A moving (living) creature on earth
saly
“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.” (Surat Al-An'âm (The Cattle): 38)
This ayah is found in the first quarter of surat Al-An’am (The Cattle)
in the Qur’an. It was revealed in Makkah. There are 165 ayahs in
this surah. It was named Al-An’am because of the mentioning of the
cattle in this surah as well as referring to one of the most important
systems of classification of different forms of living organisms.
As other ayahs revealed in Makkah, this surah focuses on the Islamic
creed (‘Aqeeda), as well as specific rulings. It also refers to other
previous nations and how they responded to their messengers who were
sent by Allah (SWT) to guide them. It mentions how those nations did
not learn from the consequences faced by the previous nations due to
disobeying Allah (SWT), emphasizing people’s ignorance and their short-
sightedness.
Signs of the creation mentioned in this surah:
1. Confirming the issue of creation, and that Allah (SWT) is The
Creator of everything with the Truth, The Ever-Trusted Trustee over
everything. He (SWT) excelled in creating the heavens and earth, the
darkness(es) and the light, the stars and all that is related to them
(including planets, moons, comets, shooting stars, meteors, etc).
This Surah also re-affirms that Allah (SWT) is the one who has created
man of clay and that all mankind descends from one man and He (SWT) is
the creator of all living creatures which rest in the night as well as
the ones that rest at the daytime.
2. It also mentions the fact that all living creatures are similar
to the creation of man in terms of descending from one origin and each
living together in a community of its own.
3. A reference to the fact that Allah (SWT) is the only one who
has the knowledge of the Unseen in the universe. It declares the fact
that sleep is a form of death and waking up is a form of the rising
after death. It also mentions that the universe is originally created
in deep darkness while light is a blessing from Allah (SWT), which He
bestows on whomever He chooses. It also refers to the fact that
Allah’s (SWT) ability to split the daybreak from the night darkness
every day is very similar to Him causing the seed-grain and the date-
pits to split and sprout. This also proves Allah’s (SWT) omnipotence
in innovating the universe. The ayah also states that the night is
designated for rest and the day for tending of this earth and earning
a living.
4. The ayah uses the phenomenon of the alteration of the day and
night to explain that the earth revolves about its own axis and
rotates around the sun. Moreover, the sun and the moon behave in such
a precise manner that man can use them to calculate the time and dates
of the events.
5. Confirming that the close-compounded grains in plants are
brought out of the green color of plants known as chlorophyll. The
thick clustered of dates (within reach) originate from the spathes of
the palm trees. The ayahs also confirm that by sending rain down from
the heaven, Allah (SWT) has brought into being gardens trellised and
untrellised of grapes, palm trees, olives and pomegranate each similar
to each, and each not (Literally: other than being co-similar) similar
to each as well as plantation of different crops which bear fruit and
ripen. All of these are amazing signs for a people who believe.
6. There is a reference to the fact that the laborious climbing up
in the heaven makes the breast of the climber straitened and
restricted (if not equipped with the relevant equipment).
Some interpretations of The ayah:
Allah (SWT) says what can be translated as , “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.” (Surat Al-An'âm
(The Cattle): 38).
· Ibn-Kathir (may Allah have mercy on his soul) wrote what
can be summarized as: Mujahid said: Every categorized species is
identified by its name. Qutada said: There is a separate community
for each: Birds, Man and the Jinn. Sady said: “…except that they are
nations like you.” i.e. creatures like you.þ
· The book ‘In the Shade of the Qur’an,’ (Fi-Dhilal Al-
Qur’an), may Allah (SWT) have mercy on its author, stated: “… it is an
amazing reality, which put animals, birds and insects into communities
that have their own characteristics, systems and structure as well.
The more advanced man’s knowledge becomes, this reality becomes
increasingly evident. Nevertheless, Man’s knowledge of a specific
creature does not add or change anything to that species! This ayah
and these evident seen facts show Allah’s (SWT) knowledge of the seen
and the unseen as well as His (SWT) planning for everything…
· The writer of the book, Safwat Al-Bayan (may Allah have
mercy on his soul) says that this part of the ayah “…except that they
are nations like you,” refers to all the different communities that
are similar to man. They all live and die, are in need of Allah (SWT)
for their livelihood, organizing their matters, the subjection of the
settlement of their affairs to His omnipotence …etc.
Scientific implications in this ayah:
Biologists have discovered more than 1.75 million different types of
species which exist on this earth and are living on land, at sea and
in the air. In addition, paleontologists have discovered more than a
quarter of a million extinct species. Taking the average number of
yearly discoveries, of new species, in these two fields into
consideration, scientists estimate that the expected total number of
different species present on this earth may be as high as 4.5
million. Each of these species is probably represented by billions of
successive and contemporary individuals.
It has been found that the life expectancy of each species ranges from
0.5 to 5 million years (an average of 2.75 million years) after which
they normally become extinct. The oldest fossil found on earth is 3.7
to 3.8 billion years old. It is, then, evidently a near impossible
task to discover every one of those billions of individuals out of
those millions of species that ever existed or even exist on this
earth no matter what advancements, knowledge, or means of calculations
man has. This is why it became important to categorize them as the
ayah, we are looking at, has done, “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.” (Surat Al-An'âm (The
Cattle): 38).
The ayah refers to the main type of classification which is the
species. It is divided into groups which include numbers of this
species living together in specific areas in the world, each forming a
community of its own. For example, humans are divided into different
races, each representing a population and all these different
populations descend from one father, Adam (Peace and blessings be upon
him) whom Allah (SWT) describes by saying what can be translated as,
“O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single
person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife [Hawwâ (Eve)],
and from them both He created many men and women; and fear Allâh
through Whom you demand (your mutual rights), and (do not cut the
relations of) the wombs (kinship). Surely, Allâh is Ever an All-
Watcher over you.” (Surat an-Nisâ' (The Women):1).
And He (SWT) says what can be translated as, “It is He Who has created
you from a single person (Adam), and (then) He has created from him
his wife [Hawwâ’ (Eve)], in order that he might enjoy the pleasure of
living with her…” (Surat Al-A'râf (The Heights):189).
And He (SWT) says what can be translated as, “He created you (all)
from a single person (Adam); then made from him his wife
[Hawwâ’ (Eve)]. …” (Surat Az-Zumar (The Groups):6)
The Prophet (SAWS) described the origin of human from one man by
saying, “You are sons of Adam, and Adam came from dust”. (Good Hadith,
Sahih Al-Gamea’ Al-Albany No. 1787).
The ayah that we are discussing in surat Al-An’am is referring to the
fact that just as humans are divided into different races, each
representing a population having the same origin, the same is true for
every other species on earth, each is divided into populations having
the same origin. Despite being in some ways independent, the different
species have shared characteristics with other species. This proves
the oneness of the creator as all creations, starting from the atom to
the solar system to the galaxy, or from a single living cell to the
human body, all are clearly synchronized and based on the same paired
system which is a witness of Allah’s (SWT) creativity, divinity and
power as well as the attributes of being the one and only creator who
is above all His creations.
2.....
Types of living organisms (species) in the Noble Qur’an and in the
science of classification.
In an attempt to gather this infinite number of creatures, biologists
classified them into two main categories: Animals and Plants. They
defined plants as those living organisms that are fixed to the ground
through their roots. Allah (SWT) has given the plants the ability to
produce their own food. Animals, on the other hand, have been granted
the ability to move and obtain food from the surrounding environment
from which they eat and digest.
This classification into these two main categories prevailed until the
beginning of the 20th Century, despite discovering a lot of living
organisms which were very difficult to place in either of these
groups. These living organisms were discovered using the microscope
which was invented in the 17th Century. They included a lot of tiny
single-celled organisms. Some of them had some resemblance to plants
and others had some resemblance to animals, while a third category had
some resemblance to both plants and animals.
These single-celled living things were eventually classified as a
third category known as “Protista”. With the discovery of bacteria,
it was found that they could not be put in any of the three main
classifications- Protista, Plants or Animals as it lacked a nucleus
which was a characteristic of all the three groups. Similar to the
bacteria there was another simple type of living organism known as
“Blue Green Algae”, which was also a single-celled organism with no
definite nuclei and the carriers of the genetic codes are spread in
the cell’s liquid.
With the discovery of “Viruses”, it appeared that they can be
distinguished from the other organisms as they live on other
organisms. It was found that a virus could replicate by inserting its
simple genetic material into the cells of an animal, plant or
protista. Since the genetic material in these primitive living things
are not linked in a definite way, such viruses are sometimes referred
to as “Naked genes”.
Based on these findings, living organisms were classified into 4
kingdoms: Monera, Protista, Plantae and Animalia. Studies then proved
that fungi were considered to be a different living organism that
should be put into a separate category. Fungi are known to absorb
their nutrition through the walls of their cells, which is a
characteristic of plants. However, unlike plants, they do not produce
their own food. Moreover, they do not swallow up and digest their food
as animals do. Therefore, they had to be classified into a new
category. By separating fungi into a new category, there became 5
different kingdoms of living things:
1. Kingdom Monera: this includes: bacteria, blue green algae
and spirochetes. They are normally single-celled organisms with no
defined nucleus.
2. Kingdom Protista: this includes protozoa and all algae
other than blue green algae. They are also single-celled organisms but
with a defined nucleus.
3. Kingdom Fungi: this includes all kinds of mushrooms,
molds, fungi, yeasts, mildews, and smuts. It may be single-celled or
multi-cellular. Every cell has its definite nucleus. Fungi differ
from plants because they lack chlorophyll and therefore, depend on
other living organisms and decomposed material to survive. Hence,
there are saprophytic fungi, that live on dead corpses and the remains
of decomposed plants and parasitic fungi that rely on other living
organisms for its nutrition.
4. Kingdom Plantae: this includes multi cellular organisms,
each cell has its defined nucleus. These cells are organized into
tissues and organs which include pigmentation that allows them to
produce their own food through photosynthesis. The cell walls of
plants are characteristically not living and the plants are normally
rooted in soil.
5. Kingdom Animalia: this includes multi-cellular living
organisms with nucleated cells and a living outer cell membrane. They
are organisms that are able to move and rely on other organisms
(plants and animals) to obtain their food.
This type of classification is to aid biologists in being familiar
with these extensive amounts of living organisms. Viruses do not
belong to the above 5 kingdoms of life. They are much smaller and much
less complex than cells. They are macromolecular units composed of DNA
or RNA surrounded by an outer protein shell. Similarly, prions and
other non-cellular entities do not fit into any of the five kingdoms.
The five-kingdom system of classification for living organisms, is
further complicated by the discovery of archaebacteria., now
recognized by most authorities as a 6th kingdom.
A prominent contemporary scientist describes it as: “Even though the
method of classifying living organisms into 5 kingdoms is preferred in
this book, it is like any other system created by the human mind.
Therefore, it is an attempt to place arbitrary limits to nature which
is too varied to be placed into such specific and narrow
classifications and is therefore a very difficult, if not an
impossible task.” (Biology: Richard A Goldzbi, 1980, page 394)
Current classification of living organisms (Taxonomy)
In an attempt to simplify the picture, which in fact made it more
complicated, was further classification of each (kingdom) into
(Phyla), every Phylum into (Classes), every Class into (Orders), every
Order into (families), into (Genera), into (Species), into (Varieties)
into (Strains) which consist of individuals.
Things got more complicated with the addition of sub-categories to
multiply each classification up to three times of what it originally
was. There came to be sub- and super- before each of the above
mentioned categories. For example, there is now a super-kingdom, a
kingdom and a sub-kingdom.
This reflects the desperate attempts of evolutionists in a trial to
deny the absolute truth about creation and to deny the Creator (SWT)
Himself. They are attempting to prove that everything comes from
nature. However, new successive scientific advances, especially in the
field of genetics and inheritance, are increasing the proof that the
true system of classification of living organisms is the species,
which Allah (SWT) has distinguished into billions of individuals
distributed throughout the world and has brought together as
populations living in specific places and environments. Each species
has originated from one origin which Allah (SWT) has created and knows
of.
The classification of living things according to species is therefore
the only accurate method of classification established by modern
science. As for the remaining higher categories of classification
allocated by different biologists, they are not accurate because they
depend on a lot of assumptions, which rely on personal points of view.
A biologist classifying these categories would be prone to information
bias through choosing which characteristics to consider and which to
ignore in order to simplify the process of classifying this extensive
number of creatures.
Therefore, every species of living organisms on earth comprises groups
or populations which are brought together by shared characteristics.
These characteristics include external, phenotypic, genetic and
internal anatomic similarities. They would also have similar
physiologic and biochemical behavior, basic genetic characteristics,
proximate environmental conditions even if separated by terrestrial
distances, as well as the ability to interbreed to produce fertile
offspring. These characteristics bring together all the individuals of
any one population as well as bringing together individuals of
different populations of the same species. This is the case even if
populations of the same species exhibit differences as a result of
variations in the surrounding environmental conditions, or due to
genetic isolation, because they all have a common genetic code.
Therefore, individuals from two different species can never interbreed
and produce a fertile offspring. Each species cannot possibly breed
with another different species. There are only minor differences
within a population of any one species based on the genes inherited by
the individuals which was originally placed by Allah (SWT) in the
origin of this species. These individual differences may become more
evident among individuals of two separate populations as a result of
genetic isolation as well as differences in environmental and climatic
conditions.
This remark alone is enough to disprove the idea of the hierarchical
classification of the living organisms which is based on assumptions
of similarities within the individuals of any specific kingdom,
whether it starts from the species or the strains up to the kingdom
and between all the other kingdoms according to the evolutionary
theory. That theory has also been disproved by modern advancements in
science including the Genome Project which has unraveled the genetic
code of humans as well as some other living organisms despite the
attempts made by scientists such as Charles Darwin.
Carlous Linnaeous was a Swedish botanist, who published a book called
‘Systema Naturae’ in 1735, a 100 years before Charles Darwin’s
publication of the book ‘On the origin of Species’. Linnaeus sought a
natural method of arrangement, he stopped short of accepting the
evolution of one species into another. Linnaeus’ book called for the
necessity of a classification system of all living things based on
Binomial Nomenclature. This naming system is based on the assumption
that all living organisms originate and descend from a common origin.
However, The ayah that we are looking at in Surat Al-An’am rejects
this as Allah (SWT) says what can be translated as, “There is not a
moving (living) creature on earth, nor a bird that flies with its two
wings, but are communities like you.” (Surat Al-An'âm (The Cattle):
38). This Ayah specifically says what can be translated as that every
species of the living organisms, with its populations and individuals,
is a special entity separated and isolated from other individuals,
populations and species. Any similarities are within the individuals
of the same species and do not in any way go beyond to any other
species.
This is a reality which modern advancements in genetics, molecular
biology and biochemistry have begun to clearly show. This fact was
mentioned 1400 years ago in the Holy Qur’an which only re-affirms the
fact that the Qur’an could only be the word of Allah (SWT) which He
revealed upon His Prophet and Messenger (SAWS). No man could have ever
produced it. It also proves that Allah (SWT) has protected every
letter and word of it as He promised. He (SWT) kept it just as it was
revealed in its original Arabic language for more than 14 centuries
and will continue to do so until this earth and all that is on it
returns back to Him (SWT). We thank Allah (SWT) for blessing us with
the Qur’an and Islam.
"All the praises and thanks be to Allâh, Who has guided us to this,
and never could we have found guidance, were it not that Allâh had
guided us!" (Surat Al-A'râf (The Heights):43)
Peace and blessings be upon the seal of the Prophets and the Messenger
of Allah, who received the Holy Qur’an from his Lord (SWT), and passed
it onto us with complete honesty, through his perfect character and
morals, and it is all truth. Peace and blessings be on his beloved
companions, family, pure wives and on all those who followed his
guidance and acted upon it until the Day of Judgment.
Smee Agin
"saly" <sal...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:0cabe990-5929-47e7...@h9g2000yqa.googlegroups.com...
�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.� (Surat Al-An'�m (The Cattle): 38)
then unto their Lord they (all) shall be gathered.� (Surat Al-An'�m
(The Cattle): 38).
� Ibn-Kathir (may Allah have mercy on his soul) wrote what
can be summarized as: Mujahid said: Every categorized species is
identified by its name. Qutada said: There is a separate community
for each: Birds, Man and the Jinn. Sady said: ��except that they are
nations like you.� i.e. creatures like you.�
� The book �In the Shade of the Qur�an,� (Fi-Dhilal Al-
their Lord they (all) shall be gathered.� (Surat Al-An'�m (The
Cattle): 38).
The ayah refers to the main type of classification which is the
species. It is divided into groups which include numbers of this
species living together in specific areas in the world, each forming a
community of its own. For example, humans are divided into different
races, each representing a population and all these different
populations descend from one father, Adam (Peace and blessings be upon
him) whom Allah (SWT) describes by saying what can be translated as,
�O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single
person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife [Haww� (Eve)],
and from them both He created many men and women; and fear All�h
through Whom you demand (your mutual rights), and (do not cut the
relations of) the wombs (kinship). Surely, All�h is Ever an All-
Watcher over you.� (Surat an-Nis�' (The Women):1).
And He (SWT) says what can be translated as, �It is He Who has created
you from a single person (Adam), and (then) He has created from him
his wife [Haww� (Eve)], in order that he might enjoy the pleasure of
living with her�� (Surat Al-A'r�f (The Heights):189).
And He (SWT) says what can be translated as, �He created you (all)
from a single person (Adam); then made from him his wife
[Haww� (Eve)]. �� (Surat Az-Zumar (The Groups):6)
2.....
wings, but are communities like you.� (Surat Al-An'�m (The Cattle):
38). This Ayah specifically says what can be translated as that every
species of the living organisms, with its populations and individuals,
is a special entity separated and isolated from other individuals,
populations and species. Any similarities are within the individuals
of the same species and do not in any way go beyond to any other
species.
This is a reality which modern advancements in genetics, molecular
biology and biochemistry have begun to clearly show. This fact was
mentioned 1400 years ago in the Holy Qur�an which only re-affirms the
fact that the Qur�an could only be the word of Allah (SWT) which He
revealed upon His Prophet and Messenger (SAWS). No man could have ever
produced it. It also proves that Allah (SWT) has protected every
letter and word of it as He promised. He (SWT) kept it just as it was
revealed in its original Arabic language for more than 14 centuries
and will continue to do so until this earth and all that is on it
returns back to Him (SWT). We thank Allah (SWT) for blessing us with
the Qur�an and Islam.
"All the praises and thanks be to All�h, Who has guided us to this,
and never could we have found guidance, were it not that All�h had
guided us!" (Surat Al-A'r�f (The Heights):43)