Many of us read stories about dinosaurs in history books or watch the Jurassic Park series and we get amazed by the gigantic size of these creatures that existed before us. And as Muslims, we naturally wonder What Islam says about Dinosaurs? or Why did Allah Destroy Dinosaurs?
Reptiles called dinosaurs lived millions of years ago. The Greek words for “terrible lizard” are the source of the English word “dinosaur.” The largest dinosaur was the largest animal to ever survive on dry land, weighing many times as much as an adult elephant. However, dinosaurs were not actually lizards, despite some of their enormous size being fearsome. Only a few species of whales may attain a size greater than these dinosaurs.
Dinosaurs first came to the planet 220 million years ago. For over 150 million years, these animals ruled the dry ground. They were found on all seven continents and in a variety of habitats, including swamps and open plains. They abruptly went extinct 63 million years ago.
What Islam says about Dinosaurs?
In al-Mawsoo‘ah al-‘Arabiyyah al-‘Aalamiyyah it says: The dinosaurs of the Jurassic period (138-205 million years ago) include the tallest known dinosaur, namely the diplodocus, which reached a height of 27 m, as well as other dinosaurs such as the plated or armored stegosaurus, the allosaurus, and the camptosaurus.
The existence of these creatures is neither confirmed nor denied in the writings of the Qur’an or the Sunnah. Some scholars have interpreted some verses from the Holy Qur’an to indicate that there were living things on Earth before Adam (peace be upon him). One such verse is when Allah (may He be exalted) states (interpretation of the meaning):
“And (remember) when your Lord said to the angels: ‘Verily, I am going to place (mankind) generations after generations on Earth.’ They said: ‘Will You place therein those who will make mischief therein and shed blood, – while we glorify You with praises and thanks (Exalted be You above all that they associate with You as partners) and sanctify You.’ He (Allah) said: ‘I know that which you do not know”
[al-Baqarah 2:30].
According to Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have compassion on him), the angels asked, “Will You place therein those who will cause evil therein and spill blood?” makes it highly plausible that they succeeded some earlier beings and that there were earlier creatures on Earth that committed atrocities and caused trouble. “Will You place therein those who will make mischief therein and shed blood”, as was done by those who came before them, the angels asked Almighty Allah, may He be honored and exalted. Those creatures may have included dinosaurs.
The existence of such massive creatures is not surprising. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah created Adam sixty cubits tall, then He said: Go and greet those angels and listen to how they greet you, for that will be your greeting and the greeting of your descendants.” This is evidenced by the saheeh Sunnah, which was narrated by al-Bukhaari (3326) and Muslim (2841) from Abu Hurayrah (R.A.). So he went and said, As-salaamu ‘alaykum (peace be upon you) and they said: As-salaam ‘alayka wa rahmat Allaah (peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah. So they added (the words) wa rahmat Allah. Everyone who enters Paradise will be in the form of Adam. Mankind continued to diminish in size until now.”
As reported by Muslim (2937) from an-Nawwaas ibn Sam’aan (may Allah be pleased with him), the Sunnah also states that when the Earth’s blessing is returned to it at the end of time, one pomegranate will be enough for a group of people, and they will seek shelter beneath its skin: When describing the descent of ‘Eesa (peace be upon him) and Allah’s destruction of Ya’jooj and Ma’jooj, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Then Allah will send rain which will not be kept out by any house of clay or hair; it will wash the earth and leave it like a mirror. Then it will be said to the Earth: Bring forth your fruits and restore your blessing. On that day a group of people will eat from pomegranate and shelter beneath its skin. Milk will be blessed until a milch-camel will be sufficient for a crowd of people, and a milch-cow will be sufficient for a tribe of people, and a milch-sheep will be sufficient for a family of people.”
So What Islam says about Dinosaurs? In conclusion, Islam does not dispute that these creatures lived or that they were this enormous, but when they discuss their lifespans and the specifics of their forms and existence, they combine science and speculation. The Qur’an and Sunnah were revealed to guide people and show them the right way; their focus is not history, geography, earth science, or biology, although they do mention many facts that have to do with these fields. Therefore, the Muslim should not be preoccupied with that, waste time discussing What Islam says about Dinosaurs, or think that it has any bearing on his religious commitment or belief. Even if certain animal species were there at the time the Qur’an was revealed, they are not even named in the Qur’an or the Sunnah.
Why Did Allah Destroy the Dinosaurs?
Consider how life would be for people if dinosaurs were still around. Only Allah is untouched by death. Only He is eternal.
Therefore, it is due to their nature and cannot be otherwise if dinosaurs or other creatures made by Allah perish and vanish from the planet. Although we may not be aware of how and to what extent each contributes to the whole, in Allah’s system of creation, everything has its place.
All things perish save Allah.
The main distinction between Allah and His works is that Allah is Eternally Living and has No Beginning or End.
While every one of His creations has a beginning and an end. This implies that Allah’s creations will eventually cease to exist.
Only Allah is immune to illness, deterioration, and death. Only He is eternal.
Therefore, it is due to their nature and cannot be otherwise if dinosaurs or other creatures made by Allah perish and vanish from the planet.
The only people who would mistake Allah for a murderer for this are uninformed.
The same Being who gives life can also take it away.
We can’t doubt the Creator.
Allah is the Unquestionable Owner, the Almighty Creator, and the Sovereign Ruler of the entire universe.
And it is with His will that He decides to make things or beings; it is with His will that He decides to wipe out some creatures and make others.
We have no right to question Him, and there is no other way for us to understand what His plan is than what He has revealed to us through His prophets.
However, Allah has endowed us with intelligence, the capacity for observation and comprehension, and analytical abilities.
We might be able to learn something about the nature of Allah’s creation if we employ these abilities to comprehend Allah’s creative power and determine the reasoning behind His decisions in the context of His revelation.
Only humans possess a rational mind.
Only humans were endowed with intellect and freedom among Allah’s creations.
Only people have been chosen to serve as Allah’s vicegerents, or ambassadors, on this planet.
Only people can ask questions like the ones who asked “Why did Allah destroy dinosaurs? ” or “What Islam says about dinosaurs?”
Allah has explicitly revealed in the Quran that everything on Earth was made for us humans:
He it is Who created for you all that is in the earth. Then turned He to the heaven, and fashioned it as seven heavens. And He is knower of all things. (Quran 2:29)
This verse emphatically states that people are Allah Almighty’s best creation.
Thus, there is a significant distinction between humans and other organisms.
The fate of other creatures and that of humans cannot be compared for this reason.
Also Read: 7 Heavens in Islam: Seven levels of Jannah
If dinosaurs were still alive, how would people live?
If dinosaurs were alive we wouldn’t be here asking: “Why did Allah destroy dinosaurs? ” or “What Islam says about dinosaurs?”
The reason why Allah created dinosaurs is the same as the reason He created even the tiniest germs or microbes.
Even though we may not be aware of how and to what extent each contributes to the whole, in Allah’s system of creation, everything has its proper role.
The new science of ecology has just lately shown this.
For example, we now understand that the loss of forests in one area of the world may have a negative impact on the climate in another area that is quite far away.
Another thing to consider is where people would have been if Allah had created dinosaurs and allowed them to proliferate in vast numbers forever.
Why Allah didn’t Destroy Dinosaurs is the question your friend would ask if dinosaurs were consuming humans.
All things and beings are interrelated in strange ways, and nothing happens without the awareness of Allah Almighty and for a reason.
We may never understand the logic behind the current system, or it may take some time for us to grasp that it is one of many alternative scenarios.
And Allah Knows Best.
Now that you know What Islam says about Dinosaurs and Why Allah Destroy Dinosaurs, you can appreciate the grandiose work of Allah. He can create the tiniest things like germs and bacteria and gigantic dinosaurs. Read more Islamic Blogs or Follow us on social media for daily Islamic reminders.
