Every week, my English classes come over and we watch an hour from the BBC’s Planet Earth series.  They are absolutely fascinated with the video footage of things they have never seen before (bears, piranhas, etc.) and always have questions.

During one episode which included monkeys, one of the students told me that he heard Americans believed people came from monkeys, but wanted to know if that was true.  I told him, yes, there are many people all over the world who believe in this theory, but that I wasn’t one of them.  I shared the story of Creation with them (which was of interest, since their book does not give a detailed account of creation).  I told them that I believed God created each kind of animal and being, and while I believe in micro-evolution (changes and adaptations occurring within a kind), I am not a believer in macro-evolution (where whole kinds change, such as monkeys to people or amoebas to monkeys).

I asked them where they believed animals and people came from.  They all agreed that we originated from God and most scoffed at the notion that people came from monkeys.  But one man shared something I had never heard anyone say before.  He said that his book taught, on the contrary, that monkeys came from disobedient people, whom God turned into apes.  I said “Really?”, while most in the class equally scoffed at his notion.  I asked him where his book made this statement.  He couldn’t remember the exact passage, but brought it to me the next day.  Here is the passage from the 2nd Sura Al-Bagara (The Cow), which he says supports his idea: buy prednisone online

“2.63” And when We took a promise from you and lifted the mountain over you: Take hold of the law (Tavrat) We have given you with firmness and bear in mind what is in it, so that you may guard (against evil).
“2.64” Then you turned back after that; so were it not for the grace of Allah and His mercy on you, you would certainly have been among the losers.
“2.65” And certainly you have known those among you who exceeded the limits of the Sabbath, so We said to them: Be (as) apes, despised and hated.

Verse 65 seems figurative to me.  What do you think?