Imaam, can you please tell me if it is impermissible to believe that there were dinosaurs on the earth before Adaam and Eve were created?
Praise be to Allah.Allaah created Adam (peace be upon him) on a Friday, the sixth day
from the beginning of creation. Some texts mention what was created on the previous five
days, in brief and general terms, but as to the details of what was created, Allaah knows
best about that. Questions like this, on which no belief or deeds are to be based, are
just meaningless distractions that are of no benefit. Faith does not increase or decrease
according to whether one believes in dinosaurs or not. It was reported that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade us to occupy ourselves with things
that cause confusion and are not clear. We also know that people differ in their views as
to whether these dinosaurs existed or they are just figments of the imagination. And
Allaah knows best.