The Signs of Allah

When I went to school that morning, everyone was talking about the accident. One of the boys in the class, Abmad, had suffocated.

One of the boys asked the teacher: 'Why did Ahmad's hands and face turn blue, and what is meant by suffocation?" The teacher thought for a moment and then said:

"Since you all want to know the answers to these questions, we would better begin with our lesson on blood circulation and respiration. I suggest we begin it tomorrow. But I will need your help; who is ready to bring to the class the heart and lungs of a sheep?"

Two of the boys promised to bring them, and the next day everything was set for the lesson. First, the teacher dissected the heart with a sharp knife. and showed its different sections to the class, explaining each of their functions. Then he did the same with the lungs. By this time we were all aware of the importance of the heart and lungs, and we knew the answers to our former questions. Then the teacher handed out copies of the following summary which he had written on the same subject.

Blood Circulation and the Respiratory Systems

In this lesson you will learn some of the secrets of your body, and you will understand further the harmony and symmetry of the parts and systems of the body. You will also realize that the body itself is one of the signs of Allah's power and wisdom and so you will learn more about Allah.

You all know that the blood in our bodies is constantly circulating, but do you know what purpose this "blood circulation" serves? Just like a stream or a river, blood flows to each and every cell of the body and it brings it food and oxygen.

Oxygen is very crucial for life. If the cells of the body do not receive oxygen constantly, we would immediately die because it is oxygen that maintains our body's heat and energy. Oxygen is circulated in the body by the red blood cells. These cells swim in the bloodstream. Of course. blood cannot circulate in the body just by itself. This is accomplished by a very strong pump, and this pump works regularly to push the blood throughout the whole of the body. Can you guess its name? Yes, the name of this pump is the heart.

With each beat of the heart, the red blood cells with their oxygen enter the largest of the body's arteries. This artery divides into different branches, and each of these branches in turn divides into other, narrower branches. The narrowest of these branches are called the capillaries. When the blood is flowing through the arteries, we call it arterial blood, and this blood flows to the tissue cells of the body. There it does two things. Firstly, it gives the tissue cells the oxygen it is carrying, and this keeps the cells alive. Secondly, it takes away from the tissue cells carbon dioxide, which is a poisonous gas.

This gas makes the blood cells dark and dull, and if they were to remain like this they (blood cells) would die, and then we would die too. In order to remain alive, the blood cells need oxygen. First, they must return to the heart, and for this they must travel along different passages, for they cannot return through the arteries. Our wonderful Creator foresaw this need and provided our bodies with another kind of channel called veins. The blood passes through these veins with its poisonous gas, until it reaches the heart. Amazingly, He created tiny valves so that the blood in the veins, does not mix with the blood in the arteries.

When the blood reaches the heart, it must not mix with the fresh blood to be pumped into the arteries. Therefore, Allah has created a kind of thick, strong wall in the heart to keep the two types of blood apart.

This "wall" is called the 'septum'. But, of course, there is no oxygen in the heart, and the tired and used blood that carries only gas must still make its way to the lungs. Where the blood is revived by the oxygen in the air we breathe.

With one powerful beat, the heart sends the used venous blood from the heart to the lungs. There, they take the oxygen they need from the air and release the carbon dioxide which is expelled from the body by the lungs. This is what happens when we breathe out.

This symmetrical system of blood circulation and respiration has obviously come into existence according to a pre-arranged and well-thought out plan. The design of this system is so intricate and precise that it cannot, by any means, come into being all by itself and at random. Matter by itself has no intelligence to design such complex and intricate structures. There fore, who-other than Allah-could have created such a beautiful system?

In this way, when we study systems like the respiration and blood circulation. we are struck by their perfect symmetry and harmony, and we come to realize that all of this is a sign of the greatness of our Creator.

We become more aware of His countless blessings. We know Him better; we worship Him more sincerely: and we are always ready to praise Him and serve Him.