The Language of DNA's Encyclopedia

The most important means of communication between individuals and generations is with words, which are represented by letters. English is a language written with 26 letters, in other words a code of 26 symbols. These symbols form words, and words form sentences. This code enables the communication and storage of information.

The language of the cell is similar: All of a human being's physical features have been codified and stored in the nucleus of the cell, where the cell can refer to again by using this code. This code is the language of the director molecule, the DNA, formed from four special bases called nucleotides, each represented by one of the letters A, T, G, and C. These bases, by coming together one after the other in a meaningful manner, form the DNA molecule (Figures 2.2 and 2.3).

1. Sugar-Phosphate 2. Hydrogen Bonds	3. Base 4. Length of one complete twist of DNA 3.4nm =0.000034mm
Figure 2.2

Information in the nucleus' data bank is stored in this way. In the interests of simplicity when explaining the cell's information coding system, we'll keep using these letters to represent the nucleic acid molecules making up DNA.

These letters form opposite pairs and form one rung of the ladder. These rungs are joined together to form genes. Every gene, which is just one section of the DNA molecule, controls a particular feature in the human body. Innumerable characteristics such as height, eye color, and shape of nose, ears, and skull come about via commands given by the relevant genes. We can compare these genes to the pages of a book, which bears various writings made up from the four letters A, T, C and G.

In the DNA of human beings are found about 200,000 genes, each made up of between 1,000 and 186,000 nucleotides, which come together in different orders depending on the corresponding protein they make. These genes contain the codes for approximately 200,000 different proteins with various duties in the body, the production of which is again controlled by genes.

Figure 2.3 The arrangement of the adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine bases in DNA. The bases are paired to each by hydrogen bonding, and the order of the base pairs makes up the language of life.

Yet the amount of information contained in these 200,000 genes represents only about 3% of the total information contained in DNA. The remaining 97% has remained a mystery to this day. Recent research has shown that this mysterious remaining 97% contains vital information about mechanisms that facilitate highly complex activities, and information about how the cell continues its existence. However, scientists still have a long way to go.

Genes are found within chromosomes. There are 46 chromosomes in each cell in the human body (excluding the generative cells; see Figure 2.5). Comparing each chromosome to a volume comprised of genes, then we can say that in each cell there is a 46-volume cellular encyclopedia that contains all the information relevant to human beings. Using our earlier analogy, this is equivalent to the amount of information stored in a 920-volume Encyclopedia Britannica.

In each person's DNA, the order of the letters is different. This is why all the people who have ever lived have been different from each other. Each human being's basic anatomical structure and processes are the same. But despite the fact that each person arises from the division of just one cell and possesses the same basic structure, each individual is uniquely created, with such fine differences and with such detail that there have been billions of distinctly different people.

All the organs in your body are built according to a planning scheme outlined in your genes. To give a few examples from a gene map constructed by scientists, the skin is regulated by 2,559 genes; the brain by 29,930; the eyes by 1,794; salivary glands by 186; the heart by 6,216; the breast by 4,001; the lungs by 11,581; the liver by 2,309; the intestines by 3,838; the skeletal muscles by 1,911 and the blood cells by 22,092 genes.

The order of the letters in the DNA determines the structure of any human being, down to the smallest detail. In the DNA of just one cell are found characteristics like height, eye, hair and skin color, the plans of 206 bones, 600 muscles, 10,000 auditory and 2 million optical nerve networks, 100 billion nerve cells, and blood vessels 100,000 kilometers (60,000 miles) long and 100 trillion cells.

If even one single letter cannot come about without a scribe to write it, then how can billions of meaningful "letters" arise inside a human cell? How did these letters come together, one after the other, in meaningful patterns to comprise the plan of a unique and complex human body? Were there even the slightest flaw in the order of these letters, you could find your ear where your stomach is supposed to be, or your eyes on your heels, and have to live as a freak. The secret of your being a regular person is the faultless order in which the billions of letters are arranged in your DNA's 46-volume encyclopedia. Obviously, these letters can't possibly realize such an arrangement of their own accord. These genes, which we have been calling letters, have been created by God, the Master of superior intelligence and infinite knowledge. This extraordinary arrangement, which renders the word "coincidence" meaningless, is a result of God's perfect creativity:

He is God-the Creator, the Maker, the Giver of Form. To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names. Everything in the heavens and Earth glorifies Him. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise.  (Qur'an, 59:24)

A Few Further Examples

After a plane crash, survivors who are left stranded, will make a giant X on the ground in an empty field, so that rescue workers flying overhead may be able to spot them. With their belongings or anything else they can find, they construct a big and obviously artificial cross. Seeing this product of intelligence, rescue workers will realize that there are conscious creatures-in other words, human beings-down there.

When you drive along highways in Turkey, sometimes you come across sentences written in white stones on a hillside, such as Everything for the nation. It's quite clear how these messages came to be there. Somewhere nearby, beyond the hill, is an army unit, and they have formed these words with white stones.

Could anyone claim that these words were not written by a conscious, literate soldier, but that they just appeared there by coincidence? Could anyone say that as the stones rolled down the hill, they randomly formed such sentences?

What if a scientist were to declare, "There are trillions of stones in the world, and they have been rolling around for millions of years. Therefore, it is possible that some of these stones could come together at random to form meaningful sentences." Wouldn't even children laugh at him? And on top of that, were he to employ scientific language and give scientific explanations with probability calculations, wouldn't people be suspicious of his mental capacity? Forget the entire sentence. There's no chance that even a neat letter could be formed by happenstance. Even if you saw merely that first capital written neatly atop a hill, you would wonder why somebody wrote it there.

With these examples, we are trying to say that if there exists the slightest degree of planning anywhere, then there must be a conscious intellect behind it. No product of an intellect can ever appear by chance. If you roll a few white stones down a hill millions of times, you wouldn't even get a straight letter forming. If a letter were to appear, everyone would have to agree that there can be no letter without a scribe.

The human body, however, has a structure a trillion times more complex than any sentence spelled out in rocks, and there is absolutely no chance that this complex structure could have come about by "coincidence." Therefore it is God Who perfectly planned and faultlessly organized the human being, its cells, and its DNA. To deny the existence and power of God, the Creator of the heavens and the Earth and everything in between, is the greatest possible senselessness and impertinence. It is great disrespect towards the Possessor of that intelligence and power.

But sadly, many people who can instantly grasp the impossibility of stones bringing words together by chance, can listen, without objection, to the deceitful claim that a molecule like DNA, which can perform such amazing tasks, could have formed as a result of a series of coincidental joinings of single atoms. Just like someone who's been hypnotized and imagines himself to be a door, a tree or a lizard when suggested so.

Intelligence in the Cell

You would have to accept that any single cell in your stomach or your ear is more knowledgeable than you. And because it evaluates its information in the most correct and perfect way, it must also be more intelligent than you.

So what is the source of this intelligence? How does each and every one of the 100 trillion cells in your body possess such incredible intelligence? After all, a cell is just a collection of organic molecules, with no consciousness. Even if you joined together the atoms of all of the elements, in different numbers and permutations to form different molecules, you still could not produce intelligence. Whether these resulting molecules are big or small, simple or complex is irrelevant. From them, you will not be able to produce a conscious mind that can organize anything.

DNA is formed from a particular number of atoms without consciousness, coming together in a certain way, and enzymes that work in harmony, carrying out many conscious processes. How can it perfectly and faultlessly organize the innumerable and complex processes that take place within the cell? The answer is very simple: Intelligence is not to be found within these molecules or within the cell itself, but in the One Who created the molecules and programmed them to carry out these processes.

In short, intelligence lies not in the product itself, but in that product's Creator. Even the most advanced computer is the result of an intellect who has written the program that will run the computer, down to the most minute detail. In the same way, the DNA and the RNA found inside the cell, and the human being who arises from the coming together of these cells, are nothing but the product of their Creator. It doesn't matter how perfect, faultless and effective the product may be. Intelligence always lies in its maker.

Suppose that you run across a highly advanced computer disc, load it and read what appears on the screen, only to find that it contains millions of instructions personalized and unique to you… The first question that would come to your mind would be "Who wrote the instructions, and for what purpose?"

So why not ask the same questions about the cell? If somebody wrote the information on the disc in our example, then who created DNA so perfectly, which is much more superior and more highly advanced; and then placed it carefully in a tiny cell-which is a miracle by itself-without losing any of its characteristics, from thousands of years ago until today? (Never forget, the human brain that manufactured the disc and programmed the instructions inside it is composed of these same cells we are talking about).

What more important questions could there be than who created the cell and why? These cells are on constant duty to let you read these lines, see, breathe, think, in short exist and continue your existence.

The answer to that question is this: Almighty God created all entities in the universe, living or inanimate, from nothing and installed DNA, with all its miraculous properties, into the cell, the building block of all living things. The purpose of human life is to be able to see this truth and serve our Great Lord.

The Giant Encyclopedia in the Human Cell

An astounding amount of information is recorded in DNA, so much so that found within a single DNA molecule (which cannot be seen with the naked eye) is enough information to fill an encyclopedia of 1,000,000 pages. In the nucleus of one cell is encoded enough information to control all the processes in the human body that would be contained in a giant encyclopedia of 920 volumes. For comparison's sake, one of the world's largest encyclopedias, the 23-volume Encyclopedia Britannica, has a total of only 25,000 pages. Within a microscopic cell, in a molecule found in its nucleus, much smaller than the cell itself, is encoded enough data to fill a store of information 40 times larger than the world's most thorough encyclopedia, the likes of which have never been seen before. It's been calculated that DNA's giant "encyclopedia" would possess up to 3 billion different instructions.

At this point, let's reflect on possesses instructions, those two words that fall from our lips so easily. In saying that there are billions of instructions in one cell, what we are talking about is not a computer or a library, but is a tiny sphere, smaller than a 100th of a millimeter and composed of just protein, fat and water molecules. That even one instruction, let alone millions of them, can be maintained within this tiny piece of tissue is absolutely amazing.

To store information today, people use computer technology, considered to be at the forefront of all other technologies. The amount of information that could be stored in a room-sized computer 20 years ago can now be encoded in a tiny microchip. But even this latest modern technology, the result of much effort and knowledge accumulated over many years, hasn't come close to the capacity of even one cell's nucleus for storing information. The following comparison explains the tiny size of DNA, and its amazing capacity for information storage:

The information necessary to specify the design of all the species of organisms which have ever existed on the planet… could be held in a teaspoon, and there would still be room left for all the information in every book ever written.3

How can a helix that we cannot see with our eyes, which is a billionth of a millimeter in diameter and formed from the coming together of atoms, store and remember such a huge amount of information? To this one question, add another: Each of the 100 trillion cells in your body can effortlessly recall one million pages of data, but how many pages of an encyclopedia can you-a conscious, intelligent human being-memorize during your lifetime?

Life in the Nucleus

If we compare the human body to a building, its "floor plan" and design, including all the particulars and technical details, are all spelled out in DNA which is contained in the nucleus (Figure 2.1).

The development of a baby in its mother's womb and after birth is regulated according to a specific program. The perfect organization of a person's development is expressed in the Qur'an as follows:

Does man reckon he will be left to go on unchecked? Wasn't he a drop of ejaculated sperm, then a blood-clot which He created and shaped? (Qur'an, 75:36-38)

While you were still a fertilized egg cell in your mother's womb, all the characteristics that you would possess in the future were determined by God, and organized, and placed in your DNA. At 30 years of age, the characteristics you possess-such as height, color, blood group, facial features-were all encoded in the nucleus of your single original cell at the time of fertilization, 30 years and nine months earlier.

The information in DNA does not determine only physical features, like the ones just mentioned. It also controls the thousands of different events and systems that take place in the cell and the entire body. For example, even information about whether your blood pressure will be low, high or normal is contained within your DNA.

1. Nucleolus	2. Nuclear Membrane
Figure 2.1 Diagram of the nucleus found at the center of the cell

The World's Most Advanced Factory

The cell's production system can be likened to a factory, the likes of which have not yet been built, and which works with the most advanced technology (Figure 1.2). This imaginary factory is a huge facility, made up of numerous highly developed units each producing different high-tech products. It uses some of these products within its inner structure, and some of them it assembles to produce new production machinery. It exports many of its products as raw materials or machinery. Using up the least amount of energy to produce the highest yield, it is more environmentally friendly than any present factory anywhere on the face of the Earth. It destroys its own waste and thus almost never pollutes its environment.

The factory's production and operating systems have been perfectly designed. The directors, engineers, workers-in short, the entire staff-are made up of robots and computers able to perform their duties faultlessly, and are so advanced that we would encounter them only in science fiction films.

Production in the cell takes place just as this imaginary factory. Specialized and complex protein molecules, called enzymes, take the place of the factory's robots and machines. The cell's knowledge of how to manage itself is stored in a large, helical molecule called DNA, highly specialized for this process and formed from the assembly of numerous atoms.

Now, let's look at the structure of this bewilderingly miraculous molecule and the processes it manages to carry out.

The Tiniest Living Entity

At every location in our bodies, a tiny yet complex living process takes place.

Whenever we examine with a microscope the details of any human organ, we see millions of tiny living entities that have massed together to form that organ and which at every instant are in constant activity. Not just human beings, but all living organisms are formed from aggregates of these tiny microscopic entities called cells.

Cells are divided into two types: those without a nucleus (prokaryotes) and those that do possess a nucleus (eukaryotes). Bacteria are single-celled organisms that lack a nucleus. Every human, animal and plant cell does contain a nucleus, but they have a different structure. Using the energy from the Sun, with the aid of the chloroplasts found in their cells, plants produce nutrients and oxygen for humans and animals. This book focuses mainly on the human cell, but will touch on plant cells from time to time.

Your body contains more than 100 trillion cells, some so small that one million of them brought together would fit on the tip of a needle. Despite this tiny size, however, the cell is considered by the scientific community as the most complex structure man has ever come across. Though many of its secrets have still not been unraveled, it forms the greatest impasse for evolutionary theory. The Russian evolutionist Alexander I. Oparin expresses this truth, which cannot be overlooked:

Unfortunately, however, the problem of the origin of the cell is perhaps the most obscure point in the whole study of the evolution of organisms.1

Another admission on this topic belongs to Professor Klaus Dose, the Director of the Institute for Biochemistry at Johannes Gutenburg University. In regard to the formation of the living cell, Dose has this to say:

In spite of many attempts, there have been no breakthroughs during the past 30 years to help to explain the origin of chilarity in living cells.2

1. NUCLEUS All of the information pertaining to the human body is encoded here, in this DNA molecule. 2. ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM It isolates and transports proteins and other molecules. 3. MITOCHONDRIA The cell's primary source of energy. The molecule ATP, vital for all body functions, is synthesized here. 4. CELL MEMBRANE Semi-permeable, it controls the entry and exit of molecules. 5. CELL MEMBRANE GATES They allow glucose and oxygen in, and transport synthesized protein and enzymes outside the cell.

Figure 1.2 Protein-producing ribosomes; energy-producing mitochondria; DNA, the central information bank; the endoplasmic reticulum that facilitates transport, the Golgi body that acts as a depot, the membrane which controls entry into and exit from the cell; all of the enzymes that have a duty in all reactions in the cell-with all of this planned, endless activity the cell operates like a perfectly run factory. Remember that the cell, harboring all of these processes, is a trillion times smaller than any factory.

With these words Dose admits that evolution cannot explain the origins of living things.

From these admissions, it is quite clear that evolutionary theory stumbles right from its first step and has no possibility of going any further. Because, as is known, the living organism's basic unit is the cell. Consequently a theory that cannot explain how the cell came into being-or, even how the proteins that make up the cell, or how the amino acids that make up the protein came into being-is in no way able to explain how all living beings on Earth were formed.

On the contrary, the cell is one of the most dazzling proofs that the human being was, in fact, created.

For the cell to continue its existence, all of the components that carry out the vital processes need to be assembled together in one place. Anyone who claims that the cell came about as a result of so-called evolutionary changes is actually asserting that the millions of different components making up the cell formed at the same time and in the same place-by coincidence. Moreover, all of these parts needed to have come together in a particular order and plan. It's undoubtedly impossible that such an event could have come about by chance. Therefore, a structure like the cell is a clear proof of creation.

We can illustrate this with an analogy: The possibility that the cell arose through a series of coincidences, as the theory of evolution proposes, is less likely than if a bomb were to explode in a printing house and an encyclopedia was published as a result. In other words, a living organism coming into being by coincidence is beyond the limits of possibility.

1. Centrioles 2. Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum 3. Plasma Membrane 4. Mitochondrion 5. Nuclear Pore 6. Lysosome	7. Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum 8. Nuclear Membrane 9. Nucleus 10. Nucleolus 11. Ribosomes 12. Golgi Body
Figure 1.3 Generalized diagram of an animal cell

Despite this, evolutionists are still claiming that living things came about by coincidence under the primitive earth conditions, which was then the most uncontrolled of environments. But under no circumstances can this claim ever conform to scientific fact. Even the most basic calculations have proven mathematically that, not only the cell, but even just one of the millions of proteins that compose it, cannot have come into existence as a result of coincidence. This shows that evolutionary theory is based not on intelligent logic, but rather on a collection of imaginary and fantastic scenarios.

Equally amazing as the formation of a single cell is the perfect harmony and cooperation amongst cells. All of the myriad cells in the human body came about as a result of the division-and subsequent multiplication-of just one cell. And right from the start, all of the knowledge to shape the structure of our bodies as they are now, their design and all of their features were present in the chromosomes located in the nucleus of that very first cell.

All cells resemble one another in their general features. However, each organ possesses cells that are different from any other organ's. Cells have been bestowed with specialized shapes and abilities, depending on the structure and duty of the organ they compose.

One single cell possesses a complexity akin to a large city's in terms of its systems and communication, its transport and management. Just a few of the complex structures found in the cell include powerhouses that produce energy for the cell's use; factories that manufacture enzymes and hormones vital to the cell's existence; a knowledge bank containing all the information needed to manufacture all the products that the cell will produce; a complex transport system and roadways that transfer raw materials and products from one site to another; a laboratory and refinery that can distinguish and separate raw materials coming in from outside; specialized membrane proteins that control the entry and exit of the materials.

Any human's continued existence occurs as a result of the harmonious cooperation within and amongst the cells that make up the body. The cell works in great harmony with others, while maintaining its own existence within a sensitive balance. By itself, it determines and then produces the materials and energy it needs to maintain this inner balance. Whenever it cannot meet some of its requirements itself, it meticulously selects the necessary materials from outside. It is so selective that without its "permission," no substance, even one found in abundance outside the cell, can accidentally enter through its membrane. There is never to be found an unnecessary molecule or one that doesn't have a purpose in the cell. All substances leaving the cell are under the same tight controls and strict regulations.

In addition to all this, the cell possesses a defense system to protect it from external threats and attacks. Yet despite the number of structures and systems contained within it, and the endless activity that takes place, the average size of a cell is measured not in square kilometers like a modern city, but in only hundredths of a millimeter.

All these amazing processes, which we have mentioned briefly and which we will analyze separately in the rest of the book, take place in such a tiny living thing. That is a miracle in itself.

The Addition of One Extra Oxygen Atom Can Turn Water Poisonous

At specific heat and energy levels, the three atoms that make up a water molecule can combine with a second oxygen atom, transforming the formula H20 into H2O2. This seemingly minor alteration changes all the molecule's chemical properties. When it takes on another oxygen atom, the beneficial liquid we were formerly able to drink easily turns into hydrogen peroxide, a substance with entirely toxic properties.

Hydrogen peroxide is a powerful oxidant that destroys or severely damages any organic compounds that come into contact with it. Because of its toxic effect, it plays a role in forming fog and pollution in the air. Due to its powerful chemical effects, it is also effective bleach, oxidizing and eliminating pigments such as melanin, which are responsible for black, brown and sandy colors. In dilute solution, this substance is used to turn dark hair blonde. 21

By itself, the way that atoms produce molecules with a wide variety of features shows a most sublime artistry. However, for a single atom to turn a molecule from entirely useful to entirely harmful, and into a toxic product from one necessary for life, is astounding. What this marvel means is that when Allah so wishes, He can create new properties by means of a single atom, invisible to the naked eye. The enormous chemical difference that develops from the tiny atomic difference between water and hydrogen peroxide shows evidence of a superior creation, the likes of which cannot be imitated in any way. Chance can never account for the formation of this immaculate structure, in which a single atom added to a molecule changes all its properties. Such fine-tuning can only exist under the control of a superior Will that belongs to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.

The Source of the Miracle of Water: Hydrogen Bonds

At room temperature, water is a familiar liquid. But this is most interesting, because under normal conditions, we would expect water to be in a gaseous state, like other small molecules such as ammonia and methane. Water's liquid nature stems from the small hydrogen atoms, and the hydrogen bonds between water molecules. As you know, covalent bonds hold a water molecule together, but one water molecule attaches to another via a hydrogen bond. As already stated, hydrogen bonds are exceedingly weak, and the duration of a hydrogen bond is approximately one hundred billionth of a second. However, the breaking of the bond does not destroy the assembly of water molecules, because when one bond is broken, another new one immediately forms. As a result of this constant renewal, water molecules cannot adhere to one another, but are viscous. As a final result, instead of forming a gas in which molecules move independently, water molecules group together as a moving liquid. This property of water, so different from that of similar molecules, is one of the basic necessities of life.

The weak hydrogen bonds between water molecules also results in the different densities of liquid water and ice. Almost all known substances are denser as a solid than in their liquid form in. For example, under normal conditions when you drop lumps of iron into molten iron, the solid lumps will sink to the bottom. Yet with water, this does not happen because ice, water's solid state, is less dense than liquid water. When water freezes, every molecule grips tightly onto its neighbor because of the hydrogen bonds, but the distance between these molecules remains quite large. Therefore, gaps remain between the bonds, and the structure of water in its solid form contains more empty space than its liquid counterpart, making it less dense.15 As a result, when you drop ice cubes into a glass of water, the ice inevitably rises to the surface—as do icebergs in the ocean.

Under the effect of hydro gen bonds, bod ies of water always begin to freeze from the sur face. This means that all liv ing things under the ice have a shel ter in the win ter. Water in the lower lev els chills to no less than 4 degrees Celsius (39.2 degrees Fahrenheit). By means of this spe cial bal ance cre at ed by Allah, liv ing things in the water under neath can sur vive the win ter.

This characteristic of water is of the greatest importance for life. Due to this effect of the hydrogen bonds, bodies of water always start to freeze from their surface down. In winter, ice forms on the upper layers of lakes and seas, and the mass of water beneath the ice remains in a liquid state. As a result of this, thousands of water-dwelling organisms are able to survive. At the same time, the ice at the surface also acts as a protective layer that insulates the underlying water and keeps it from growing too cold. The mass of water below chills to no colder than 4^oC (39^oF), which temperature lets marine organisms survive. This is another special creation brought into being for living things. If ice were denser than water, lakes and oceans would begin to freeze from the bottom, and with no insulation, would freeze right up to the surface. A large part of Earth's northern seas would consist entirely of ice, and aquatic life would come to an end.

Water has other important properties. For example, when you gently place a very light shaving of metal on still water, you'll see that it remains on the surface, rather than sinking to the bottom. Also, certain insects are also able to walk across water without difficulty. Metal is heavier than water, as are many insects,16 so how can they remain on the surface in this way? The reason, once again, points to water's being deliberately created. The hydrogen bonds that hold water molecules together give rise to surface tension, which arises when molecules on the water's surface establish bonds amongst themselves and also with molecules beneath.17 For an insect's legs to sink down into the water, some of these hydrogen bonds must be broken. If water lacked these properties, then fish would require a large amount of energy in order to be able to swim, and there might not be the same variety of species living in water than there is now.

These properties of water, which are so familiar but seldom reflected on, are a great blessing from Allah. Water acquires such characteristics, and living things are able to survive on it and in it because Allah so wishes. Allah has set out this fact in a verse:

Allah is He, Who created the heavens and the Earth and sends down water from the sky and by it brings forth fruits as provision for you. He has made the ships subservient to you to run upon the sea by His command, and He has made the rivers subservient to you. (Surah Ibrahim: 32)

The molecules on the water surface establish hydro gen bonds with one another and also with those beneath, giving rise tosurface tension. Some of these hydrogen bonds need to break in order for a light insect to sink beneath the water's surface.

The force that helps a tiny green grass seed emerge from the soil, and lets giant trees grow several hundred meters (or several hundred feet) tall, is again closely related to the miraculous properties of water. Due to its molecular property and method of bonding, water enters a plant's roots and extends upward along very narrow tubes inside. The water's ascent may sometimes be tens of meters (hundreds of feet), may divide into dozens of branches and twigs. This property of water, which other liquids could not accomplish so easily, is known as capillary movement. At the same time, water is capable of being absorbed. As soon as it comes into contact with substances like wood or gelatin, it is able to penetrate them.18 The way that seeds begin sprouting swell up by absorbing water also stems from this property of water's being absorbable. If not, even though there were water and seeds under the ground, then there would be no trace of the plant kingdom and all life on Earth would disappear.

I.     Water is a special liquidin which molecules are ableto move with ease. Despite being a solvent, water does not dis solve the skeleton. Allah has com bined the calcium and phosphate molecules that comprise our bones in a special way so as to protect them against the dissolving properties of water. As a result of this perfect creation, the moisture in your body does your bones no harm.

II.   The hydration layer that forms with hydrogen bonds prevents sodium and chloride ions combining together, so that these two molecules are unable to form salt.

III.   Bone tis sue

Because of the weak hydrogen bonds that bring water into existence, this miraculous molecule is able to exhibit heat resistance. If the air temperature suddenly rises, water's temperature increases more slowly. In the event of any sudden drop in air temperature, water temperature falls slowly, and does not cool down as much as the air does.19 This physical behavior is actually a marvel of creation. If water did not possess such an "insulating" property, then water-dwelling organisms could not withstand sudden violent temperature changes, and would soon die off. Moreover, we would also be affected. Since water constitutes around 70% of our bodies, we would be immediately affected by the temperature, and become swiftly chilled or overheated.

Water is also an ideal perfect solvent. A great many substances (sugar in particular) dissolve easily in water because they can build hydrogen bonds with it. Molecules such as salt or minerals, joined with ionic bonds, can also dissolve easily in water. Its solvent property is also very important to our own bodies; it creates a perfect vehicle to transport nutrients to our cells. At the same time, water at body temperature is an ideal liquid for the movement of molecules inside the cell. Despite its solvent properties, however, water cannot dissolve calcium phosphate, so that your own body fluids do not dissolve the bones of your skeletons.20 This special molecular structure that constitutes your bones is made up in a particular way to withstand the solvent property of water.

Different molecules assume different forms inside your body, itself the result of the multiplication of a single cell, to bestow different features on you. While all these anatomical changes were taking place, how could molecules themselves have decided that those to be transported inside the cell should be soluble in water but that your bones should be resistant? How can cells know that nutrients need to dissolve in water? It is of course illogical to expect any cells to be familiar with molecules, know their appropriate levels of solvency, and take precautions beforehand to ensure the ideal metabolism.

Do you not see that Allah sends down water from the sky and then in the morning the Earth is covered in green?Allah is All-Subtle, All-Aware.(Surat al-Hajj: 63)

These are Allah's sublime creation. Allah has created all these properties possessed by a human fetus, who begins to grow inside his mother's womb, and all the molecules in that body. This is revealed in another verse:

Allah – Him from Whom nothing is hidden, either on Earth or in heaven. It is He Who forms you in the womb however He wills. There is no god but Him, the Almighty, the All-Wise. (Surah Al ‘Imran: 5-6)

Only since the 20th century we humans have been able to investigate the substances that comprise the universe at the molecular level. Water, however, was set out in perfect quantities when this Earth was coming into being and intelligently created with all the ideal attributes for the formation of life. It's a miracle whose detailed properties scientists have only recently discovered. However, Allah created water and equipped it with the ideal properties for living things long before the first living organism came into existence. The fact that all of water's properties arise from what is inherent in two atoms of hydrogen and one of oxygen shows the flawless depth of detail in His sublime creation. Allah reveals in one verse:

In the creation of the heavens and Earth, and the alternation of the night and day, and the ships which sail the seas to people's benefit, and the water which Allah sends down from the sky—by which He brings the Earth to life when it was dead and scatters about in it creatures of every kind—and the varying direction of the winds, and the clouds subservient between heaven and Earth, there are Signs for people who use their intellect. (Surat al-Baqara: 164)

The Great Miracle of Water

Every molecule in the universe is created with exceptionally delicate balances. Perhaps one of the most important molecules that Allah has created, whose superior characteristics are most essential for our lives, is the water molecule, specially brought into being to ensure the survival of all life on Earth. Let us have a closer look at the water molecule to better grasp this marvel of Allah’s superior creation.

The large amounts of water on the Earth are present in three different states: liquid, gas and solid. Of that, 97 percent is too salty, and 75 percent of the fresh water is solidified at the poles. The remaining 1 percent of the total water is drinkable, but most of that is inaccessibly deep groundwater. Thus, only 0.05 percent of the water running through lakes and streams is readily available. Yet even this small quantity is sufficient for living things on Earth to survive. 13

We send forth the pollinating winds and send down water from the sky and give it to you to drink.And is it not you who keep its stores.(Surat al-Hijr: 22)

The two seas are not the same: the one is sweet, refreshing, delicious drink, the other salty, bittrer to the taste.Yet from both of them you eat fresh flesh and extract ornaments for yourselves to wear: and you see ships on them, cleaving throungh the waves so that you can seek. His bounty and so that hopefully you will be thankful.(Surat Fatir: 12)

Significantly, the salt water of all the seas and oceans that comprises 97% of the Earth's water actually serves human beings and other land-dwelling life. As a result of the accumulation in the clouds of water evaporated from the oceans, and that later descends to earth in the form of rain, that fresh water reaches the dry land. The seas and oceans covering more than 70% of the planet's surface are at the ideal levels for this evaporation. Were the amount of dry land any greater, then arid lands and deserts would increase enormously. Were it any less, then the areas remaining would become unproductive for agriculture due to the excessive rain that they would receive.

Allah has created the Earth's land-water ratio at the ideal level to support human life and gives us clean water that we could not acquire unless He so wished. This fact is revealed in a verse:

Have you thought about the water that you drink? Is it you who sent it down from the clouds or are We the Sender? (Surat al-Waqi‘a: 68-69)

Inside itself and around it, water shelters a great many living species. Even the smallest drop of water may contain hundreds of microorganisms. Water is also found inside living organism, and comprises between 50% and 95% of all the bodies of all living things.

The way that water is formed—by the coming together of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom—is just as thought-provoking as its features and uses. It is actually rather difficult for these two atoms to come together in such a way as to form water. When you bring hydrogen and oxygen atoms together in a controlled environment like a test tube, you cannot see them suddenly combine into water molecules. You could not achieve such an outcome even if you waited for hundreds of years. Water would appear in the tube only after thousands of years, and then in only very small quantities. And that is still a remote possibility.

It is Who sends down water from the sky.From it you drink and from it come the shrubs among which you graze your herds. (Surat an-Nahl: 10)

So how can we obtain such a vital necessity for life? As you know, a high level of energy—therefore, a high temperature—is necessary for certain molecules to come into being or undergo changes. The same applies to water. In order for two molecules of hydrogen (H) and one of oxygen (O), to combine together and form water, they need to contact one another. During that process, the chemical bonds that form the hydrogen and oxygen molecules weaken, and the atoms link up in such a way as to create a new molecule: water. At present, the temperatures on Earth are too low to permit any possibility of new water formation. The water currently on Earth is at a level formed as a result of the high temperatures during the birth of the planet.14 That amount can never change. Under the effect of differing temperatures, water can be found in three different states. Solid-state water appears in the form of giant polar icecaps, where it seems to have been especially reserved. The water we use eventually evaporates and rises into the air in its gaseous state, and returns to Earth in a liquid form—rain. Thus the water you drink, use and absorb with the food you eat regularly returns to us in a more purified form. In short, by means of its specially imparted features, we can use the same water over and over again. At Allah's behest, water is constantly bestowed on us in a purified state:

. . . We send down from heaven pure water so that by it We can bring a dead land to life and give drink to many of the animals and people We created. (Surat al-Furqan: 48-49)

Islam commands us to do good and avoid evil

Believers learn the true meaning of good and evil from the Qur'an, a book revealed by Allah as the standard by which to discern the true from the false." Concepts such as good and bad, right and wrong, are elucidated in the Qur'an with examples that everyone can understand. Believers' fear of Allah gives them light and understanding to help them distinguish between good and bad. (Surat al-Anfal: 29)

Muslims spend their whole lives implementing their awareness of the good and evil, as described in the Qur'an. Yet they also assume another important responsibility, inviting others to see the truth, to avoid evil and to live by the morality of the Qur'an. Believers spend their lives telling people about the difference between good and evil, because to the faithful, Allah has given the following command: 

Let there be a community among you who call to the good, and enjoin the right, and forbid the wrong. They are the ones who have success. (Surah Al'Imran: 104)

In  the Qur'an, Allah stresses how those who abide by this commandment are much more auspicious than others:

You are the best nation ever to be produced before mankind. You enjoin the right, forbid the wrong and believe in Allah. If the People of the Book were to believe, it would be better for them. Some of them are believers, but most of them are deviators. (Surah Al 'Imran: 110)

The faithful perform that Qur'anic duty not only in respect of those ignorant of the difference between right and wrong and with no knowledge of religion, but also in respect of the faithful themselves. People fall into error not only out of ignorance, but sometimes out of forgetfulness, by mistake or when driven by earthly desires. Thus, the faithful encourage good and prevent evil by reminding one another of the Qur'an's commandments. They warn each other that in this world, those who fail to avoid evil will suffer the torments of hell,and that only those who do good and devoutly carry out their religious obligations will be rewarded with paradise. That delightful responsibility means that they never need feel wearied or discouraged while continuing to warn others compassionately and affectionately, no matter what mistakes they might have made. In many verses, Allah reveals that He loves those who have patience, and calls on the faithful to be patient when practicing the morality of the Qur'an:

You who believe! Seek help in steadfastness and prayer. Allah is with the steadfast. (Surat al-Baqara: 153)

… Those who are steadfast and do right actions. They will receive forgiveness and a large reward. (Surah Hud: 11)

Islam commands solidarity and cooperation among people

In the Qur'an Allah has issued this command:

... help each other to goodness and Allahliness. Do not help each other to wrongdoing and enmity. Have fear of Allah. Allah is severe in retribution. (Surat al-Ma'ida: 2)

As that verse makes clear, the faithful struggle only for what is good. They consider the words of Allah in  the Qur'an: "Whatever good you do, Allah knows it." (Surat an- Nisa: 127) They never forget that they will be recompensed for all they do in the Sight of our Lord, but Allah reveals that pleasing mutual aid needs to be in a framework of "good and Allahliness." The meaning of goodness is also explained in the Qur'an :

It is not devoutness to turn your faces to the East or to the West. Rather, those with true devoutness are those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, the Angels, the Book and the Prophets, and who, despite their love for it, give away their wealth to their relatives and to orphans and the very poor, and to travelers and beggars, and to set slaves free, and who perform prayer and pay charity tax; those who honor their contracts when they make them, and are steadfast in poverty and illness and in battle. Those are the people who act loyal. They are the people who guard against evil. (Surat al-Baqara: 177)

True goodness, therefore, is rather different from the way society in general perceives it. Those who do not live by the morality of the Qur'an view good deeds as favors they confer, whenever they happen to feel like it. Usually they restrict such good deeds to giving money to a beggar, or giving up their seat on the bus to an elderly person.

Yet as we have seen from the above verse, in the Qur'an Allah describes goodness as a concept encompassing the whole of a believer's life, as an obligation that must be fulfilled throughout the course of his life, not only when he feels like it or happens to remember it. As a servant, any Muslim possesses true sincerity and helps the poor and needy, even if he himself is in need, even giving up the things he loves (Surat al-Insan: 8). In Surat adh-Dhariyat: 19, which reads, "And beggars and the destitute received a due share of their wealth," Allah has revealed that rendering assistance, helping others and doing good are all incumbent upon Muslims. They give help unconditionally, and believers are ready to make any sacrifice to encourage others towards what is good. They expect nothing in return, apart from winning the pleasure of Allah. In the Qur'an, Allah describes such behavior by believers:

Not so! All who submit themselves completely to Allah and who do good will find their reward with their Lord. They will feel no fear and will know no sorrow. (Surat al-Baqara: 112)   Allah does not wrong anyone by so much as the smallest speck. And if there is a good deed, Allah will multiply it and pay out an immense reward direct from Him. (Surat an-Nisa: 40)

We feed you only out of desire for the Face of Allah. We do not want any repayment from you nor any thanks. Truly We fear from our Lord a glowering, calamitous Day. (Surat al-Insan: 9-10)

Muslims know that Allah is the Lord of infinite justice, and never forget that their good behavior will be suitably rewarded in the hereafter. Nor do they forget that life in this world is only temporary, and that their true home lies in the sight of Allah. In the Qur'an, He warns people of their inevitable end, and calls on them all to behave in a manner pleasing to Him:

We did not create the heavens and earth and everything between them, except with truth. The Hour is certainly coming, so turn away graciously. (Surat al-Hijr: 85)

Worship Allah and do not associate anything with Him. Be good to your parents and relatives and to orphans and the very poor, and to neighbors who are related to you and neighbors who are not related to you, and to companions and travelers and your slaves. Allah does not love anyone vain or boastful. (Surat an-Nisa: 36)

The recompense for those who exhibit pleasing behavior is of great good news for all of mankind, and is revealed in these verses:

But as for those who believe and do right actions, We will not let the wage of good-doers go to waste. (Surat al-Kahf: 30)

When those who have done their duty are asked, "What has your Lord sent down?" their reply is, "Good!" There is good in this world for those who do good, and the abode of the hereafter is even better. How wonderful is the abode of those who guard against evil: Gardens of Eden which they enter, with rivers flowing under them, where they have whatever they desire. That is how Allah repays those who guard against evil. (Surat an-Nahl: 30-31)