Page 37 - The Truth of the Life of This World

Man has indeed a fragile nature requiring a lot of care to survive. He
is intrinsically unprotected against, and feeble in the face of, abrupt and
unforeseeable incidents that occur in the world. Equally, he is exposed
to unpredictable health risks, no matter whether he is a resident of a high

civilisation or of a remote, undeveloped mountain village. It is quite like-
ly that at any moment man can develop an incurable or fatal disease. At
any time, an accident may happen dealing unrecoverable harm to one's
bodily strength or one's most enviable charms. Furthermore, this applies
to all people: status, rank and race, etc., know of no exception to such
an end. Both the life of a celebrity with millions of fans and that of a
common shepherd may well be completely altered one day by an unex-
pected incident.
The human body is a weak organism of bones and flesh averaging 70-
80 kilograms in weight. Only a frail skin protects it. No doubt, this sensi-
tive skin can easily be hurt and bruised. It becomes cracked and dry when
exposed to too much sunlight or wind. In order not to surrender to natur-
al causes man always has to be on guard against the effects of the envi-
ronment.
Although man is equipped with marvellous bodily systems, the "mate-
rials" – the flesh, muscles, bones, nervous tissue, cardiovascular system and
fat – are prone to decay. If man were of a different material, rather than
flesh and fat, a material that gave no access to external intruders such as
microbes or bacteria, there would be no chance of becoming sick.
However, flesh is the frailest ‘substance': it becomes rotten and even worm-
eaten when left at room temperature for some time.
As a constant reminder of Allah, man often feels the fundamental needs
of his body. Exposed to cold weather, for instance, he runs health risks;
his immune system gradually "collapses". On such an occasion, his body
0
may fail to maintain the constant body temperature (37 C) that is funda-
1
mental to good health. His heart rate slows, the blood vessels contract,
and arterial pressure increases. The body starts to shiver as a means of
0
regaining heat. A lowered body temperature of 35 C accompanied by a
depressed pulse and contracted blood-vessels in arms, legs and fingers sig-

The Truth of the Life of This World 35