Page 139 - Devotion Among Animals Revealing the Work of God

Cooperation and Solidarity Among Animals

worker lives off the pollen and honey from the feed store, but feeds
most of it to the larvae. It regurgitates some of the food it has eaten,
mixes it with substances drawn from glands inside its head, and feeds
this mixture to the larvae.
How does a creature which has just emerged from the pupa know
its job? Why do all bees comply without objection? The bee ought to
emerge from the pupa and seek to continue its own life without show-
ing any signs of conscious devotion. But not so: The bee fulfills its nurs-
ing duties in a highly disciplined, responsible manner.
2. When the bee is approximately twelve days old, its wax glands
develop and it begins to restore and build the hexagonal comb struc-
tures in which larvae develop and honey is stored.

3. Between the age of twelve days and three weeks, the worker re-
ceives the pollen and nectar brought back to the hive by the other bees,
converts it into honey and stores it. It also cleans the hive, removing
from it dead bees and other waste.
4. When it has reached the age of three weeks, it's old enough to
gather the nectar, pollen, water and resins needed in the hive. These
mature workers leave the hive to look for flowers and nectar. Obtaining
food is a tiring process: After only two to three weeks, a worker bee will
die of exhaustion. 139 However, a point hard to explain is that each bee
produces far more honey than it requires for its own needs. It is im-
possible for evolutionists to explain why an unthinking creature, sup-
posedly in a struggle for its own survival, should persist in this hard
work without ever giving up.
Here we confront another sign of God. As stated before, God re-
veals in Sura 16 that He commands the bee to make honey. This is why
bees display devotion to such a degree: They are obeying their Lord's
order. What man needs to do is revealed in the continuation of the
verse:

… There is certainly a Sign in that for people who reflect.
(Qur'an, 16: 69)

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