Conclusion:
No nation has but what it strives for, and Allah does not help those who do not change themselves
first. The utmost condition for a better planet is to move and act. And reflect. And understand.
Here are a few more points to ponder about:
1) What do Allah teaches us about this point as far as the covenant with Adam at the beginning of the
world is concerned?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2) Humans did take the covenant because they were foolish and ignorant. What does that make animals
compared to humans?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------
3)
People usually think that men are more intelligent than animals. This belief would differentiate
humans from animals the most accurately. However, what does the word "intelligence" mean to
you? Is intelligence:
The ability to adapt well to any environment, especially a natural environment?
The ability to imagine and create?
4) Looking from one of these points of view, which is the most intelligent of the mankind or the animal
kingdom?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I thought it was important to include these questions at the end of this unit because we, Muslims,
do not have all the answers.
There are still many things to discover about our environment.
In the Hereafter, we will be allowed to ask any questions and we will get answers. Until then, we are
forced to seek for answers here, now, and also make mistakes.
You might be, yourself, one day, part of these answers.
You may contribute one day to clarify points that are yet very obscure to our knowledge, and help us to
see more clearly in the wisdom of Allah and in the story of life, Insha Allah.
We will finish with the words of brother Khalid Dhorat (Mawlana) taken from:
"The Nature of the Intelligence of Man If one were to cast a glance over different objects in this world,
one would find that sensibility and consciousness go on increasing gradually from inorganic matter to
human beings. The smallest particle of the universal kingdom known as the atom is deprived of all sense
perception and consciousness, but a faint trace of life appears in the minerals. In the vegetable kingdom,
sensitiveness is discernible in the form of germination, while a still higher type of sensibility
accompanied by a limited consciousness can be seen in the animal life. Then, in man, the sense perception
reaches its perfection with the appearance of discretion and consciousness. Inorganic matter is,
accordingly, free from every kind of responsibility; vegetables respond to the law of life and death;
animals are liable to a bit higher responsiveness; while man has to shoulder the responsibility of
everything done by him. In the case of man, this responsibility varies according to his sensibility. A child
will be not as accountable as an adult, nor a lunatic like a sane person. This being the case, nature then
takes upon herself the responsibility to sustain beings and creatures to the extent of their lack of
sensibility and consciousness. She goes on caring for everything in proportion to their potentialities and
abilities of self-survival. Who heats up the diamonds and rubies in the bosom of the earth? Who feeds the
fish in the oceans? Who feeds the wild animals? Who provides nourishment to the birds in the air and
who attends to their ailments? Why do the animals of the same species living in mountains and jungles,
under different climatic conditions, develop different characteristics? Why are the dogs of Europe
different in appearance from those in Africa? Why does nature provide them with different types of paws
and furs and skins according to different physical and climatic conditions? Allah provides all these
provisions only. These differences indicate the ways in which nature compensates every being according
to its lack of will and intelligence and then slowly withdraws its care as it develops its own potentialities
helpful to sustain itself. Man has to earn his own living. He has to cultivate and grow foodstuff for
meeting his needs. He has not been provided with a thick pelt and fine soft hair as some of the animals do
have for protecting themselves against the rigours of climate. Likewise, he has himself to cure his illness,
heal his wounds, and provide for himself. Filling his belly is not as easy as picking a fruit of a tree, a
scratching out a few worms from the earth. On the other hand, nature undertakes the responsibility of
protecting other creations, according to their lack of will and perception against their enemies. She arms
them with different coats of mail: some are given claws and canine teeth; some are taught to fly, or to
swim, or to run; while others fend off their enemies by biting or stinging or emanating a stench. But, look
 |
 |
 |
 |