SPECIALIST IN MANY WAYS: THE KOALA

Animals have various miraculous features and each one of them is a miracle of creation. One of these animals is the koala. The koala feeding on eucalyptus leaves has various splendid features that ensure a comfortable life for it on trees.

The bodily design of the koala, a native of Australia, has flawless details that it needs in the kind of environment it lives. For instance, its limbs and claws ensure an easy climb to eucalyptus tress with wide trunks. The two fingers in its forepaws are separate from its other three fingers. When compared with the human hand, it can be said that the koala has two thumbs. These thumbs, which are quite different from other fingers, allows the koala to grip more securely.

Four of the limbs of the koala, with its claws that can stick into the soft and smooth trunks of trees like a hook, grasp tree branches with ease as if we grasp a stick, and render a comfortable climb for the koala. However, the features, of the koala, are not limited to these. Here are some of them:

A Miniature Bio-chemical Plant

Eucalyptus leaves have a very high fiber and low protein content. These leaves are rich in strong odorous oil, phenolic combinations and materials similar to cyanide that are inedible and even poisonous for many mammals. These materials, which are poisonous for other animals, lose their poisonous effect when it comes to the koala’s body, for the koala is equipped with a digestive system having a very special anatomy and physiology.

Just as in the case of other herbivorous mammals, the koala cannot digest cellulose, the major component of eucalyptus. However, this task is accomplished by cellulose-digesting microorganisms in the cecum of the koala.

The koala’s cecum, which is quite long, opens to large intestine. Indeed, the cecum makes up 20% of the total intestine. Its length is 1.3m long. (Hume, I. D. (1999). Marsupial nutrition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press)

The cecum is the most interesting part of the koala’s digestive system. The access of the leaves to the digestive system is delayed right at this point. Thanks to this delay, the microorganisms in the cecum transform the cellulose into a structure from which the koala can benefit. With this structure, the koala’s cecum can be likened to a bio-chemical plant. While cellulose is being treated in this plant, oil and phenolic combinations, which are poisonous chemicals, are rendered ineffective in the liver.

As is known, the unique food of the koala is eucalyptus leaves. This means, the animal meets its carbohydrate requirements entirely by cellulose digested by microorganisms. In the absence of microorganisms, it is obvious that the koala cannot survive. The One Who creates these two creatures in perfect harmony is the All-Mighty Allah.

Allah is aware of all the needs of the living-beings. He creates them perfectly. Such examples prove Allah’s infinite power to us. In one of the verses in the Qur’an, Allah relates that those who can use their intellect can understand this fact:

He said, “The Lord of the East and the West and everything between them if you used your intellect.” (Surat ash-Shu‘ara’: 28)

The Koala and the Balance of Water

In the language of Aborigines, the Australian natives, the word “koala” means “the one who does
not drink water.” Indeed, the koala does not drink water, for it feeds entirely on eucalyptus leaves.

The eucalyptus leaves has a water content of around 40% to 65%. This ratio never drops below 40%. Because plants with less than 40% water content dry up and die. Thanks to this feature, eucalyptus leaves provide the necessary amount of water to the koala.

No doubt, this feature of the leaves is not sufficient alone. The koala’s body structure utilizing the
water in the eucalyptus leaves is extremely important.

The system in the kidneys that checks water loss of the koala’s body has a flawless design. Yet, what is more important is the fact that the digestive system of the koala has the feature of holding water. This way, only a small amount of the water is thrown out from the koala’s body.

Thanks to the kind of digestive system that can hold water, the koala can rely on excess amounts of leaves that do not contain high amounts of water. If the digestive system of the koala lacked this feature, then the animal had to be down on earth, being in a constant search for water.

This means, the animal, which lacks proper features to survive anywhere except for trees, had to face many threats. However, thanks to its special bodily structure, the koala never meets such difficulties.

The Koala’s Protective Fur

The main factor that determines the koala’s body temperature is its fur. The fur is created in a way to ensure perfect heat insulation:

The intensity of feathers in the fur may reach around 55 feathers per square millimeter. The fur in the back of the animal covers 77% of the body surface. The feathers on the stomach, on the other hand, are only half as intensive as the back fur, and it covers only 13% of the body surface.

The length of feathers changes from season to season. In summertime, the difference between long feathers and short ones become even more.

The thick fur on the back is darker than the loose ones on the stomach; this way, the koala collects and insulates the sun’s heat. Despite the loose stomach feathers, the koala can adjust the grade of insulation by steepening them.

On windy days, the koalas on trees give only their middle-backs against the wind, and they curl-up into the shape of a ball. As the intensity of the wind increases, they bend their ears forward. This way, none of their limbs becomes vulnerable to the air stream. The back fur of the koala has the highest grade of insulation. It’s insulation is very close to the grade of insulation of the animals living in the Northern Pole.

The wind has only a weak effect upon this strong fur on the back of the animal. Under heavy wind, the fur can maintain a constant body temperature. Indeed, even on very cold days and under heavy winds, the fur’s heat protection capacity drops only by 14%. Such data indicates that for an animal living on the top branches of trees in forests, they are ensured a perfect protection against cold.

The koala’s metabolism rate is also regulated in a way to complement the heat insulation of the fur. The metabolism of the koala is quite slow; it is only 74% of other animals’ metabolism rate. With such a slow rate, the animal also has a low water loss.

The Koala is a Great Deadlock for Evolutionists…

Let’s remember the features of the koala:

- The koala has a body structure that helps it to easily climb trees and live a comfortable life there.

- Thanks to the special design of its digestive system, the koala can get enough food and water from the eucalyptus leaves they find in ample amounts.

- It has a physiological system that eliminates the poisonous effects of eucalyptus oils.

- It has a metabolism that ensures maximum use of water taken from leaves.

All of these features are required for the survival of an animal such as the koala that lives on trees. Could it be that these features, which are essential for the survival of the koala, have come into existence by chance, as evolutionists assert?

A man of wisdom, who is able to think without prejudice and objectively, has only one answer to this question.

No. It is the All-Mighty Allah Who has created the koala with its flawless features. Allah reveals His infinite compassion and mercy through these features He grants to all living beings. Our Lord informs us about the miracles He creates in living beings as follows:

And in your creation and all the creatures He has spread about there are Signs for people with certainty. (Surat al-Jathiyya: 4)

SOLUTION: THE MORALS OF THE QUR'AN

Around the globe, the majority of people are among the oppressed. They are tortured, butchered, and live in abject poverty, are homeless, are forced to live their lives unprotected from the elements and they suffer lack of medical care. There are those who cannot even afford a loaf of bread. There are the elderly, facing neglect, abandonment and denied medical care. Then there are those who face discrimination, expulsion from their homes and lands simply because of their ethnicity, language, race or tribe and even massacres. Helpless, malnourished, defenseless innocent children are forced to work for money or beg.

Countless people live in fear for their lives anxious about their survival, in a world in the midst of whose poverty and oppression, there is also immense extravagance, privilege and wealth. Those blessed with the "good life" pass by the homeless, see pictures, and watch scenes on television of those less fortunate than they. Sometimes they feel a brief moment of pity, but then change the channel, turn away from the image, and in a short time completely erase that fleeting prick of the conscience.

So many who enjoy the bounties and comforts with which they have been blessed, never think of expending effort to save those who can not afford these. They believe it is not up to them to save those people, when so many are richer and more powerful and in a better position to come to the aid of the less fortunate.

However, prosperity and power alone are not enough to save those people and to make this world a place of welfare in which justice, peace, confidence and well-being prevail. Despite the existence of developed countries around the world, there are still too many countries, such as Ethiopia, where people still die daily of starvation. It is apparent that the wealth and power of some nations are not enough in themselves to solve the afflictions of drought, poverty and civil warfare.

Only being conscientious will channel resources and power towards the welfare of the poor and desperate. The sole way of being conscientious is having faith. It is only the believers who constantly live by their consciences.

Eventually, there is only one solution to the injustice, chaos, terror, massacres, hunger, poverty, and oppression in the world: the values of the Qur'an.

Those adverse conditions were created in the first place by hatred, malice, self-interest, indifference and cruelty and therefore must be undone by love, compassion, mercy, generosity, unselfishness, sensitivity, tolerance, commonsense and wisdom. These traits of compassion are found only in those who fully live by the values taught in the Noble Qur'an, which is our guidance directly from our Creator. In one verse, Allah (swt) refers to the Qur'an's feature of leading mankind out of darkness into light.

... A light has come to you from Allah and a Clear Book. By it, Allah guides those who follow what pleases Him to the ways of peace. He will bring them from the darkness to the light by His permission, and guide them to a straight path. (Surat al Ma'ida: 15-16)

In another verse, Allah states that everything would be in corruption and confusion if the truth were to be according to human desires:

If the truth were to follow their whims and desires, the heavens and the earth and everything in them would have been brought to ruin. No indeed! We have given their Reminder, but they have turned away from it. (Surat al-Muminun: 71)

As you read this passage, millions of people are suffering, are cold and hungry, or facing expulsion from their homelands. For this reason, people who have consciences need to think about this, and act to solve those troubles as if they themselves or their loved ones were facing them. We need to act both spiritually and materially to alleviate the suffering and oppression. In one verse, Allah orders conscientious and faithful people to assume this responsibility:

What reason could you have for not fighting in the Way of Allah – for those men, women and children who are oppressed and say, 'Our Lord, take us out of this city whose inhabitants are wrongdoers! Give us a protector from You! Give us a helper from You!'? (Surat an-Nisa': 75)

When we consider the Qur'anic commands, it becomes obvious what are our obligations. The most important thing for Muslims is first, to struggle in the intellectual domain so that the values of the Qur'an and the Sunnah prevail over disbelief. The only salvation for the weak, helpless, homeless and destitute is the practice of the guidance of the Qur'an, which is directed to all humankind. Therefore, it is our duty to spread the word and communicate the message, and that is a vital component of worship for all Muslims.

Those who do not follow their consciences, who are indifferent to the suffering of others, who spend their wealth on frivolous and vain things, who fail to show concern for orphans, who look coldly at oppressed woman, children and the elderly, and who are happy only when there is immorality and ugliness in the world, will certainly have to give an account in the Hereafter.

Have you seen him who denies the deen (religion)? He is the one who harshly rebuffs the orphan and does not urge the feeding of the poor. So woe to those who do salat (regular prayers), whose hearts from their salat are remote, those who show off and deny help to others. (Surat al-Ma'un: 1-7)

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SELF-SACRIFICE IN ANIMALS

Living beings have to reproduce to continue their species. However, reproduction by itself often proves insufficient, because if living things fail to provide adequate care for their offspring, the newborn cannot survive. In other words, if living things did not feel the need to protect and look after their offspring and did not do this successfully, newborn creatures would not be able to look after themselves and would soon die.

When we look at nature, we see the majority of living things display amazing self-sacrifice in order to protect and provide the best care for their offspring, incomparable to any form of sacrifice shown by human beings. Furthermore, these living things risk their lives for their young without a moment's hesitation. So, how did such self-sacrifice in animals develop?

Evolutionists claim that self-sacrifice displayed by living things, especially that shown towards their offspring, is instinctive behavior. What then does the word instinct mean?

Evolutionists define instinct as a sense of intuition inherent in living things. They claim that an inner voice whispers to a spider, a bird, a lion or a tiny insect to practice self-sacrifice to keep the generations going. In reply to a question regarding the source of this voice, they desperately say "mother nature". In the view of evolutionists, every phenomenon in nature is a miracle of nature.

However, it is evident that this claim is futile and meaningless, because nature itself, is already a created entity consisting of the stones, flowers, trees, rivers and mountains familiar to all of us. It is obvious that these entities cannot come together to furnish a living being with a new trait, which is a product of intelligence.

As a matter of fact, even Darwin himself was aware of this logical failure from the very beginning. In his book The Origin of Species, which he wrote in 1859, he expressed his self-doubt about his own theory in the following words:

So wonderful an instinct as that of the hive-bee making its cells will probably have occurred to many readers, as a difficulty sufficient to overthrow my whole theory. (Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species, p. 233)

Research conducted by scientists on living things has revealed that they live in an astounding harmony, coordination and collaboration with one another. Wherever one turns in nature, one is likely to see examples of this. For instance, some little birds utter a shrill alarm call when they see a bird of prey like a hawk or eagle approaching their flock, to warn their companions of the danger. Thus, they attract the attention of the attacker to themselves. This behavior considerably reduces the chance of survival of the bird who sounded the alarm. But despite this, the bird puts its own life at risk for the hundreds of other birds in the flock.

A majority of animals undertake all kind of self-sacrifice for their young. For example the incubation period of penguins is during the polar winter. Female penguins lay only one egg, leave incubation to the males, and return to the sea. During the four months of incubation, the male penguin has to resist violent polar storms at times reaching speeds of 120 kilometers per hour. Making great sacrifices for four full months without leaving the egg, the male penguin loses half of its body weight, because it has no chance of going hunting. Although it goes without any food for months, it does not go hunting, and resists the violent storms without ever leaving the egg. After the end of the four months, the female penguin shows up with a huge store of food. She has not wasted time in the meantime, but has worked for her young and stored food for it. She empties her stomach and takes over the job of caring for the young.

The care provided by the crocodile, a particularly savage animal, for its offspring is also quite astounding. First, the crocodile digs a hole for the incubation of its eggs. The temperature of the hole must never rise above 30ºC. A slight rise in temperature would threaten the lives of the offspring in the eggs. The crocodile takes care that the holes in which it places its eggs are located in rather shady places and goes to extraordinary efforts to keep the eggs at a constant temperature. Some crocodile species build nests of weeds on cold water. If the temperature of the nest still rises despite these measures, then the crocodile cools the nest by sprinkling urea on it.

The time when the eggs hatch is most important, because, in the event the crocodile failed to hear the noises coming from the nest, the young would be suffocated. The mother crocodile brings the eggs out and helps the offspring out of their eggs by using her teeth as tweezers. The crocodile, with her razor-sharp teeth, avoids the slightest movement likely to injure her young. The safest place for the newly born is the protective pouch in its mother's mouth which is specially designed to shelter half a dozen newly born crocodiles.

The meticulous care and concern a wild animal like the crocodile shows its offspring is only one of the examples proving the invalidity of the evolutionist claim of the struggle for life which maintains that the strong survive while the others are defeated and disappear.

The dolphin is another animal known for its self-sacrificing behavior. Dolphins raise their offspring with great care from the moment they are born. As soon as the newborn dolphin is born, it has to go up to the surface of the water for oxygen. To provide this, the mother dolphin shows amazingly conscious behavior and, using the tip of her nose, gently pushes the offspring above the surface of the water.

Just before birth, the movements of the mother dolphin slow down considerably. For this reason, two other females always accompany the mother dolphin during birth. Always remaining on either side of the mother, the assistant dolphins assume the responsibility of protecting her from possible attacks by sharks that might be attracted by the smell of blood.

How can this instinct, defined by evolutionists as "a drive observed in animals but not completely understood", guide animals to become civil engineers while building their nests, perfect soldiers while protecting their young or colonies, and turn even the most aggressive species into compassionate and gentle creatures towards their young?

Indeed, Darwin also had difficulties in answering this query, which he, himself, put forward. He often left related questions unanswered too. In his book The Origin of Species, he asks the following questions:

Thirdly, can instincts be acquired and modified through natural selection? What shall we say to so marvelous an instinct as that which leads the bee to make cells, which have practically anticipated the discoveries of profound mathematicians? (Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species, p.205)

As seen, Darwin's doubts on "Natural Selection" are quite precise. Although Darwin himself confesses that Natural Selection is not a reasonable explanation, the majority of evolutionists still insist on adhering to this fallacy.

Yet, every human being who observes nature with a clear consciousness sees that living things are not brutal, tough or uncompassionate because of the so-called struggle for life. On the contrary, living beings are self-sacrificing because of the "inspiration" their Creator bestowed upon them.

As expressed in the 68^th verse of the Surat an-Nahl, which says "Your Lord revealed to bees…", "God" the Lord of the heavens and the earth and everything in between, the Infinitely Compassionate and Oft-Forgiving has control over all living things. Their instincts, which Darwin was unable to explain within the scope of evolution, are actually the inspiration given by God to all living things.

All life in nature is created by God. All living things come into being by the Will of God and behave in compliance with His inspiration. The self-sacrificing behavior, kindness and care living beings display towards their young are merely the reflection of God's name, the "Compassionate". This is revealed in the 7^th verse of Surat an-Nahl:

"Your Lord is All-Gentle, Most Merciful"

SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE ESSENCE OF MATTER

All the information we have about the world we live in is conveyed to us by our five senses. The world we know consists of what our eye sees, our hand feels, our nose smells, our tongue tastes, and our ears hear. We never think that the "external" world can be other than what our senses present to us, since we've been depending on only those senses since the day we were born.

However, modern scientific research in many different fields points to a wholly different understanding, creating serious doubt about our senses and the world we perceive with them. This approach's starting point is the notion that any "external world" is only a response created in our brain by electrical signals. The red hue of an apple, the hardness of wood, your mother, father, your family, and everything that you own—your house, your job,—and even the lines of this article, are composed of electrical signals only.

In this picture, we see someone who feels himself skiing on the mountains, whereas there is really neither skis nor snow. This illusion is artificially created.

Thanks to present technological developments, it's possible to have realistic experiences without the need for an "external world" or "matter." The incredible advancement in virtual reality technology has come up with some especially convincing proofs.

To put it simply, virtual reality is the projection of computer-generated three-dimensional images that appear to be real with the aid of some devices. This technology, with its diverse range of applications, is known as "virtual reality," "virtual world," or "virtual environment." Its most important feature is that by the use of some purposely constructed devices, it misleads the person experiencing it into believing the experience to be real. In recent years, the word "immersive'' has begun to be used in front of the term "virtual reality," reflecting the way that witnesses are literally immersed in the experience.

The rationale of any virtual reality system is based on our five human senses. For instance, when the user puts on a special glove, devices inside transmit signals to the fingertips. When these signals are relayed to and interpreted by the brain, the user experiences the sensation of touching a silk fabric or ornate vase, complete with all of its surface details—without any such thing actually existing in the environment.

One of virtual reality's foremost applications is in medicine. Michigan University has developed a technology that trains assistant practitioners—in particular, the personnel of emergency wards—to learn their skills in a virtual reality lab, in which environment is created by projecting the details of an operating room onto the floor, walls, and ceiling of a room. The "picture" is completed by projecting an operating table, complete with the patient to be operated on, onto the center of the room. The surgeons-to-be put on their 3-D glasses and begin their "virtual" operation. And anyone viewing the images reflected on the 3-D glasses cannot distinguish a real operating room from this virtual one.

Do We Live in a Holographic Universe?

New Scientist is one of the best-known science magazines. Its March 27, 2002 cover story was written by scientist J.R. Minkel, titled "Hollow Universe." "Why we all live in a hologram" the cover headline reported. To sum up the article, we perceive the world as a single bundle of light. Therefore, it would be a mistake to consider matter as the absolute truth by relying on our perceptions. Admits Minkel:

You're holding a magazine. It feels solid; it seems to have some kind of independent existence in space. Ditto the objects around you—perhaps a cup of coffee, a computer. They all seem real and out there somewhere. But it's all an illusion.

Minkel's article states that some scientists call this idea the "theory of everything," and that scientists consider this theory the first step towards explaining the nature of the universe. This magazine article explains scientifically that we perceive the universe as an illusion in our brains and that, therefore, we are not interacting with matter itself.

Perceptions Lost to the Senses, Recovered with Artificial Signals

In its March 11, 2002 issue, Time magazine published an article entitled "The Body Electric," revealing an important scientific development. The article reported that scientists melded computer chips with patients' nervous systems to treat permanent damage to their senses.

With their newly developed systems, researchers in the USA, Europe and Japan aimed to give sight to the blind and help paralyzed patients recover. They have already achieved partial success with this new system by planting electrodes into the relevant areas of the body, and silicon chips were used to connect artificial limbs with living tissue.

Following an accident, a Danish patient by the name of Brian Holgersen was paralyzed from the neck down, except for very limited movement in his shoulders, left arm and left hand. As is known, such paralysis is caused by damage to the spinal cord in the neck and back. The nerves are damaged or blocked, disabling neural traffic between brain and muscles, and cutting off communication between the nerves that transmit signals back and forth from the body to the brain. With this patient, the aim was to bridge his spinal cord's damaged area with an implant, letting signals from the brain bring back a little movement to the arms and legs.

They used a system designed to recover basic functions of the left hand, like grasping, holding and releasing objects. In an operation, eight small coin-sized flexible cuff electrodes were implanted into the muscles responsible for those movements in the patient's upper left arm, forearm and shoulder. Later, ultrathin wires connected these electrodes to a stimulator—a kind of pacemaker for the nervous system— implanted in his chest. The stimulator was in turn linked to a position-sensing unit attached to Holgersen's right shoulder—over which he retains some motor control.

Now, when the patient wants to pick up a glass, he moves his right shoulder upward. This movement sends an electrical signal from the position sensor, worn under his clothing, to the stimulator in his chest, which amplifies it and passes it along to appropriate muscles in his arm and hand. They contract in response, and his left hand closes. When he wants to release the glass, he moves his right shoulder downward, and his left hand opens.

The University of Louvain in Brussels used a similar application of technology in relation to eyesight. A patient's rod and cone cells had degenerated, causing the retina to become insensitive to light. Consequently, she became blind. An electrode implanted around her right optic nerve enabled her to regain partial sight.

In this patient's case, the electrode was connected to a stimulator placed inside a cavity in the skull. A video camera, worn on a cap, transmitted the images to the stimulator in the form of radio signals, bypassing the damaged rod and cone cells, and delivered the electric signals directly to the optic nerve. The brain's visual cortex reassembled these signals to form an image. The patient's experience is comparable to watching a miniature stadium billboard, but the quality is nevertheless sufficient to prove that this system is viable.

This system is called a "Microsystem-based Visual Prosthesis," a device permanently implanted into the patient's head. But to make it all work, the patient needs to go to a specially designated room in the University of Louvain and wear what looks like a badly damaged bathing cap. The bathing cap is made of plastic with a standard video camera installed on its front. The more pixels there are to form an image on the screen, the greater the number of electrical stimulations; therefore, the greater the resolution quality of the image.

The same article referred to an interesting show by a performance artist who made use of the same technology:

During one 1998 performance, Stelarc wired himself up directly to the Internet. His body was dotted with electrodes—on his deltoids, biceps, flexors, hamstrings and calf muscles—that delivered gentle electric shocks, just enough to nudge the muscles into involuntary contractions. The electrodes were connected to a computer, which was in turn linked via the Internet to computers in Paris, Helsinki and Amsterdam. By pressing various parts of a rendering of a human body on a touch screen, participants at all three sites could make Stelarc do whatever they wished.

These technologies, provided that they can be sufficiently reduced in size and placed inside the body, will pave the way for radically new developments in medicine. These developments demonstrate another important fact: The external world is a copied image that we watch in our minds…

The New Scientist's April 27, 2002 issue with its cover story, "Hollow Universe" and headline, "Why we all live in a hologram."

The Time article showed practical examples of how we can create perceptions like sight or touch by artificially created impulses. The most obvious proof is that a blind person was able to see. Despite the patient's eye not being functional, she could see by means of artificially created signals.

"The Body Electric," an article in Time magazine's March 11, 2002 issue, contained evidence proving that the external world is a copied image in our mind.

Can the Virtual Worlds of Some Films Be Duplicated in the Real World?

In "Life is a sim and then you're deleted," an article published in the July 27, 2002 issue of New Scientist magazine, Michael Brooks states that we might well be living in a virtual world not unlike the one in the film Matrix: "No need to wait for Matrix 2 to come out. You could already be living in a giant computer simulation... Of course you thought The Matrix was fiction. But only because you were meant to."

Author Brooks supports his views by quoting philosopher Nick Bostrom of Yale University, who believes that Hollywood movies come much closer to reality than we realize. He calculates, too, that there is some probability that we are living in a simulated or virtual world as some movies depict.

The scientific fact, much better understood in recent years, that we are not interacting with matter itself, causes people to reflect more deeply. This situation, the frequent inspiration for movies, points out that virtual environments recreate reality so realistically that people can be fooled by these illusionary images.

Materialism, Like Every Other False Philosophy, Has Been Destroyed

The philosophy of materialism has existed throughout history. Its adherents relied on the supposedly absolute existence of matter while denying God, Who has created them from nothing and also created for them the universe they live in. But the clear evidence leaves no room for
discussion. Consequently, matter disappears—on which they based their lives and thoughts, pride and denial. By their own research, strangely enough, materialist scientists discovered that everything they see is not matter itself, but in reality a copy or image formed in the brain. And thus, they themselves brought down their materialist beliefs.

The twenty-first century is a turning point in history, in which this reality will spread among all peoples, and materialism will be wiped from the face of the Earth. Some, under the influence of the materialist philosophy, who believed that matter is absolute, now have come to realize that they themselves are illusions, that the only absolute being is God, Whose Being encompasses all there is. This reality is revealed in one of the verses:

God bears witness that there is no god but Him, as do the angels and the people of knowledge, upholding justice. There is no god but Him, the Almighty, the All-Wise. (Qur'an, 3: 18)

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ROMANTIC NATIONALISM (2)

Nationalism as an idea spread throughout Europe in the 18th century. Prior to that, people lived under the power of many feudal lords. Then, they came together under a single nation-state governed by a central administration. European countries such as France and England were among the first to espouse the notion of nationalism and to become a nation-state. By the 19th century, most of the nations of Europe had achieved national unity.

Only two countries did not participate in this development: Germany and Italy. In both these countries, the power of principalities or of small city-states lasted much longer. Italy achieved nationhood only in 1870, and Germany only a year later, in 1871. In other words, both these countries were later than other European countries in adopting and implementing the ideas of nationalism.

However, this particular situation was the cause of the development of a more radical brand of nationalism in these two countries than in the other countries of Europe. According to the widespread opinion of social scientists, the reason for the birth and accession to power in these two countries of the extreme forms of nationalism, Nazism and fascism, was the spread of fanatic nationalistic sentiments linked with the late formation of national unity.

In these two countries, and especially in Germany, those who promoted the idea of fanatic nationalism were known as "romantic nationalists." The basic features that characterise romantic nationalists are their exaltation of feeling to the detriment of reason, their belief that their nation is endowed with a mystical and mysterious "spirit," and that this spirit makes their nation superior to others. Towards the end of the 19th century, romantic nationalism was influenced by racist theories that were then gaining wide acceptance, and which led to the claim that European races were superior to the other races of the world, and therefore, had the right to rule them.

Romantic nationalism spread quickly, again, especially in Germany, during the first two decades of the 19th century. Writers such as Paul Lagarde and Julius Langbehn supported the idea of a kind of hierarchical world-order which Germans were to administer. They claimed this could be achieved due to the natural superiority of the "German spirit" and "German blood," and that, to this end, Germans must turn their backs on monotheistic religions, such as Christianity, and return to their pagan past.

Indeed, romantic nationalism's only contribution to humanity has been to have prepared the foundation for Nazism, one of history's most brutal and bloody regimes.

Because romantic nationalists believed they were to find truth through "feeling and intuition," and not through reason, they came to adopt a most confused view of the world, one which reflected their poor spiritual condition. The foundation of romantic nationalism was based on "feeling." This fanciful ideology produced individuals who were cut off from reality, lost in the confusion of their own minds. Romanticism, by enslaving people to their feelings, leads them to lose touch with reality, and in this manner, can be compared to the psychological disease of schizophrenia. (Those who suffer from schizophrenia are completely cut off from reality and live in a world created by their own imaginations.)
The disease of schizophrenia provides a poignant analogy of the spiritual condition of romantic nationalism, which is based on a number of errant ideas, chief among them being the notion of "blood" and "fatherland," which it then idolizes and turns into obsessions to be pursued blindly. In Germany, at the beginning of the twentieth century, the idea of "Blut and Boden" (Blood and Fatherland) gained momentum.

According to this notion, German blood and the German fatherland were holy, and those minorities within the country that did not belong to the German race, were seen as polluting German blood and sullying the German fatherland.

The type of attitude that regards blood and bloodshed as holy has been the cause of the bloodiest conflicts seen in human history. The first and second World Wars were but clashes between romantic nationalists. The current of romantic nationalism was most clearly seen in Germany, but it also had its influence at the same period in English, French and Russian societies, where it was also responsible for drawing those countries into war. It fanned into flames those problems that could otherwise have been solved through diplomacy, and ultimately inflicted the world with the massacre of millions of human lives.

To understand the outcomes of romantic nationalism, it is useful to study the developments of First World War. Although many countries participated in that war, only few of them played a pivotal part. On one side were England, France and Russia; on the other, Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. At the outset of the war, all generals shared a common strategy: through a forceful attack, the enemy lines could be divided and routed and within a few weeks, victory would be attained. However, the war brought victory to no one.

In 1914, Germany suddenly invaded France and Belgium. After an initial advance, forces were
engaged in battle, the front-lines of assault were drawn up, and for almost three and a half years, no further ground was gained. Each side attacked the other repeatedly in the hope of dividing the opposing front, but the situation remained unchanged. In the famous Battle of Verdun, initiated by a German attack, a total of 315,000 French and 280,000 German soldiers died, but the front was moved back only a few kilometres. Months later, the English and French launched a counter-attack at the Battle of the Somme and, as a result of the bloody engagement, 600,000 Germans, more than 400,000 English, and about 200,000 French soldiers died. Nevertheless, the German front was driven back only 11 kilometres. With their enthusiasm enflamed by romantic marching songs, and through moving poetry extolling the "German spirit," "English honour" and "French valour," military strategists and tacticians finally made unwise decisions, causing the slaughter of their own people. Most of those soldiers who survived the three and a half years in the muddy trenches, without being able to even raise their heads because of the continual bombardment, also suffered psychologically as a result of their experiences.

The same blood-lust mentality came to the fore again in World War II, but this time with even greater casualties. A total of 55 million people died as a result of the overweening ambition of psychopathic romantics such as Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin.

It is not only in global conflicts that romanticism plays a role; it also lies at the root of war and aggression between various countries, tribes and organisations. Without a clear understanding of the factors involved in the situation in which they were living, millions, influenced by emotional slogans, tales of heroism, stirring marching songs and poems, have taken up arms and shed, not only their own blood, but also the blood of those they considered to be the enemy, plunging with them the world into confusion and strife.

Sentimentality is a weapon used by Satan to divert humanity from the way of Allah (God), and to lead them into misery. This trap that Satan has set for humanity is clearly evidenced in romantic nationalism. In the Qu'ran, Allah relates how Satan submits those under his influence to a state of terror, confusion and hostility:

He (Allah) said, "Go! And as for any who follow you, your repayment is Hell, repayment in full! Stir up any of them you can with your voice and rally against them your cavalry and your infantry and share with them in their children and their wealth and make them promises! The promise of Satan is nothing but delusion." (Surat al-Isra’: 63-64)

The above verse relates how Satan, using those individuals under his control, will "entice any of them whom he can with his voice" and "rally against them his cavalry and his infantry"-the means to provoke romantic nationalism. (For further reading, see Romanticism: A Weapon of Satan by Harun Yahya)

ROMANTIC NATIONALISM (1)

Stir up any of them you can with your voice and rally against them your cavalry and your infantry and share with them in their children and their wealth and make them promises! The promise of Satan is nothing but delusion. (Surat al-Isra’:64)

There is a subtle danger that leads people away from religion, prevents them from submitting to Allah (God) as their Lord, and ultimately brings numerous other forms of trouble and distress upon them. This danger can be recognised in many different areas of our lives: the clenched fist of a fascist, the rousing anthem of a communist, or in the words of a letter written by a young man
expressing his love to his loved-one. All arise from the same pernicious source.

The most disturbing aspect of this danger is that an overwhelming number of people do not see it as a danger at all, nor do they realise either that it is actually a state of mind completely inimical to religion. In fact, many view it, not as a dangerous error, but rather as a virtue to be encouraged and widely propagated.

This danger of which we are speaking is sentimentality that leads people to live, not according to their reason, but according to their emotions; that is, according to their desires, hatreds, their susceptibility to temptation, and their stubbornness.

Sentimentality has become part of a culture of ignorance that has now brought millions of people throughout the world under its influence. In fact, it is one of the weapons that Satan uses to divert people from following the way of Allah, because someone who has fallen into the clutches of sentimentalism loses the ability to use his reason. And, when he cannot use his reason, then he cannot appreciate the fact that Allah has created him, nor can he come to recognise His signs and purposes, nor can he live in accordance to the sublime truths of religion. A life lived righteously is dependant on the use of one's reason, for Allah sent the Qu'ran "so that men of understanding may ponder its Signs and take heed." (Qur'an, 38:29)

More precisely, if not treated, the disease of sentimentalism renders it impossible for a person to understand or experience religion in its true sense. Moreover, unless treated, the disease of sentimentality will make it impossible to bring an end to the pointless disputes, senseless suffering, assaults, distress and cruelty people inflict upon themselves in this world. Romanticism is one of the outcomes of sentimentalism which is understood as romance or the Romantic movement of the nineteenth century, but besides these forms, romanticism is also closely related to certain political sentiments. Chief among them is "romantic nationalism," which appeared at the end of the nineteenth century, and exercised a great influence in the world until the middle of the twentieth.

First, it must be clearly stated that our criticism is not against nationalism per se, but against "romantic nationalism." There is a great deal of difference between the two.

Those who disbelieve filled their hearts with fanatical rage-the fanatical rage of the Time of Ignorance-and Allah sent down serenity to His Messenger and to the believers, and bound them to the expression of heedfulness which they had most right to and were most entitled to. Allah has knowledge of all things. (Surat al-Fath: 26)

Nationalism, in the most common sense of the term, refers to an individual's love for his people and for his country. This is a good and completely legitimate sentiment. Since it does not go against religion, it has no damaging effect for humanity. Just as an individual's love for his mother or father is a legitimate feeling, so also is love for the nation, that nurtured him in a common faith and culture, a legitimate feeling.
Nationalistic sentiments become illegitimate when they become irrational or overly passionate. If a person, out of love for his country, begins, without justification, to harbour feelings of hostility towards another nation, or tramples over the rights of other nations and peoples in the interests of his own-for example, if he seizes their land or confiscates their property-he has exceeded legitimate bounds. Or, when he lets his love for his nation turn into a kind of racism, that is, when he claims that his own nation is inherently superior to another, he has adopted an irrational outlook.

Allah draws our attention to this irrational nationalism in the Qu'ran. What is described in the following verses as "fanatical rage," is a characteristic feature of societies who are divorced from the religion.

Those who disbelieve filled their hearts with fanatical rage-the fanatical rage of the Time of Ignorance-and Allah sent down serenity to His Messenger and to the believers, and bound them to the expression of heedfulness which they had most right to and were most entitled to. Allah has knowledge of all things. (Surat al-Fath:26)

While the above verse speaks of "fanatical rage," it also speaks of the serenity that Allah bestows upon those who believe in Him. This juxtaposition points to the fact that if a person who loves his kindred, his clan or his community, harbours hatred or aggression towards others as a result of that love, his behaviour is errant. On the contrary, Allah desires His servants to enjoy peace, tranquillity and security; in other words, the spiritual state that Allah desires for His followers is one where reason is foremost.

"Fanatical rage" does not permit such a desirable condition to exist, but pits one group against another, based solely on differences in language, colour, tribe or clan.

Allah described this "fanatical rage" already 1400 years ago in the Qu'ran, and today it is still possible to witness its effects in every part of the world. There are people in Africa who strangle others to death just because they belong to a different tribe. In Europe, a football match deteriorates into armed combat when "hooligans" beat fans of the opposing team almost to death, just because they belong to the opposing side. In the Western world, there are organisations whose sole purpose is to foster hatred against Africans, Jews, Turks and other minorities, even to the extent of making them targets of terrorist assaults.

The influence of "fanatical rage" pervades not only the lowest classes, but also the highest echelons of some societies. There are many countries that exploit the matter of a simple border dispute as an excuse to carry out open acts of aggression. To satisfy their belligerent tendencies, they throw their countries into a war, persisting stubbornly in their aggression for years, plunging not only the citizens of the enemy country, but even their own people into misery. Those authorities who make such decisions are afflicted with what we are referring to as "fanatical rage." As explained in the above quoted verse, he who "fills his heart with fanatical rage" lives in ignorance.

Among these ignoramuses are also they who instigated the two greatest calamities of the twentieth century: the First and Second World Wars. Moved by such false notions as "German heroism," "English pride" and "Russian courage," they subjected their own people, as well as the whole world, to great suffering, spilling the blood of 65 million people, and leaving tens of millions crippled, widowed and orphaned. The root cause of these calamities was "fanatical rage" which we are now referring to as "romantic nationalism." (For further reading, see Romanticism: A Weapon of Satan by Harun Yahya)

RIGTHEOUS DEEDS

"Righteous deeds" (amelunsalihan) are one of the key concepts of the Qur'an. In Arabic, the word "righteousness" comprises the meanings of good, beneficial and right. In Arabic, the verb "to amend"(islah) is also derived from the same root. Consequently, in English, every type of beneficial and good work or action done for the good of religion is expressed by the word "righteous deed." In terms of the Qur'an, on the other hand, each act and all behaviour designed to seek the favour of God is a "righteous deed".

The salvation of an individual is not attained only through faith; righteous deeds, the signs of sincere faith, also save the soul. Saying "I believe" yet failing to comply with the commandments of religion does not lead man to salvation. In the Qur'an God states the following about this issue:

Do men think that they will be left alone on saying, "We believe", and that they will not be tested? We tested those before them, and God will certainly know those who are true from those who are false. (Al-Ankabut, 2-3)

The way a believer does righteous deeds proves his mettle. His deeds indicate his perseverance, stability, determination and loyalty-in other words the depth of his faith.

In the Qur'an God informs us about the various kinds of righteous deeds. Communicating the message of Islam to people, striving for the prosperity and the benefit of the Muslims, trying to attain a better understanding of the Qur'an, solving every kind of personal and social problem of the Muslims; all these are important righteous deeds. The fundamental Islamic forms of worship, such as saying prayers to God, fasting, spending for the cause of God, and the pilgrimage to Mecca are also among the important righteous deeds:

Righteousness does not consist in whether you turn your faces towards the east or the west; what is righteous is to believe in God and the last day, and the angels, and the Book, and the messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and practise regular charity; to fulfil the contracts which you have made; and to be firm and patient, in pain (or suffering) and adversity, and in times of war. Such as do so are people of truth. Such are the God-fearing. (Al-Baqara, 177)

Yet there is another point that deserves mention: what makes an act a righteous deed is not its result but the "intention" behind it. That is why for an act to be a righteous one, it should be done purely to seek the approval of God. This is what really distinguishes a "righteous deed" from "charity", a concept prevalent in the ignorant society. A righteous deed is done to seek the approval of God; on the other hand, the concept of charity in an ignorant society, is based on a spirit of social solidarity and a personal desire to make a reputation as a "charity lover".

The verses below explain why the deeds of believers are by no means similar to alms-giving.

They perform (their) vows, and they fear a Day whose evil flies far and wide. And they feed, for the love of God, the indigent, the orphan, and the captive, (Saying)"We feed you for the sake of God alone: no reward do we desire from you, nor thanks." "We only fear a day of distressful wrath from our Lord." (Al- Insan 7-10)

If any acts ostensibly complying with the definition of "righteous deeds" are not intended to seek the good pleasure of God, they cease to be "righteous deeds." This is simply because they are done to please other people. This is, in terms of the Qur'an, "associating partners with God", which is a great sin. In the following verse, God explains how an act of worship done to attain not the approval of God, but other people loses its value and becomes an ordinary act.

Woe to the worshippers, who are neglectful of their prayers; who only want to make a show of piety. (Al-Maun, 4-6)

Similarly, spending, which is a righteous deed in the presence of God, becomes an ordinary act if done to demonstrate one's generosity in order to impress people. God describes the difference between spending to gain His approval and to satisfy one's own desires:

O you who believe! Do not cancel out your charity by reminders of your generosity or by injury,- like those who spend their substance to be seen by others, believing neither in God nor in the last day. They are in parable like a hard, barren rock, on which there is little soil: on it falls heavy rain, which leaves it just a bare stone. They will be able to do nothing with anything they have earned. And God does not guide those who reject faith. Those who spend their substance, seeking to please God and to strengthen their souls, are like a garden, high and fertile: heavy rain falls on it, and makes it yield a double harvest, and if it does not receive heavy rain, light moisture suffices it. God sees well whatever you do. (Al-Baqara, 264-265)

We have prepared a shameful punishment for those who spend their wealth for the sake of ostentation but who have no faith in God and the last day: If any take the evil one for their intimate, what a dreadful intimate he is! And what burden would it be on them if they had faith in God and in the last day, and they spent out of what God has given them for sustenance? For God has full knowledge of them. (An-Nisa, 38-39)

In brief, what turns an act into a righteous deed is the intention behind it. If the intention is a righteous one, then the deed also becomes righteous, even if the desired result is not attained. For instance, with the intention of seeking the approval of God, a believer may work hard towards a desired end, yet his efforts may not fructify. However, this is not important; he shall still have his reward from God. Every believer should acknowledge that there is a reason why God does not always let the individual reach his goal: "It is possible that you dislike a thing which is good for you, and that you love a thing which is bad for you. But God knows, and you do not know." (Al-Baqara, 216) Only God knows if the desired end will have beneficial consequences for man.

Hence, the result of each deed always rests with God. Each task should be done solely to please Him.

As stated above, intention is the essence of a righteous deed. This is due to the fact that God is free of all needs. Consequently, He actually does not need any of the acts that His servants perform. God states the following in one of His verses:

O you men! It is you that have need of God: but God is the One free of all wants, worthy of all praise. If He so pleased, He could destroy you and replace you with a new creation. Nor is that (at all) difficult for God. (Fatir, 15-17)

He can do anything He wills when He wills it. He does not need the deeds and efforts of believers to make His religion prevail:

Do not the Believers know, that, had God (so) willed, He could have guided all mankind (to the right)? (Ar-Rad,31)

In brief, if a man does righteous deeds, it accrues to his personal benefit. Right action is surely the way to attain an eternal salvation. As the Qur'an, puts it:

If any strive (with might and main), they do so for their own souls: for God is free of all needs from all creation. (Al-Ankabut, 6)

One who says prayers, fasts, spends in the cause of God, or supports Islam, becomes himself the beneficiary. It is he himself who needs to do good works; surely he shall have forgiveness and a great reward in return.

For the same reason, in the presence of God, a righteous deed is acceptable only when it is the expression of a good intention:

It is not their meat nor their blood, (i.e. of camels which have been sacrificed) that reaches God: it is your piety that reaches Him: He has thus made them subject to you, so that you may glorify God for His Guidance to you and proclaim the good news to all who do right. (Al-Hajj, 37)

Therefore, while performing a righteous deed, it is of vital importance to keep oneself occupied with the remembrance of God. To this end, a believer should pray to God for the acceptance of his services. The prayer of the Prophet Abraham and Ismail sets a good example for all believers.

Remember Abraham and Isma'il raised the foundations of the House (with this prayer):"Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us: For You are the All-Hearing, the All-knowing. Our Lord! make of us Muslims, bowing to Your (Will), and of our progeny a people Muslim, bowing to Your (will); and show us our place for the celebration of (due) rites; and turn to us (in Mercy); for You are the Oft-Returning, Most Merciful. (Al-Baqara, 127-128)

The address of God to David and his people also stresses the significance of prayer, and of giving thanks to God during the performance of a righteous deed:

They worked for him as he desired (making) arches, image, basins as large as reservoirs, and cooking cauldrons fixed (in their places ) :

"Work, sons of David, with thanks ! But few of my servants are truly grateful !" (Saba, 13)

This is surely the type of service that strengthens one's faith in God: One's statement of "I believe" is reinforced with this service and mount to God:

"To Him mount up (all) words of purity: It is He Who exalts each deed of righteousness." (Fatir, 10)

A devoted believer who performs righteous deeds all throughout his life will surely attain the gardens of heaven and will be rewarded most generously by God in the Hereafter:

As for those who believe and do good works no burden do We place on any soul, but that which it can bear,- they will be companions of the Garden, therein to dwell (for ever). And We shall remove from their hearts any lurking sense of injury; beneath them will be rivers flowing; and they shall say: "Praise be to God, who has guided us to this (felicity): never could we have found the right path, had it not been for the guidance of God: indeed it was the truth, that the messengers of our Lord brought to us." And they shall hear the cry: "Behold! the garden before you! You have been made its inheritors, for your deeds of righteousness." (Al-Araf, 42-43)

RAIN BY DESIGN

Rain is indeed one of the most important factors for the permanence of life on earth. It is a prerequisite for the continuation of activity in a region. Rain, which carries great importance for all living things, including human beings, is mentioned in various verses of the Qur'an, where substantial information is given about the formation of rain, its proportion and effects. This information, which never could have been known by the people of the time, shows us that the Qur'an is the word of God.

Now, let us examine the information given in the Qur'an about rain.

The Proportion of Rain

In the eleventh verse of Surat az-Zukhruf, rain is defined as water sent down in "due measure". The verse is as follows:

He sends down (from time to time) water from the sky in due measure, and We raise to life therewith a land that is dead. Even so will you be raised (from the dead). (Surat az-Zukhruf, 11)

This "measure" mentioned in the verse has to do with a couple of characteristics of rain. First of all, the amount of rain that falls on the earth is always the same. It is estimated, that in one second, 16 million tones of water evaporate from the earth. This number is equal to the amount of water that drops on the earth in one second. This means that water continuously circulates in a balanced cycle according to a "measure".

Another measure related with rain is about its falling speed. The minimum altitude of rain clouds is 1,200 meters. When dropped from this height, an object having the same weight and size as a rain drop, would continuously accelerate and fall on the ground with a speed of 558 km/h. Certainly, any object that hits the ground with that speed would cause great damage. If rain happened to fall in the same way, all harvested lands would be destroyed, residential areas, houses, and cars would be damaged, and people would not be able to walk around without taking extra precautions. What is more, these calculations are made just for clouds at a height of 1,200 meters; there are also rain clouds at altitudes of 10,000 meters. A rain drop falling from such a height could normally reach a very destructive speed.

But this is not how it works; no matter from what height they fall, the average speed of rain drops is only 8-10 km/h when they reach the ground. The reason for this is the special form they take. This special form increases the friction effect of the atmosphere and prevents acceleration when the rain drops reach a certain speed "limit". (Today parachutes are designed by using this technique.)

This is not all about the "measures" of rain. For instance, in the atmospheric layers where it starts to rain, the temperature may fall as low as 40⁰ C below zero. Despite this, rain drops never turn into ice particles. (This would certainly mean a fatal threat to the living things on the earth.) The reason is that the water in the atmosphere is pure water. As is well-known, pure water hardly freezes even at very low temperatures.

The Formation of Rain

How rain forms remained a great mystery for people for a long time. Only after weather radar was invented, was it possible to discover the stages by which rain is formed.

The formation of rain takes place in three stages. First, the "raw material" of rain rises up into the air. Later clouds are formed. Finally, rain drops appear.

These stages are clearly defined in the Qur'an centuries ago where precise information is given about the formation of rain:

It is God Who sends the Winds, and they raise the Clouds: then does He spread them in the sky as He wills, and break them into fragments, until you see rain-drops issue from the midst thereof: then when He has made them reach such of his servants as He wills, behold, they do rejoice! (Surat ar-Room, 48)

Now, let us look at the three stages mentioned in the verse;

1ST STAGE: "It is God Who sends the winds..."

Countless air bubbles formed by the foaming in the oceans continuously burst and cause water particles to be ejected towards the sky. These particles, which are rich in salt, are then carried away by winds and move upwards in the atmosphere. These particles, which are called aerosols, form clouds by collecting around themselves the water vapor, which again ascends from the seas, as tiny drops by a mechanism called "water trap"

2ND STAGE: " ...and they raise the Clouds: then does He spread them in the sky as He wills, and break them into fragments..."

The clouds form from the water vapor that condenses around the salt crystals or the dust particles in the air. Because the water drops in these are very small (with a diameter between 0.01 and 0.02 mm), the clouds are suspended in the air and they spread in the sky. Thus the sky is covered with clouds.

3RD STAGE: "...until you see rain-drops issue from the midst thereof."

Water particles that surround salt crystals and dust particles thicken and form rain drops. So, the drops, which become heavier than air, depart from the clouds, and start to fall on the ground as rain.

Every stage in the formation of rain is told in the verses of the Qur'an. Furthermore, these stages are explained in the right sequence. Just as with many other natural phenomena in the world, it is again the Qur'an that provides the most correct explanation about this phenomenon as well, and more, that has announced these facts to people centuries before they were discovered by science

Life Given to a Dead Land

In the Qur'an, many verses call our attention to a particular function of rain, which is "giving life to a dead land":

We send down pure water from the sky. That with it We may give life to a dead land, and slake the thirst of many beings We have created, beasts as well as humans. (Surat al-Furqan, 48- 49)

In addition to furnishing the earth with water, which is an inevitable need of living beings, rain also has a fertilization effect.

Rain drops that reach the clouds after being evaporated from the seas, contain certain
substances "that will give life" to a dead land. These "life-giving" drops are called "surface tension drops". Surface tension drops form on the top level of the sea surface which is called the "micro layer" by biologists. In this layer, which is thinner than one tenth of a millimeter, there are many organic leftovers caused by the pollution of microscopic algae and zooplankton. Some of these leftovers select and collect within themselves some elements which are very rare in sea water, such as phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and some heavy metals like copper, zinc, cobalt and lead. These "fertilizer"-laden drops are lifted up into the sky by the winds and after a while they drop on the ground inside the rain drops. Seeds and plants on the earth find numerous metallic salts and elements essential for their growth here in these rain drops. This event is revealed in another verse of the Qur'an:

And We send down from the sky rain laden with blessing, and We produce therewith gardens and grain for harvests. (Surah Qaf, 9)

Salts that fall with rain are small examples of certain elements (calcium, magnesium, potassium, etc.) used for increasing fertility. The heavy metals found in these types of aerosols are other elements that increase fertility in the development and production of plants.

A barren land can be furnished with all the essential elements for plants in a 100-year period just
with these fertilizers dropped with the rain.

Forests also develop and are fed with the help of these sea-based aerosols. In this way, 150 million tons of fertilizer falls on the total land surface every year. If there were no natural fertilization like this, there would be very little vegetation on the earth, and the ecological balance would be impaired.

What is more interesting is that this truth, which could only be discovered by modern science, was revealed by God in the Qur'an centuries ago.

PROTECTION OF ORPHANS AND THE POOR IN THE QUR'AN

The mercifulness of believers may also be observed in their approach to orphans. The noblest of attitudes that must be shown to orphans, who need the care and interest of others because they have lost their parents, are made explicit in the Qur'an. One of the exemplary attitudes believers meticulously adopt is "to do good" to orphans and "never to treat them harshly".

In societies in which the values of the Qur'an are not observed, no system has been devised to protect the rights of orphans or to secure their future. Protection, such as it is, depends upon the conscience of the people. For this reason, some ill-intentioned individuals may try to benefit from the lack of experience and ignorance of these children. Indeed, having no one to protect their rights, orphans can readily become subject to abusive treatment at the hands of those who have taken it upon themselves to care for them. Such people may expect orphans to feel gratitude because they have taken them under their wing or they may reproachfully remind them of the kindnesses they have done them. On the other hand, subjecting them to a different kind of treatment, they may oppress these children in both the physical and the spiritual sense. Nevertheless, Allah prohibits subjecting orphans to harsh treatment and condemns those who mistreat them:

Have you seen him who denies the religion? He is the one who harshly rebuffs the orphan and does not urge the feeding of the poor. So woe to those who do prayer, and are forgetful of their prayer, those who show off and deny help to others. (Surat al-Ma'un: 1-7)

Contrary to such offensive treatment, Qur'anic morality demands tolerant and compassionate treatment of orphans as expressed in the verse, "(be good to) orphans and the very poor. And speak good words to people". (Surat al-Baqara: 83) Believers meticulously observe this command. Their conscience and understanding of humanity entail the protection of orphans who need help and care, and the meeting of all their spiritual and material needs. Believers never oppress orphans, expect them to appreciate their kindness or strive to obtain any material or spiritual benefits from them. On the contrary, they protect their rights and adopt the best possible attitude. Their strong sense of what is right, their profound fear of Allah and their compassion account for this meticulousness.

Improving the situation in life of orphans and bringing them up as decent individuals:

…They will ask you about the property of orphans. Say, "Managing it in their best interests is best". If you mix your property with theirs, they are your brothers… (Surat al-Baqara: 220)

As is implied in the above verse, Allah advises believers to bring orphans up as decent individuals. Believers show keenness to take this responsibility upon themselves and do their best to educate them in the best way possible.

However, the most important responsibility of a person who takes a child under his protection is to instill in him the noble values of the Qur'an and to make him regard Allah with due appreciation. That is because these are the most important issues that guide the individual to truth and salvation. A child develops moral sense in the light of the knowledge he acquires in his early years and is accordingly prepared for his eternal life in the hereafter. For this reason, this is the most important issue to which a believer pays attention while an orphan under his care is being educated. He does his utmost to ensure that he or she has superior values as a believer. No doubt, this is only made possible by his living by the values of the Qur'an himself. Abiding by Islamic ethics ensures that orphans grow up into decent, intelligent, hard-working individuals.

Allah issues a stern warning to those who misappropriate the wealth of orphans:

People who consume the property of orphans wrongfully consume nothing in their bellies except fire. They will roast in a Searing Blaze. (Surat an-Nisa': 10)

In compliance with the above verse, believers who assume the responsibility for an orphan do not spend that orphan's personal wealth for their own needs or expect anything in return. On the contrary, giving them priority over all others, they protect the rights and wealth of such orphans as are entrusted to them by Allah.

Being meticulous about protecting the wealth of an orphan entrusted to one's care is something peculiar to those who are sincere in their faith, who have a high standard of morality and who grasp the understanding of mercy described in the Qur'an, especially since a guardian is granted the authority to spend the wealth of an orphan. Not spending a penny for one's own personal needs out of a property entrusted to one—despite having the authority to spend from it is truly a matter of conscience. In the Qur'an, Allah advises the wealthy guardian to behave decently in this matter. If the guardian in question is poor, then he is allowed to spend within the due limits specified in the Qur'an. Allah warns that, "devouring" the wealth of the orphan is a grave sin.

Give orphans their property, and do not substitute bad things for good. Do not assimilate their property into your own. Doing that is a serious crime. (Surat an-Nisa': 2)

Fearing Allah and His grievous punishment in the hereafter, believers carefully conserve the wealth of orphans until they reach intellectual maturity. When orphans grow old and mature enough to exercise rational and healthy judgement, believers hand over their property to them. The conditions of this are specified in the Qur'an as follows:

Keep a close check on orphans until they reach a marriageable age, then if you perceive that they have sound judgement hand over their property to them. Do not consume it extravagantly and precipitately before they come of age. Those who are wealthy should abstain from it altogether. Those who are poor should use it sensibly and correctly. When you hand over their property to them ensure that there are witnesses on their behalf. Allah suffices as a Reckoner. (Surat an-Nisa': 6)

(For further reading, see Harun Yahya “The mercy of believers”)

PRAYING FOR FORGIVENESS AND REPENTANCE

All through their lives, certain people pursue a flawless image for themselves. Their efforts center around one goal: to be perfect and to look perfect. This is a natural consequence of finding it degrading to make a mistake. The ideal person, they consider, is one who can project an aura of impeccability.

However, this "flawlessness" is an illusionary goal. Neither is it one of the attributes of a believer we find extolled in the Qur'an. We would go so far as to say that such a "believer model" does not exist. For man is inherently weak, humble and helpless before God; and can consequently make mistakes all throughout his life. No doubt, he will always do his best to avoid mistakes and sins, yet, being a frail servant of God, he will not be successful in being free of all mistakes.

In the Qur'an we are informed that man has faults and sins before God:

If God were to punish men according to what they deserve, He would not leave on the surface of the earth one single living creature: but He gives them respite for a stated term: when their term expires, truly, (they will know that ) God has in His sight all His Servants. (Fatir, 45)

In accordance with this divine command stated in the Qur'an, the attitude expected of a believer is not that of being faultless or sinless. He is only expected to constantly seek forgiveness from God.

This is actually an attribute which makes the distinction between a believer and non-believer: Unbelievers struggle to cover up their faults and sins. Yet, a believer never tries to do this.

What is important for him is to feel an inner regret and consequently turn to God and seek His forgiveness.

While reading the Qur'an, we see that the willingness to ask for forgiveness is a natural and unfailing attribute of the believers. On that account, we understand that believers never see themselves as beings purified of all sins and faults. On the contrary, they continually seek refuge in God's mercy. In the following verse, turning to God in repentance is regarded as one of the important attributes of a believer:

Those that turn to God in repentance; that serve Him, and praise Him; that fast in devotion to the cause of God; that bow down and prostrate themselves in prayer; that enjoin good and forbid evil; and observe the limit set by God, shall be richly rewarded. proclaim the glad tidings to the believers. (Al-Tawba, 112)

The distinction between and inter-relatedness of the concepts of repentance and forgiveness should be carefully considered.

Asking for forgiveness of God is a regular aspect of worship for believers. Man can ask forgiveness of God all day long for all his sins, whether deliberately or unintentionally committed. Moreover, as well as asking for forgiveness for oneself, one can also do it for other believers, as stated in the Qur'an.

In Arabic, the word for "asking for forgiveness' is "istigfar" which is "asking for God's attribute of Gafur.

(Gafur (G-F-R), in Arabic, means to "cover, protect, hide totally, recover.")

Thus, asking for forgiveness of God is like pledging to purify oneself and hence seeking refuge in the mercy and grace of God. In the Qur'an the believers pray saying, "Our Lord! Forgive us our sins, remove from us our iniquities, and take to Yourself our souls in the company of the righteous." (Al-Imran, 193).The judgement of God regarding this is as below:

I am with you: if you (but) say your prayers regularly, practice regular charity, believe in my messengers, honour and assist them, and loan to God a beautiful loan, indeed I will rid you of your evils, and admit you to gardens with rivers flowing beneath; but if any of you, after this, denies Me, he will truly have wandered from the path of rectitude. (Al-Maeda, 12)

As mentioned above, praying for forgiveness of God may be both for sins, committed intentionally or unintentionally, as well as for the sins of other believers. This is the most important distinction between asking for forgiveness and repentance. Although praying for forgiveness is a regular prayer of the believers, repentance is the steadfast attitude taken towards a particular sin or fault, or the giving of a firm decision not to turn to that sin again.

Repentance is seeking refuge in God for one's sin, promising not to commit that sin again and, to this end asking the guidance and help of God. The exact meaning of repentance is "to turn back". Thus, repentance expresses an absolute commitment not to commit any particular sin again.

The intention behind repentance is not to repeat the same sin. God enjoins the faithful thus: "O you who believe! Turn to God with sincere repentance, in the hope that your Lord will remove from you your ills and admit you to Gardens beneath which Rivers flow..." (At-Tahrim, 8)

However, this is not to say that a believer repents for a sin or fault only once. He may repent on one occasion, and then, in a moment of weakness, repeat the same sin.However, the mercy of God never ceases to encompass him . This is why he can still repent to God and seek refuge in Him. God is always ready to show grace and mercy to the believers. This is stated in the Qur'an as below:

"O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Do not despair of the Mercy of God: for God forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." Turn to your Lord (in repentance) and bow to His Will, before the Penalty comes upon you: after that you shall not be helped. (Az-Zumar, 53-54)

Still, there is one kind of repentance God will not accept: the insincere repentance offered when death comes to a man. This is actually the moment a man meets the angels of death. Of this the Qur'an says:

God accepts the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and repent soon afterwards; to them God will turn in mercy: for God is full of knowledge and wisdom. Of no avail is the repentance of those who continue to do evil, until death faces one of them, and he says, "Now I have indeed; repented indeed" nor of those who die rejecting Faith: for them We have prepared a most grievous punishment. (An-Nisa, 17-18)

In the Qur'an God gives the striking example of such an act of repentance made at the last moment. Pharaoh, who chased Moses and the believers in order to kill them, ended by expressing his repentance while he drowned in the sea, a miracle wrought by God.

"...At length, when overwhelmed with the flood, he said: I believe that there is no god except Him Whom the Children of Israel believe in: I am of those who submit (to God in Islam). (Jonah, 90)

However God's response to him was as follows:

"...Ah now! But a little while before, you were in rebellion! and you perpetrated mischief and violence! (Jonah, 91)

Since repentance is essential to the eternal salvation of man, one should well be aware of its importance and observe this form of worship to the best of one's ability. One may have sinned extensively or have rebelled against one's Creator. Yet, God encompasses His servants with so much mercy that He grants eternal salvation in response to a sincere repentance:

When those who believe in Our signs, come to you say: "Peace be upon you: Your Lord has decreed for Himself (the rule of) mercy: truly, if any of you commited evil in ignorance, and thereafter repented, and mended his ways, he would find God Oft-forgiving and Most Merciful." (Al-Anaam, 54)

Keep in mind that God even forgives unbelievers and hypocrites who fought against Him and His Messenger, if they turn back to God with sincere and true repentance:

The Hypocrites shall be cast into the lowest depths of the Fire: no helper will you find for them;But those who repent, mend their ways, hold fast to God, and are sincere in their devotion to Him-they shall be numbered with the believers. And soon God will grant to the believers a reward of immense value. (An-Nisa, 145-146)

Those who conceal the clear signs We have sent down,and the guidance, after We have made it clear for the people in the Book-on them shall be God's curse, and the curse of those entitled to curse, except those who repent and make amends and openly declare the Truth.Toward them I shall relent; for I am the Relenting one and Most Merciful. (Al-Baqara, 159-160)

This is a great opportunity God grants to His servants. He commands man never to be overwhelmed by despair due to any sin he has committed and always to turn to Him in hope. However, misinterpretation of this concept and an insincere attitude do not earn a man divine approval. Knowing the commandments of God, yet deliberately committing sins, saying "no matter what happens I will be forgiven" shows completely flawed reasoning. Such are the people who "reject faith after they accepted it, and then go on adding to their defiance of faith." Only the repentance of those who out of ignorance commit sins accepted. The repentance of an insincere person who simply take repentance as the freedom to commit sins is, however rejected. Stress is laid on this in the Qur'an: "But those who reject faith after they have accepted it, and then go on adding to their defiance of faith, will never have their repentance accepted; for they are those who have of set purpose gone astray." (Al-Imran, 90)

One point needs clarification here: it is quite possible that, due to ignorance, being in a state of heedlessness or indulging oneself in one's own desires, one may very well commit sins. However, if one realizes one's faults and sincerely repents, God may well be forgiving. However, people who commit sins, although knowing the judgements of God, saying, "I will be forgiven no matter what happens," are merely deceivers. That is why their repentance is not acceptable to God.(God knows the best).

It is hardly necessary to say that heartfelt regret and sincerity are the keys to divine forgiveness. The Quranic injunction: "Call on your Lord with humility and in private..." (Al-Araf, 55) also applies when showing contrition asking for forgiveness. While repenting for serious errors especially, deep regret and a sincere attitude are essential. As an example of repentance and forgiveness, the Qur'an cites the case of the three Muslims who were left behind, when all others had gone to fight in the cause of God, thereby committing a great sin;

God turned with favour to the Prophet, the Muhajirs, and the Ansar, who followed him in a time of distress, when the hearts of some of them had nearly swerved from duty; but He turned to them (also): for He is Most Kind, and Most Merciful to them. He turned in mercy also to the three who were left behind; they felt guilty to such a degree that the earth seemed constrained to them, for all its spaciousness, and their very souls seemed straitened to them, and they perceived that there was no fleeing from God and no refuge but in Him. Then He turned to them, so that they might repent: for God is the Forgiving One and Most Merciful. (Al-Tawba, 117-118)

Asking forgiveness of God and repenting one's sins serve as pure expressions of being a sincere servant to God. The believer should be well aware that he may commit sins, but that he should take refuge in the mercy and grace of God. Simply worrying, or feeling grief for one's former sins is quite pointless. Man should consider the story of the messengers who made some errors, yet continued their struggle after sincerely repenting. Man should trust in the forgiveness of God.

In the Qur'an it is mentioned that praying for forgiveness and expressing repentance are ways to eternal salvation:

If it were not for God's grace and mercy to you, and that God is Forgiving and full of Wisdom, (you would indeed be ruined). (Al-Noor, 10)

PONDERING ON THE SIGN OF GOD

In the Qur'an, it is stated that the unbeliever is one who neither recognizes nor appreciates the signs of God. The distinguishing mark of a believer is his ability to see those signs and proofs. He knows that these are not created in vain, and can realize the power and great art of God everywhere and find ways to revere Him. He is one of those men of sense, who "celebrate the praises of God, standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and contemplate the (wonders of) creation in the heavens and the earth, (and say): 'Our Lord! not for naught have You created (all) this! Glory be to You! Give us salvation from the penalty of the Fire.' " (Surat Al'Imran 3:191)

At various points in the Qur'an, expressions like, "will you not take heed?", "...there is a sign for thinking men," lay stress on the importance of pondering upon the signs of God. God has created an endless list of subjects for reflection. Everything we see and sense in the heavens and on the earth and in between is indeed a manifestation of God's creativity and, as such should be food for thought. One of the verses gives the example of these divine blessing of God:

"With it He produces for you corn, olives, date palms, grapes and every kind of fruit: verily, in this is a sign for those who give thought." (Surat an-Nahl, 16:11)

Let us think for a moment of one of the above mentioned items: the date palm. The tree, as is well known, grows up from a seed out of the earth. From this tiny seed (a seed is not even 1 cubic centimetre in size), arises an enormous wooden mass of 4-5 metres long and hundreds of kilograms in weight. The only thing that the seed can use while constituting this great mass is the earth in which it is buried.

How can a seed know how to form a tree? How can it "reason" to decompose the necessary substances in the soil to create wood? How can it predict the required shape and structure? This last question is especially important, because it is not an ordinary wooden piece that emerges from the seed. It is a complex living organism with roots for assimilating substances from the earth, with veins and with branches that are perfectly organized. A human being has difficulty in drawing even a picture of a tree, while on the contrary a simple seed can produce such an extremely complex object by merely using the substances in the soil.

This observation concludes that a seed is extremely intelligent and wise, even more so than we are. Or to be more precise, there is an amazing intelligence in what a seed does. But what is the source of that intelligence? How can it be possible for a seed to have such intelligence and memory?

No doubt, this question has a single answer: the seed is created by being endowed with the ability to form a tree, that is, it is programmed so in advance. Every seed on earth is encompassed by God and grows within His knowledge. In one of the verses it is stated:

"With Him are the keys of the unseen, the treasures that none knows but He. He knows whatever there is on the earth and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but with His knowledge: there is not a grain in the darkness (or depths) of the earth, nor anything fresh or dry (green or withered), but is (inscribed) in a record clear."
(Surat al-An'am, 6:59)

It is God Who creates the seed and causes it to spring forth as a new plant. In another verse it is said:

"It is God Who causes the seed-grain and the date-stone to split and sprout. He causes the living to issue from the dead, and He is the one to cause the dead to issue from the living. That is God: then how are you deluded away from the truth?" (Surat al-An'am, 6:95)

The seed is merely one of the numerous signs that God has created in the universe. If men begin to think not only with their minds but also with their hearts, and ask of themselves, the questions "why" and "how", they will be able to understand that entire universe is the proof of the existence and power of God.