Surah Ar-Ra'd (13) — Ayah 17

17. He is the One Who sends down water from the sky, and the valleys flow according to their measure, and the torrent carries swelling foam. And from what they heat in the fire, seeking to make ornaments or utensils, there arises a foam like it. Thus Allah sets forth the example of truth and falsehood. As for the foam, it vanishes as scum, but what benefits [25] people remains on the earth. Thus Allah sets forth examples.

[25]
Two Examples of the Battle Between Truth and Falsehood and the Survival of the Most Beneficial:

In this example, the knowledge of revelation is likened to the rain of mercy, and those people of sound nature who believe are likened to streams and rivers, which, according to their capacity, become full and flow with this rain of mercy. The commotion and uproar created by the opponents and deniers in response to the call of truth is likened to the foam and scum that appears on the surface of the water in such a flood. But the reality of this foam and scum is only that, at any time, the river may surge and throw it onto the banks, where the wind and sun dry it up and finish it off, and all of it mixes with the soil, while the water—which is the thing that benefits people—remains. Whether a part of it is absorbed by the earth or most of it continues to flow to irrigate the land and then goes on to irrigate another region. The second example of truth and falsehood is that when metals, from which jewelry or other useful items are made, are heated in a crucible, their useless and impure parts rise to the top and not only cover the useful part but completely overshadow it. But in the end, all of this burns away and is thrown out, and the molten metal from which jewelry, etc., is made remains below. In the same way, in the battle between truth and falsehood, at one point, falsehood certainly overshadows the truth. But in the end, only the truth remains, because it is the thing that benefits people. From these two examples, it becomes clear that the Noble Quran and its teachings, which are beneficial to people, are everlasting and eternal. In every era, great scholars of the Quran have arisen and will continue to arise. Falsehood comes out to confront them and, in the beginning, overshadows the truth. Then, when Allah Almighty strikes blows against falsehood through the truth or through the scholars of divine revelation against the opponents and deniers of the truth, falsehood soon perishes like scum and foam, and only the truth remains. The reason for its survival is that it possesses the ability to benefit people. It should be noted that Darwin, in his theory of evolution, used the term "Survival of the Fittest." That is, only that which has the ability to survive remains. The Quran, in contrast, mentions the survival of the most beneficial, which appeals to reason much more than Darwin's term. That is, Darwin's theory is that if something has the ability to survive, it will remain; if not, it will not. Whereas the Quran states that only that which benefits people remains. There was no benefit for people in the dross, so it was burned away. There was benefit for people in the gold, so it remained.