Social Solidarity Between Family Members
Research conducted has found that even though they have no consciousness and memories, plants can recognize close family members, meaning homogens, and cooperate in this way to support one another. This very complicated social interaction was first discovered by Susan Dudley and Amana File from the University of Ontario McMaster in Canada. In their research, they found that wild plants that grow in the sea do so by covering everywhere when they are together with plants that are not their relatives, and that they share the land when their own species are concerned. Observations on various species have presented that almost all of plants display such behaviors. However, a plant species known as the sea rocket that grows in North America had stronger roots when it was planted in the same pot with plants of other species, but when it was planted together with a plant of its own species, it did not root as strongly. This cooperation shows that plants also have the tendency often observed in animals, as animals that are close relatives group together and protect their own kind.
This social solidarity between plants refutes Darwin’s theory of evolution in which he claimed that the strong invariably crushes the weak; this is because among plants it is not a valid observation that strong ones destroy plants of their own species and grow by themselves, but it is a valid observation that they slow down their own growth to ensure their brothers can grow. So, how does this solidarity among plants take place? Plants slow their growth down in environments where plants of the same kind exist through limited root growth or stag length, as if they know that it is of no benefit to consume resources by competing with one another, and thus allow plants from their homogen to grow. So how do plants understand if another plant is of their kind or not? This is a scientific mystery not yet solved by scientists. After all, animals have eyes, brains, and a sense of smell to recognize family members as well as the ability to learn and remember, but plants have none of these. So, in this case, how do plants recognize one another? Some researchers claim that plants can communicate with their roots, and that every plant has small chemical signs specific to its own family. Plants protect their family members by using this “mysterious identification system”, which scientists have not yet solved, since the first day they were created. Furthermore, as if they know that the less they compete with one another, the further other group members will develop, they strive for other members to grow stronger even though it will bring no benefit to them. This is, of course, a great miracle. This solidarity among plants, with no intelligence and consciousness, is no doubt a result of Almighty Allah’s inspiration to them. Almighty Allah points out His glorious art in plants in one verse of the Qur’an:
Do you not see that Allah sends down water from the sky and then in the morning the earth is covered in green? Allah is All-Subtle, All-Aware. (Surat al-Hajj, 63)
Communication Among Plants
Researchers have hypothesized that plants have good communications among themselves.
Some plant species produce a chemical substance that attracts and calls other insects that feed on their enemies against attacks by leaf-eating insects. The actual point here is that neighboring plants also make similar calls and thus prevent insects from eating their leaves. This warning signal, communicated to the neighboring plants, cannot be explained as a matter of coincidence.
In research conducted at the University of Kyoto, Japan, another solidarity call sent by plants invaded by insects was found. The plant, the leaves of which were eaten by insects, sent a signal to its sister plant and warned it.
Some of the examples that we have examined up to this point have shown that plants communicate with one another through a silent language. However, they are unaware of these miraculous processes, or even their own existence. As is the case with all things, plants are under the control of Almighty Allah Who created them, as well as all things in the universe, and continues to create every moment. Our Lord reveals in the Qur’an that plants bow to Him:
The trees all bow down in prostration. (Surat ar-Rahman, 6)
Plants That Travel
Plants may seem to be fixed in the soil, but in actuality they travel and move around; some of them even go on a world trip. This traveling of plants completely refutes evolutionists’ claim that “plants act according to coincidence.” Genetic research conducted on nine separate species in the North Pole Region showed that these plants moved 1000 kilometers away from their first dwelling location. Such a long and international trip can, of course, not take place by mere coincidence. Additionally, this traveling characteristic is not limited to these nine species in the North Pole. The Kapok plant, which moved from South America to Africa after the division of continents, passes over the Atlantic Ocean during its long journey. The fact that several plant species all over the world have a similar understanding of travel indicates that these trips can only take place through perfect organization. Plants, which use ocean flows, winds and even glaciers as a means of transportation for their journeys, also take various precautions to prevent any damage to their seeds. There is no doubt that detailed traveling abilities in plants, the fact that they look for new places to dwell during climate changes or that they protect their seeds, cannot happen as a result of their own freewill. These flawless details in plants are the manifestations of Almighty Allah’s matchless art and superior intelligence. Almighty Allah reveals the evidences of creation in plants in one verse of the Qur’an as follows:
It is He Who sends down water from the sky from which We bring forth growth of every kind, and from that We bring forth the green shoots and from them We bring forth close-packed seeds, and from the spathes of the date palm date clusters hanging down, and gardens of grapes and olives and pomegranates, both similar and dissimilar. Look at their fruits as they bear fruit and ripen. There are Signs in that for people who have faith. (Surat al-An‘am, 99)
Every New Research On Plants Heralds The Coming of The Golden Age
One of the most striking subjects about the holy period, which is referred to as the Golden Age and will be experienced before the Day of Judgment, is the abundance in agricultural efficiency. There are many hadiths stating that Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh), who will live in this period will distribute plenty of goods to everyone. Our Prophet (saas) pointed out the abundance that will be experienced in this period:
"People will reap seven hundred scales for every one scale they have sown; in his (Hazrat Madhi's -pbuh -) time, people will take a handful of seeds, and reap seven hundred handfuls. .." (Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar, p. 24)
Scientific studies have revealed that product efficiency can be increased exponentionally with the implementation of social solidarity among plants in agriculture as it would provide better crop yields to plant products of the same homogen that cooperate with one another; this might be a sign pointing out that the Golden Age is approaching. (Allah alone knows the truth.)
The Miraculous Journeys of Plants Are One of the Manifestations of Almighty Allah’s Superior Intelligence
- The pea-like peel of the Mangrov plant, which is one of the seeds that travels in ocean currents, cruises along the ocean on salty water like a submarine. When it reaches the shallow waters, it sinks deep and plants itself into the sandy land and so a new Mangrov is ready to be formed.
- The rain forest plant called “Ceiba pentandra” which is a species of the Kapoc plant, is taller than a 16-story building. The flowers of this plant produce 50 gallons of nectar from a single tree in one season. This tree even attracts bats that fly from as far away as 20 kilometers thanks to the strong scent it spreads. In this way, it finds a ready carrier of its pollens. There is another travel method used by the ceiba pentandra. When the plant’s seeds, which are about the same size as a sunflower seed, grow their swollen fibers come out. These seeds do not sink in water and they can float along the riverbanks where very big trees grow.
- Arctic plants spread their pollens to the islands in the Arctic Ocean (North Pole) together with the glaciers dragged along the rivers of Russia in the spring months with the melting of the ice.
Conclusion
Almighty Allah created every structure in plants specially. A plant with no intelligence and consciousness recognizing its close relatives, slowing down its own growth for their development, sending other plants chemical signs to communicate a danger and traveling over long distances in a cautious way to spread their species utterly refutes the theory of evolution, every phase of which is based on coincidences. Almighty Allah, the Lord of all worlds, and the Owner of superior intelligence and Who creates the several features in plants, shows people the evidences of His flawless creation in many ways. Our Lord reveals this control and matchless creation in the verses as such:
He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth... (Surat al-An‘am, 101)
That is Allah, your Lord. There is no god but Him, the Creator of everything. So worship Him. He is responsible for everything. (Surat al-An‘am, 102)
