The Ability to see the Signs of Allah

Say: "Praise be to Allah. He will show you His Signs and you will recognise them. Your Lord is not heedless of anything you do." (Surat an-Naml: 93)

In many societies today, the Qur'an is assessed very differently from what is the real purpose of its revelation. In the Islamic world, in general, very few people know the contents of the Qur’an.
Some Muslim people often hang the Qur’an on the walls of their houses within a decorative cover and elderly people read it from time to time. They assume that the Qur’an protects those who read it from "misfortune and trouble". According to this superstition, they consider the Qur’an a sort of amulet against misfortunes.
The Qur’anic verses, however, inform us that the purpose of the Qur’an’s revelation is entirely different from what is mentioned above. For instance, in the 52nd verse of Surah Ibrahim, Allah states: "This is a communication to be transmitted to mankind so that they can be warned by it and so that they will know that He is One God and so that people of intelligence will pay heed." In many other verses, Allah emphasises that one of the most crucial purposes of the Qur’an’s revelation is to invite people to ponder.
In the Qur’an, Allah invites people to reject blindly accepting the beliefs and values society imposes on them and to ponder by pushing aside all the prejudices, taboos and constraints on their minds.
Man must think on how he came into being, what is the purpose of his life, why he will die and what awaits him after death. He must question how he himself and the whole universe came into existence and how they continue to exist. While doing this, he must relieve himself of all constraints and prejudices.
By thinking, while isolating his conscience from all social, ideological and psychological obligations, the person should eventually perceive that the entire universe, including himself, is created by a superior power. Even when he examines his own body or any other thing in nature, he will see an impressive harmony, plan and wisdom at work within its design.
At this point again, the Qur'an guides man. In the Qur’an, Allah guides us as to what we should reflect on and investigate. With the methods of reflection given in the Qur'an, he who has faith in Allah will better perceive Allah’s perfection, eternal wisdom, knowledge and power in His creation. When a believing person starts to think in the way shown in the Qur’an, he soon realises that the whole universe is a sign of Allah’s power and art, and that, "nature is a work of art, not the artist itself". Every work of art exhibits the exceptional skills of the one who has made it and conveys his messages.
In the Qur’an, people are summoned to contemplate numerous events and objects that clearly testify to the existence and uniqueness of Allah and His attributes. In the Qur’an, all these beings that bear witness are designated as "signs", meaning "tested evidence, absolute knowledge and expression of truth". Therefore, the signs of Allah comprise all the beings in the universe that disclose and communicate the being and attributes of Allah. Those who can observe and remember will see that the entire universe is only composed of the signs of Allah.
This, indeed, is the responsibility of mankind; to be able to see the signs of Allah... Thus, such a person will come to know the Creator Who created him and all other things, draw closer to Him, discover the meaning of his existence and his life and so prosper.
This website can never adequately show the innumerable signs of Allah, nor can any other work. Each thing, the breaths a human takes, political and social developments; the cosmic harmony in the universe, the atom, which is one of the smallest pieces of matter, is each a sign of Allah and they all operate under His control and knowledge, abiding by His laws. Recognising and knowing the signs of Allah calls for personal effort. Everyone will recognise and know the signs of Allah in accordance with his own wisdom and conscience.
Undoubtedly, some guidelines may also help. As the first step, one can investigate certain points stressed in the Qur'an in order to acquire the mentality that perceives the whole universe as an articulation of the things Allah created.
This website is prepared to draw attention to some of the subjects that we are advised to ponder in the Qur’an. Allah’s signs in nature are emphasised in Surat an-Nahl:

It is He Who sends down water from the sky. From it you drink and from it come the shrubs among which you graze your herds. And by it He makes crops grow for you and olives and dates and grapes and fruit of every kind. . There is certainly a sign in that for people who reflect. He has made the night and the day subservient to you, and the sun, the moon and the stars, all subject to His command. There are certainly signs in that for people who use their intellect. And also the things of varying colours He has created for you in the earth. There is certainly a sign in that for people who pay heed. It is He Who made the sea subservient to you so that you can eat fresh flesh from it and bring out from it ornaments to wear. And you see the ships cleaving through it so that you can seek His bounty, and so that perhaps you may show thanks. He cast firmly embedded mountains on the earth so it would not move under you, and rivers and pathways so that perhaps you might be guided, and landmarks. And they are guided by the stars. Is He Who creates like him who does not create? So will you not pay heed? (Surat an-Nahl: 10-17)

In the Qur'an, Allah invites men of understanding to think about the issues which other people overlook, or just dismiss using such barren terms as "evolution", "coincidence", or "a miracle of nature".

In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day, there are Signs for people of intelligence: those who remember Allah standing, sitting and lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth: "Our Lord, You did not create this for nothing. Glory be to You! So guard us from the punishment of the Fire." (Surah Ali-‘Imran: 190-191)

As we see in these verses, people of understanding see the signs of Allah and try to comprehend His eternal knowledge, power and art by remembering and reflecting on them, for Allah’s knowledge is limitless, and His creation flawless.
For men of understanding, everything around them is a sign of this creation.
 

Part I The Four Animals Emphasised in the Qur'an

THE GNAT
They said 'Glory be to You! We have no knowledge except what You have taught us. You are the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.'
(Surat al-Baqarah: 32)
In the Qur’an, as mentioned in earlier pages, Allah frequently summons people to investigate nature and see the "signs" therein. All animate and inanimate beings in the universe are full of signs revealing that they are "made", and they demonstrate the power, knowledge and art of their "maker". Man is responsible for identifying these signs by using his wisdom, and for paying reverence to Allah.
While all living beings bear these signs, there are some to which Allah specifically refers in the Qur’an.
The gnat is one of these animals. In the 26th verse of Surat al-Baqarah, the gnat is mentioned:
 

The main food source for male and female gnats is nectar.

Allah is not ashamed to make the example of a gnat or of an even smaller thing. As for those who believe, they know it is the truth from their Lord. But as for those who reject, they say, "What does Allah mean by this example?" He misguides many by it and guides many by it. But He only misguides the degenerate.

Considered as an ordinary, insignificant living being, even the gnat is worthy of being examined and pondered since it bears the signs of Allah. This is why "Allah is not ashamed to make the example of a gnat or of an even smaller thing".
 

SPECIAL PINCERS FOR MATING A male gnat mature enough to mate uses its antennae, i.e. its hearing organs, to find its female. The antennae of male gnats have different functions from those of females. Thin feathers at the end of their antennae are highly sensitive to sound emitted  by female gnats. Right beside the sexual organs of the  male gnat, there are appendages, which help him to grab the female while mating in the air. Male gnats fly in groups that seem like clouds and when a female gnat enters the group, the male who succeeds  in grabbing the female mates with her during flight. Mating does not take long and the male gnat goes back to his group after mating. From that moment, the female gnat needs blood for the development of her eggs.

THE EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURE OF THE GNAT
What is generally known about gnats is that they are bloodsuckers and 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:
 

In some gnat species, the female lines up hundreds  of eggs like a raft.

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.

RESPIRATORY SYSTEM The respiratory system of the larva is based on a method whereby the larva breathes air by means of a hollow tube pushed up above the water surface.  Meanwhile, larvae hang upside down under the water. A viscous secretion prevents water from leaking into the openings through which larvae breathe.

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 used 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. The formation of these two systems at two different times would cause the animal to die at this stage. This proves that the gnat has all its systems intact, that is, it was created.
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 designed 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. 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.
 

While the gnat comes out of the water, its head should not contact the water at all, because even one breathless moment may result in the gnat’s choking. Even a breeze or a tiny turbulence on the water surface could be fatal for the gnat.

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. This moment is extremely important. Because even a soft wind may bring its death by causing it to fall into the water, the gnat has to climb on the water with its feet only touching the water surface. It succeeds.
How is it that the first gnat attained the "ability" to go through such a transformation? Could it be that a larva "decided" to transform into a gnat after changing skin three times?
Absolutely not! It is quite evident that this tiny living being, which Allah gives as an example, has specifically been created this way.
 

HOW GNATS PERCEIVE OUTSIDE WORLD Gnats are equipped with extremely sensitive heat receptors. They perceive the things around them in different colours depending on their heat, as in the picture on the right. As its perception is not dependent on light, it is quite easy for the gnat to spot blood vessels even in a dark room. The heat receptors of  the gnat are sensitive enough to detect heat differences as small as 1/1,000o C.

 

The gnat has nearly one hundred eyes. As compound eyes, these are placed on the top of its head. In the picture above, the cross-sections of three of these eyes are shown. On the right, we see how the image of an object is transmitted to the brain from the eye.

 
AMAZING TECHNIQUE OF BLOOD SUCKING

The gnat’s technique of "blood-sucking" depends on a complex system in which unbelievably detailed structures work together. 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.

The photograph is of a tiny animal that lives as a parasite on gnats.  When we consider that apart from the excellent systems of the gnat, such as feeding, reproduction, respiration and blood circulation, only a small part of which we could examine here, this lice also has complex systems and organic functions, we can better comprehend the boundlessness of the signs of Allah.

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.
   

Everything in the heavens and the earth glorifies Allah. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise. The sovereignty of the heavens and the earth belongs to Him. He gives life and causes to die.He has power over everything. (Surat al-Hadid: 1-2)

Part II Human Being

"Does not man recall that We created him before when he was not anything?"
(Surah Maryam: 67)

CREATION IN THE UTERUS

"Does not man recall that We created him before when he was not anything?" (Surah Maryam: 67)

If a person does not use his common sense and ask himself the question "how did I come into being?" he will adopt an illogical attitude saying to himself, "I somehow came into being!...". With such reasoning, he will start to lead a life in which he will have no time to think on such issues.
However, a person with common sense should think how he was created and determine the meaning of his life accordingly. While doing this, he should not be afraid, as some people are, of ending up with the conclusion "I have been created". Those people mentioned above do not want to take any responsibility towards a Creator. They fear changing their lifestyles, habits, and the ideologies the have accepted in case they acknowledge that they are created. Therefore, they run away from obeying their Creator. Those who deny Allah and who "refuted them (His signs) wrongly and haughtily, in spite of their own certainty about them," (Surat an-Naml: 14) as described in the Qur’an, adopt this psychology.
On the other hand, a person who appraises his existence with wisdom and common sense will see nothing in himself but the signs of Allah's creation. He will acknowledge that his existence depends on the co-operation of thousands of complicated systems, none of which he creates or controls. He will grasp the fact that "he is created" and, by knowing our Creator, Allah, he will try to understand for what purpose He "created" him.
For anyone who tries to comprehend the meaning of His creation there is a guide book: the Qur'an. This website is a guide sent to him and to all created men on earth by our Creator, Allah.
That the phenomenon of creation takes place just as described in the Qur’an conveys significant meanings to the men of understanding.
The following pages include various pieces of information, for those with wisdom and common sense, exhibiting how "they were created" and the marvel of this creation.

Allah created you from dust and then from a drop of sperm and then made you into pairs. No female gets pregnant or gives birth except with His knowledge. And no living thing lives long or has its life cut short without that being in a Book. That is easy for Allah. (Surah Fatir: 11)

The story of man’s creation starts at two different locations very distant from each other. The human being steps into life by the union of two separate substances present in the bodies of women and men, which are created totally independently from each other yet in perfect harmony. It is certain that the sperm in the male body is not produced by the will and control of man, just as the egg in the female body is not formed by the will and control of woman. Indeed, they are not even aware of those occurrences.

We created you so why do you not confirm the truth? Have you thought about the sperm that you ejaculate?  Is it you who create it or are We the Creator? (Surat al-Waqi’ah: 57-59)

It is obvious that both the substances, that coming from the man and that from the woman, are created in accordance with one another. The creation of these two substances, their union and transformation into a human being are indeed great miracles.

THE TESTICLES AND THE SPERM

Sperm, which constitutes the first step in the creation of a new human being, is produced "outside" the man’s body. The reason for this is that sperm production is only possible in an environment two degrees cooler than normal body temperature. In order to stabilise the temperature at this level there is special skin on the testicles. It shrinks in cold weather and expands in hot weather, keeping temperature constant. Does the male himself "regulate" and arrange this delicate balance? Certainly not. The male is not even aware of this. Those who keep on resisting the fact of creation can only say that this is "an undiscovered function of the human body". The definition of "undiscovered function" is nothing but a "mere name".

Sperm and the inside view of testicles.

Produced in the testicles at the rate of 1,000 per minute, sperm has a special design made for its journey to the female ovaries, a journey that progresses as if it "knows" the place. The sperm is composed of a head, a neck and a tail. Its tail helps it move in the uterus like a fish.
Its head part, containing a portion of the baby’s genetic code, is covered with a special protective shield. The function of this shield is revealed at the entrance to the mother’s uterus: here, the environment is very acidic. It is clear that the sperm is covered with a protective shield by "someone" who is aware of this acidity. (The purpose of this acidic environment is the protection of the mother from microbes.)
It is not only millions of sperms that are ejaculated into the uterus. Semen is a mixture of various kinds of fluid. In the Qur'an this fact is emphasised in the verse below:

"Has man ever known a point of time when he was not something remembered? We created man from a mingled drop to test him, and We made him hearing and seeing." (Surat al-Insan: 1-2)

These fluids within the semen contain sugar, which is to provide the energy needed by the sperm. Besides, its basic composition has various tasks such as neutralising the acids at the entrance to the mother’s uterus, and maintaining the slippery medium for the movement of the sperms. (Here, we again see that two different and independent beings are created in accordance with each other.) The spermatozoa make a difficult journey within the mother’s body until they reach the ovum. No matter how much they defend themselves, approximately only a thousand out of the 200-300 million spermatozoa reach the ovum.
 
THE OVUM
While the sperm is designed according to the ovum, the ovum, on the other hand, is prepared to be the seed of life in a totally different medium.... While the woman is unaware, first, an egg matured in the ovaries is left in the abdominal cavity, and then it is caught in the arms placed at the end of the appendages called the fallopian tubes of the uterus. Following this, the egg starts to move on with the help of the movement of the cilia inside the fallopian tube. This egg is only as big as the half of a salt particle. The place where the ovum and the sperm meet is the fallopian tube. Here, the ovum starts to secrete a special fluid. With the help of this secretion, the spermatozoa find the location of the ovum. We need to be aware: when we say that the ovum "starts to secrete", we are not talking about a man or a conscious being. It cannot be explained by coincidence that a microscopic protein mass "decides" on such an act "by itself" and then "prepares" and secretes a chemical compound to attract the spermatozoa to itself. There is evidently design at work.
Briefly, the reproduction system of the body is designed to unite the ovum and the sperm. This means that woman’s reproduction system is created in accordance with the needs of the spermatozoa and the spermatozoa are created in accordance with the needs of the environment within the woman’s body.
 
MEETING OF THE SPERM AND THE OVUM
 

The spermatozoa around the ovum

When the sperm, which will fertilise the egg, draws closer to the ovum, the egg again "decides" to secrete a special fluid, prepared particularly for the sperm, which dissolves the protective shield of the sperm. Consequently, the solvent enzyme sacks which are found at the end of the sperm and are especially made for the ovum are laid open. When the sperm reaches the ovum, these enzymes drill the membrane of the ovum allowing the sperm to enter. The spermatozoa around the ovum start to compete to break in, but in general, only one sperm fertilises the ovum.

THE MOMENT OF UNION  One of the spermatozoa enters the ovum to fertilise it after a long and difficult journey.

The Qur’anic verses describing this stage are very interesting. In the Qur’an, it is stated that a human being is made from an extract of base fluid, that is, the semen.

"...then He produced his seed from an extract of base fluid" (Surat as-Sajda: 8)

As the verse informs us, it is not the fluid itself carrying the spermatozoa that fertilises the egg, but only an "extract" of it. A single sperm within it is the fertilising agent, and moreover, the chromosomes in the sperm which are "an extract" of it.
When an ovum allows one sperm in, it is not possible for another sperm to enter it. The reason for this is the electrical field that forms around the ovum. The area around the egg is (-) negatively charged, and as soon as the first sperm penetrates the ovum, this charge changes to (+) positive. Therefore, the ovum, which has the same electrical charge as the external spermatozoa, starts repelling them.

When the sperm that will fertilise the egg draws close to the egg, the egg suddenly secretes a special fluid that dissolves the protective shield of the sperm. Consequently, the solvent enzyme sacks at the tip of the sperm are laid open. As soon as the sperm reaches the egg, these enzymes pierce the egg membrane, thus letting the sperm enter.

This means that the electrical charges of the two substances, forming independently and separately from each other, are also in accordance with each other.
Finally, the male’s DNA in the sperm and the female’s DNA in the ovum combine. Now, there is the first seed, the first cell of a new human being in the mother’s womb: the zygote.
 

The growth that starts with a single cell continues with the constant multiplication of cells.The zygote seen clinging to the mother's uterus. (Third picture)

THE CLOT CLINGING TO THE UTERUS...

When the sperm of the male unites with the ovum of the female as described above, the essence of the baby to be born is formed. This single cell known in biology as the "zygote" will instantly start to grow by division and eventually become a "piece of flesh". The zygote, however, does not spend its developmental period in a void. It clings to the uterus just like roots that are firmly fixed to the earth by their tendrils. Through this bond, the zygote can obtain the substances essential to its development from the mother’s body.
Such a detail could not be known without a sound knowledge of physiology. It is obvious that no one possessed such knowledge fourteen centuries ago. Interestingly enough, Allah always refers to the zygote developing in the mother’s womb as "a clot of blood" in the Qur’an:

Recite: In the Name of your Lord Who created man from a blood clot. Recite: And your Lord is the Most Generous. (Surat al-‘Alaq: 1-3)

Does man reckon he will be left to go on unchecked? Was he not a drop of ejaculated sperm? Then a blood clot, which He created and shaped, making from it both sexes, male and female? (Surat al-Qiyamah: 36-39)

The Arabic meaning of the word "blood-clot" is "a thing that clings to some place". The word is used literally to describe leeches that cling to a body to suck blood. It is obviously the best possible word to describe the zygote clinging to the wall of the uterus and absorbing its sustenance from it.
 

THE THREE DARK REGIONS 1.  The fallopian tube: this is the region where the egg and the sperm unite and the where the ovarium connects to the uterus.  2.  Inside the uterus wall to which the zygote clings for development.  3.  The region where the embryo starts growing in a sack full of a special liquid. This is stated in the Qur’an as: "He creates you stage by stage in your mothers' wombs in a threefold darkness. That is Allah, your Lord. Sovereignty is His. There is no god but Him. So what has made you deviate?..."  (Surat az-Zumar: 6)

The Qur’an has more to disclose about the zygote. Perfectly clinging to the uterus, the zygote starts to develop. The uterus of the mother, meanwhile, is filled with a fluid called the "amnion liquid" that surrounds the zygote. The most important function of the amnion liquid in which the baby develops is to protect the baby against blows from outside. In the Qur’an, this fact is revealed as follows:

(Did We not create you from a base fluid? Then place it in a secure repository? (Surat al-Mursalat: 20-21)

WHILE THE EYES FORM... Being a dark spot at the first stage, the baby’s eye takes its final form during the passing months.

All of this information given in the Qur’an about the formation of man demonstrates that the Qur’an comes from a source that knows about this formation down to its slightest detail. This situation once more proves that the Qur’an is the word of Allah.
Meanwhile, the embryo that previously looked like a gel, with time transforms. In the initial soft structure, hard bones begin to form to provide the body the ability to stand upright. The cells, which were initially the same, become specialised: some form light-sensitive eye cells, some nerve cells sensitive to cold, heat and pain, and some cells sensitive to sound vibrations. Do the cells by themselves decide on this differentiation? Do they by themselves first decide to form a human heart or a human eye and then accomplish this incredible task? On the other hand, are they created appropriately for these purposes?  Wisdom, intellect and soul will assent to the second alternative.
At the end of these processes, the baby completes its development inside the mother’s womb, then is born into the world. Now it is 100 million times bigger and 6 billion times heavier than it was initially....
This is the story of our first step into life, not those of any other organism. What can be more important for a man than finding the purpose of such an amazing creation?
 

"It is Allah Who made the earth a stable home for you and the sky a dome, and formed you, giving you the best of forms"  (Surat Ghafir: 64)

The first days of a human being’s face (left) and its final shape.

It is illogical to think that all of these complicated functions occur "of their own volition". No one has the power to create himself, or another person or any other object? Allah creates all the events hitherto described, each moment, each second and each stage.

"Allah created you from dust and then from a drop of sperm and then made you into pairs. No female gets pregnant or gives birth except with His knowledge. And no living thing lives long or has its life cut short without that being in a Book. That is easy for Allah." (Surah Fatir: 11)

Our body, which from only a "drop of sperm", transforms itself into a human, has millions of delicate balances. Even though we are not aware of them, there are extremely complex and delicate systems in our body that help us survive. Allah, the only Owner, Creator and Lord of man built all these systems, in order for him to understand that "he is created".
Man is a being Allah created. Since he is created, he is not to be "left uncontrolled (without purpose)".
 

Or were they created out of nothing, or are they the creators? Or did they creat the heavens and the earth? No, in truth they have no certainty.(Surat at-Tur: 35-36) "O man! What has deluded you in respect of your Noble Lord? He Who created you and formed you and proportioned you and assembled you in whatever way He willed." (Surat al-Infitar: 6-8)

MOTHER'S MILK...

The feeding of a new human being, which has grown from the transformation of a sperm to a baby, is a miracle on its own. Human milk is the best nutrition possible, and it is produced neither by the mother’s help nor by anyone else’s. Thanks to the substances in its composition, mother’s milk is both an excellent food-source for the newborn and a substance that increases the resistance of the mother as well as the baby to diseases. Doctors agree that artificial baby food should only be preferred if the milk of the mother is not adequate, and that babies should be fed with mother’s milk, especially in the first months. Now, let us look at the features of this milk:
 

THE SUCKING REFLEX Babies are born from their mother’s womb with the reflex to suck. Their sucking exercises, which start with thumb sucking in the womb, have a vital importance in the feeding of the baby after birth, because there is no other way for the baby to get milk, which is its only food source.

• The most interesting aspect of mother’s milk is that its concentration changes according to the developmental phases of the baby. The amount of calories and the food content change according to whether the baby’s delivery was premature or on time. If the baby is premature, the fat and protein concentration is higher in the mother’s milk than a baby would normally need, because the premature baby needs more calories.
  
  
• Immune system elements that the baby needs, such as antibodies  or defence cells, are given to the baby ready-made in the mother’s milk. Just like professional soldiers, they defend the body to which they do not belong and protect the baby from its enemies.
  
  
• It is antibacterial. Although bacteria are produced in normal milk if it is left at room temperature for six hours, no bacteria are produced in mother’s milk if left for the same period.
  
  
• It protects the baby against arteriosclerosis.
  
  
• The baby quickly digests it.

We know that none of the artificial baby food produced in modern laboratories by expert dieticians is as beneficial as the natural mother's milk. How can we answer the question, "Who produced this baby milk in a human body when the mother herself is even unaware of its production, and yet it is superior to those produced in laboratory conditions"? It is very clear that mother's milk is brought into being by the Creator of the baby who is in need of this milk....
 

Part III The Signs In Living Things

PROFESSIONAL HUNTERS
In the sixth ayah of Surah Hud, Allah states that Allah gives the "sustenance" of all living things, that is, Allah creates all the provisions that provide for their subsistence:

There is no creature on the earth which is not dependent upon Allah for its provision. He knows where it lives and where it dies. They are all in a Clear Book. (Surah Hud: 6)

One can easily recognise how Allah "gives sustenance" to all living things once one looks around oneself conscientiously and with wisdom. All our food and drink are things that are "made" and "created". The water we drink, the bread, fruits and vegetables we eat are all the results of a special creation. Take a fruit, an orange for instance.... This fruit is originally formed on the branch of a tree, which is, in fact, a mass of wood. The tree absorbs minerals and water from the soil and combines them with the energy it obtains from the sun. The result it yields is extremely useful for the human body, extremely tasty and fragrant when consumed by humans. Moreover, it is in a very healthy and aesthetically pleasing wrapping.
How does a tree bring about such a yield? Why is it so useful to the human body? Why do all fruits contain essential vitamins appropriate to the seasons in which they grow? Why are they so tasty and not bitter? Why are they so fragrant and do not stink?
Certainly a tree is just a bulk of wood and it is out of the question for it to produce a fruit on its own and equip it with features essential for human use. Just as Allah sustains human beings, so does He sustain the animals. In the following pages, we will review the hunting techniques some living beings use to reach their sustenance.
It is by no means difficult for one to understand the might and omnipotence of Allah if one conscientiously examines, within the boundaries of wisdom and logic, the systems with which animals are endowed to get their food. Every animal that we cover in this chapter is one of the great examples Allah has spread out on the earth.
For instance, the "hunting technique" of the fish you see on the next page is amazing. This fish neither chases its enemy nor does it lurk secretly to dash upon them. The fish is no different from others at first glance. Yet, as soon as it lifts its fin, a "fake fish" appears on its back. When other fish approach this small fake fish, not realising who the real owner of the fins is, they become easy prey to the hunter fish.
Has this fish by itself given its fin a fish image? Or rather, have coincidences accumulated and given the fish such a feature? It is unquestionably impossible to claim that a fish could conceive of such a conscious plan, and act and carry it out. No doubt, all the features the living things possess bring us face to face with a single reality: the existence of the owner of the superior wisdom and design prevailing in nature, the existence of Allah...
 

1. The closed fin.  2. In order to attract the attention of other fish, the fish opens its fin and the fake fish appears.  3. The prey, allured by the fake fish, draws near and becomes prey to the hunter it has not recognised.

THE JUMPING SPIDER
As is widely known, spiders construct a web and wait for insects to become trapped. The jumping spider, contrary to others, prefers to go after its prey itself. It makes a nimble leap to reach its prey. It may capture a fly that passes half a metre away from itself in the air by leaping upon it.
The spider makes this amazing leap by its eight feet that work on hydraulic pressure principles, and all of a sudden it descends on its prey and inserts it powerful jaws in it. This leap usually takes place in a convoluted environment of plants. The spider must calculate the most appropriate angle for a successful leap, and consider the speed and direction of its prey.
More interesting is how it saves its own life after catching its prey. The insect could possibly die, because when jumping to catch its prey, it launches itself into the air and so it could easily crash down to the ground from the heights (the spider is usually at the top of a tree).
The spider, however, does not face such an end. The spider thread, which it had secreted just before jumping and which it sticks on the branch it is on, saves it from falling to the ground and keeps him dangling in the air. This thread is so strong that it can hold both the spider and its prey.
Another interesting feature of this spider is that the poison it injects into its prey liquefies its tissues. The food of the spider is nothing else than the liquefied tissues of its prey.
Certainly, the features of this spider are not gifts (!) of coincidence. It is necessary that it should have gained the skill of both jumping and, at the same time, making a thread that will prevent it from falling. If it could not jump, it would starve and die. If it could not make a thread or if its thread were not strong enough, it would crash to the ground. Then the spider must both have a body structure suitable for jumping and a system to secrete a thread strong enough to lift its prey.
Besides that, the spider is not only a mechanism that produces thread and jumps but a complex living organism and must exist with all its features intact at the same time. The development of none of these features can be deferred. For instance, can you think of a spider with an incomplete digestive system?

IT SEES 360 DEGREES AROUND Another extremely interesting feature of the jumping spider is its skill in seeing. Many living organisms, including human beings, can only see a limited space with their two eyes and are unable to see behind them. However, the jumping spider can see everything around itself including its back with its four pairs of eyes located on top of its head. Two of these eyes are extended forward from the middle of the head like test-tubes. These two big eyes (called A.M. eyes) can move from right to left, and up and down in their sockets. The other four eyes on the sides of the head cannot perceive the image completely, yet can detect every movement around them. In this way, the animal can easily identify a prey behind it.

The ability of the jumping spider's eyes to see independently from each other helps the animal perceive objects more rapidly. In the pictures, the dark eye looks at the camera, and the light eye looks elsewhere. It is a wonder that the jumping spider has eight eyes and an angle of vision of 360 degrees whereas other creatures have only two eyes. Certainly, the animal has not, by itself, "thought" that this would be more useful and thus produced additional eyes, or - to be accurate - these eyes did not originate coincidentally. The animal has been created with all these features.

 

CAMOUFLAGE TECHNIQUE OF THE ANTS

If you were asked what you see in the above picture, you would definitely say, "there are some ants above and below the leaf".

Above are two ants and a jumping spider. You have no other way but to count the legs to find out which one is the ant and which one is the spider.

However, what you see under the leaf is a jumping spider lurking to hunt living ants. This species of the jumping spider looks so similar to the ants that even the ants think it is one of them.
The only difference between the ant and the spider is the number of legs. The spider has eight legs whereas the ant has six.

THE WATER GUN OF THE FISH This fish shoots the water it has filled in its mouth on insects sitting on branches overhanging the water. The insect falls, due to the pressurised water and becomes an easy prey to the fish. It is worth noting that while launching the attack, the fish does not lift its head out of the water at all, and spots the location of its prey accurately. As is widely known, when viewed from under water, objects outside the water seem, due to the refraction of light, at a different location from where they really are. Therefore, to be able to "hit" a target outside the water from under the water, one needs to know the refractive angle of the light and make the "shot" accordingly. However, this fish innately copes with this difficulty and hits the mark every time.

In order to do away with this "handicap", which will make him readily recognised, the jumping spider stretches its two forelegs forward and lifts them up. Thus, its two legs look exactly like the antennae of ants.
Yet, the camouflage does not consist solely of this. The animal needs also an eye pattern that will make it seem like an ant. Its own eyes are not big and in the shape of a dark spot like those of the ants. One feature it possesses by birth helps it solve this problem. The spider has two big spots at the two sides of its head. These two spots resemble the ant's eyes (notice the spots at the sides of the spider’s head in the above picture).
 
THE RATTLESNAKE
The heat-detectors located in the facial cavities at the anterior of the rattlesnake's head detect the infrared light caused by the body heat of its prey. This detection is so sensitive as to perceive a temperature increase of 1/300 in the heat of the setting. The snake, with the help of its forked-tongue, which is its organ of smell, can sense a motionless red squirrel sitting half a metre away in deep darkness. Fixing the location of its prey faultlessly, the snake first silently sneaks towards it, then comes close enough to attack, arches and stretches its neck and closes upon its target at great speed. By then, it has already inserted the teeth on its strong jaw, which can open to 180 degrees. All of this takes place at a speed equivalent to an automobile's accelerating from 0 km/h up to 90 km/h in half a second. The length of the snake's "venomous teeth", its greatest weapon in rendering its victim ineffective, is about 4 cm. The insides of its teeth are hollow and connected to the glands of venom. As soon as the snake bites, the gland’s muscles contract and with great power shoot the poison first into the teeth canal and then under the prey's skin. The snake venom either paralyses the central nervous system of the prey or causes its death by coagulating the blood. Only 0.028 g of some snakes’ venom is strong enough to kill 125,000 rats. The poison shows its effects so q uickly that the prey does not have time to do any harm to the snake. From now on, all that is left to the snake is to engulf its paralysed prey with its highly flexible mouth.
 

HOW DOES IT MOVE ON THE SAND? This desert-dwelling snake can move swiftly on the sand. By contracting its chest muscles by degrees, it moves its body in an S-form.  At the beginning of the movement, it twists its body, lifts its head and keeps it poised in the air. As the contraction, which drives the movement, proceeds to the tail, the head moves forward and touches the earth. In the meantime, the motion of contraction has reached the tail. A fresh wave lifts the tail up from the sand and brings it up to the level of the head.  Thus, the snake moves forward by leaving parallel traces with a slope of 45 degrees on average.  Throughout this movement, only two parts of the snake touch the sand. With this form of movement, the snake's body is protected from being scorched by making minimal contact with the extremely hot, burning sand. Since snakes do not have jawbones, they can open their mouths as big as they wish. Above, you may see how a snake can easily eat an egg, which is much larger than it is. The prey is slowly swallowed as a whole and digested.

   

LION FISH After trapping smaller fish in cave-like or rocky shelters, this dazzlingly coloured fish closes their exits by using its fins as a net. Those fish that try to flee face the poisonous spines of the lion fish. The powerful venom of the lion fish takes instant effect and causes the deaths of its victims.

Though everyone knows the poisonous feature of snakes, almost no one thinks about how this takes place. In fact, an animal’s possessing a technology to kill another animal by poison is quite astonishing and extraordinary. Those who insist on denying the existence of Allah are certainly incapable of explaining how snakes possess such an extraordinary skill. The venomous system in the mouth of the snake is a very complex and sophisticated one. In order for this system to function, the snake has to have special "venomous teeth", which are hollow inside, and venomous glands connected to these teeth. A very powerful venom that will paralyse its enemies has to have been formed, and this reflex has to work as soon as the animal bites its prey. This multi-component system would not work with one of its components missing. That would result in the snake’s falling prey to the animals it has chosen to hunt. The extraordinary skills of the animal in sensing temperature change and odour show the detailed nature of the design we are facing.
Here, there is an extraordinary and unusual occurrence that we can only term a "miracle". It is, however, out of the question that nature could create a miracle which is "supernatural". Nature is a name given to the entire order we see around us. The founder of this order can surely not be the order itself. The laws of nature are those laws Allah fixed, which set the relationships among those that He created. Defining concepts properly reveals the truth. Confusing concepts, on the other hand, is a characteristic of the unbelievers. They do it to conceal the facts and deny the crystal-clear creation.
 

WAR MACHINE: THE SCORPION Brain The brain's structure extends from head to tail and consists of fifteen nerve lobes. This structure of the brain provides a great advantage for the animal, allowing it to make quick decisions and to transmit reflexes and all necessary orders to the organs. Poisonous sting The potent poison of scorpions, which is capable of killing a human being, is injected into enemies via the stings located at the back of their body. A robust armour Its outer covering that wraps it like an armour is sturdy enough to protect it not only from its enemies but also from radiation. The human body has resistance to approximately 600 rads of radiation, whereas the tolerance of scorpions rises as high as 40-150 thousand rads. Lungs It has eight air vessels in its abdomen. It continues to breathe easily even if only one of them is open. It can stay under water for two days owing to its strong lungs. Abdomen On its underside , the female scorpion bears a pair of unique sense organs called "pectines". With these, it identifies the surface texture and selects the most appropriate place for laying its eggs. Feet The detectors on its feet help the animal perceive every kind of movement, noise and vibration. These detectors are so sensitive that the scorpion can sense the vibrations caused by a nearby living organism in 1/1000th of a second. Pincers The function of the scorpion's pincers is to render its victims ineffective before stinging them. Moreover, it can use its pincers to dig the sand and hide under ground.

 

HOOK FISH When this fish needs to hunt, it sets free the appendage coming out from its head like a hook and begins to wait.  The other fish that approach this extension, thinking that it is a small fish, cannot escape falling a prey to the sudden attack of the hunter fish.  We all know that a fish has no means to create a hook in its own body, and that such an issue cannot be side-stepped by a senseless explanation such as "it just happened to be so by coincidence".

With their outward appearance being quite suitable for camouflage, some animals have a great advantage in hunting. For instance, it is impossible to notice the snake above when hidden under the sand. For this snake waiting in ambush, it is quite easy to hunt its prey, which comes right under its nose without realising it.

   

Another animal endowed with the ability of camouflage is a fish named "the stargazer". This fish hides itself under the sand on the seafloor. Over the mouth of the fish is a tooth-like fringed structure. It comfortably breathes under the sand via this organ, which looks like a tooth and can hardly be distinguished from sand. It waits in ambush for its prey and once it comes close, it rushes out from under the sand and catches it.

This tiger which is perfectly camouflaged, with its agility, powerful jaw, claws, speed and strength, is the perfect hunter. Another characteristic of the tiger is that it never allows the wind to be at its back while tracing its prey, since the wind blowing from behind it would carry its odour to its prey and hence cause it to be noticed.

 

A MASTER HUNTER: CHAMELEON Tongue The chameleon's tongue is kept collapsed within its mouth like an accordion. In the middle of its tongue is a sharp-ended cartilage. When the circular muscles at the tip of its tongue contract, the tongue shoots out. The animal's tongue is covered with a mucous-like viscous liquid. When it approaches close enough to its prey, it opens its mouth and rapidly hurls its tongue towards its victim. The viscous tongue, owing to the intertwining muscles, reaches as far as 1.5 times the length of the chameleon. The time for the tongue to retrieve the prey and retract is only 0.1 seconds. Camouflage The chameleon is certainly the first animal that comes to the mind when camouflage is raised. The chameleon changes its colour according to the ground on which it stands. To the right can be seen the mark made on the coat of the chameleon by the fern left on its back. Light and temperature changes are considered to have a role in the reactions that cause this mark. Yet, the animal is not even aware of its advantageous skill in changing colours. Its body is originally created to automatically match the colours of its surroundings.

  . AN UNCONVENTIONAL HUNTER: THE VENUS PLANT
Besides the predators we have mentioned so far, there are also some plants which "hunt" by using amazing methods. One of these is the "Venus" plant, which catches and feeds on insects that visit it.
The hunting system of this plant works as follows: a fly looking for food among the plants suddenly comes across one which is very attractive: the Venus plant. What makes this plant, which resembles a pair of hands holding a bowl, attractive, is its charming red colour and, more importantly, the sweet scent secreted by the glands surrounding its petals. The fly is charmed by this irresistible smell and lands on the plant without hesitation. While moving towards the origin of the food, it inevitably touches the seemingly harmless hair over the plant. After a short while, the plant suddenly snaps its petals shut. The fly is left tightly compressed between two petals. The Venus plant starts to secrete a "flesh dissolving" liquid, which causes the fly to turn into a jelly-like substance, and then the plant consumes the fly by absorbing it.
The swiftness of the plant in catching the fly is remarkable. The speed of the plant in closing is faster than the fastest closing speed of the hands of a human (if you try to catch a fly sitting on your palm, you most probably would not succeed, but the plant does). How, then, can this plant, which has no muscles or bones, make such an abrupt move?
Research has shown that there exists an electrical system inside the Venus plant. The system works as follows: the strokes of the fly on the hairs of the plant are transmitted to the receptors under the hairs. If this mechanical push is strong enough, these receptors will send electrical signals along the petal, just like waves in a pool. These signals are carried to the motor cells that cause the petals to make sudden moves, and finally the mechanism is activated to swallow the fly.

A few hairs inside the petals of the plant activate the trapping mechanism of the flower.

In addition to the stimulus system of the plant, the mechanical system by which the trap is closed also is created perfectly. As soon as the cells inside the plant receive electrical stimulation, they change the concentration of water within themselves. The cells inside the trap release water from their bodies. This event is like the dying of a deflated balloon. The cells outside the trap, on the other hand, take in excess water and swell. Thus, the trap is closed in the same way as when a person, in order to move his arm, needs to have one muscle contract and one relax. The fly trapped inside the plant actually touches the hairy strands repeatedly, causing the propulsive electrical force to discharge again, and making the trap more tightly closed. Meanwhile, the digestive glands in the trap are also activated. As a result of stimulation, these glands kill the insect and start slowly dissolving it. Thus, the plant feeds on digestive fluids that have turned into a bowl of soup enriched by plant proteins. At the end of the digestion, the mechanism that makes the trap close works conversely to open it.

1- The fly makes the hairs vibrate and the reaction starts. 2- Electrical impulses caused by chemical reactions are transmitted along the leaf. 3- And the plant catches the fly!

This system has yet another interesting feature: in order to activate the trap, the hairs have to be touched twice in succession. The first touch generates a static electric charge but the trap is not closed. The trap is only closed with a second touch after the static charge reaches a certain point and discharges. Due to this dual action mechanism, the flytrap is never closed without purpose. For instance, the trap does not become activated as soon as a raindrop falls on it.
Now, let us contemplate this striking system. The whole system has to exist at the same time for the plant to catch its prey and digest it properly. The absence of only one element would mean death for the plant. For instance, if there were no hairs inside the leaf, the plant would not close, as the reaction would never start although the insect would walk all over and inside the plant. If the closing system were there, but if the plant were devoid of secretions to digest the insect, the whole system would be useless. In brief, any element lacking in the system would mean the death of the plant.
This plant, since the moment it was created, must have always possessed the features we refer to here. The plant, no doubt, did not suddenly transform into a hunter. It is certainly not the "magical spell of coincidences" that has made the plant such a professional hunter.

Hairs of Sundew The petals of this plant are covered with long, red hairs. The tips of these hairs are coated with a liquid, which has a special scent that attracts insects. Another feature of this liquid is viscosity. An insect that aims at the origin of the smell will become stuck in these viscous hairs. As the insect struggles to escape, these tendrils start to bend down to better grip the insect. The insect, which is fully arrested, is digested in the protein breaking secretion. The active system of the plant is similar to that of the Venus plant. The hairs on its top and stem vibrate, and the electric signals that originate at the bottom start the reaction.

The most important point is that this proficient hunter does not have the capacity to think. If this living being were not a plant but an animal, then the advocates of evolution would possibly claim that the animal had progressed by itself with the estimable contributions (!) of "nature". What we are talking about here is that this system is found in a plant, a being with no brain or similar structure, and which is certainly unconscious. The plant is not even aware that it is hunting. It, too, is already created with a system by which it can feed itself without any effort just like all other plants.