Evolution in Traditional Sunni Exegesis

Abstract

Traditional Sunni commentaries of verses 33:72, 6:38, 24:41, and 2:30 of the Qur’an make it clear that Sunni exegetes endorsed the belief that creatures, imbued with consciousness, who were subject to moral law, and similar to humans, existed long before the creation of Adam. This would seem to allow creationism, human exceptionalism, and Adamic exceptionalism. However, traditional Sunni scholars dissociate the existence of creatures before and with Adam from he and his early progeny interbreeding with them. The qualifier of ‘single’ in Q4:1 is taken by Sunni exegetes as textual proof of exclusive descent from Adam, which would preclude Adamic exceptionalism. Yet the acceptance of human-jinn unions by some scholars in the Islamic tradition casts doubt on whether all exegetes would have denounced Adamic exceptionalism if that option were available. On the other hand, the fact that most Sunni exegetes accept Eve was created from Adam’s rib in order to affirm exclusive descent from Adam intimates that this would be their preference. The exceptionally high bar of universal scholarly agreement required for a consensus on the issue of exclusive descent cannot be claimed. Whether the more realistic bar of majority consensus is attained on this issue continues to be a vexed question. Further, it is difficult to argue that this majority consensus, even if it were attained, would be doctrinally binding since it only represents an exegetical consensus that is inherently of low evidentiary value. Therefore, all we can legitimately claim is most traditional Sunni exegetes’ views would only be consistent with creationism or human exceptionalism.