The Unifying Idea
Shahrur presents the story of Adam as a moment of transition in humanization, in which knowledge, freedom, ethics, and repentance intertwine in the formation of the conscious human being.
The Theses Included in the Axis
- Adam is a transitional stage in evolutionary humanization.
- The Qur’an is consistent with modern science in explaining humanization.
- Iblis and evil realize the dialectic of moral freedom.
- Repentance corrects human freedom.
Support for the Axis from the Atoms
- Adam is a middle stage in humanization
- Human creation is evolutionary
- The Qur’an is consistent with modern science
- Humans emerged through evolutionary stages
- Iblis is a necessity for human dialectic
- Satan symbolizes deceit and corruption
The Reading Method
The story is read here as an explanation of the formation of the human being morally and cognitively. Freedom, therefore, is inseparable from testing, nor is repentance from correcting the course.