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

Sr. Fatemah Meghji, Br. Justin Mashouf•www.mizaninstitute.org

“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.

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Episodes

10. Conclusion and Further Considerations

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 Is...

Dec 13, 2022•21 min

9. Qur’anic Interpretations on Q.4:1 contd.

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 ...

Dec 06, 2022•15 min

8. Are we all descendants of Adam?

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 ...

Nov 29, 2022•21 min

7. Is it possible Adam had parents?

This episode discusses the scriptural evidence or lack thereof for Adam having biological parents. In other words, is it possible that Prophet Adam (a), though the first full human being with all of humanity’s metaphysical qualities, had biological parents or could have descended from an evolutionary tree? The main evidence against this lies in the discussion about the dhuhur or prima-facie meaning of the Qur’anic verse that compares Prophet Adam (a) to Prophet Isa (a) i.e. Jesus and his miracul...

Nov 22, 2022•12 min

6. Was Adam the first human being or Homo sapiens on earth?

This episode discusses the scriptural evidence for whether or not Adam (a) was the first human being. This question is crucial because it helps us to understand the existence of previous hominids. Unlike other traditions, the Twelver-Shi’I hadith corpus includes traditions that explicitly mention the existence of non-Adamic human-like creatures, called the nasnas. However, these traditions also mention their extinction. References: Qur’anic references: Q.2:30, Q.2:65, Q.7:166, Q.17:70, Q.36:71 Q...

Nov 15, 2022•15 min

5. What is the timeline for Adam?

This episode discusses the alleged timeline of Prophet Adam (a) and various pieces of evidence including evidence in the fossil record, the Qur’an, and hadith. There are two plausible timelines for where to place Adam in history and the first is that is he existed more than 200,000 years ago and was the first of the Homo sapiens species. The second, and arguably more like possibility is that he existed 10-12,000 years ago. While exploring lines of evidence for human evolution, we will focus on e...

Nov 08, 2022•14 min

4. A Brief History of Evolution in the Twelver-Shi’i Tradition

This episode includes a brief introduction to evolution itself and the difference between “fact and theory” and the distinction between empirical data and its explanations. We will also demonstrate how various Twelver-Shii scholars have grappled and discussed the issue since approximately one hundred years ago with surprising openness. We will introduce the four main questions that make up the bulk of this podcast series 1. What is the timeline of Adam? 2. Was Adam the first human being or Homo ...

Nov 01, 2022•10 min

3. What are the theological and hermeneutical discussions relevant?

In this episode, we will explore both theological and hermeneutical considerations that are relevant to the topic. We will also explore the common misconception that belief in evolution is somehow at odds with belief in God and the logical fallacies that play into this. What are the theological considerations that are relevant to this discussion on human evolutionary ancestry? Moreover, we will introduce in brief the subject of Qur’anic hermeneutics which is essentially the principles by which s...

Oct 25, 2022•20 min

2. Why is the topic of human evolution important and relevant for Muslims?

In this episode , we will start the audiobook and begin to discuss approaches to science in religion and within the context of Qur’anic tafsir. As science has progressed, has this changed our relationship with religion? How have scholars dealt with new scientific ideas over time? References: Qur’anic verses referenced include: Q.4:82, Q.18:1, Q.29:20, Q.21:33 Lydia Saad, “Record Few Americans Believe Bible Is Literal Word of God,” Gallup.com (Gallup, April 23, 2019), https://news.gallup.com/poll...

Oct 18, 2022•12 min

1. An Introduction to “Becoming Bani Adam” with Ustadha Fatemah Meghji

In episode 1, Ustadha Fatemah Meghji introduces the podcast series which is an audiobook version narrated by Br. Justin Mashouf and titled “Becoming Bani Adam: Exploring Twelver-Shii Discussions on Human Ancestry”. This episode discusses the journey behind the podcast and a brief introduction to its approach and the questions that will be explored about human evolution as well as introduce the format to the podcast and other resources on the topic. References: Ali Safdari, (2021, October 16). Th...

Oct 11, 2022•13 min

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