Concepts of istifa and tekamul in the context of creation in Elmalili Thought

Elmalılı Muhammed Hamdi Yazır states that the universe has been continuously developing since its initial inception in a progressive fashion. He termed this progression, "The Law of Selection (qanun al-istifa)", and as result of this phenomenon, every living being has evolved. Elmalılı was deeply grounded in all fields of Islamic intellectual thought, however unlike his contemporaries, he also closely followed Western intellectual thought and its latest developments. This duality, as in many other issues, was reflected in his views concerning the phenomenon of evolution. When Elmalılı's views on this issue are examined, it is understood that he was influenced by the views of Muslim scholars who preceded him. He also examined the western theory of evolution, which was formulated after the 18th century, and rejected it based upon scientific grounds.