Ikhwanus Safa: "A Rational and Liberal Approach to Islam"

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Zale45e's picture
Ikhwanus Safa: "A Rational and Liberal Approach to Islam"

The ancient Islam and today's Islam are very different. I want to atheists on this site to take a look at the old Islamic teachings.

the ideas on evolution found in the Encyclopedia of the Brethren of Purity (The Epistles of Ikhwan al-Safa) as follows:

state that God first created matter and invested it with energy for development. Matter, therefore, adopted the form of vapour which assumed the shape of water in due time. The next stage of development was mineral life. Different kinds of stones developed in course of time. Their highest form being mirjan (coral). It is a stone which has in it branches like those of a tree. After mineral life evolves vegetation. The evolution of vegetation culminates with a tree which bears the qualities of an animal. This is the date-palm. It has male and female genders. It does not wither if all its branches are chopped but it dies when the head is cut off. The date-palm is therefore considered the highest among the trees and resembles the lowest among animals. Then is born the lowest of animals. It evolves into an ape. This is not the statement of Darwin. This is what Ibn Maskawayh states and this is precisely what is written in the Epistles of Ikhwan al-Safa. The Muslim thinkers state that ape then evolved into a lower kind of a barbarian man. He then became a superior human being. Man becomes a saint, a prophet. He evolves into a higher stage and becomes an angel. The one higher to angels is indeed none but God. Everything begins from Him and everything returns to Him.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclopedia_of_the_Brethren_of_Purity#Evo...

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Sapporo's picture
The revelations of religion
Tin-Man's picture
Re: OP
Zale45e's picture
I meant hidden/lost teaching,
Tin-Man's picture
@Adam22 Re: "I meant hidden
Zale45e's picture
Islam has "start" Its a
arakish's picture
adam22
Tin-Man's picture
@Adam Re: "Islam has no
Old man shouts at clouds's picture
@ adam22
chimp3's picture
Every individual believer has
algebe's picture
@Adam22: The next stage of
chimp3's picture
There is no information from
Sheldon's picture
They were slow to publish
arakish's picture
Another Fuzzy jumped up when
Sheldon's picture
I know what you mean, I
David Killens's picture
Unfortunately adam22, your
Nyarlathotep's picture
David Killens - Many trees
David Killens's picture
@Nyarlathotep
arakish's picture
Hey... I have a mesquite

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