Does Islam accept evolution?

The short answer

The Quran and authentic hadith teach that Adam (AS) was created directly by Allah from clay, without parents, and that all humans descend from him and his wife. For this reason mainstream Sunni scholars reject the idea that humans evolved from earlier species. Whether other living things developed over time is a question the texts do not address in detail, and contemporary Muslims discuss it with differing views.

Evidence 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Explanation

The question has two parts: humans, and everything else.

Humans. Here the texts are clear. Allah told the angels, "I will create a human being out of clay", and He would proportion him and breathe into him of the soul He created 1. Adam's creation is compared to that of Isa (AS): both came without a father, and Adam was created from dust and then Allah said "Be" 2. The Prophet ﷺ said Allah created Adam sixty cubits tall and, once created, told him to go and greet the angels 3. All people come "from one soul", from whom his mate was created 4. These texts describe a special, direct creation of the first human, not descent from an earlier species.

The rest of life. The Quran says Allah created every living creature from water, some walking on bellies, some on two legs and some on four, "Allah creates what He wills" 5. It says every created thing is perfected, and that human creation "began" from clay and continued through a fluid 6. The texts do not describe how animal and plant species came to be in the way they describe Adam.

"Stages"? Some cite "He has created you in stages" 7 as evolution. Al-Mukhtasar explains it as the stages of the embryo, one after another: a drop, then a clot, then a piece of flesh 8.

In short: a Muslim affirms that Adam (AS) was created directly by Allah. Beyond that, a Muslim can study biology seriously, while keeping clear the difference between what revelation states and what scientists theorise.

The evidence

  1. 1
    Quran Al-Hijr · 15:28–29

    Allah announced to the angels He would create a human from clay and breathe the soul into him.

    وَإِذۡ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ إِنِّي خَٰلِقُۢ بَشَرࣰ ا مِّن صَلۡصَٰلࣲ مِّنۡ حَمَإࣲ مَّسۡنُونࣲ‏ ۝٢٨ فَإِذَا سَوَّيۡتُهُۥ وَنَفَخۡتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِي فَقَعُواْ لَهُۥ سَٰجِدِينَ ۝٢٩

    28 And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, "I will create a human being out of clay from an altered black mud 29 And when I have proportioned him and breathed into him of My [created] soul, then fall down to him in prostration

  2. 2
    Quran Aal-i-Imraan · 3:59

    Adam, like Isa, came without a father; created from dust, then "Be".

    إِنَّ مَثَلَ عِيسَىٰ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ ءَادَمَۖ خَلَقَهُۥ مِن تُرَابࣲ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُۥ كُن فَيَكُونُ ۝٥٩

    Indeed, the example of Jesus to Allah is like that of Adam. He created Him from dust; then He said to him, "Be," and he was

  3. 3
    Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 3326
    Sahih Bukhari

    Allah created Adam sixty cubits tall and he greeted the angels.

    Narrated Abu Huraira:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah created Adam, making him 60 cubits tall. When He created him, He said to him, "Go and greet that group of angels, and listen to their reply, for it will be your greeting (salutation) and the greeting (salutations of your offspring." So, Adam said (to the angels), As-Salamu Alaikum (i.e. Peace be upon you). The angels said, "As-salamu Alaika wa Rahmatu-l-lahi" (i.e. Peace and Allah's Mercy be upon you). Thus the angels added to Adam's salutation the expression, 'Wa Rahmatu-l-lahi,' Any person who will enter Paradise will resemble Adam (in appearance and figure). People have been decreasing in stature since Adam's creation

    العربية

    حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ، عَنْ هَمَّامٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ آدَمَ وَطُولُهُ سِتُّونَ ذِرَاعًا، ثُمَّ قَالَ اذْهَبْ فَسَلِّمْ عَلَى أُولَئِكَ مِنَ الْمَلاَئِكَةِ، فَاسْتَمِعْ مَا يُحَيُّونَكَ، تَحِيَّتُكَ وَتَحِيَّةُ ذُرِّيَّتِكَ‏.‏ فَقَالَ السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ‏.‏ فَقَالُوا السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ‏.‏ فَزَادُوهُ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ‏.‏ فَكُلُّ مَنْ يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ عَلَى صُورَةِ آدَمَ، فَلَمْ يَزَلِ الْخَلْقُ يَنْقُصُ حَتَّى الآنَ ‏"‏‏.‏

  4. 4
    Quran An-Nisaa · 4:1

    All people were created from one soul and its mate.

    يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱتَّقُواْ رَبَّكُمُ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفۡسࣲ وَٰحِدَةࣲ وَخَلَقَ مِنۡهَا زَوۡجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنۡهُمَا رِجَالࣰ ا كَثِيرࣰ ا وَنِسَآءࣰۚ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِي تَسَآءَلُونَ بِهِۦ وَٱلۡأَرۡحَامَۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ رَقِيبࣰ ا ۝١

    O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed Allah is ever, over you, an Observer

  5. 5
    Quran An-Noor · 24:45

    Every creature is from water; Allah creates what He wills.

    وَٱللَّهُ خَلَقَ كُلَّ دَآبَّةࣲ مِّن مَّآءࣲۖ فَمِنۡهُم مَّن يَمۡشِي عَلَىٰ بَطۡنِهِۦ وَمِنۡهُم مَّن يَمۡشِي عَلَىٰ رِجۡلَيۡنِ وَمِنۡهُم مَّن يَمۡشِي عَلَىٰٓ أَرۡبَعࣲۚ يَخۡلُقُ ٱللَّهُ مَا يَشَآءُۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءࣲ قَدِيرࣱ‏ ۝٤٥

    Allah has created every [living] creature from water. And of them are those that move on their bellies, and of them are those that walk on two legs, and of them are those that walk on four. Allah creates what He wills. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent

  6. 6
    Quran As-Sajda · 32:7–9

    Allah began the creation of man from clay, then his descendants from a fluid.

    ٱلَّذِيٓ أَحۡسَنَ كُلَّ شَيۡءٍ خَلَقَهُۥۖ وَبَدَأَ خَلۡقَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنِ مِن طِينࣲ‏ ۝٧ ثُمَّ جَعَلَ نَسۡلَهُۥ مِن سُلَٰلَةࣲ مِّن مَّآءࣲ مَّهِينࣲ‏ ۝٨ ثُمَّ سَوَّىٰهُ وَنَفَخَ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِهِۦۖ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلسَّمۡعَ وَٱلۡأَبۡصَٰرَ وَٱلۡأَفۡـِٔدَةَۚ قَلِيلࣰ ا مَّا تَشۡكُرُونَ ۝٩

    7 Who perfected everything which He created and began the creation of man from clay 8 Then He made his posterity out of the extract of a liquid disdained 9 Then He proportioned him and breathed into him from His [created] soul and made for you hearing and vision and hearts; little are you grateful

  7. 7
    Quran Nooh · 71:14

    Allah created you in stages.

    وَقَدۡ خَلَقَكُمۡ أَطۡوَارًا ۝١٤

    While He has created you in stages

  8. 8
    Tafsir Al-Mukhtasar fi Tafsir al-Quran · 71:14

    “While He created you in stages, one after the other: a drop of semen, then clotted blood, then a piece of flesh.”

This answer was compiled with the help of AI, using only the verified texts shown here. Every reference links to its source. If you find a mistake, please report it. Updated 2026-09-24

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