Page 94 - The Miracle in the Ant

search is taken beyond this point, it is observable that, in fact, He dom-
inates the whole of nature and has organized each component of nature
separately and in harmony, thus founding the perfect system that we call
"ecological balance". We can advance further and go into the domains
of geology and astronomy. Everywhere we are going to face the same
situation, with countless systems that function in harmony within a per-
fect order. These systems all indicate the existence of an organizer. Yet,
none of the entities making up the systems are themselves organizers.
"Is then He Who creates like one who does not create? Will you
not take heed?" (Surat an-Nahl:17)

Then that organizer must be a Will Who is aware of and sovereign
over the whole universe. The Qur’an describes Him as follows:
He is Allah, the Creator, the Maker, the Giver of Forms. To Him be-
long the Most Beautiful Names: Everything in the heavens and
earth glorifies Him. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise. (Surat Al-
Hashr: 24)

The Acacia Tree and Ants
Acacia trees grow throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of
the world and are protected by thorns. An ant species that lives on
African acacias gnaws an entry hole in the walls of the thorns and lives
permanently inside the acacia tree. Each colony of ants inhabits the
thorns on one or more trees and feeds on the nectars of the acacia
leaves. These colonies also eat the caterpillars and other organisms they
find on the tree.
The nectar of the acacia trunk is very rich in oils and proteins.
Thomas Belt, who first described these bodies, noted that their only ap-
parent function was to nourish the ants. Ants, which live on these trees,
obtain sugars from the nectaries and feed them to their larvae. 62
What is it that the tree expects from the ants in return for its produce?
The worker ants, which swarm over the surface of the plant, are very
aggressive toward other insects and, indeed, towards animals of all sizes.
When their tree is brushed by an animal, they swarm out and attack at
once, inflicting painfully burning bites. Moreover, other plants sprouting

Kar›nca Mucizesi
94 THE MIRACLE IN THE ANT