What would you do if you had 450-500 eggs that you
had to keep outside? It would no doubt be the wisest way to take the necessary precautions
that will prevent them from being scattered and strewed with the effects of natural causes
like wind. Hence, the silkworm (450-500) which is among the animals that lay the highest
number of eggs at once, apply very wise methods to preserve its eggs. The silkworm
prevents its eggs from being scattered or strewed by attaching them to each other with an
adhesive material (string) it secrets.
The caterpillars that leave their eggs will find an appropriate branch for themselves and
will stick to that branch with the same string. Then they begin to build a cocoon with the
string they secrete to get developed in it. It will take 3-4 days of non-stop working for
the new born caterpillar to finish this process. During this period the caterpillar would
turn around itself for thousands of times and secrete approximately 900-1500 m. long
strings. With the end of this process, the caterpillar, without giving any break, will
begin the metamorphosis process which will turn itself a beautiful, charming butterfly.
Neither the precautions that the mother silkworm takes in order to preserve its young, nor
the attitude of the little caterpillar unaware of anything which does not have any
experience or knowledge can be explained by evolution. First of all, the string secreted
by the mother silkworm to protect its young has a miraculous structure on its own. The
baby caterpillar that builds a cocoon appropriate to its surroundings, and the
metamorphosis process that begins all of a sudden and ends without any problem coerce the
limits of human understanding. Under these circumstances we can definitely say that every
caterpillar is born knowing what to do; this means every one of them is "taught"
to do what they do.
Let us clarify this miracle with another example: What would you think if you see a new
born -human being- baby, standing up just one or two hours after his birth and beginning
to gather the materials needed to prepare a bed (quilt, pillow, cushion, etc.), and what
would you think if you see this new born baby succeeding in doing his own bed?
After you throw off your bewilderment, the most logical result that you can reach to is
that the baby is "trained" to do these somehow in his mothers womb in an
extraordinary way. The case of the caterpillars are in fact no different from the above
mentioned baby.
This would again take us to the same result: all these living beings are born, behave and
live just as the way their Creator, Allah created and designed. Qur'an announces that
Allah had revealed to the honeybee and had commanded the honeybee to produce honey (Sura
Nahl, 68-69). This announces an example of a giant secret of life. This secret
states the fact that, all living creatures that are submitted to Allah's will and follow
the faith designated by Allah. The honeybee produces honey upon this, and so the silkworm
produces silk just with the very same reason...
If you look at the wings of the butterflies in the
photograph you will see perfect symmetry. These wings decorated with figures, spots and
colours are masterpieces of art and the marvels of creation of Allah.
While examining these wings you will easily notice that the figures and the colours on
both sides are identical, no matter how complex its design. Even the smallest spot appears
identically on both sides. Hence, there occurs a perfect design and symmetry.
At the same time, a colour on this very delicate and fine wing never gets mixed with
another colour and the existing colours are distinguished from the others with a distinct
border. These colours are formed by series of spots arranged one on another. How can these
spots, that would be scattered with a touch of a finger tip, be arranged, without any
loss, to form the exactly identical design on both wings? Even an extra single spot would
cause the symmetry to be corrupted. But you can not find any kind of disorder on any one
of the butterfly wings on earth. Each of them has aesthetic and well-arranged appearance
that looks as if it was the masterpiece of a talented artist. This is because the
butterflies, like all other living beings, are created by the Superior Creator, Allah.
"He is Allah , the Creator, the Evolver, the Bestower of Forms (or Colours).
To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names: whatever is in the heavens and on earth, doth
declare His Praises and Glory: and He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise." (Sura
Al-Hashr, 24)
"Is then He Who creates like one that creates not? Will ye not receive
admonition?" (Sura An-Nahl, 17)
These aesthetic and orderly figures on the wings of the butterflies indicate that these
living beings are formed as a result of unique creation, but not as a result of series of
unconscious coincidences.
Harun Yahya
25 January 1999.
-----------------------------
[He is a well known writer from Istanbul who has written numerous books and articles on
Islam, which includes the marvels of Allah's creation, the evolution theory, and politics.
His articles have been published, not only in Turkey, but in other countries as well. His
study aims to convey the message of the Qur'an, and to encourage people to think on issues
such as the existence and the unity of God, and the Hereafter.]
