Miracles Before Our Very Eyes

At the beginning of the book we gave the example of a man who had been "suddenly" created. We described how this person would inspect his own being and his environment with great admiration and amazement. It was also pointed out that your situation is not a bit different from this man's; however, because of the behaviour and habits, you might have forgotten how to be amazed, astonished or even affected in any way by the excellence that exists around you. In other words, we have mentioned that a great many people have lost their ability to realize the miracles lying right in front of their eyes.

One of the most important subjects covered in the verses of the Qur'an is the need for breaking this indifference that has developed because of these habits and flawed thinking. While in some verses of the Qur'an Allah describes people going astray when awaiting miracles or other proof of Him before they accept Him, other verses refer to a source of reality in miraculous phenomena which are already in existence everywhere.

In the Qur'an man is called to observe the nature and see "Allah's Signs". That is because all the nature is full of signs that show the fact that all the universe is "created" and that they all exist to show the power, intelligence and artisty of the Almighty Allah Who created them. A person has a responsibility to use his intelligence to see the signs and come to know Allah.

We are now going to reflect on specific examples of animals that are given in the Qur'an.

The Gnat

"Allah does not disdain to give a parable about gnat, or a larger creature. Those who believe know that it is truth from their Lord; but those who reject Faith say: 'What does Allah mean by this parable?' By it He causes many to stray, and many He leads to the right path; but He causes none to stray, except those who forsake the right path" (Surat Al-Baqara: 26)

The gnat is a creature that most people will underestimate and regard as "ordinary" and will never much reflect on because they look at it with great familiarity (this can be defined as regarding things that are in fact extraordinary and amazing as natural, and failing to be impressed by them). But Allah in fact notes this tiny creature in His verses.

The Extraordinary Adventure of the Gnat

What is generally known about gnats is that they feed on blood. This, however, is not quite correct, because not all gnats suck blood but only females. Besides, the females suck blood not because of their need for food. Both male and female gnats feed on the nectar from flowers. The only reason female gnats, unlike the males, suck blood is their need for the proteins found in blood which help their eggs to develop. In other words, the female gnat sucks blood just to secure the perpetuation of its species.

The developmental process is one of the most amazing and admirable sides of the gnat. The short story of the transformation of a living being from a tiny larva through many different phases into a gnat is as follows:

Gnat eggs, which are fed by blood to develop, are deposited on damp leaves or dried ponds by the female gnat during summer or autumn. Prior to this, the mother initially inspects the ground thoroughly by using the delicate receptors under her abdomen. Upon finding a convenient place, she starts to deposit her eggs. The eggs, which are less than 1 mm in length, are arranged in a row either in groups or one by one. Some species deposit their eggs in a form, which is joined together like a raft. Some of these egg groups contain about 300 eggs.

The neatly placed white eggs soon start to darken, and they turn completely black in a couple of hours. This dark colour provides protection for the larvae by preventing them from being noticed by other insects and birds. Apart from the eggs, the skin colours of some other larvae also change according to their surroundings, and this helps to protect them.

The larvae change colours by making use of certain factors after quite complicated chemical processes. No doubt, neither the eggs, nor the larvae, nor the mother gnat is aware of the processes behind the colour changes during the gnat's different developmental stages. It is out of the question for these living beings themselves to make this system or for this system to form by coincidence. Gnats have been created with these systems from the moment they first appeared.

Coming Out of the Egg

When the incubation period is complete, larvae start to come out of the eggs almost simultaneously. The larvae, which feed continuously, grow quickly. Soon, their skins become too tight, not allowing them to grow any further. This indicates that it is time for the first change of skin. In this phase, the hard and brittle skin breaks easily. Before the gnat larva fully completes its development, it changes its skin two more times.

The method created for feeding the larvae is rather astonishing. The larvae make small whirlpools in the water with their two fan-shaped appendages made up of feathers, and thus make bacteria and other micro-organisms flow towards their mouths. The respiration of the larvae, which repose upside down in water, takes place through an aerial tube similar to the "snorkel" used by divers. A viscous solution secreted by their bodies prevents water from leaking into the openings through which they breathe. Briefly, this living being survives through the inter-relationship and interplay of many delicate balances. If it did not have an aerial tube, it could not survive; if it did not have a viscous secretion, its respiratory tube would fill with water.

In the meantime, the larvae change their skin once more. The last change of skin is rather different from the others. In this stage, larvae pass onto the final stage of their maturation, the "pupal stage". The shell they are placed in becomes quite tight. This shows that it is time for the larvae to emerge from this shell. Such a different creature comes out of the shell that it is indeed hard to believe that these two are different developmental phases of the same being. As seen, this transformation process is far too complicated and delicate to have been formed either by the larva or by the female gnat...

During this last stage of transformation, the animal faces the danger of being choked, as its respiratory openings, reaching above the water through an aerial tube, would be closed. However, from that stage on, respiration will not be done by means of these holes, but by means of two tubes newly emerging on the anterior of the animal. This is why these tubes rise to the surface of the water prior to the change of skin. During this pupal stage that lasts for three-four days, it will not be fed.

The gnat in the pupa cocoon has now become mature. It is ready to fly with all its organs and organelles such as antennae, trunks, feet, chest, wings, abdomen and its large eyes.

The pupa cocoon is torn at the top. The greatest risk at this stage is the leakage of water into the cocoon. However, the torn top of the cocoon is covered with a special viscous liquid protecting the gnat's head from contact with the water.

The gnat has to emerge from the water without ever touching it.Only the feet touches the water. This moment has a significant importance, the slightest wind could be the end of it. The gnat getting out of the cocoon goes off for it's first flight only after half an hour rest. This tiny creature has emerged from the water without ever touching it.

As we have seen, due to its highky detailed structure, the gnat eggs hatch into gnats. There is a highly detailed creation in every stage. The air tubes that allow the larvae to breathe, the sticky fluid that prevents water ingress and a great many other details all show the flawless creation in the gnat. But how did that creation come about? According to evolutionists, gnats came into being by chance. Of course, the question to be asked in the face of that claim is this: How is it that the first gnat attained the "ability" to go through such a transformation? How could a larva "decide" on its own to transform into a gnat after changing skin three times? Is it possible for a gnat to possess such an intelligence to be able to think all these?

Of course not! It is impossible for the gnat to think of such things. This animal, which Allah cites in the Qur'an, was obviously created quite deliberately in this way.

The Gnat's Temperature Perceptors

Gnats are equipped with very sensitive heat preceptors. They can perceive entities around them in colors, depending on their temperatures. Since this perception is independent of light, they can easily locate blood vessels in a darkened room.
The gnat's heat preceptors are senstitive enough to detect temperature variations of just 1/1000 of a degree.

Amazing Technique of Blood Sucking

After the gnat lands on its target, it first detects a spot by means of the lips in its proboscis. The syringe-like 'sting' of the gnat is protected by a special sheath, which is stripped back during the blood-sucking process.

The gnat does not pierce the skin, as assumed, by thrusting its proboscis into it with pressure. Here, the main task falls to the upper jaw, which is as sharp as a knife, and the mandible on which there are teeth bent backwards. The gnat moves its mandible forwards and backwards like a saw and cuts the skin with the help of the upper jaws. When the sting, inserted through this cut in the skin, reaches to the blood vessel, the drilling ends. Now it is time for the gnat to suck blood.

However, as we know, the slightest harm to the vessels causes the human body to secrete an enzyme that makes the blood clot and stops its leakage. This enzyme should create a problem for the gnat, because the body should also react to the hole opened by the gnat, causing the blood at this spot to clot immediately and the wound to be repaired. That would mean that the gnat could not suck any blood.

But the problem is eliminated for the gnat. Before the gnat starts sucking blood, it injects a special liquid secreted in its body into the cleavage opened in the living being it has stung. This liquid neutralises the enzyme that causes the clotting of blood. Thus, the gnat sucks the blood it needs without the problem of clotting. The itching and swelling formed on the spot bitten by the gnat is caused by this liquid that prevents clotting.

This is surely an extraordinary process and it brings the following questions to mind:

1) How does the gnat know that there is a clotting enzyme in the human body?

2) In order to produce a neutralising secretion in its own body against that enzyme, it needs to know the chemical structure of the enzyme. How could this be possible?

3) Even if it somehow attained such knowledge (!), how could it produce the secretion in its own body and make the "technical rigging" needed to transfer it to its proboscis?

The answer to all these questions is obvious: it is not possible for the gnat to perform any of the above. It neither has the required wisdom, knowledge of chemistry, or the "laboratory" environment to produce the secretion. What we talk about here is only a gnat of a few millimetres in length, without consciousness or wisdom, that is all!

It is quite clear that Allah, "Lord of the heavens and of the earth, and of all that is between them", has created both the gnat and man, and donated such extraordinary and marvellous features to the gnat.

THE HONEYBEE

"And your Lord taught the Bee"

"And your Lord taught the Bee to build its cells in hills, on trees, and in men's habitations; then to eat of all the produce (of the earth), and find with skill the spacious paths of its Lord: there issues from within their bodies a drink of varying colours, wherein is healing for men: truly in this is a Sign for those who give thought." (Surat An-Nahl: 68-69)

Just about everyone now knows how important the honey produced by bees is for human body. But have you ever thought about the detailed story of the bees that manufacture this valuable food?

Bees' source of food is pollen from flowers. But it is impossible for them to find any pollen during winter. For that reason, the combine the pollen they collect with special secretions from their bodies to produce a new foodstuff, honey, which they store away for the winter.

One noteworthy point here is that they store much more honey than they need. The first question that comes to mind, of course, is why bees do not abandon this "excess production" that looks like a waste of their time and energy. The answer lies in the "inspiration" received by the bees and revealed in verses 68 and 69 in Surat an-Nahl quoted above. Like all other living things, bees act in accordance with Allah's inspiration.

Bees manufacture honey not only for their own needs, as required by their creation, but for us, too. Like many other life forms on earth, bees have been placed at the service of man.

This is just the same as the hen unnecessarily laying eggs daily or the cow producing milk more than its newborn would ever need.

The Perfect Organization in the Hive

The lives of bees in the hive and their honey production involve the most amazing details. Bees have "jobs" that need to be done in the hive and undertake this with a flawless organization:

Regulation of humidity and ventilation: The humnidity level in the hive, which gives the honey its highly durable feature, must be kept within specific limits. If the humidy level falls below or rises above normal, then the honey will lose its nutritional vaue and durability, mraning it will go off. In the same way, the temperature in the hive has to be 32 degrees Celsius for 10 months of the year. In order to constantly maintain the temperature and humidity in the hive within these exact limits, a special "ventilation group" is appointed solely for this important task.

During a hot day, it is easy to observe the bees ventilating the hive. They round into the entrance and by clamping on to the wooden floor, they use their wings to fan the hive. In a standard hive, the incoming air is forced to leave from the other side. Extra ventilators in the hive also allow the air to be pushed in four different directions.

Another benefirt of the ventilation system in the hive is to safeguard the hive from smoke and air pollution.

Health system: The efforts of the bees to preserve the quality of the honey are not confined to humidity regulation and air conditioning. A wonderful health system functions in the hive to control all events that may result in the origination of bacteria. This system firstly aims at destroying all places that may possibly result in the production of bacteria. The basic principle of this health system is to prevent foreign objects from entering the hive. Because of this, there are always two guardians at the hive's entrance. If a foreign substance or insect enters the hive despite this prevention, all bees get into action to keep it out of the hive.

For the bigger foreign objects that cannot be carried outside, another prevention mechanism is started. Bees produce a substance called "propolis, or bee resin" for these kinds of situations. They formulate it by gathering resin from trees like pine, poplar and acacia, then combine it with some special secretions. The basic utility of propolis is its resistance to bacterial invasion. Dangerous sorts of substances are therefore, covered with propolis, and, by being subjected to a form of mummification, isolated from the hive.
First of all, bees apparently know that when a living thing dies, its body will decay and that the substances resulting from its putrefaction could sicken the hive's inhabitants. Somehow, they are also aware that in order to prevent its decay, the dead creature needs to be subjected to a specific chemical process. And so they use propolis, with its property of killing bacteria, for this mummification process.

But how do the bees-emerged as adults less than a month ago-know that this creature will decay and how to eliminate its eventual harmful effects? Furthermore, how could they have thought of using, much less manufacturing-the propolis? Who taught them to do this? How did the bees discover this substance in the first place? How did they come by the formula and learn to produce it? How did they transmit the knowledge of its formula to other bees and hand it down to subsequent generations of their own?

Clearly, bees can have no "advance knowledge" of such subjects as the knack of mummification, the ingredients and production of the antiseptic substance or how it can be used-much less that their own bodies have developed a system to manufacture this. Bees cannot think out all these details for themselves. Neither can they have possibly learned these processes, which require intelligence and knowledge at every stage, by chance, since chance cannot lead to conscious, rational behavior.

All this shows that bees must have been taught to carry out all these processes by another Intelligence. All of this has been inspired in bees by God, the Creator of all beings. Like everything else on earth, bees submit to God, the Almighty Lord and Absolute Ruler of the universe:

"Exalted be Allah, the King, the Real. There is no god but Him, Lord of the Noble Throne." (Surat Al-Muminun: 116)

Maximum Storage with Minimum Materials

Honeybees shape small beeswax cells and construct a hive in which 30.000 bees live and work together.

The hive is made up of beeswax-walled honeycombs with many tiny cells on their surfaces. All the cells forming the honeycomb have exactly the same dimensions. This engineering miracle is multiplied by the collective functioning of thousands of bees. Bees use these cells for food storage and maintenance of the young bees.

Bees have used the hexagonal structure in the formation of the honeycomb for millions of years (fossil bees dating back 100 milyon years have been discovered). Why have they chosen the hexagonal formation rather than octagonal, spherical or pentagonal structures? Mathematicians have spent a great deal of effort on finding the answer to this question. Calculations proved that the hexagonal structure was the most suitable and convenient geometric form to gain maximum benefit from the unit area in the honeycomb. If the honeycomb cells were formed in another structure, then there would be spare places left out of use; thus less honey would be stored. Also the population of the bees using the hive would be less.

Provided their depth was the same, such cells would therefore hold the same volume. But of the three geometrical figures equal in area, the hexagonal has the smallest circumference. This means, of course, that the amount of building material required for cells of the same capacity is the least in the hexagonal construction, and hence that such a pattern is the most economical design for warehouses.

The conclusion: hexagonal cells require minimal amounts of wax in terms of construction while they store maximal amounts of honey. Bees themselves surely cannot have calculated this result, obtained by man after many complex geometrical calculations. These tiny animals use the hexagonal form innately, just because they are taught and "inspired" so by their Lord.The hexagonal shape of cells is practical in many respects. Cells fit to one another and they share each other's walls. This, again, ensures maximum storage with minimum wax. Although the walls of the cells are rather thin, they are strong enough to carry a few times their own weight.
As well as in the walls of the sides of the cells, bees also take the maximum saving principle into consideration while they construct the bottom edges.

Combs are built as a slice with two rows lying back to back. In this case, the problem of the junction point of two cells occurs. Constructing the bottom surfaces of cells by combining three equilateral quadrangles solves this problem. When three cells are built on one face of the comb, the bottom surface of one cell on the other face is automatically constructed.

As the bottom surface is composed of equilateral quadrangular wax plaques, a downward deepening is observed at the bottom of those cells made by this method. This means an increase in the volume of the cell and, thus, in the amount of honey stored.
As can be seen from this account, the hexagon is the ideal shape for the comb. A question needing to be answered arises at this oint. How do bees know that the hexagon is the best shape?

Common sense is enough to deduce that this flawless structure could not have been developed by bees during any imaginary process of evolution. Constructing a scenario in which the bee one day constructed a pentagonal cell, then tried a triangular one on a following day, continuing in this vein for some time, before deciding years-or hundreds of years-later, that the hexagon was the most ideal form, is quite nonsensical. To claim such a thing is to suggest that bees possess as much reason and consciousness as human beings. Neither reason nor conscience would permit such a claim to be believed.

Allah created bees. They never underwent any evolutionary process. They have never changed. All their attributes today are the same as at the moment they were first created.

Other Characteristics of Honey Comb Cells

Another point that bees consider during the construction of the honeycomb is the inclination of cells. By raising cells 13°C on both sides, they prevent the cells from being parallel to the ground. Thus, honey does not leak out from the mouth of the cell.

While working, worker bees hang onto each other in circles and congregate together in bunches. By doing this, they provide the necessary temperature for wax production. Little sacks in their abdomens produce a transparent liquid, which leaks out and hardens the thin wax layers. Bees collect the wax with the little hooks on their legs. They put this wax into their mouths, and chew and process it until it softens enough and so give it shape in the cells. Many bees work together to ensure the required temperature for the work place in order to keep the wax soft and malleable.

There is another interesting point to note: the construction of the honeycomb starts from the upper side of the hive and continues simultaneously in two or three separate rows downward. While a honeycomb slice expands in two opposite directions, first the bottom of its two rows join. This process is realised in an astonishing harmony and order. Therefore, it is never possible to understand that the honeycomb actually consists of three separate parts. The honeycomb slices, which started simultaneously from different directions, are so perfectly arranged that, although there are hundreds of different angles in its structure, it seems like one uniform piece.

For such a construction, bees need to calculate the distances between the starting and connection points in advance and then design the dimensions of the cells accordingly. How can such a delicate calculation be done by thousands of bees? This has always impressed scientists.

As we have seen, there are a great many details involved in the construction of the comb. It is clear that the comb has been specially created. It is nonsenseical to think that such a structure might have come into being by chance. Every stage in the life of bees is a manifestation of Allah's omnipotence and creative power.

How They Determine Their Direction?

Honeybees usually have to fly long distances and trace out large territories to find food. They gather flower dust and honey constituents within a range of 800 meters from their hive. The bee, which finds the flowers, flies back to the hive to inform the others about their location. But, how will this bee describe this place to its friends?

By dancing!… The bee returning to the hive starts to perform a kind of a dance. This dance is a way of explaining the location of the flower source to the other bees. This dance, repeated many times by the bee, includes information about the direction, distance and other details to enable the other bees to reach the target. This dance of the bee is actually performed by drawing figure of 8 in the air. The bee forms the middle part of the eight by shaking its tail and making zig-zags. The angle between the zig-zags and the line between the Sun and the hive, gives the exact direction of the food source.

However, knowing only the direction of the food source is not enough. Worker bees should also possess information regarding the distance of the hive from the source before going there. So, the bee returning from the flower source shakes its body several times to tell the distance. For example, in order to express a distance of 250 meters, it shakes the bottom part of its body 5 times in half a minute. In this way, the exact is defined in terms of both distance and angle.

If the journey from the hive to the source is taking a long time, a new problem arises for the bee. The Sun moves 1 degree every four minutes. Eventually, while describing the location of the food source, the bee will possibly make an error of one degree for each four minutes he spends on his way back to the hive.

Yet, the bee does not actually have any problem at all! The bee's eye is formed of many small hexagonal lenses. Each lens focuses on a narrow area just like a telescope. When the bee flies towards the sun during the day, it can find its exact position all the time. Scientists say that the bee does this by judging the time of day by the brightness of the Sun. It accordingly modifies its directions to the other bees so that there is no margin of error.

Method of Marking Flowers

When a flower has already been visited, the honeybee can understand that another bee has earlier consumed the nectar of that flower, and leave the flower immediately. This way, it saves both time and energy. Well, how does the bee understand, without checking the flower, that the nectar has earlier been consumed?

This is made possible because the bees which visited the flower earlier marked it by leaving a drop on it with a special scent. Whenever a new bee looks in on the same flower, it smells the scent and understands that the flower is of no use and so goes on directly towards another flower. Thus, bees do not waste time on the same flower.

Honey Miracle

Do you know how important a food source the honey is, which Allah offers man by means of a tiny insect?

Honey is composed of sugars like glucose, fructose and minerals like magnesium, calcium, sodium, chlorine, sulfur, iron and phosphate. In addition to these, honey includes Vitamins B1, B2, C, B6, B5 and B3, their concentration differing according to the pollen and nectar sources. Copper, iodine, iron and zinc also exist in it in small quantities, plus, several kinds of hormones.

As Allah says in the Qur'an, honey is a "healing for men". This scientific fact was confirmed by scientists who assembled during the World Apiculture Conference held from 20-26 September 1993 in China.

"During the World Apiculture Conference held on 20-26 September, 1993, in China, treatments with honey derivatives were discussed. American scientists stressed that honey, royal jelly, pollen and "propolis" (bee resin) had the capability of curing many illnesses. One Romanian doctor stated that he used honey for the treatment of patients with cataracts, and 2002 of his 2094 patients recovered completely. Polish doctors also gave information about bee resin's curative properties for diseases like hemorrhoids, skin problems, women's illnesses and many others. Nowadays, apiculture and bee products are the object of research in developed countries." (Hurriyet Newspaper, October 19, 1993)

Beekeeping and bee products have become a separate research branch in countries that are leaders in science. Other benefits of honey can be listed as follows:

Easily digested: Because sugar molecules in honey can convert into other sugars (e.g. fructose to glucose), honey is easily digested by the most sensitive stomachs, despite its high acid content. It helps kidneys and intestines to function better.

Has a low calorie level: Another quality of honey is that, when it is compared with the same amount of sugar, it gives 40% less calories to the body. Although it gives great energy to the body, it does not add weight.

Rapidly fuses with the blood: Honey enters the circulatory system in 7 minutes when taken with tepid water The free sugar molecules in it make it easier for the brain to function.

Promotes production of blood: Honey functions as the energy store for new blood formation and helps anemic people by speeding up this process. It helps in the purification and nourishment of the blood. Blood circulation is regulated by it. It also has positive effects on capillary problems.

Bacteria killing property: The bacteria-killing property of the honey is called the "inhibition effect". Experiments carried out on honey showed that its bacteria-killing effect doubled when diluted with water. It is very interesting to observe that the newborn bees are also fed with diluted honey by the nurse bees responsible for taking care of them.

Royal jelly: Royal jelly is the white fluid produced by worker bees inside the beehive. In this nutritious substance, there is sugar, protein, fat and many vitamins. It is used when the body is left weak and in problems that occur because of tissue aging.

THE CAMEL

Have they not looked at the camel – how it was created? and at the sky – how it was raised up? and at the mountains – how they were embedded?and at the earth – how it was smoothed out?So remind them!You are only a reminder. (Surat Al-Gashiyya: 17-21)

It is beyond doubt that all beings, with the features they possess, reflect the unbounded power and knowledge of their Creator, Allah. Allah expresses this in numerous verses in the Qur'an, where He points out that everything He creates is actually a sign, that is, a symbol and warning.

In the 17th verse of Surat al-Ghashiyya, Allah refers to an animal, which we are to examine carefully and think about: the "camel".
Allah has called our attention in the following expression in the Qur'an, "Have they not looked at the camel – how it was created?". You will find below some striking information about the animal that Allah called us to think on, in the Qur'an:

1. Extraordinary Resistance to thirst and hunger: Camels can live without food or water for 8 days in 50°C temperatures. In this period, it loses 22% of its total body weight. While a man will be near death if he loses body water equivalent to about 12% of his body weight, a lean camel can survive losing body water equivalent to 40% of its body weight. Another reason for its resistance to thirst is a mechanism that enables the camel to increase its internal temperature to 41°C. As such, the animal keeps water loss to a minimum in the extreme hot climates of the desert daytime. The camel can also reduce its internal body temperature to 30°C in the cool desert nights.

2. Improved water utilization unit: In a mere 10 minutes, camels can consume 130 liters of water, which is around one third of their body weight. Camels also have a curvy mucus structure in their nose that has a 100 times larger area than the human's nose. With this structure, camels can have the benefit of about 66% of the moisture in the air.

3. Maximum benefit from food and water: Most animals die when the accumulated urea in their bodies mixes with the blood in the circulatory system. Yet, camels use this urea by passing it through the liver continuously and thus make the maximum use of water and nutrients.

Both the blood and the cell structures of the camel are specialised in order to enable this animal to survive for long periods without water in desert conditions. The cell walls of the animal have a special structure preventing extra water loss. Furthermore, blood composition is such that it does not let any deceleration in the blood circulation even when the water level in the camel's body is reduced to the minimum. In addition, albumin enzyme, which reinforces resistance to thirst, is found in much higher amounts in the camel's blood than in that of other living things.

The hump is another aid to the camel. One fifth of the camel's body is stored in the form of fat in its hump. The storage of the body fat in only one part of the camel's body prevents it from using water all through its body. This allows its body to use the minimum amount of water.

Although a camel with humps can take in 30-50 kg of food in a day, it is able to live for one month on only 2 kg. of grass. Camels have very strong rubber-like lips, which permit them to eat thorns sharp enough to pierce leather. Moreover, they possess such a strong digestive system that they can eat everything in sight, like plastic plates, copper wire and reeds. The four-chambered stomach of this wonderful animal is created to cater for non-food substances as well, which increases its probabilities of obtaining energy from sources other than food. This adaptability is definitely helpful in surviving in an arid region.

4. Protection against whirlwinds and storms: The eyes of camels have two rows of eyelashes. The structure of the eyelashes is like two different combs clamping together which protect the eyes from severe sandstorms. Remarkably, camels can close the openings of their noses in these kinds of storms.

5. Protection against burning and freezing weather conditions: Thick hair on the camel's body prevents the burning sunlight from penetrating its skin. It also keeps the animal warm in the cold. While desert camels are not affected by high temperatures up to 70°C, double-humped camels can survive in cold weather with temperatures going down to -52°C. This kind of camel can survive even in high mountains 4000 meters above sea level.

6. Protection from burning hot sand: The feet of the camel, being very large in proportion to its body, helps the animal not to get stuck in the sand because of its weight. The special thick skin on the soles of the camel's feet acts as a protection from not desert sand. Let us think in the light of these pieces of information: has the camel on its own adapted its own body to desert conditions? Has it by itself formed the mucus in its nose or the hump on its back? Has it by itself formed its own nose and eye structures in order to protect itself against tornadoes and storms? Has it by itself based its own blood and cell structures on the principle of conservation of water? Has it itself chosen the type of hair covering its body? Has it on its own converted itself to a "ship of the desert"?

Just as any other living being, the camel surely could not perform any of the above and make itself beneficial to mankind. The verse in the Qur'an stating, "Have they not looked at the camel – how it was created?" draws our attention to the creation of this excellent animal in the best way. Like all other creatures, the camel too is endowed with many special qualities and then placed on earth as a sign of the excellence of the Creator in creation.

Created with such superior physical features, the camel is decreed to serve mankind. As for humans, they are ordered to see like miracles of creation throughout the universe and revere the Creator of all beings: Allah.