ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we will review the various reasons Muslim thinkers have provided when arguing for the (in)compatibility of Islam and evolution. This will involve looking at the different classifications that people have used to schematise the available positions in the literature. It will be shown that each classification system has its unique vantage point and thus an area of emphasis, but also has its limitations. With this in mind, the classification developed here is consciously based on common ancestry with four positions: creationism, human exceptionalism, Adamic exceptionalism, and no exceptions. This classification presumes that the main area of contention within the Muslim context is common ancestry. Indeed, issues like chance, naturalism, and morality may be deemed problematic by some thinkers who end up rejecting evolution. Such reasons aren't being undermined. But the classification adopted here distinguishes what they accept or reject as part of common ancestry and the reasons for doing so. By focusing on common ancestry as the underlying basis for comparison, one can clearly see where thinkers stand with respect to one another.
