Page 69 - Deep Thinking

Those Things that Need to be Thought About 67

What the "Conscious" Movements of Ivy
Make One Think

A believer strolling in the garden also thinks about the ivy that he
encounters, which is one of the beautiful things that Allah has created. For
a man who reflects, there are signs to learn from every living thing.
For instance, the ivy's winding itself round a branch or any other
object is an event about which one needs to think carefully. If the devel-
opment of the ivy were recorded, and then the replay speeded up, it
would be seen that the ivy moves as if it is a conscious being. Just as if it
sees that there is a branch right before it, it extends itself toward that
branch and it fastens itself to the branch as though lassoing it. Sometimes
it winds around the branch several times to secure itself. It grows very
rapidly in this fashion and it makes itself a new way, either returning or
proceeding downwards, when its path comes to an end. A believer who
witnesses all these once again sees that Allah has created all living beings
with unique, flawless systems.
As one continues observing the movements of the ivy, one witnesses
another important feature of the plant. One sees that the ivy attaches itself
firmly to the surface on which it lies by stretching out arms to the sides.
The viscous substance this ‘unconscious' plant produces is so strong that
when one tries to remove it, it may even strip paint off the wall.
The existence of such a plant reveals to the believer, who sees and
reflects upon these, the omnipotence of Allah, the Creator of this plant.

What Trees Make One Think
We see trees everyday and everywhere; however, have you ever
thought how water reaches the farthest leaf on the top branch of a lofty
tree? We can have a better understanding of the extraordinary nature of
this by way of a comparison. It is impossible for the water in a tank in the
basement of your building to climb to higher floors without a hydraulic
tank or some other powerful system. Therefore, there should also be in
trees a pumping mechanism similar to the hydraulic pump, otherwise,
since water would not be able to reach the trunk of the tree and the