Statements Concerning
Bees, Spiders and Birds

When specialists on the nervous system wish to provide striking examples of the
prodigious organization directing animal behaviour, possibly the animals referred to
most frequently are bees, spiders and birds (especially migratory birds). Whatever the
case, there is no doubt that these three groups constitute a model of highly evolved
organization.
The fact that the text of the Qur'an refers to this exemplary trio in the animal kingdom
is in absolute keeping with the exceptionally interesting character that each of these
animals has from a scientific point of view

to be continued

Bees
In the Qur'an, bees are the subject of the longest commentary:
--Sura 16, verses 68 and 69:[72]
"Thy Lord inspired the bees: Choose your dwelling in the hills, in the trees and in
what (man) built. Eat of all fruit and follow the ways of your Lord in humility. From
within their bodies comes a liquor of different colours where is a remedy for men."
It is difficult to know what exactly is meant by the order to follow the ways of the
Lord in humility, unless it is to be seen in general terms. All that may be said, with
regard to the knowledge that has been gained of their behaviour, is that here-as in each
of the three animal eases mentioned as examples in the Qur'an-there is a remarkable
nervous organization supporting their behaviour. It is known that the pattern of a bee's
dance is a means of communication to other bees; in this way, bees are able to convey
to their own species the direction and distance of flowers from which nectar is to be
gathered. The famous experiment performed by von Frisch has shown the meaning of
this insect's movement which is intented to transmit information between worker bees.


to be continued

Spiders
Spiders are mentioned in the Qur'an to stress the flimsiness of their dwelling which is
the most fragile of all. They have a refuge that is as precarious, according to the
Qur'an, as the dwelling of those who have chosen masters other than God.
--sura 29, verse 41:
"Those who choose masters other than God are like the spider when it takes for itself
a dwelling. Verily, the flimsiest dwelling is the dwelling of the spider. If they but
knew."
A spider's web is indeed constituted of silken threads secreted by the animal's glands
and their calibre is infinitely fine. Its fragility cannot be imitated by man. Naturalists
are intrigued by the extraordinary pattern of work recorded by the animal's nervous
cells, which allows it to produce a geometrically perfect web.


to be continued

Birds

Birds are frequently mentioned in the Qur'an. They appear in episodes in the life of
Abraham, Joseph, David, Solomon and Jesus. These references do not however have
any bearing on the subject in hand.
The verse concerning the existence of animal communities on the ground and bird
communities in the sky has been noted above:
--sura 6 verse 38:
"There is no animal on the earth, no bird which flies on wings, that (does not belong
to) communities like you. We have not neglected anything in the Book (of Decrees) .
Then to their Lord they will be gathered."
Two other verses highlight the birds' strict submission to God's Power.
--sura 16, verse 79:
"Do they not look at the birds subjected in the atmosphere of the sky? None can hold
them up (in His Power) except God."
--sura 67, verse 19:
"Have they not looked at the birds above them spreading their wings out and folding
them? None can hold them up (in his Power) except the Beneficent." The translation
of one single word in each of these verses is a very delicate matter. The translation
given here expresses the idea that God holds the birds up in His Power. The Arabic
verb in question is amsaka, whose original meaning is 'to put one's hand on, seize,
hold, hold someone back'.
An illuminating comparison can be made between these verses, which stress the
extremely close dependence of the birds' behavior on divine order, to modern data
showing the degree of perfection attained by certain species of bird with regard to the
programming of their movements. It is only the existence of a migratory programme
in the genetic code of birds that can account for the extremely long and complicated
journeys which very young birds, without any prior experience and without any guide,
are able to accomplish. This is in addition to their ability to return to their departure
point on a prescribed date. Professor Hamburger in his book, Power and Fragility (La
Puissance et la Fragilité)[73], gives as an example the well-known case of the
'mutton-bird' that lives in the Pacific, with its journey of over 16,500 miles in the
shape of the figure 8[74]. It must be acknowledged that the highly complicated
instructions for a journey of this kind simply have to be contained in the bird's
nervous cells. They are most definitely programmed, but who is the programmer?