Does Islam Oppose Science? British Muslim Religious Leaders’ Views on Human Origins and the ‘Scientific Miracle of the Qur’an’

Abstract In many Western states, Muslims are more likely than the general public to doubt certain scientific theories, notably human evolution. The influence of Islamic knowledge has often been posited as the explanation. Yet those who transmit Islamic knowledge – Islamic scholars ( ‘ulama ) – have been badly neglected by sociologists. This article analyses the views of British Muslim religious leaders about science, drawing on 40 interviews, 5 focus groups, and observations at four Islamic educational institutions. Our analysis is oriented around two religio-scientific movements: 1) ‘Islamic creationism’, and 2) the claim that the Qur’an anticipated modern scientific discoveries ( i‘jaz ‘ilmi ). Our participants were overwhelmingly reluctant to read scientific ideas into the Qur’an. Their views on evolution were more varied but were typically flexible and did not amount to focused opposition. We thus stress the importance of distinguishing scholarly, popular and lay religion for understanding Muslim science rejection and countering anti-Muslim stereotypes.