Magnificence Everywhere (3/15)

The Harmony Between Water and Plants

All plants, large and small alike, from grasses to tall trees and the multitudes of flowers, can transport water and the nutrition they carry from the soil up to their farthermost leaves and branches . Yet, this transportation process is not achieved by means of systems present in the plants only. For this transportation to happen, the characteristics of water itself also need to be in harmony with the structures of the plants.

We can see this harmony by looking at the general structure of water.

It is evident that water, which is indispensable for the survival of the Earth's living things, is a substance that has been especially designed and created. One of the essential features of water is that it possesses a high "surface tension." Surface tension occurs when the molecules on a liquid's surface attract each other, thus creating a barrier between the air and the liquid. Because of this, a water container can carry an amount of water that is slightly higher than its own height without overflowing. Also, a metal needle can float on water without sinking if it is carefully put on the surface in a horizontal position.

The surface tension of water is higher than that of any other liquid, and this has far-reaching biological effects for the Earth. We will begin by examining its effect on plants.

Plants, by means of surface tension, can carry water found in the depths of the soil up to heights meters above the surface, all without having a pump or muscle system. In the realm of human-designed structures, air pressure tanks, very complicated systems indeed, are required to carry water to the upper floors of apartment houses. Plants, however, have no such system. Water reaches the farthest points of the plant purely by means of surface tension. The tubes in the plants' roots and veins are designed in such a way as to make use of the surface tension of water. Going upwards, these tubes become narrower and narrower and so enable water to "climb" upwards. If the surface tension of water were at a low level, as in most other liquids, then land plants would be utterly unable to survive. This would negatively effect all living things on the planet. However, due to the perfect creation of both water and plants, such problems never arise.

The compatibility between the high surface tension of water and the structure of plants which make use of this property indicates the perfect creation of Allah. These constitute an important piece of evidence for the fact that nature and living things came into being not by chance, but through Allah's creation.

The Design of Snowflakes

Anyone who takes a close look at snowflakes can see that they come in a variety of shapes. It is estimated that a single cubic meter of snow holds about 350 million snowflakes! These flakes are all hexagonal and have crystal-like structures. However, each one of them possesses a unique shape. For years, scientists have been searching for answers to such questions as how these shapes ever came about, how it is that each one of them has a different shape and what provides their symmetry. Every bit of information that is gained reveals another magnificent mastery present in the snowflakes. The variety and perfection of the hexagonal structure of snowflakes is a manifestation of Allah's status as the Originator (al-Badi). Allah is the One Who made good everything that He has created. The formation of snowflakes constitutes yet another aspect of Allah's endless artistry.

These thin, small flakes look like multi-pointed stars or tiny needle heads. The formation of the snowflakes in the pictures is truly amazing. For years, the orderly structure of snowflakes has caught people's attention. Since 1945, research has been carried out in a quest to discover which factors give the final shape to the crystals. A single snowflake is a pile of crystals consisting of more than 200 ice crystals. Snowflakes are made up of water molecules that are shaped in a perfect order. Snowflakes, one of nature's true architectural wonders, are shaped when water vapor gets cold while passing through clouds. This takes place like so:

Passing through the clouds, water molecules scattered everywhere in a disorganized way throughout water vapor begin to lose their random movement due to the fall in temperature. After a while, the water molecules, moving more slowly, begin to form groups and consequently become solid. Yet, there is no disorder whatsoever in their groupings. On the contrary, they always unite as microscopic hexagonal forms that look similar to each other. Each snowflake at first consists of a single hexagonal water molecule, then other hexagonal water molecules come and attach to this first piece. According to experts on the subject, the basic factor that determines the shape of a snowflake is that these hexagonal water molecules are joined together just like links in a chain. In addition, the pieces of crystals, which normally should look alike, take on very different shapes according to the temperature and level of moisture.1

Why is it that there is a hexagonal symmetry in all snowflakes and why is each of them different from the others? Why are their edges angled rather then straight? Scientists are still trying to find answers to these questions. Yet, this much is evident: Allah is the One Who has no partners in creation, is the Possessor of an endless power and the Originator of everything.

The Unique Artistry of Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables spring from the same soil and are watered with the same water, yet they come in a dazzling variety. When we consider the multitude of different tastes and smells of fruits and vegetables, the question of how such a variety ever came about in the first place comes to mind. What causes this miscellany of the tastes and fragrances of grapes, melons, kiwis, pineapples and the like, using the same water and minerals for centuries on end, yet without ever mixing them up with each other and without ever getting them confused? Allah gives them their matchless tastes and appearances.

Both animals and humans obtain the energy they need to survive through nutrition which is produced by plants. In other words, plants have been created as a blessing to benefit all living things. Most of these blessings have been designed especially for humans. Let's take a look at our surroundings, at what we eat, and then think. First let's look at the bone-dry stalk and very thin roots of a grape vine. This bone-dry structure, one that seems so fragile that it could be broken with the slightest pull, can produce dozens of kilos of juicy grapes whose color, smell and taste have been designed especially to give pleasure to man. Now let's think about watermelons. This juicy fruit, which again comes out of dry soil, develops precisely in the season when people begin to feel the need for it, that is, in summer. Let's think about the marvelous smell of the melon that has been provided since it first came into existence, without any deterioration in its quality, and about its famous taste. When fragrances are produced in factories, people use complex quality controls and take great pains to produce a uniform odor that mimics nature; but there is no need for quality checks to preserve the natural odor of fruits.

In addition to their enticing smells, each fruit also contains ingredients that are suitable to the season. In winter, for example, we have tangerines and oranges, which are full of vitamin C and energy. Vegetables also possess any and all kinds of vitamins and minerals that living things may need.

By thinking in this manner, we could examine in turn all the plants present in nature. And at the end of this examination, we would have learned that the plants around us have been especially designed for human beings and all other creatures, in other words they have been created. Allah, Who is the Lord of the worlds, has brought into existence all nutrition for living things and has created them in such a way that the taste, smell and use of each one of them is wonderfully varied. This reveals His might and matchless artistry in creation. He informs us of this in the Qur'an:

And also the things of varying colors He has created for you in the earth. There is certainly a Sign in that for people who pay heed. (Surat an-Nahl: 13)

A Perfect Design 0f Leaves: Pores

There is a perfect design present in every square millimeter of every leaf, an object which we usually consider, at first glance, as being ordinary, "garden variety." Pores, which are one of the essential structures of plants, are a key part of this design. These microscopic holes (pores) that exist on the leaves are responsible for facilitating the transfer of water and heat as well as obtaining carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, a gas which is necessary for photosynthesis. In addition, pores have a structure capable of opening and closing themselves when necessary.

Another interesting feature of the pores is that they are mostly located on the bottom of the leaves. In this way, the harmful effects of the sun's rays on the leaves are kept to a minimum. If the pores, which discharge the water of the plant, were densely present on the upper surface, then they would be exposed to sunlight for long periods of time. In such a case, the pores would continuously let out water in order to prevent the plant from dying of heat. Consequently, due to excessive water loss, the plant would wither away and die. Allah, Who has created everything in a perfect and complete way, created the pores as an exclusive design for plants and thus prevented them from suffering harm due to water loss.

The pores, which are located in pairs on the surface tissue of leaves, are shaped like beans. The concave position of the opposite pores adjusts the openings of the pores that maintain the gas transmission between the leaf and the atmosphere. These openings, which are called pore openings, vary according to the conditions of the environment (light, moisture, temperature, carbon dioxide level) and the internal situation of the plant, especially regarding water. The water and gas transmission of the plant are adjusted by the pores' openings getting larger or smaller.

There are very delicate details in the structure of these pores which have been designed by taking all the effects of the outside environment into consideration. We all know that the conditions of the outside environment are subject to continuous change: the moisture and gas ratio, the temperature and the air quality… But the pores of leaves can adapt to all these factors.

This system in plants, as in other systems too, can function only if all the parts are present together. Therefore, it is definitely beyond the realm of possibility for the pores of plants to have come into being through evolutionary coincidences. Allah created the pores with their very exclusive structures, and especially designed them to serve their purposes.