Page 104 - Magnificence Everywhere

VARIETY IN ANIMAL EYES
The structure of the eyes of fish enables them to see clearly underwater, while
the eyes of birds make it possible for them to see through the air as they fly. The
structures of the eyes of other creatures are likewise designed according to their
needs. It is obvious that an organ like an eye which has a complex structure cannot
acquire its features on it own, features that are different in every creature. Any per-
son who examines the examples of this with wisdom and conscience will immedi-
ately see the fact that all creatures have been created by Allah. The examples given
below constitute a way to reflect upon this fact.
Birds have a sharper sense of sight than humans, and they can scan a broader
area in detail. A bird can see a number of images that a man only perceives by see-
ing in parts, but for a bird they are as a whole at a single glance. For birds, this is a
great advantage for hunting. When compared to humans, some birds can see a dis-
tance six times farther than our sight.
For man, the momentary loss of sight that occurs during the split-second blink-
ing of an eye is not very important. However, this could very well cause a problem
for a bird flying very fast at an altitude of hundreds of meters. For this reason, when
birds blink their eyes, there are no interruptions whatsoever in their seeing for birds
have a third eyelid called a nictitating membrane. This membrane is transparent
and it moves from one side of the eye to the other. Thus, birds can wink their eyes
without completely closing them. In addition, birds that dive into water use this
membrane as diving glasses and so protect their eyes from harm.
As another example, the eyes of the camel also have features that provide pro-
tection exactly as needed. The hard bones around the eyes protect them from sun-
light and against blows. Even the strongest sandstorms do not hurt the eyes of a
camel because its eyelashes have an interlocked structure and the eyes close auto-
matically at the moment of danger. Thus, even a small bit of dust cannot enter the
animal's eyes.
Fishes' eyes look at the world from behind a transparent screen. This curtain re-
sembles divers' "goggles." Their firm, spherical eye lenses are adjusted to see nearby
Magnificence Everywhere same density as water, when the images formed outside are reflected in the eye, re-
objects. Another reason for a fish's lenses being spherical is that light refracts when
passing through water. Since their eyes are filled with a fluid that is almost at the

fraction does not occur. As a result of this, the lens focuses the image of the outside
object on the retina perfectly and, unlike humans, the fish can see very clearly under
water.

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