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Ants – Beautiful Creation of Allah, The Creator and Lord of the Universe
This particular insect has been selected as a title (Aayat) of a Surah No.27 “The Ants” in the Noble Quran. Briefly, it discusses the advent of Hadhrat Sulayman (Alayhis salaam), with his hosts of Jinn, men and birds and they marched in arranged groups till they reached the Valley of Ants. Said one Ant “Oh you Ants! Get back into your dwellings, lest Sulayman and his hosts crush you unintentionally”. The Hadith and sayings of the companions are numerous relating to the Ant. Hadhrat Ibn Abbas (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reports that the Prophet (Pbuh) said, “Do not kill four of these creatures viz. ant, bee, sparrows (wood-pecker), and any pigeon”.
Hadhrat Abdur Rahman Ibn Abdullah (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reports that the Prophet (Pbuh) descended at a certain place – (house) and attended to the call of nature. Incidentally a man kindled a fire in a heap of ants, (either the house was built on a tree or on the ground). The Prophet (Pbuh) seeing this, exclaimed “Who did this? Extinguish it!! Extinguish it!”
Abu Hurayrah (Radhiallaahu Anhu) reports that a certain Prophet from the many Prophets (Alayhis salaam) rested under the shade of a tree. An ant bit him. So the Prophet stood up to avenge for the bite. He spotted a large group of ants and killed them. A call was voiced to Him, “Was it not only one ant that bit you?”
Narrated Abu Hurayrah: Allah’s Apostle said, “Once while a prophet amongst the prophets was taking a rest underneath a tree, an ant bit him. He, therefore, ordered that his luggage be taken away from underneath that tree and then ordered that the dwelling place of the ants should be set on fire. Allah sent him a revelation:– “Wouldn’t it have been sufficient to burn a single ant? (that bit you)”” [Sahih Bukhari, Book #54, Hadith #536]
Hassam Dastawani says that the ants and small ants during the season of summer bring love and prosperity to us but during the season of winter we fear they will dissipate our hoards.
Abu Bakr Najee reports that Hazrat Sulayman (Alayhis salaam) came out seeking water. Incidentally he spotted an ant with its bottom downwards and struggling with its legs up in the air upwards and saying, “Oh Allah we are one of your own creation, we are not independent of our thirst. Either you refreshen us and feed us or either kill us and destroy us.”
“At length, when they came to a (lowly) valley of ants, one of the ants said: “O ye ants, get into your habitations, lest Sulayman and his hosts crush you (under foot) without knowing it.”” [Surah Al Naml 27:18]
Life Style of Ants
In recent times, research has shown us several facts about the lifestyle of ants, which were not known earlier to mankind. Research has shown that the animals or insects whose lifestyle is closest in resemblance of the lifestyle of human beings are the ants. This can be seen from the following findings regarding ants:
- The ants bury their dead in a manner similar to the humans.
- They have a sophisticated system of division of labour.
- Once in a while they meet among themselves to have a ‘chat’.
- They have an advanced method of communication among themselves.
- They hold regular markets wherein they exchange goods.
- They store grains for long periods in winter and if the grain begins to bud, they cut the roots, If the grains stored by them get wet due to rains, they take these grains out into the sunlight to dry, and once these are dry, they take them back inside.
Consider the following Quranic verses:
“And before Sulayman were marshalled his hosts,- of Jinns and men and birds, and they were all kept in order and ranks. At length, when they came to a (lowly) valley of ants, one of the ants said: “O ye ants, get into your habitations, lest Sulayman and his hosts crush you (under foot) without knowing it.”” (Surah Al Naml 27:17-18]
In the past, the so called ‘rationalist’ would have probably laughed and mocked at the Quran, taking it to be a fairy tale book in which ants talk to each other and communicate sophisticated messages!
C.P. Haskins in “The Ants and Her World” writes: “In fact ants are little chemical factories continuously producing an array of substance called pheromones, that serves the ant language. Through these pheromones the ants convey messages ranging from location of food to the presence of danger”!!
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