, that then evolute to human, as old as the appearance of animal. [xv] In the description of qur’anic verses, Shahrour concludes that basyar refers to the exist being that has thought and has social relationship and interact each the other. [xvi]
The evolution phase from basyar to insan happened when basyar has already gotten an excellent shape, such as, stand upright with his foot, and already has a tool of sound. So after that the spirit (ruh) blown up to him until basyar evolutes to be insan that has spirit, that think well and life socially. [xvii] Thus for Shahrour, Adam wasn’t a personal name, but rather than that, as a name of species. [xviii] Species that resulted by an on going process. This concept offered by Shahrour all at once to deny the considerance that Adam was the first creature.
After adam species created, then those species evolute continuosly and passed four evolution phases:
First, the capability to get sounds, and animal characters. This phase concluded by Shahrour after interpreting Al-Baqarah: 31. [xix]
Second, the phase for doing order, as explained in the verses Al-Baqarah: 33. In this phase, the species of adam begin to get order from God by ordering to tell names to the angels. This species then ordered to stay in the ‘heaven’. For Shahrour the term of heaven doesn’t indicate to what has be a common sense in the Moslems communities. What he means by heaven is a heavy forest that has many fruits, waters. [xx]
Third, the tajrid phase (an abstraction process from the concrete object toward to the abstract). For Shahrour, this phase was an extraordinary phase, the species of adam that only use their brains to transfer names of thing from ear and eyes, then develop and grow to the development of language process and mind. [xxi] This description, for Shahrour, base on interpreting surat An-Nahl: 78.
Fourth, the second movement (hubuth) phase. After passing the third evolution, the species of adam then evolute continuously. In the common Moslem opinion, the term of hubuth is understood as a kind of chasing away to Adam from the heaven. But here, Shahrour interprets it as a kind of movement from one degree to the another. In this fourth phase, the species of adam begin to learn, and built social life, and economy in its early (primitive) forms. [xxii]
In this chapter (the dialectical of universe), Shahrour observed many verses that include themes of the creation of universe, human and the growing of language. He used tartil’s method (in general, this method is similar with thematic method) to examine those verses. In one side, those verses firmed that al-Qur'an included and covered the bases law of dialectic that prevails universally. But in other side, also covered dialectic law that prevails, specifically, for human. Allah explained that human (insan) separated from animal unsure after blowing the spirit (ruh) it then, supported with mind and knowledge, that placed human to be khalif in this earth and got a high position in living being. The verses that observed by Muhammad Shahrour in one condition, also firm that there are connection and relation between language, mind, and transmission function since the beginning development of language.
Darwin’s Ideas in Shahrour’s Interpretation of al-Qur'an
If we examine the explanation above, we will find that the evolution process of basyar to insan is similar with the process of homo erectus to homo sapiens. Homo erectus considered as human ancestor that begin to stand up steadily with his foot. While homo sapiens is considered as modern human.[xxiii]
In the explanation of those both human ancestors, many evolutionists didn’t know exactly where the homo erectus derives from. This is also similar, if connected to the basyar and insan term, that actually, implicitly, Shahrour agree about it. The thing that he explain is that basyar was a result of long evolution process of the life creatures. So, from here appear that there is missing link in Homo erectus or basyar ancestors.
After we check and read al-Kitab wa al-Qur'an, we find that Shahrour admitted that Darwin was a representative example when explore about his ta’wil concept.[xxiv] So it must be admitted that Shahrour was influenced by Darwin ideas, although in his explanation in the chapter “Dialectical of universe” he didn’t mention Darwin at all. Here I also found the strongness and weakness of Shahrour argument when he rigidly defined the scientific terms in the Qur’an, that he based on to the recovery of modern scientific data.
In this side, the understanding of al-Qur'an becomes dynamic and understood, contextually, based on the system of human knowledge that always grow and change. But in the other side, the interpretation of al-Qur'an always temporer and tentative same with the character of knowledge, and it means that al-Qur'an submitted in the power of knowledge. Whereas the evolution theory, basically, still unfinished and cannot be proved factually. Even Mahami Munir stated that the understanding that every life creation evolutes continuously is a kind of depraved understanding. For him it was so impossible a horse evolutes then become a camel. [xxv]
Besides all, the phases of process that offered by Shahrour and also the origin of life that begun with a creature that has one cell are similar with what been offered by evolutonists. [xxvi] So, I am doubt with Shahrour statement in the preface of al-Kitab wa al-Qur'an, that his reseach is new, objective and appropriate with the development of period. [xxvii]
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Abdurrahman Wahid, Tuhan Tidak Perlu Dibela, Yogyakarta: 1999.
Bruce Albert et.al, Biologi Molekuler Sel,, Jakarta: Gramedia, 1994.
Mahami Munir M. Syawwaf, Tahafut Qiraah Muashirah, Cyprus: Al-Syawwaf, 1993.
Muhammad Shahrour, Prinsip dan Dasar Hermeneutika al-Qur'an Kontemporer, Yogyakarta: Elsaqpress, 2004.
………………, Tirani Islam, Yogyakarta: LKIS, 2002.
………………, Islam dan Iman, Dasar-Dasar Pokok, Yogyakarta: Jendela, 2000.
………………, Metodologi Fiqih Kontemporer, Yogyakarta: Elsaqpress in Corporation with FORSTUDIA, 2003.
………………, Al-Kitab wa al-Qur'an: Qiraah Muashirah, Damascus: Daar Ahali, 1994.
Peter Clark, “The Shahrour Phenomenon, A Liberal Islamic Voice from Syiria”, in a Journal Islam and Christian Moslem relation, vol. 7 no. 3. p. 337.
Sahiron Syamsuddin (ed), Hermeneutika al-Qur'an Mazhab Jogja, Yogyakarta: Islamika in corporation with FORSTUDIA, p. 124.
T. Jamaluddin, Evolusi di Alam dan Eksistensi Manusia, http://media.isnet.org/.
http://kampustembalang.com/kampus/modules
http://www.evolutiondeceit.com/indonesian/keruntuhan9.php
“Embryology” in Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2002. © 1993-2001 Microsoft Corporation.
Endnotes
[i] http://kampustembalang.com/kampus/modules
[ii] This very thick book was available in Indonesian language, but just only first chapter that already translated on the title Prinsip dan Dasar Hermeneutika al-Qur'an Kontemporer, Yogyakarta: Elsaqpress, 2004.
[iii] This book was also available in Indonesia version, Tirani Islam, Yogyakarta: LKIS, 2002.
[iv] Indonesia version, Islam dan Iman, Dasar-Dasar Pokok, Yogyakarta: Jendela, 2000.
[v] Indonesia version, Metodologi Fiqih Kontemporer, Yogyakarta: Elsaqpress in Corporation with FORSTUDIA, 2003.
[vi] Peter Clark, “The Shahrour Phenomenon, A Liberal Islamic Voice from Syiria”, in a Journal Islam and Christian Moslem relation, vol. 7 no. 3. p. 337.
[vii] Bisri Effendi, “Tak Membela tuhan yang Membela Tuhan” in Abdurrahman Wahid, Tuhan Tidak Perlu Dibela, Yogyakarta: 1999, p. xviii.
[viii] Muhammad Shahrour, Al-Kitab wa al-Qur'an: Qiraah Muashirah, Damascus: Daar Ahali, 1994. p. 60. See also, Abdul Mustaqim, “Mempertimbangkan Metodologi Tafsir Muhammad Shahrour, in Sahiron Syamsuddin (ed), Hermeneutika al-Qur'an Mazhab Jogja, Yogyakarta: Islamika in corporation with FORSTUDIA, p. 124.
[ix] Muhammad Shahrour, al-Kitab…., p. 201.
[x] Muhammad Shahrour, Al-Kitab…., p. 227.
[xi] “Embryology” in Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2002. © 1993-2001 Microsoft Corporation. See also, Bruce Albert et.al, Biologi Molekuler Sel,, Jakarta: Gramedia, 1994, p. 52
[xii] Muhammad Shahrour, Al-Kitab…., p. 227
[xiii] Shahrour has a belief that every interpretation that held today must depend to the contemporary way. So he doesn’t want to look back to the era where al-Qur'an revealed, even he supposes that al-Qur'an revealed today to us, not to Muhammad again. So for him we must use a contemporary methods and tools to interpret it.
[xiv] Muhammad Shahrour, al-Kitab……, p. 227
[xv] Muhammad Shahrour , al-Kitab……, p. 228
[xvi] Muhammad Shahrour , al-Kitab……, p. 228
[xvii] This interpretation based on the verse Al-Infithar: 6-8. this way of interpretation means that Shahrour imagine that in the first time basyar develops and evolutes continuously, from that in the first time walk like animal, in general until standing up with his foots.
[xviii] Muhammad Shahrour , al-Kitab……, p. 291.
[xix] Muhammad Shahrour , al-Kitab……, p. 304.
[xx] Muhammad Shahrour , al-Kitab……, p. 305-306.
[xxi] Muhammad Shahrour , al-Kitab……, p. 307
[xxii] Muhammad Shahrour , al-Kitab……, p. 311.
[xxiii] Check, http://www.evolutiondeceit.com/indonesian/keruntuhan9.php
[xxiv] Darwin was mentioned by him when he is explaining about ta’wil in his magnum opus al-Kitab…, p. 195.
[xxv] Mahami Munir M. Syawwaf, Tahafut Qiraah Muashirah, Cyprus: Al-Syawwaf, 1993, p. 129-131.
[xxvi] Check, T. Jamaluddin, Evolusi di Alam dan Eksistensi Manusia, http://media.isnet.org/.
[xxvii] Shahrour stated this in his preface of al-Kitab wa al-Qur'an. See, al-Kitab wa al-Qur'an. p. 30.
Human evolution since many years still be a mystery. Many agree and disagree statements have been offered, but the theory of it still cannot be proved. Charles Darwin, that offered the theory of evolution actually wasn’t the first man that has evolution idea. Buffon (1707-1788) Lamark (1744-1804) and Schopenhauer (1788-1860) were often used the word of evolution to indicate the development in human being.[i] But they were unknown because they didn’t write their idea in a specific book, they different with Darwin that eternal his idea in his book The Origin of Species.
In Islamic perspective, especially in the scripture, there is no statement that strictly agree or disagree with Darwin theory, but the majority of Moslems say that evolution theory is a kind of deviation with the scripture, because in their beliefs Adam was the first man that created by Allah. So Darwin ideas against the scripture and must be rejected.
But, there is a new perspective of interpretation offered by Muhammad Shahrour. By his intellectuality he tries to find another way to interpret Qur'anic verses, especially, for our discussion, human evolution. By his technical abilities and his skill in tinker with the sentence of Qur’an he successfully observe and state that human that been in this earth were result of development and evolution (tathawwur) in billion year. This was we will discuss in this article. In the analysis I will try to a little bit compare with Darwin theory on evolution.
Muhammad Shahrour: Life and Thoughts
He was born in Damaskus on March 11 1938. His educational background actually doesn’t come from Islamic education, but he was a technical scholar since his undergraduate until doctoral program. But he got Islamic education and study Arabic literacy by autodidact and just has one teacher i.e Dr. Ja’far Dikk Babb.
During his life, he wrote about four serious and phenomenal books:
1. Al-Kitab wa al-Qur’an: Qiraah Muashirah.[ii]
2. Dirasah Islamiyah Muashirah: fi al-Dawla wa al-Mujtama’[iii]
3. Dirasah Islamiyah muashirah al-Islam wa al-Iman Manzumat al-qiyam[iv].
4. Nahwa Ushul Jadidah fi al-Fiqh al-Islamy[v]
5. And many articles
Peter Clark in his article “The Shahrour Phenomenon, A Liberal Islamic Voice from Syiria” said that Arab world in 1990 was shacked by a controversial book written by Muhammad Shahrour by the title AL-Kitab wa al-Qur'an: Qiraah Muashirah.[vi] This book offered the new brilliant and liberal ideas on the Qur’anic’s concept related with theology, law, moral and social. This thick book has been very controversial because it deconstructs all of Moslems’ exist mindsets and beliefs. The human evolution just only a small part of his controversial ideas. And his first book, even all of his book, are countered by many scholar in Arab even in Europe. The reactions were different, agree and disagree. Many of them write books or articles just for counter his ideas. I can mention some here the books, Tahafut Qiraah Muashirah, written by Mahami Munir Mahmud Syawwaf, Baidlatut Dikk: Naqd Lughawi li al-Kitab Wa al-Qur'an, written by Syaidlawi and many others.
In general, the book that written by Shahrour tried to critique to the conventional religious policies and intolerant radical thought. From it, what actually Shahrour wanted is the need to reinterpret qur’anic verses according to development and interaction inter-generations.[vii] The most common statement that usually used by Shahrour is Tsabatun Nash wa Harakatul Muhtawa (the silent text but the meaning is dynamic).[viii]
Muhammad Shahrour and Evolution
Actually it’s difficult to explain shahrour theory without knowing all of Shahrour formulation that written in al-Kitab wa al-Qur'an. Many keys term that have to be understood before coming and describing Shahrour ideas on evolution. Shahrour describes human evolution on the chapter Jadal al-Kaun (the dialectical of universe). He placed dialectical as an qur’anic epistemological axis to understand nature, human and God.
The understanding of basyar creation begun with the verse “Khalaqakum min nafsin wahidah” it means that the basic of creature is one not from couple. When the life being existed in this earth, in the first time begun with the existence of creatures that have one cell that then grow by the way cracking, not by sexual relationship (talaquh zaujy). Those creatures then grow until have different variants. Then the verse Al-Insan: 2, indicates that life being continues until basyar reach his the maturity, namely when basyar passed three phases of creation process, first, sea period, second, sea-land period, and the last, the land period. And in this process human born in the land period and grow within sexual relationship. [ix]
Everything, except God, has dualistic (tsunaiyah) character that connected on a dialectical of interactive relation. For him, internally, dialectical movement between two different unsure results in development and changing continuously.[x] He uses the term cell differentiated and cell undifferentiated the term that are common in molecular biology, [xi] in explaining and making both of them equivalent with Mukhallaqah, and ghairu mukhallaqah that been in the surah al-Hajj: 5
This verse is understood in the framework of evolution law (qanun al-Tatawwur wa al-irtiqa) that be as the basic dialectical relationship between physiological form of human and other life creatures. When the smallest unsure that form a plan can be differentiated in a measurable system, so it called as mukhallaqah. This entity that he calls as cell differentiated.
But if that plan cannot be described by the measurable system, it called as ghairu mukhallaqah that understood as cell undifferentiated. Shahrour emphasizes that in dialectical relationship between cell differentiated and undifferentiated there is the secret of organic growth of life creatures.
If the groove of growth reaches the system in cell differentiated, so the organic growth will walk safely, but if the groove becomes far and reaches the system in cell undifferentiated, the organism that grow will get deformities.[xii] So all of this process, according to Shahrour, follows the evolution law. This understanding is same with the contemporary academic data.[xiii] For example, in the microbiology discipline stated that as long or after the growing and development of morfogenetic, the chemical composition and structure of cell slowly will be differentiated between one another. In the animal world, a group of embryonic cell that called as stem cell has a potentiality to grow be a specific cells in an adult animal. This differentiation of cell could be happened on a group of cells that form network (like nerve) and then form an organ (heart and brain). This differentiation process happened after the assembling of cell division (cell that has differentiated and cracked) as in the form of blood cell and germ cell (sperm and ovum). [xiv]
The growing of life creatures from one cell to two cell then continues millions years until the appearance of species that called as basyar that was already different with the other creatures. It’s because basyar has different shape. Shahrour believe that basyar, that then evolute to human, as old as the appearance of animal. [xv] In the description of qur’anic verses, Shahrour concludes that basyar refers to the exist being that has thought and has social relationship and interact each the other. [xvi]
The evolution phase from basyar to insan happened when basyar has already gotten an excellent shape, such as, stand upright with his foot, and already has a tool of sound. So after that the spirit (ruh) blown up to him until basyar evolutes to be insan that has spirit, that think well and life socially. [xvii] Thus for Shahrour, Adam wasn’t a personal name, but rather than that, as a name of species. [xviii] Species that resulted by an on going process. This concept offered by Shahrour all at once to deny the considerance that Adam was the first creature.
After adam species created, then those species evolute continuosly and passed four evolution phases:
First, the capability to get sounds, and animal characters. This phase concluded by Shahrour after interpreting Al-Baqarah: 31. [xix]
Second, the phase for doing order, as explained in the verses Al-Baqarah: 33. In this phase, the species of adam begin to get order from God by ordering to tell names to the angels. This species then ordered to stay in the ‘heaven’. For Shahrour the term of heaven doesn’t indicate to what has be a common sense in the Moslems communities. What he means by heaven is a heavy forest that has many fruits, waters. [xx]
Third, the tajrid phase (an abstraction process from the concrete object toward to the abstract). For Shahrour, this phase was an extraordinary phase, the species of adam that only use their brains to transfer names of thing from ear and eyes, then develop and grow to the development of language process and mind. [xxi] This description, for Shahrour, base on interpreting surat An-Nahl: 78.
Fourth, the second movement (hubuth) phase. After passing the third evolution, the species of adam then evolute continuously. In the common Moslem opinion, the term of hubuth is understood as a kind of chasing away to Adam from the heaven. But here, Shahrour interprets it as a kind of movement from one degree to the another. In this fourth phase, the species of adam begin to learn, and built social life, and economy in its early (primitive) forms. [xxii]
In this chapter (the dialectical of universe), Shahrour observed many verses that include themes of the creation of universe, human and the growing of language. He used tartil’s method (in general, this method is similar with thematic method) to examine those verses. In one side, those verses firmed that al-Qur'an included and covered the bases law of dialectic that prevails universally. But in other side, also covered dialectic law that prevails, specifically, for human. Allah explained that human (insan) separated from animal unsure after blowing the spirit (ruh) it then, supported with mind and knowledge, that placed human to be khalif in this earth and got a high position in living being. The verses that observed by Muhammad Shahrour in one condition, also firm that there are connection and relation between language, mind, and transmission function since the beginning development of language.
Darwin’s Ideas in Shahrour’s Interpretation of al-Qur'an
If we examine the explanation above, we will find that the evolution process of basyar to insan is similar with the process of homo erectus to homo sapiens. Homo erectus considered as human ancestor that begin to stand up steadily with his foot. While homo sapiens is considered as modern human.[xxiii]
In the explanation of those both human ancestors, many evolutionists didn’t know exactly where the homo erectus derives from. This is also similar, if connected to the basyar and insan term, that actually, implicitly, Shahrour agree about it. The thing that he explain is that basyar was a result of long evolution process of the life creatures. So, from here appear that there is missing link in Homo erectus or basyar ancestors.
After we check and read al-Kitab wa al-Qur'an, we find that Shahrour admitted that Darwin was a representative example when explore about his ta’wil concept.[xxiv] So it must be admitted that Shahrour was influenced by Darwin ideas, although in his explanation in the chapter “Dialectical of universe” he didn’t mention Darwin at all. Here I also found the strongness and weakness of Shahrour argument when he rigidly defined the scientific terms in the Qur’an, that he based on to the recovery of modern scientific data.
In this side, the understanding of al-Qur'an becomes dynamic and understood, contextually, based on the system of human knowledge that always grow and change. But in the other side, the interpretation of al-Qur'an always temporer and tentative same with the character of knowledge, and it means that al-Qur'an submitted in the power of knowledge. Whereas the evolution theory, basically, still unfinished and cannot be proved factually. Even Mahami Munir stated that the understanding that every life creation evolutes continuously is a kind of depraved understanding. For him it was so impossible a horse evolutes then become a camel. [xxv]
Besides all, the phases of process that offered by Shahrour and also the origin of life that begun with a creature that has one cell are similar with what been offered by evolutonists. [xxvi] So, I am doubt with Shahrour statement in the preface of al-Kitab wa al-Qur'an, that his reseach is new, objective and appropriate with the development of period. [xxvii]
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Abdurrahman Wahid, Tuhan Tidak Perlu Dibela, Yogyakarta: 1999.
Bruce Albert et.al, Biologi Molekuler Sel,, Jakarta: Gramedia, 1994.
Mahami Munir M. Syawwaf, Tahafut Qiraah Muashirah, Cyprus: Al-Syawwaf, 1993.
Muhammad Shahrour, Prinsip dan Dasar Hermeneutika al-Qur'an Kontemporer, Yogyakarta: Elsaqpress, 2004.
………………, Tirani Islam, Yogyakarta: LKIS, 2002.
………………, Islam dan Iman, Dasar-Dasar Pokok, Yogyakarta: Jendela, 2000.
………………, Metodologi Fiqih Kontemporer, Yogyakarta: Elsaqpress in Corporation with FORSTUDIA, 2003.
………………, Al-Kitab wa al-Qur'an: Qiraah Muashirah, Damascus: Daar Ahali, 1994.
Peter Clark, “The Shahrour Phenomenon, A Liberal Islamic Voice from Syiria”, in a Journal Islam and Christian Moslem relation, vol. 7 no. 3. p. 337.
Sahiron Syamsuddin (ed), Hermeneutika al-Qur'an Mazhab Jogja, Yogyakarta: Islamika in corporation with FORSTUDIA, p. 124.
T. Jamaluddin, Evolusi di Alam dan Eksistensi Manusia, http://media.isnet.org/.
http://kampustembalang.com/kampus/modules
http://www.evolutiondeceit.com/indonesian/keruntuhan9.php
“Embryology” in Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2002. © 1993-2001 Microsoft Corporation.
Endnotes
[i] http://kampustembalang.com/kampus/modules
[ii] This very thick book was available in Indonesian language, but just only first chapter that already translated on the title Prinsip dan Dasar Hermeneutika al-Qur'an Kontemporer, Yogyakarta: Elsaqpress, 2004.
[iii] This book was also available in Indonesia version, Tirani Islam, Yogyakarta: LKIS, 2002.
[iv] Indonesia version, Islam dan Iman, Dasar-Dasar Pokok, Yogyakarta: Jendela, 2000.
[v] Indonesia version, Metodologi Fiqih Kontemporer, Yogyakarta: Elsaqpress in Corporation with FORSTUDIA, 2003.
[vi] Peter Clark, “The Shahrour Phenomenon, A Liberal Islamic Voice from Syiria”, in a Journal Islam and Christian Moslem relation, vol. 7 no. 3. p. 337.
[vii] Bisri Effendi, “Tak Membela tuhan yang Membela Tuhan” in Abdurrahman Wahid, Tuhan Tidak Perlu Dibela, Yogyakarta: 1999, p. xviii.
[viii] Muhammad Shahrour, Al-Kitab wa al-Qur'an: Qiraah Muashirah, Damascus: Daar Ahali, 1994. p. 60. See also, Abdul Mustaqim, “Mempertimbangkan Metodologi Tafsir Muhammad Shahrour, in Sahiron Syamsuddin (ed), Hermeneutika al-Qur'an Mazhab Jogja, Yogyakarta: Islamika in corporation with FORSTUDIA, p. 124.
[ix] Muhammad Shahrour, al-Kitab…., p. 201.
[x] Muhammad Shahrour, Al-Kitab…., p. 227.
[xi] “Embryology” in Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2002. © 1993-2001 Microsoft Corporation. See also, Bruce Albert et.al, Biologi Molekuler Sel,, Jakarta: Gramedia, 1994, p. 52
[xii] Muhammad Shahrour, Al-Kitab…., p. 227
[xiii] Shahrour has a belief that every interpretation that held today must depend to the contemporary way. So he doesn’t want to look back to the era where al-Qur'an revealed, even he supposes that al-Qur'an revealed today to us, not to Muhammad again. So for him we must use a contemporary methods and tools to interpret it.
[xiv] Muhammad Shahrour, al-Kitab……, p. 227
[xv] Muhammad Shahrour , al-Kitab……, p. 228
[xvi] Muhammad Shahrour , al-Kitab……, p. 228
[xvii] This interpretation based on the verse Al-Infithar: 6-8. this way of interpretation means that Shahrour imagine that in the first time basyar develops and evolutes continuously, from that in the first time walk like animal, in general until standing up with his foots.
[xviii] Muhammad Shahrour , al-Kitab……, p. 291.
[xix] Muhammad Shahrour , al-Kitab……, p. 304.
[xx] Muhammad Shahrour , al-Kitab……, p. 305-306.
[xxi] Muhammad Shahrour , al-Kitab……, p. 307
[xxii] Muhammad Shahrour , al-Kitab……, p. 311.
[xxiii] Check, http://www.evolutiondeceit.com/indonesian/keruntuhan9.php
[xxiv] Darwin was mentioned by him when he is explaining about ta’wil in his magnum opus al-Kitab…, p. 195.
[xxv] Mahami Munir M. Syawwaf, Tahafut Qiraah Muashirah, Cyprus: Al-Syawwaf, 1993, p. 129-131.
[xxvi] Check, T. Jamaluddin, Evolusi di Alam dan Eksistensi Manusia, http://media.isnet.org/.
[xxvii] Shahrour stated this in his preface of al-Kitab wa al-Qur'an. See, al-Kitab wa al-Qur'an. p. 30.
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