Epigraph

الَّذِي أَحْسَنَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ ۖ وَبَدَأَ خَلْقَ الْإِنسَانِ مِن طِينٍ

Presented by Zia H Shah MD

Abstract

The Qur’an describes God as the one “who gave everything its perfect form” and “began the creation of man from clay” (Qur’an 32:7) themuslimtimes.info. This scholarly article examines the biology and evolution of butterflies as a case study of that principle, exploring how the stunning beauty and diversity of these insects can be understood through guided evolution – a theistic view that divine wisdom underlies evolutionary processes. We synthesize modern scientific findings on butterfly evolution with Quranic commentary, drawing on Dr. Zia H. Shah’s writings on “guided evolution.” The goal is to show that the millions of species on Earth, exemplified by butterflies, reflect both the beauty in our world and a purposeful evolutionary journey guided by the Creator. An epilogue offers thematic reflections on how embracing a Quranic perspective of guided evolution can enrich our appreciation of nature and faith.

“He Perfected Everything He Created”: Quran 32:7 in Context

Surah 32, verse 7 of the Qur’an proclaims: “[God] gave everything its perfect form. He first created man from clay.”themuslimtimes.info. Classical Islamic thought took this as a description of God’s flawless creation, often focusing on the special creation of humans. Traditional exegesis imagined Adam shaped directly from earth, reflecting a belief in instantaneous creation of species. However, modern scholars note the verse begins universally – “everything” was made excellent – suggesting that all creatures, not only humans, were formed with intention and care. The mention of a clay origin for man can be seen as metaphorical and scientific: humanity’s emergence from humble raw materialsthemuslimtimes.info. Rather than a contradiction between scripture and science, many find harmony here: God’s “perfecting” could act through natural processes over time. As Dr. Zia H. Shah remarks, “When the Quran talks about humans coming from clay it is talking about very early stages at the time of origin of life.”themuslimtimes.info In other words, the Qur’an’s brief words elegantly encompass the gradual, stage-by-stage creation of life from simple matter – a concept strikingly consonant with evolution.

Indeed, the Qur’an elsewhere invites reflection on progressive creation. Prophet Noah asks, “What is the matter with you that you do not appreciate God’s greatness, although He created you in stages?” (Qur’an 71:14)thequran.love. The Quranic phrasing “created you stage by stage” (khalaqakum aṭwārā) frames human creation as a progressive, stepwise developmentthequran.love. It even likens human origins to a plant emerging from the soil: “And God germinated you from the earth like a plant” (Qur’an 71:17) – suggesting “an organic, gradual origin from earthly matter.”thequran.love Such verses hint that divine creation was not a single moment of magic, but an unfolding process. Guided evolution is an Islamic paradigm that builds on this insight: God guided the development of life through natural laws, resulting in the myriad forms we see todaythemuslimtimes.info. In this view, the “perfect form” of each creature in Qur’an 32:7 is the end-point of an evolutionary journey ordained by God’s wisdom, rather than a sudden apparition. To explore this idea, we turn to the evolution of butterflies – animals renowned for their beauty – as a living commentary on Qur’an 32:7.

Evolution of Butterflies: From Clay to Sky

Butterflies are a shining example of life’s diversity and beauty, with about 19,000 species adorning our planetnsf.gov. Scientific research reveals that these delicate insects trace their origins deep into Earth’s history. Around 100 million years ago, during the age of dinosaurs, a lineage of moth-like ancestors began flying in daylight to exploit new flowering plantsnsf.gov. “About 100 million years ago, a group of trendsetting moths started flying during the day rather than at night… That single event led to the evolution of all butterflies.”nsf.gov In those mid-Cretaceous times, flowering plants (angiosperms) were burgeoning, and butterflies co-evolved with them, sipping nectar by day while bees buzzed alongsidensf.gov. The ancient butterfly progenitors were humble and earthy – in Quranic metaphor, one might say they, like all life, began from the “clay” of the earth’s primordial conditions. Over immense spans of time, guided by environmental pressures and opportunities, these early moths diversified into the brilliant array of butterflies we know.

Despite their fragile bodies, butterflies left a sparse fossil record – only a handful of fossils exist – yet through comparative DNA analysis scientists have been able to piece together their evolutionary “family tree.” It appears the first true butterflies took flight in what is now North/Central America, radiating outward as continents shiftednsf.govnsf.gov. From a single ancestral population, successive generations spread and split, adapting to different climates and plants. Today’s butterflies range from the tropics to the tundra, showcasing how one origin blossomed into thousands of forms – a real-world illustration of how “He gave everything its perfect form” can encompass an evolutionary process. Each species is exquisitely adapted to its niche, as if nature’s experiments were guided toward ever more “perfect” fits. Modern biology attributes this to natural selection and genetic variation; a believer may add that these are the tools of Providence.

A hallmark of butterfly evolution is complete metamorphosis – the transformational life cycle from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to winged adult. This too has deep evolutionary roots. The caterpillar stage specializes in feeding and growth, while the adult stage specializes in reproduction and dispersal. Such separation of roles likely gave butterflies (and moths) an evolutionary edge, allowing larvae and adults to exploit different resources. One can appreciate metamorphosis scientifically as an adaptation, and spiritually as a sign of creative wisdom: it’s as if the Creator programmed a tiny “re-enactment” of creation’s miracle in each butterfly’s life cycle. The Qur’an 32:7 declaration of perfected creation resonates here – the butterfly’s life is a sequence of finely tuned stages, each stage seemingly “designed” for a purpose. From a pale worm-like caterpillar bound to the earth, there emerges a soaring creature of the air, brilliantly colored – a journey from “clay” to “sky” written into its DNA.

Beauty and Adaptation: Signs in Butterfly Diversity

Butterflies are not only biologically successful; they are also aesthetic wonders. Their wings exhibit vibrant colors, intricate patterns, and even iridescence. Evolutionary biologists explain these features as outcomes of adaptation – for example, coloration can serve as camouflage, warning, or mating display. From a faith perspective, these same features can be seen as reflections of God’s favor and beauty in creation. The Prophet Muhammad taught that “God is beautiful and loves beauty,” and butterflies seem to embody this principle in the natural world. How did such beauty come about? Let us consider a few examples of butterfly adaptation:

An Old World Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon) displays its striking yellow-and-black wings. Swallowtails like this are found across Europe, Asia, and North America, often in flowery meadows. Their bold pattern provides camouflage amid dappled light and deters predators by mimicking the eyes of larger creatures on their tail spots. Biologically, we understand that those with effective patterns survived predation and passed on their genes. In a guided evolution view, the swallowtail’s “perfected” wing pattern is no accident – it results from a long lineage of divine tinkering through natural laws. Over time, as the Quran says, “He fashioned you in whatever form He pleased”themuslimtimes.info. The swallowtail’s form – its large wings with tails that confuse attackers into striking the tail instead of the body – is a form pleasing in both function and form. Its caterpillars even signal their defense with bright colors and an odorous gland, another clever design for survival. Such complex traits are exactly what we’d expect if “He perfected everything He created”, working through gradual change.

Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) feeding on nectar from a purple coneflower. The monarch is famous for its orange-and-black coloration and extraordinary migration. Its bright colors are a direct advertisement of toxicity – monarch caterpillars consume milkweed plants and sequester cardiac glycosides, making them distasteful to birds. This is a warning coloration: predators learn that orange-and-black means “not tasty.” In a remarkable evolutionary interplay, other species have capitalized on this. The viceroy butterfly (Limenitis archippus), for instance, has evolved to mimic the monarch’s appearance so that predators mistake it for the noxious monarchen.wikipedia.org. Originally, scientists thought the viceroy was harmless and only pretending (Batesian mimicry), but it turns out viceroys themselves are somewhat unpalatable – so both species reinforce the warning signal (Müllerian mimicry)en.wikipedia.org. Such mimicry showcases nature’s ingenuity: what better way to survive than to don the uniform of a “protected” class of prey? From a guided evolution perspective, it is as if the Creator allowed creatures to “learn” survival strategies over generations. The Quran teaches that God “has subjected to you whatever is in the heavens and earth” (45:13), which can be interpreted as the gifting of natural instincts and patterns that help creatures thrive. The monarch and viceroy’s story – a tale of color, chemistry, and co-evolution – can be seen as a written manuscript of survival authored by natural selection and, for believers, by Divine providence working through that natural law.

Blue Morpho butterfly (Morpho menelaus/peleides) showcasing its brilliant iridescent wings (upper side) and eyespot-patterned underside. The Blue Morpho of the American tropics is often cited as one of the most beautiful butterflies. Its upper wings shine with a metallic blue, an optical effect from microscopic scale structures that reflect light. The underside, by contrast, is mottled brown with large eyespots, resembling owl eyes or leaf patterns. When the morpho flies, the flash of blue alternates with brown, confusing predators – one moment a conspicuous blue beacon, the next moment seemingly vanished. Evolutionary biologists explain that the iridescent blue likely evolved for mate attraction (males display to females), while the sudden flash-and-hide trick startles birds. The eyespots on the underside may deflect attacks toward the wings’ edges, sparing the vital body. Each of these features has survival value; together they make the Blue Morpho a near masterpiece of adaptation. In the lens of guided evolution, one could say the Blue Morpho’s splendor is intentional. It’s as if over millions of years, Providence guided this creature’s form toward both utility and beauty. Dr. Zia H. Shah notes that unlike fanciful creation stories, the theory of common descent “comes with encyclopedic evidence from molecular biology and genetics”themuslimtimes.info. The Blue Morpho’s DNA links it to more drab ancestors, but through small changes selected over time, a spectacular result emerged – a testament to the creative potential imbued in life’s code by its Author. For a believer, the Blue Morpho’s wing, viewed under an electron microscope, showing perfect photonic lattice structures, is akin to witnessing a tiny artwork crafted by the laws of physics – laws which are themselves signs of the Lawgiver.

Each butterfly species could tell a similar story. From the alpine Apollo butterflies to tropical Birdwings, their myriad forms and colors serve purposes honed by environments and behaviors. The consistent theme is fit and function: every detail “makes sense” in light of ecology. This coherence is what we expect from unguided evolution by natural selection – and equally what we expect if guided evolution is true, since a wise Creator would create through a logical, law-bound process yielding creatures well-suited to their rolesthemuslimtimes.infothemuslimtimes.info. The Qur’anic assertion that God perfected everything He made resonates deeply here. Butterflies illustrate that perfection in the Quranic sense need not mean static flawlessness – rather, it can mean optimal adaptation achieved through growth and change.

Guided Evolution: An Islamic Perspective

The concept of guided evolution (or theistic evolution) in Islam posits that evolutionary mechanisms are real and empirically observed, but they ultimately operate under God’s guidance and plan. Dr. Zia H. Shah, who has written extensively on this topic, argues that the Qur’an “supports a view of gradual creation under divine [guidance]”themuslimtimes.infothemuslimtimes.info. He points out that many classical Quran commentators lacked the scientific knowledge to interpret verses like 32:7 in an evolutionary light, but today we can appreciate how “this one insight of relating the literal word of God… with His creation, the universe that we study in science, opens new insights”themuslimtimes.info. In Shah’s view, when the Qur’an says Allah “fashioned you and perfected your forms” (64:3), it aligns with the idea that God brought about human form – and by extension all life forms – through a long, unfolding process that He oversawthemuslimtimes.info. He writes, “I believe in theistic or guided evolution, like BioLogos of Francis Collins… When the Quran talks about humans coming from clay it is talking about very early stages at the time of origin of life.”themuslimtimes.info This perspective dissolves any supposed clash between Darwinian evolution and divine creation. Evolution describes the how of life’s diversification; divine guidance answers the why.

Importantly, guided evolution extends God’s providence to all creatures, not just human beings. The “common ancestry of all life forms” on Earth is one of the most supported conclusions in biologythemuslimtimes.info. Genetic evidence shows that every organism – whether butterfly, bird, or bacteria – ultimately traces back to a single origin of lifethemuslimtimes.info. The Qur’an remarkably echoes this unity: “Allah has created every living creature from water” (24:45) and “He brought you forth from the earth and settled you therein” (11:61). Such verses imply a common material origin and sustenance for life. Some classical scholars interpreted “from water” or “from earth” as describing elements of the human body; today, one can also read them as alluding to our planet’s shared biochemical origin – life began in earth’s primordial waters. Dr. Shah and others note that the Quranic narrative itself, in verses like 32:7-9, moves “from ‘He began the creation of man from clay’ to ‘made his progeny from a [drop] of fluid’ – a progression suggestive of development over generationsthemuslimtimes.info. In this reading, Adam’s story is not in conflict with evolution but is a metaphor for humanity’s humble beginnings evolving under Allah’s hand.

Guided evolution also finds support in Quranic terms like “Rabb”, often translated Lord, which in Arabic carries the sense of one who fosters something through stages to completion. Allah as Rabb al-‘alamin (Lord of the worlds) can be understood as the Cherisher and Evolver of all realms, nurturing creation step by step. The millions of extant species are thus all recipients of His rububiyyah (lordly nurturing). From the first replicating cells “created from clay” (minerals and organic compounds on the early Earth) to the dazzling array of butterflies sipping nectar today, each step was within God’s knowledge and permission. The Qur’an asserts “Allah has power over all things” (24:45) right after mentioning creation from water – which believers interpret as meaning evolutionary processes did not occur outside His power, but through it.

Zia Shah further contends that denying the evidence of evolution is unnecessary from an Islamic standpoint. Instead, embracing it can deepen faith. He criticizes “neo-creationist” attempts (like some literalists who spin elaborate first-creation scenarios) as “made-up stories” with no empirical supportthemuslimtimes.info. In contrast, evolution’s evidence is “encyclopedic” – written in DNA, fossils, and observed adaptationthemuslimtimes.info. By honoring this evidence, Muslims are not negating God’s role but rather marveling at His chosen method of creation. As Shah puts it, those who ignore evolution “fail to see that they have no empirical evidence, whatsoever, for their claims…, [whereas] the claims of common ancestry… come with encyclopedic evidence”themuslimtimes.infothemuslimtimes.info. Recognizing evolution as God’s mechanism allows one to read Quranic verses with fresh insight. Statements about creating life “in pairs,” “in stages,” “from water,” “from clay” and so on no longer conflict with science but presage it. This theistic evolutionary model posits a continuum: God → natural laws → life’s diversity. Allah’s guidance manifests as the fine-tuned laws of chemistry, biology, and physics that drive mutation, selection, and emergence of complexity. In this way, evolution itself becomes a sign (ayah) of God – a continuous act of “perfecting” His creation, exactly as Quran 32:7 describes.

Epilogue: Reflections on Creation’s Beauty and Purpose

Butterflies dancing among flowers may seem like mere whimsy of nature, but through the dual lens of science and scripture they become messages full of meaning. We have seen that from a few ancestral insects, guided through deep time, came an array of creatures that not only survive well but captivate the human spirit with their beauty. This is the “grand show” of evolution, which for a person of faith is ultimately the Grand Designer’s showthemuslimtimes.info. The Qur’an repeatedly urges us to observe the natural world as a revelation parallel to the written revelation. “Have they not looked at the earth, how many of every noble species have We caused to grow therein, in pairs?” (Qur’an 26:7)themuslimtimes.info. Indeed, pondering the countless species – from butterflies to banyan trees, from microbes to men – one cannot help but sense a greater story. The “noble species” on Earth testify to the creative genius of evolutionary processes that God put in place. Each butterfly wing, with its vivid symmetry, whispers of the ayat (signs) of Allah in nature’s design.

In the journey of a caterpillar to a butterfly, believers see a metaphor for resurrection and transcendence – a death-like stillness in the chrysalis, followed by a new life on wings. In the long journey from simple organisms to conscious beings, they see the unfolding of God’s decree: “We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that this is the Truth” (41:53). Science has shown us those “horizons” – the deep history of life, the genetic kinship of all organisms, the austere reality of natural selection. And yet, rather than diminishing the human sense of wonder, this knowledge can amplify it. We stand in awe of a God who didn’t just conjure living things instantly, but wove them into existence through a tapestry of natural processes, painting the world with butterflies and birds, fish and forests, over eons. This is guided evolution: the idea that evolution is how Allah creates – gradually, majestically, and with purpose.

Qur’an 32:7 encapsulates this grandeur in a single verse: He perfected everything He made. The commentary we have explored suggests that perfection emerges over time by divine ordainment. The millions of species alive today are not accidents; they are the current notes in a symphony that began with the first spark of life. Butterflies illustrate a particularly enchanting movement of that symphony – a melody of color, adaptation, and transformation that captivates scientists and poets alike. In their evolution, we hear echoes of “Kun fayakun” (“Be, and it is”) resonating not in an instant, but across epochs. Guided by the Beneficent, evolution becomes a tool of creation rather than a challenge to it.

As we conclude, we envision a meadow alive with butterflies of every hue. A child might chase them in delight; a scientist might study their metamorphosis; a person of faith might quietly recite, “So Blessed is God, the Best of creators!” (23:14). Each perspective adds to the truth – that the world is full of beauty and wisdom if we choose to see it. The Quranic commentary on guided evolution teaches us that understanding science need not diminish spiritual wonder. On the contrary, it allows us to read the “book” of nature alongside the revealed Book, finding harmony between them. Thus, the next time a butterfly crosses our path, we can appreciate it on multiple levels: as an evolved being perfected by adaptation, and as a divinely guided artwork. In the flutter of its wings is the promise that science and scripture are both part of one reality – a reality wherein beauty, truth, and purpose converge, testifying to the One who “has made excellent everything in creation”, from the humans who ponder these words to the butterflies that inspired themthemuslimtimes.infothemuslimtimes.info.

Sources:

1. The Holy Qur’an, Surah As-Sajdah (32), verse 7themuslimtimes.info.
2. Shah, Z. H. (2025). Why Javed Ahmad Ghamidi’s Literal Reading and Commentary of the Glorious 32:7 is Not Coherent? – The Muslim Timesthemuslimtimes.infothemuslimtimes.info.
3. Shah, Z. H. (2025). Guided Evolution in Qur’anic Perspective: Commentary on Surah Nūḥ 71:13–21 – The Glorious Quran and Sciencethequran.lovethequran.love.
4. National Science Foundation (2023). Butterfly tree of life reveals an origin in North America – NSF News Releasensf.govnsf.gov.
5. Viceroy butterfly article – Wikipedia (2023). Mimicry of Monarch by Viceroyen.wikipedia.org.