Elegant Swans

White swans swim proudly with their elegant, slender necks and big bodies. Everybody admires the nobility of their appearance. Since they are so beautiful, they are like ornaments on the creation.

You might have heard the tale of the ugly duckling. As is told in this tale, young swans are very ugly when they hatch. They have a brown or cream colour. Newly hatched young swans – called signets – have short necks and are covered with dense feathers. Within a couple of hours of the eggs cracking open, they can run and swim. Their parents look after them meticulously for a couple of months. Finally, the ugly duckling turns into a magnificent swan. These baby swans' ability to swim in such a short time and their transformation into beautiful creatures is possible only because of the perfection of Allah's artistry in creation. As we are informed by Allah in a verse; "He who has created all things in the best possible way!". (Surat as-Sajdah: 7)

"The trumpeter" is a kind of swan that sits on her developing eggs to keep them warm. Occasionally she stands up and turns her eggs. This way, she ensures that the heat disperses everywhere equally. Certainly, it is Allah Who inspires swans with the kind of care their eggs need.

Owing to the ability Allah has bestowed on them, swans move very fast both in water and in the air. Swans feel more comfortable in water and can swim very fast, thanks to their webbed feet.

Swans start to migrate when the weather becomes cold, and they fly at high altitudes, lining up in a row. On their route, to puncture the strong wind currents they encounter, they fly in a "V" formation. By means of this wise formula, they fly much faster and move along without becoming so tired. Of course, it is impossible for swans to discover such a method, which would require an advanced knowledge of aerodynamics (aerodynamics is the study of forces and resulting motion of objects through the air) and physics. They fly so because Allah, Who possesses the knowledge of everything, has inspired them so.

Have they not looked at the birds above them, with wings outspread and folded back? Nothing holds them up but the All-Merciful. He sees all things. (Surat al-Mulk: 19)

Swans feed on the plants they find at the bottoms of swamps, creeks and ponds. Their long necks help them to reach food. Like ducks, they can plunge into the water and encounter no difficulty in short dives. There is a useful side to swans' plucking plants: Some plants grow and mature as soil is puffed up. As swans scrap at the bottom of the water to find food, they make plants grow abundantly. Thus, by the Will of Our Lord, they cause the growth of ample amounts of plants. This way, by making use of swans, our Lord ensures the growth of plants.