Allah's Art of Detail 11-15

Talented Liver Cells

Liver cells perform 500 different processes. When part of the liver is damaged, the cells' new job is, as Allah wills, to multiply.

Each liver cell carries out some 500 different chemical processes. Somehow, they are aware of each activity taking place in the body's circulatory, digestive, excretory, and other systems. Due to these tasks that they perform, each cell is the site of intense and continuous activity.

If any part of the liver is damaged or extracted, its cells immediately switch to a new function-high-speed multiplication-to repair the affected part. As a result of the cells' extraordinary abilities, the liver is the only bodily organ that can reconstitute itself. When the liver regains its normal size and is fixed, the cells suddenly cease this activity.

There is no difference between liver cells and those in your finger tips, for both sets carry exactly the same information. What makes them different is what part of that information they use. A single cell, invisible to the naked eye, knows that the reproduction process has to begin and so begins copying itself. When it learns that the regeneration process has been completed, it and all other cells stop this activity in a perfectly orderly manner that betrays no haphazardness. During reproduction, no cell decides to postpone the other functions and thereby cause interruptions in the system. No new copied cell is told what to do. Nonetheless, every new cell unhesitatingly begins its work inside the liver.

This wide-ranging system does not belong to human beings. Evolutionists, however, must first account for how a single liver cell came into existence if they are to defend their claims that this complex system is the result of chance. That they have been unable to do so is hardly surprising, for only the Omniscient Allah Who creates all living things and their cells, and Who controls and supervises them at every moment, can perform such a miracle. This miraculous system is the work of Almighty Allah, Who remains unchanging, Omniscient, and All-powerful:

O humanity, if you are in any doubt about the Rising, know that We created you from dust then from a drop of sperm, then from a clot of blood, then from a lump of flesh, formed yet unformed, so that We may make things clear to you. (Surat al-Hajj, 5)

Genes: An Important Detail in the Cell, Yet Invisible to the Naked Eye

Human beings cannot control the beating of their hearts, manage their salivary glands while eating, or remember to breathe every few seconds. Countless such vital functions take place without any human intervention at all. Yet despite this lack of personal supervision, all bodily systems function flawlessly.

An individual's chromosomes contain information regarding that person. Each of the forty-six chromosomes in the nucleus possesses genes that, utilizing the framework of the blueprint contained therein, construct each bodily organ according to His will. For example, a person's skin is controlled by 2.559 genes, the brain by 29.930, the eye by 1.794, the salivary glands by 186, the heart by 6.216, the breast by 4.001, the lung by 11.581, the liver by 2.309, the intestines by 3.838, the skeletal muscles by 1.911, and the blood cells by 22.092 genes.

Each chromosome in a cell's nucleus possesses genes that carry all of an individual's personal information. By His will, all of a person's bodily organs are constructed within the framework of a blueprint described by the cell's genes. These miracles, invisible to the naked eye, are just one of the flawless details that Allah has created in human beings.

The way that countless tiny components hidden inside a cell that is invisible to the naked eye supervises a person's bodily systems is a great miracle. It is extraordinary that this system is never interrupted and that the same genes control the same systems and organs in every new-born human being.

Despite the vital functions for which they are responsible, genes consist of nothing but blind and unconscious atoms. Therefore, how can the superior consciousness and flawless regulation visible here belong to them? Each gene, which is an amazing marvel of creation, acts according to His will instead of some posited model. Proof for this statement is all around us, for how could an unconscious gene accomplish such miraculous deeds if Allah did not will it to be so? This state of affairs makes itself crystal clear in every detail in the universe. Everything is a manifestation of Allah's sublime creation. Genes are able to control everything related to the body's systems at every moment.

This sublime control belongs to Allah, the Elevated One, the true Lord of this entire system:

Allah, there is no deity but Him, the Living, the Self-Sustaining. He is not subject to drowsiness or sleep. Everything in the heavens and Earth belongs to Him. Who can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what is behind them, but they cannot grasp any of His knowledge, except for what He wills. His Footstool encompasses the heavens and Earth, and their preservation does not tire Him. He is the Most High, the Magnificent. (Surat al-Baqarah, 255)

The Amphipod: A Detail Living in the Depths of the Oceans

Human beings cannot breathe oxygen dissolved in water or withstand the pressure under water, which is some 1,300 times heavier than air. Moreover, this pressure rises rapidly the further down one goes, approximately 1 atmosphere for every 10 m (32.8 ft) of depth. When one descends to 150 m (492 ft) under water, the veins may collapse and the lungs contract to the size of a soda can. Thus, in the absence of man-made technology, human beings can live only on dry land.

Human beings are exceedingly vulnerable to water pressure. However, there are other life forms on Earth that, thanks to their special equipment, possess qualities that are far superior to those of human beings.

For example, the Mariana Trench, the Pacific Ocean's deepest point, is home to colonies of amphipods, which are shrimp-like transparent crustaceans. This area lies some 11.3 km (7 miles) below the ocean's surface. Even the intense pressure at 4 km (2.5 miles), the average ocean depth, is equivalent to that applied by the weight of fourteen cement trucks loaded with concrete.1 This creature, about which almost nothing is known to us, can survive under even harsher conditions. The animal itself is unaware that it lives many kilometers below the surface of the ocean and can survive under a pressure that would kill a human being. The way that it remains alive at depths we cannot reach is one of the proofs that all living things, whether in the ground, in the depths of the ocean, or in the highest skies, are created through Allah's sublime artistry.

A person may see and appreciate His greatness by looking at such a creature and understanding that only He can create blessings and everything that exists. To that end, it is enough to reflect on just one feature. People are responsible for seeing the proofs set out before them and realizing that Allah is the Lord of all that exists:

(People with intelligence are) those who remember Allah [while] standing, sitting, and lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and Earth: "Our Lord, You have not created this for nothing. Glory be to You! Safeguard us from the punishment of the Fire." (Surah Al 'Imran, 191)

Miraculous Molecules

All mountains, water, our own bodies, poisonous and health-giving plants, furniture, buildings, sweet and sour tastes, pleasant smells, beautiful colors-in fact, everything that exists-is made up of various combinations of only 109 atoms. This is one of Allah's greatest miracles.

When atoms come together, they give rise to molecules that enable very different physical characteristics to emerge. A pen, your hand, and water are all the result of different combinations of similar atoms. Sometimes an atom is added to a molecule, with the result that ordinary drinking water can become a poison. One atom added to or removed from a molecule can turn something inedible into something edible, or turn a harsh and unpleasant smell into the glorious perfume of a rose. Depending upon how the same atoms bond to each other, a molecule's color can change or a fluid can turn into a solid.

This book is the result of various combinations of atoms similar to those in your hand. A single atom added to or removed from a molecule can make sweet things bitter, solid things liquid, or inedible things edible.

The variety of life on Earth is quite extraordinary. By giving various properties to molecules, Allah exhibits a most sublime artistry. For example, an apple's sweetness, a stone's hardness, and cotton's softness are all great miracles that He displays in invisible atoms. Allah created the world out of nothing, made atoms (which are 99.99999% empty) the basic constituents of all beings, and exhibits an astonishing artistry in this world that is invisible to the naked eye.

People must realize that they need Him at every moment, cannot do anything unless He wills it, understand His bestowed blessings, and discover that whatever they possess actually belong to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. If they can reach this point, they will experience the joy of faith because of the blessings they enjoy in this world, and will also experience the highest level of these blessings in the Hereafter:

And the Garden will be brought up close to the heedful, not far away: "This is what you were promised. It is for every careful penitent: those who fear [and respect] the All-Merciful in the Unseen and come with a contrite heart. Enter it in peace. This is the Day of Timeless Eternity." They will have there everything they want, and with Us there is still more. (Surah Qaf, 31-35)

All mountains, seas, human beings, space, butterflies, and flowers, in short absolutely everything that exists, are combinations of just 109 atoms. Allah displays His infinite might and creative artistry through all of these combinations.

The Big Bang: One of the Proofs of Creation         

It is quite hard to upset the equilibrium between the elements that are essential to life on Earth. You do not suddenly start breathing carbon monoxide or floating away from your chair into space due to a decrease in the force of gravity. Sunlight does not suddenly damage your eyes and skin, and oxygen levels do not rise so high that your lungs begin to burn. There are many reasons for this. However, the interesting thing is that all balances assumed their present forms due to the Big Bang, defined as the explosion of a single point of zero volume that contained all matter in the universe.

Countless conditions combined in order to maintain this equilibrium. For example, if the rate of the universe's post-Big Bang expansion had been just 1 in 1 billion billion (1/1018) different, the universe would not have emerged. If the universe had expanded just slightly more slowly, it would have imploded due to the gravitational force; if it had expanded a little more quickly, all cosmic matter would have dispersed and vanished. If a 1/1018 difference in the explosion's speed had arisen just when that speed had reached a particular level, the equilibrium in question would have been destroyed. If just one of these minute variations had arisen, the universe would have disappeared.

Let's take a look around us. Everything is in an extraordinary state of stasis, calm, and perfection, because nothing in the universe is coincidental. In fact, everything depends on a flawless and perfect level and the extraordinarily delicate balances created and set into motion by Almighty Allah, Who rules everything, created a flawless artistry and miracle via a single explosion, and is all-giving:

... He Who created the seven heavens in layers. You will not find any flaw in the creation of the All-Merciful. Look again - do you see any gaps? Then look again and again. Your sight will return to you, dazzled and exhausted!
(Surat al-Mulk, 3-4)