Part 26

limbs apart! So ask the denier: Who subdued it and subjugated it and led it with all its strength to a weak human, one of the weakest of creatures. By such employment, the human species can devote their time to their worldly and other-world interests. If man had to do the work the animal does, and carry loads that the animal carries that would consume so much of his time, he would not be able to do the constructive work he does: instead of one camel, he would need a group of people to carry his burdens; indeed not even a group of people can carry what one camel carries; besides, it would take up their time and not leave them time to attend to their interests. Those animals have been created to do hard work for humans, besides the countless ways in which they serve humans: providing food, drink, medicine and clothing; stuff from their bodies are used for making containers, machines and utensils; they are means of transport and plowing; and they provide many other benefits; add to the beauty of some animals.

Providing tools of manipulation

Consider the wisdom embodied in the provision of tools of manipulation to animals and man. Since man was created to practice many industries like masonry, sewing, writing and so forth, he was provided with a flat round hand and fingers that enable him to hold, spread, fold, unfold, gather, scatter, join something to another; the animal, on the other hand, was not destined to practice similar industries, and so it was not provided with a hand and fingers similar to a human’s. Because some animals, like wild animals, are carnivorous, they were provided with slender, close-built hands with claws or talons adapted to the catching of preys, not for industries. This is so in carnivores; herbivores, on the other hand, are destined not to catch other animals, nor do they have an industry; and so some have hooves that protect them from the roughness

of land while they are roaming the meadows grazing; some have close-built hooves with an arch like human feet, so that they may be placed on the ground; they are destined to carry and transport, and do not need claws or canine teeth for obtaining food, and so they do not have them.

Providing canine teeth and claws

Consider the creation of carnivorous animals, the wisdom embodied in their having sharp teeth, strong claws and large mouths. They have been provided with arms and tools that are adapted to catching preys and eating. That is why you see the birds of prey with sharp beaks and talons like hooks. That is also why the Prophet # prohibited eating all beasts with fangs and all birds of prey’, due to its being offensive, aggressive and destructive. As an eater takes on qualities from the stuff he eats, man would take on. the traits of the birds of prey were he to eat their meat, and would be aggressive and destructive like them. That is why the Muslim ummah (nation) is forbidden to eat that flesh. The hyena, on the other hand, though having canine teeth, is not forbidden to eat, as it is not considered by any nation as a predator: prohibition is confined to animals with the two qualities of having fangs and being a predatory animal. It is not said that this is conversely applied in the case of predatory animals without fangs, as they are absolutely non-existent.

May peace and blessing be on the Prophet who spoke with concise statements, who made plain the teachings and expounded the permitted and _ the prohibited.

? As ina tradition reported by Muslim and Ahmad, among others.

Tools of manipulation of animals

Claws of the bear

epi of the shark

Fangs of the Lion

The wisdom of commandment and the wisdom of creation

Reflect on the wisdom of the Almighty Allah in His creation and commandment, in what He created and in what He decreed; and you will discover in all that a great source of wisdom that speaks of a foolproof system that never fails, nor does it have any loophole. Some people perceive the wisdom of commandment more than they notice the wisdom of creation — these are the select among Allah’s servants, who have well comprehended what Allah ordained of injunctions and religion, and realized His wisdom in what He excelled in designing. Their minds and intellect testify that the basis of what they see is deep wisdom, mercy and benefit for the humans in their worldly and hereafter lives. This class of people, however, are of countless levels that only Allah can reckon. Some humans notice the wisdom of creation more than they notice the wisdom of injunctions, and of this class are the majority of physicians who dedicate their thought to the extraction of the benefits and uses of animals and plants, their potentials and what they can serve, individually and in combinations. Their share in perceiving the wisdom of commandment is equal to or less than the jurists’ share in perceiving the wisdom of creation. Another class are blessed with noticing creation and commandment in accordance with their potential and ability: They notice in what they see the exceeding wisdom that overwhelms minds; and as they observe creation and the many aspects of wisdom it implies, they increase in faith, knowledge and endorsement of what the messengers taught. When they’ consider His commandments and the exceeding wisdom they imply, their faith and submission to the Lord are increased. They are not like those who have been blinded to the Maker by what He made, or blinded by the stars from realizing the star-Maker; those whose vision is blinded, who are barred from the Lord with a thick veil. If these last-mentioned put their knowledge to good use, they would be among the most staunch of believers, having witnessed Allah’s wisdom, His most stunning signs, the wonders of His craft that point to Him, to

His knowledge, power, and wisdom that is not available to others, It is, however, of Allah’s wisdom that the minds of the majority of this group do not avail their privileged place; they are barred from knowing Him, are stopped at the external aspect of the worldly life, unmindful of the hereafter. These minds are unworthy of being acquainted with Him, His names and Attributes, and the secrets of His religion and legislation, being of base interests, mean and petty. But bounty is in the Hands of Allah, and He extends it to whoever He wills, for Allah is the expender of great bounty. But in this regard, what humans have access to is infinitesimal as compared to what is hidden from them. Indeed, what each and every single human has acquired of knowledge, relative to what they ignore, is equal to the sip of a little bird, relative to the sea. But even so, this is no reason for turning our backs to what we can learn and being desperate about it: a thinking human will find in what he perceives an indication of what lies beyond.

The legs of animals

Consider also the legs of animals and the great wisdom they represent. How the Lord destined that they are in pairs, two or four, not odd. An animal can walk and run, and in this way can go about its interests, which would not be possible had its legs been odd. A walker lifts some legs and supports itself on others; a biped animal lifts one leg and supports itself on the other, and a quadruped lifts two and supports itself on the other two, the two on the opposite side, because if it were to lift two legs on the same side and support itself on the other, it would not be steady on the ground at the moment of lifting its legs, and it would be hopping like a bird, which is harmful and tiring to the animal, though not to the bird. It is clear that if man walks this way for some distance he will be exhausted and fatigued, unlike his normal walking which is the appropriate way for him. Wisdom has determined that he moves his right arm with his left leg and holds back his left arm and his right leg, then he shifts to the other side, which is the easiest and most convenient way of walking for the biped.

Bactrian Camel, with two humps

The dwelling of beavers is a marvelous achievement in both architecture and execution. The beavers take a long time and spend a lot of effort to build a dam across a stream or river which they have selected for their habitation; they need a stream that is deep and clean. They first cut some trees with their sharp, incisive teeth; then they drag them or float them to the appointed spot, where they fasten them. Once the framework of the dam has been built, it is filled with pieces of boughs, rocks and mud. A beavers’ dam can be as high as three and a half metres, and as wide as thirty metres.

After they have accomplished building the dam, and water has risen to the suitable depth, beavers build their distinctive habitations; they make islets in the water, surrounded with the deep water, barricade them with a fence, and build over them a roof of twigs and mud. When the weather is freezing, as happens in Canada and northern Europe, where beavers live, the habitation is frozen; in this way it hardens and radiates warmth on the inside. As for the entrances to the habitations, they are provided through bores below water. Such habitations are very secure against the assault of enemies.

The backs of animals

Regard also the deep judgement behind having the backs of transport animals level like a roof built on columns, which is convenient for riding, and for carrying loads.

in contrast, are different, for their backs are

humped, having that arched form; for they are designed for extra heavy loads and are provided with special

strength. It is known that domes endure weights that level roofs do not endure — it is even said that the idea of making domes came from the backs of camels. Observe also that as the camel is provided with long legs, its neck is also made correspondingly long, so that it can reach grass while the camel is standing. The camel would not have been able to graze if its neck were short. Another reason its neck was made long is that its length balances the burden on the back once the animal starts to go ahead. The situation is somewhat similar to the one you see in the length of the bar of the bar-scale — it is even said the barscale was invented in imitation of the camel, by observing the length of its neck and the weight of its burden: you see how it extends its neck as it goes ahead with the burden, as if it were deliberately balancing it.