Respected Shaykh. What is the status of someone who, in an attempt to reconcile the theory of evolution with the Islamic narrative of human origins, states that homo sapiens (modern humans) descended from other hominid species (all the while believing that all of this happened by Allah's Will and Power), and that thereafter, these homo sapiens went extinct (died off) and Allah created Adam, peace be upon him, a special, direct, and miraculous creation - and we are all descendants of Adam, peace be upon him. Is this belief Kufr (disbelief)? Is this person a Kaafir (disbeliever)? Is the prayer that he offers considered valid?

All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

It is clearly established through divine revelation in the Quran and Sunnah that Aadam (Adam) was the origin of mankind; Allah, the Exalted, says (what means): {O mankind, fear your Lord, Who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed, Allah is ever, over you, an Observer.} [Quran 4:1]

In the long hadeeth about Intercession on the Day of Judgment, narrated by Abu Hurayrah the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said, "Then, they would go to Aadam and say, 'O Aadam, you are the father of mankind. Allah created you with His Hand and breathed into you of His spirit and commanded the angels, so they prostrated to you...'" [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]

Therefore, it is impermissible to deviate from this truth to the right or to the left.

Saying that the rational "modern" humans evolved from another hominid species lacks scientific evidence to substantiate it. Rather, it is mere illusions that are totally unfounded and fit the description in the following verse: {And they have thereof no knowledge. They follow not except assumption, and indeed, assumption avails not against the truth at all.} [Quran 53:28]

For more benefit, please refer to fatwas 4755, 83754, and 86254 about the defectiveness of the theory of evolution and its scientific weakness and how it contradicts Islamic beliefs.

In any case, any statement that contradicts this Quranic truth involves disbelief in the Quran, and disbelief in the Quran is Kufr. However, a distinction should be made between the statement of Kufr and the person who made it, and between Kufr and the Kaafir, since there might be an impediment that prevents accusing a person of Kufr, such as ignorance or misinterpretation of texts. Please refer to fatwas 8106 and 87963 about the conditions of Takfeer (declaring a Muslim individual or group as Kaafir).

Allah knows best.