MYSTERIES OF LIFE: MIRACLES IN OUR BODIES
O man! what has deluded you in respect of your Noble Lord? He Who created you and formed you and proportioned you and assembled you in whatever way He willed. (Surat al-Infitar: 6-8)
By Babatunde Jose
Every point of our body consists of cells. Cells provide structure and function for all living things, from microorganisms to humans. Scientists consider them the smallest form of life. Cells house the biological machinery that makes the proteins, chemicals, and signals responsible for everything that happens inside our bodies. Despite its smallness, however, a cell’s structure has not yet been fully understood. Scientists are still carrying out their research on the systems that a cell has.
The average adult male has around 36 trillion cells in their body, while average adult females have 28 trillion, researchers have found.
How is it that trillions of cells come together, know what to do and co-operate to function? Moreover, no trouble arises during these processes. No cell attempts to do another’s task or refuses to perform its own task. Besides, all these processes take place at an extraordinary speed.
Our cells sometimes act like a chemist to produce chemical substances, sometimes act like an engineer to make calculations, and sometimes work to meet the needs of some other cells.
Some of the most vital functions performed by a cell are Structure and Support; Growth, in complex organisms such as humans, the tissues grow by simple multiplication of cells; Transport …; Energy Production; Metabolism; and Reproduction. They could not have possibly learnt how to carry out these tasks in time by chance. Still, we owe our life to the conscious acts of these tiny cells, which we cannot even see with the naked eye. Surely in them there is a very important fact for us to understand. There is a possessor of superior wisdom who makes our cells perform all these tasks and teaches them what to do.
Each one of the trillions of cells in our body fulfills its tasks perfectly as a result of the Creator’s perfect plan. Waking up every morning, smelling the coffee, breathing without any difficulty, and lots of other things we do are thanks to Allah’s compassion and mercy:
*In the creation of the heavens and earth, and the alternation of the night and day, and the ships which sail the seas to people’s benefit, and the water which Allah sends down from the sky—by which He brings the earth to life when it was dead and scatters about in it creatures of every kind—and the varying direction of the winds, and the clouds subservient between heaven and earth, there are Signs for people who use their intellect. (Surat al-Baqara:164)*
The first cell that formed man originated in the womb by the union of two cells, one released by our mother and the other by our father. This cell kept dividing and later became a piece of flesh. Then, as the cells that formed this flesh continued to divide to form new cells, our body was shaped bit by bit. Each new cell acquired a different shape. Whereas some became blood cells, some became bone cells and yet others became nerve cells. There are 200 types of different cells in our bodies. In fact, all of these cells are composed of identical components, yet each performs different tasks. All in the womb.
In shape, our blood cells are globular, their task being to transport oxygen, which is required by our body, by means of blood vessels. Thanks to their shape, they can easily flow through the blood vessels together with the oxygen they carry. Skin cells, on the other hand, are clamped together and closely arranged in a line. So, our skin is impervious to microbes and water.
Scientists have conducted many studies in order to produce a fluid similar to blood. However, having failed to do so, they gave up trying to imitate blood and focused on research in other fields.
The importance of our blood vessels cannot be overemphasized. They are about 120,000 kilometers in length capable of being wrapped round the earth 2.5 times – the length of the equator is 40,000 kilometers. What do you think of that? Blood vessels are not just tubes through which blood flows. They are a unique and complex organ, and any damage to them causes a disease.
Clogged blood vessels in legs – varicose veins, swelling, a feeling of heavy, cold or, on the contrary, a strong burning feeling in feet. Dry and cracked skin on heels. Blood circulation disorders – protection from bacteria disappears, and mycosis appears. Nails get broken. Clogging of the blood vessels that supply liver – steatosis of liver. When you eat fatty food, you get a bitter taste in your mouth.
Broken and clogged blood vessels that supply power to joints – cartilage damage. Joint pain, osteochondrosis and hernia appear. Intestinal vessels lose their elasticity – hemorrhoids appear. Vessels of the eyes – eyesight is failing. A cataract is developing. The red eyes, for which we blame tiredness, are actually micro-hemorrhages, cracks of the small capillaries in the eyes. Circulatory disorders in the brain – vertigo, tinnitus, and memory loss. Have you ever had the experience of going to the room and forgetting what you needed there? Or being unable to memorize a word. These are the signs of cerebrovascular diseases.
Likewise, all other cells too have exactly ideal shapes that are suited to their tasks. However, it is surely not by chance that these cells acquired the shapes they possess. Each has been planned in detail and nothing has come into existence by coincidence. In order for a design and a product to come into being, there needs to be a source of intelligence. That is the essence of this Sermon. Who made these possible? Our Lord created every single part of our bodies perfectly:
*He is Allah – the Creator, the Maker, the Giver of Form. To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names. Everything in the heavens and earth glorifies Him. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise. (Surat al-Hashr: 24)*
Have you ever asked yourself these questions? Should I breathe now? Is the amount of blood that my heart pumps sufficient? Which of my cells and organs require how much energy? When should my stomach start digesting the food I’ve eaten? Is the intensity of the light entering my eye in due proportion? Which muscles should I contract in order to move my arm?
These questions sound odd because they are never asked. Our bodies perform all these processes automatically. And it uses the network of nerves to do this. This network is formed by the union of trillions of nerve cells. Thanks to this network, the cells in our brain are linked to the muscle cells in our feet, and all body cells communicate with each other.
Similarly, stimuli are sent from the entire body to the brain via the nerves. From every single part of our body messages are sent to our brain continuously and at an amazing speed. So, we can talk, laugh, run, taste the flavor of food, all these processes occur without interruption. All these are thanks to the perfect harmony between our brain and nervous system. Yet, we are sold the idea that all these processes are coincidental and due to chance.
Thanks to the splendid creation of Allah, our brain can carry out all these processes at the same time. Despite years of scientific research, the mechanism of these cells has not been fully discovered. But remember that these cells, whose system has not been found out by human beings yet, have been working perfectly like all other components of the body since the first man was created on the face of the earth. Therein lies a conundrum for evolutionists.
There are 206 bones in our body out of which 27 are interconnected in our hand. And because bones cannot be bent there are joints at the connection points of our bones. Thanks to these joints, we can easily bend our arm, raise our leg, and use our fingers. Who made this possible? What bones are made of has interested scientists a lot and they have tried to imitate bone tissue for years. However, nobody has been able to develop a substance with such advanced characteristics as bone has. Interesting to know that Bone ossification, or osteogenesis, is the process of bone formation. This process begins between the sixth and seventh weeks of embryonic development and continues until about age twenty-five, although this varies slightly based on the individual.
All these facts reveal to us that the human body is the result of an excellent design and superior creation. … *Look at the bones—how We raise them up and clothe them in flesh… (Surat al-Baqara: 259)*
Every organ and every cell of our bodies runs with an incredible speed and function perfectly at the same time. All perform the tasks that they are appointed to in harmony. Blood keeps conveying to cells the nourishment that they need to live. The stomach and intestines break down this nourishment and make it suitable for use by cells. Nerve cells keep sending stimuli to all parts of the body; the brain evaluates these stimuli, as a result of which we see, hear, taste, and perceive all other senses.
When one of these tasks is delayed or not performed, the regular order of the bodily functions deteriorates. If nerve cells become impaired, our limbs will not work; if stomach cells become diminished, we cannot digest the food we eat; if the cells in the tongue become reduced, we cannot taste what we eat. However, except in the case of certain diseases, none of the above happens. Every component of our body keeps performing its regular functions non-stop while we are living our everyday life. The perfection that you are blessed with at every instant of our life surely has a cause.
Nothing can originate on its own to have such a complete and faultless mechanism. There is God ooo!
*Everyone in the heavens and earth belongs to Him. All are submissive to Him. It is He Who originated creation and then regenerates it. That is very easy for Him. His is the most exalted designation in the heavens and the earth. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise. (Surat ar-Rum: 26-27)*
*That is Allah, your Lord. There is no god but Him, the Creator of everything. So, worship Him. He is responsible for everything. (Surat al-An‘am: 102)
Barka Juma’at and happy weekend
Babatunde Jose
