Introduction

A great many processes take place in your body to allow you to move just a single limb. These processes begin with the mental decision you make, becoming ever more complex in only a few instants. The series of reactions that begins with an urge arising in your brain may number in the billions, the countless enzymes in your body carry out every one of them. For even a very ordinary movement that you may want to perform, a vast number of processes occur, one after the other, inside each of your cells. Even while these thousands of reactions take place to enable that single movement, your brain carries on, and your heart beats, and the blood circulates at full speed. Foods entering your body are digested, your cells carry on their tasks, and all your organs continue to function in a flawless, systematic manner.

The activities in your cells never cease. You are not aware of them, nor do you have any control over them. All you can do is to gratefully accept the tasks they perform in order to keep you alive.

The truth is, however, that in the same way that you have no control over these processes, neither do enzymes, other proteins, or the larger molecules that control them actually have any power to do anything. All these processes taking place in your body are under the control of Allah (God), and by depending on and placing your faith in this perfect system, you have actually submitted to Him. You are well aware that, apart from times of illness, none of your bodily functions will behave unexpectedly. The reason for your confidence is your trusting knowledge of the sublime might of Allah, Who created you so perfectly.

No one who claims to believe in coincidences can live out a calm, untroubled and peaceful existence by trusting in a DNA that began copying itself by chance, enzymes that first entered into reactions by happenstance, or a heart that began beating accidentally. The reason why people can remain unconcerned and untroubled is their total confidence that their body's systems are able to function free of error. Such individuals are well aware that these countless processes cannot be explained in terms of chance.

If a person knows how a single system in his body works—the enzyme system, for example—and can grasp the marvels that take place, he will better understand that nothing in the body can happen at random. He will realize that he is witnessing a miracle, bestowed upon him as a blessing. He will discover how molecules invisible to the naked eye work constantly to keep him alive, even though he is unaware of it, and how they have literally been programmed to do so. He will realize how they seem to make various decisions, behave economically, engage in a division of labor and act in a controlled manner—in short, how they behave like conscious entities. He will understand that it is Allah alone Who causes inanimate molecules to carry out actions requiring consciousness and how every molecule possessed by all living entities on Earth acts under Allah's inspiration.

Comprehending such things is itself a blessing, because anyone achieving a full understanding of this will trust in Allah throughout the course of his life. He will see that it is Allah Who keeps him alive, Who sets out his destiny and constantly bestows blessings upon him. He will know that He Who gives him life in this world, will also grant him life in the Hereafter, and will reward him with Paradise if He so wishes. He will turn to Allah, trust in Him and enjoy a peaceful life, free from all worries.

That is one of the reasons why Allah produces perfect examples of His creative artistry. It is to be hoped that people will appreciate them and come to know Allah, our sublime Creator.

Allah is He Who raised up the heavens without any support—you can see that—and then established Himself firmly on the Throne. He made the Sun and Moon subservient, each running for a specified term. He directs the whole affair. He makes the signs clear so that hopefully you will be certain about the meeting with your Lord. (Surat ar-Ra'd: 2)