A Fly's Incredible Compound Eyes

The fly is a marvel of Creation; its wings beat 500 times per second and, as a result, it has a glorious flying ability. Even more amazing are its eyes, each one of which has thousands of extraordinarily complex lenses. A fly has compound eyes on both sides of its head, each of which is divided into 4,000 sections, each of which, in turn, has a lens that perceives an image from a slightly different angle. When a fly looks at a flower, the full image appears separately in each of its 8,000 lenses. When these images reach the brain, they combine together like the components of a jigsaw puzzle. As a result, an image that is highly significant for the fly emerges.

It is extraordinary that such a small creature should have thousands of lenses in its eyes and a cerebral system capable of interpreting what it sees. We can only acquire this information by studying the animal. Yet all flies have had this perfect structure since they were first created, for, like all the other living things, they are miracles created by Allah, matchless marvels of Creation that amaze one the more one researches and studies them.

Scientists lack the knowledge and technology to install 8,000 lenses into an area just a few millimeters in size and to enable each one to see. None of them can produce a nervous system that will permit these lenses to perceive light and then make that perception visible in such a perfect way.

Only Almighty Allah, Who sees and observes all entities at all times, creates all beings with their perfect details, equips a tiny fly with such miraculous abilities, and bestows reason and conscience on human beings so that they can comprehend and reflect on these matters, can create in such a manner:

O humanity, an example has been made, so listen to it carefully. Those whom you call upon besides Allah are not even able to create a single fly, even if they were to join together to do it. And if a fly steals something from them, they cannot get it back. How feeble are both the seeker and the sought! (Surat al-Hajj, 73)