New discoveries come always to validate what the Quran brought fourteen centuries ago. Let us visualize these miracles in the ants’ world, and how did the Quran speak about them.….
Doubters have always criticized anything about the Quran trying to convince Muslims that the Quran doesn’t agree with the science, common sense and the mind. We see them use the similar verses that are hard to explain according to the available knowledge. They, then, say that the Quran gives falsehoods and myths. Allah (SWT) knew about these people and told us regarding them 14 centuries ago!! Allah almighty say: “And they say: “Tales of the ancients, which he has written down, and they are dictated to him morning and afternoon”” [Al-Furqan:5].
One of the criticisms that I have read on their sites is that the Quran contains myths regarding insects talking such as the story of “the King Solomon” when the ant was talking to its partners, and he understood it. They say that ants can’t produce any sound, and no one can talk to ants.
First, let us read the noble verse and visualize it. Allah (SWT) says regarding Solomon (peace be upon him) when he approached the valley of the ants with his soldiers: “Till, when they came to the valley of the ants, one of the ants said: “O ants! Enter your dwellings, lest Solomon and his hosts should crush you, while they perceive not” [Al-Naml-18]. This verse proves that ants have an organize traffic system. We find that one of the ants works as a “traffic policeman” organizing the traffic and gives warning for any danger might come near. It also communicates with the other ants in a language they understand, and it is possible to understand this language because the prophet Solomon recognized it and understood it and smiled upon its saying, and that what some of the doubters criticize.
Before we try to answer these criticisms toward the Quran, let us demonstrate what the scientists have discovered recently regarding the ants’ society. Scientists have studied this confusing community for centuries, and have used microscopes, methods and labs to perform experiments on ants, and they have come with amazing results that show that ants are a complete community, they communicate, do lots of different jobs and skills, and they always learn new techniques.
For the last two years, the researcher “Graham Currie” has studied the traffic organization phenomenon, and how are the ants able to organize their movements to avoid inadequacy or collapse. He said, after his researches, that ants overcome humans in organizing traffic, and that they work with great talents even when the traffic is busy. Ants can even move in big crowds within seconds toward their residences without any accidence or collapse occurrence.
The ant that organizes the traffic has its own way “free ways” other ants can’t use. The ant use this free way to direct others. There is also a road in the middle for ants that carry food and seeds to cross. However, “empty” ants have to use different lane on the sides “free way” because its movement is faster than the loaded ants. All this occur with great and accurate system without any mistake, Glory to Allah!
Europeans’ researchers assure that ants distribute the work. There are ants that are responsible for giving instructions, communicating with other ants and warning them and directing them to what to do in emergency situations. There is a clear language the ants use to communicate.
The ant’s brain is considered the biggest in insects according to its size. It contains more than 250000 nerve cells which are still mysterious for scientists. And some researchers assure that the ant’s brain work better than any computer in the world! These nerve cells have the responsibility to transfer messages and to communicate.
The studies also show that the only duty for the ants’ males is to mate with the queen. However, the defending duties, warning, organizing traffic and others are the ants’ females’ responsibilities. Here we realize the accurate wording in the Quran when Allah almighty said :( one of the ants (female) said) in feminine format to prove that the female ant is the one that is responsible for defending and warning when danger approaches.
Allah (SWT) created big eyes for ant with lots of lens. He also created a heart that pumps colorless blood. The ant also has nervous system and others which makes it overcomes lots of other insects in staying a live. That’s why Allah almighty mentioned it in a great chapter which is An-Naml chapter.
Ant works in cleaning the environment, taking care of the young ones, and babysits them in amazing way. It works in defending its self and its settlements. It also collects advantageous food. A new study revealed that ants don’t take any food they come across. They, instead, store the rich and good food to benefit from it in winter!
The new studies in insect dissection show that the ant has a rough and strong skeleton that protect the body from any danger. When, for example, the ant meets an enemy while it is on a tree, it throws itself and flies directing its body to slide on the plants to avoid the crashing of this rough skeleton. That’s why, the ant in Solomon story, warned her partners saying: “lest Solomon and his hosts should crush you”. When you step on an ant, for instance, its outer skeleton crashes just like glass!
The ants’ world is the most one spread on earth. There is twenty thousands types of ants, and each type consists of millions of ants! Scientists have also found that the ants’ society immediately answers any cautions from another ant.
The ant can carry a load that is twenty time its weight. It also has incredible skills, methods and defense force plans. It also can generate warnings when sensing any threat.
Scientists have observed the ants while working via putting distinct sign for each ant. They have found that ants divide themselves into teams; each team does a certain job for number of weeks. That is the ant that warns others when danger approach is the same one for certain time, the ants that take care of the young ones are the same for certain time, and the ants that are responsible for defending the settlement are the same for some time. However, after few weeks, they trade the responsibilities so that each ant would gain a new skill.
The scientists, now, say that ants not only can talk, but also can plant the earth and look after the young ones and teach almost everything. Ants also have methods to control the housing temperature to maintain a good temperature for them and for the young ones. Also, there are jobs’ specialties in the ants’ society in which each group of ants does a certain job. They do constructing jobs like human, and they are considered skillful building engineers. They also have special techniques to maintain and to preserve the food in great conditions. And the important thing is that ants perform their jobs voluntarily not reluctantly, glory to Allah!
The question is: does the Quran contain myth stories or is it a book that speaks the truth? Scientists assure that ants overcome humans in lots of skills, and that they are society just like human. That’s why Allah almighty assures that ants are community like us; he said: “There is not a moving (living) creature on earth, nor a bird that flies with its two wings, but are communities like you. We have neglected nothing in the book, then unto their Lord they (all) shall be gathered” [Al-Anam: 38].
The Quran agrees with the new science when it talked regarding the ants’ special way of communicating. Also, when the Quran talked regarding the miracle of the noble prophet Solomon concerning his ability to understand the ants’ language is scientifically possible. The scientists prove that the ants produce chemical products, as well as electromagnetic resonances to communicate with other ants. Allah almighty gave the ability to the prophet Solomon (peace be upon him) to understand this language. He almighty is the one that created ants and humans, and He gives the miracles to Whom He wants from his prophets. We ask Allah (SWT) to increase our faith and knowledge amen.
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By: Abduldaem Al-Kaheel
References:
- Ants best at crowd control, The Daily Telegraph, August 03, 2007.
- Ants and brain’s neurons, Stanford University, 11/15/93.
- Ants, Wikipedia.
- Ants, The Center for Insect Science. University of Arizona.
- Discovery of gliding ants shows wingless flight has arisen throughout the animal kingdom, UC Berkeley, 9 February 2005.
