Introduction: A Colourful World
Have you ever thought what it would be like to live in a world without colour? Free yourself for a moment from your experience, forget all that you've learned and start using your imagination. Try to visualise your body, the people around you, the seas, the sky, trees, flowers, in short everything in black. Imagine that there is no colour around you. Try to think how you would feel if people, cats, dogs, birds, butterflies, and fruits had no colour at all. You would never want to live in such a world, would you?
Most people may never have thought about what a colourful world they are living in or wondered how such a diversity of colour has come to exist on earth. They may never have given a thought to how a world without colour would be. This is because everyone who sees was born into a world full of colour. However, a model of a black and white, colourless world is not impossible. On the contrary, the really amazing thing is our living in a bright, colourful world. (In the following chapters, we will discuss in detail why the existence of a colourful world is so amazing)
A colourless world would normally be thought of as having only black, white and shades of grey. However, black, white and shades of grey are also colours. In this respect, it is difficult to imagine colourlessness. To describe colourlessness, one always feels the need to mention a colour. With statements such as "it was colourless, completely dark", "there was no colour in her face; it was completely white" people try to describe colourlessness. In fact, these are not the descriptions of colourlessness, but of a world of black and white.
Try, just for a second, to imagine that all of a sudden, everything loses its colour. In such a situation, everything would mix with everything else and it would become impossible to distinguish one object from another. It would become impossible to see, for example, an orange, red strawberries or colourful flowers on a brown wooden table, for neither would the colour of the orange be orange, nor that of the table brown, nor that of the strawberries red. For a person, it would be quite annoying to live, even for a short time, in such a colourless world, which is even difficult to describe. Colour has a crucial role in man's communication with the outside world, in the proper functioning of his memory, and in his brain's fulfilment of its learning functions. This is because humans can develop appropriate connections between events and places, people and objects only through their external appearances and colours. Neither hearing nor touch alone suffice to define objects. For humans, the external world only means something when it is seen as a whole with its colours.
Identifying objects and our surroundings are not the only benefits from the diversity of colours. The perfect harmony of colour in nature gives the human soul great pleasure. In order to see this harmony and derive pleasure from every detail of it, man has been equipped with a pair of eyes, which have a very special design. In the world of animate beings, human eyes are the most functional and can perceive colours in their smallest details, so much so that the human eye is sensitive to millions of colours.1 Evidently, the visual apparatus in humans that works so perfectly has been specially designed to see a world full of colour. The only being on earth that can understand the existence of such an order in the universe is man because he has the power to reflect and reason. Hence, in the light of all the foregoing, we conclude the following:
Every detail, pattern and colour in the heavens and the earth have been created for humans to acknowledge and so to appreciate this order and reflect on it. The colours in nature have been arranged in such a manner as to appeal to the human soul. Perfect symmetry and harmony prevail within colour, both in the worlds of animate and inanimate beings. This situation will certainly evoke some questions in the mind of someone who reflects, such as:
What makes the earth colourful? How do the colours, which make our world so extraordinarily beautiful, come into being? To whom belong the design of the diverse colours and the harmony between them? Is it possible to say that whatever exists might have come into existence by purposeless changes brought about by a chain of coincidence? Certainly, no one would claim such an absurdity. Uncontrolled coincidences cannot create anything, let alone billions of colours. Just observe the wings of a butterfly or colourful flowers of any kind, each of which looks like a wonder of art. It is surely impossible for sound reason to attribute all these to unconscious processes.
We can have a better understanding of this fact if we take an example. When one sees a painting depicting trees and flowers in nature, one would not claim nor even think that the harmony of colour, the organised patterns and the conscious design in this painting could have come into existence by coincidence. If someone came along and said, "the paint boxes were overturned by the wind, mixed, and with the effect of rain etc., and after a long period of time this beautiful painting was formed", it is certain that nobody would take him seriously. There is a very interesting situation here. Although nobody would attempt to put forward such an unreasonable claim, some people can nevertheless claim that the perfect colouring and symmetry of nature came about by such an unconscious process. Nevertheless, evolutionists produce theses that it is the workings of coincidence to explain this subject and they produce various researches. They do not hesitate to put forward baseless claims on the issue.
This is obvious blindness, with which it is difficult to come to terms. Still, someone who escapes from this blindness through exercising his faculty of thought will understand that he actually lives in an extremely miraculous environment on the earth. He would also fully acknowledge that such an environment furnished with the most appropriate conditions for the survival of humankind could not have come into existence by chance. Just as a man who reflects, acknowledges the moment he looks at a painting that it has a painter, so will he understand that the multi-coloured, harmonious and extremely picturesque environment around him also has a Creator. This Creator is Allah, Who has no partner in creation, Who creates everything in full harmony, and Who placed us in this world overflowing with numerous beautiful things embellished with millions of colours. All the things Allah creates are in perfect harmony with each other. Allah describes the uniqueness of His artistry in creation in the Qur'an as follows:
He Who created the seven heavens in layers. You will not find any flaw in the creation of the All-Merciful. Look again-do you see any gaps? Then look again and again. Your sight will return to you dazzled and exhausted! (Surat al-Mulk: 3-4)
What is Colour? How is it Made ?
Some details have an important place in the minds of humans and they never change. Let us begin with trees, which are very familiar to us. The colour of trees is most often either green or shades of green. It is well known that during autumn, leaves change colour. Similarly, the colour of sky is either blue, shades of grey when cloudy or yellows and reds at sunrise and sunset. The colours of fruit never alter; the rich and varied colours of the apricot and of the cherry are set, and are always familiar to us. Every living being and every object held under light has a colour. Have a careful look at the things around you. What do you see? The table, the chairs, the trees you see through your window, the sky, the walls of your house, the faces of the people around you, the fruit you eat, the book you are reading at this minute… Each one of them have distinct colours. Have you ever thought how it is that all these colours have been formed and arranged?
Let us examine in general what is required for the formation of colours that play significant roles for life. (These points will be discussed later on in detail). For the formation of a single colour, for example, red or green, each of the following processes has to take place and, importantly, in the following sequence.
1-The first condition required for the formation of colour is the existence of light. In this respect, it will be useful to start with examining the properties of the light coming from the sun. For the formation of colours, the light coming from the sun to the earth must have a certain wavelength to produce colours. The proportions of this light, called "visible light", to all other light rays emitted by the sun is one in 1025. This hardly believable, tiny proportion of the light rays that are necessary for the formation of colour reach the earth from the sun.
2-In fact, most of the sunrays diffused by the sun across space bear some characteristics harmful to the eye. For this reason, the light arriving on earth must take such a form that it can be easily perceived by the eye and not harm it. For this, the rays must pass through a filter. This giant filter is the "atmosphere" which surrounds the earth.
3-The light passing through the atmosphere is spread over the earth, and on hitting the objects it encounters, it is reflected. The objects on which light falls must not be of a type that do not absorb light but reflect it. In other words, the structural quality of the objects must also be in harmony with the light reaching the earth so that colour can form. This condition is also fulfilled and a new light wave is reflected from the objects on which the light coming from the sun strikes.
4-Another essential step in the process of colour formation is the need for a perceiver to perceive the light waves, which is the eye. It is essential that the light waves be in harmony also with the organs of sight.
5-The rays coming from the sun must pass through the lens and the layers of the eye and be converted into nerve impulses in the retina. Then these signals must be conveyed to the vision centre of the brain, which is responsible for making sense of sight.
6-There is a last step that has to be fulfilled for us to "see" any colour. The last stage in the formation of colours is the interpretation of the electric signals, which arrive at the vision centre of brain, as "colour" by very special nerve cells located there.
As seen, for the formation of a single colour, a very detailed and interdependent sequence of processes is required.
All the information we have about colour indicates that every process that takes place during the formation of colour is set on very delicate balances. Without these balances, we would inevitably be left in a fuzzy dark world instead of a clear colourful one, and would even lose our ability to see. Let us suppose that of the above-mentioned items, only one – the nerve cells that perceive the electric signals generated by the retina – does not exist. Neither the sunlight being within the visible spectrum, nor the other parts of the eye being completely functional, nor the existence of the atmosphere would be adequate and compensate for this lack.
The Role of Retina in Seeing
Let us examine the retina closer and in more detail. Let us suppose that the pigmentary substance called "rhodopsin", operating in the retina, is absent. Rhodopsin is a substance that ceases functioning under heavy light but is regenerated in darkness. The eye cannot see clearly in dim light unless sufficient rhodopsin is produced in the eye. The function of rhodopsin is to increase the efficiency with which the eye generates a nerve impulse from dim light. This substance is produced as much as required exactly when it is needed. When the rhodopsin balance is maintained, images become clear. What would happen if rhodopsin, which is very significant for the process of sight, did not exist? In that case, man would be capable of seeing only in bright light.2 It is therefore evident that there is a perfect system within the eye, which has been designed down to the smallest detail.
Then, whose work of art is this system, which saves us from darkness and presents us a world full of colour?
Every stage mentioned thus far includes a series of processes, which require the existence of wisdom, will and power in their being brought into being. It is plain that there is no chance of such a chain of processes existing in such harmony having been formed by chance. It is also impossible for such a system to have been formed over time. The result would not change at all even if millions and even billions of years were allowed to pass. The systems to comprising a colourful world would never emerge by coincidence. Such perfect systems can come into being only as a result of special design, which is to mean that they are created. Allah possesses eternal power and wisdom that cover the whole universe. Examples of Allah's matchless artistry in creation stretch across the entire order of the universe. The unique design evident in the formation of colour is also an outcome of the peerless creation of Allah. Allah has power over all things.
(He is) the Originator of the heavens and earth. When He decides on something, He just says to it, 'Be!' and it is. (Surat al-Baqara: 117)
Design in Colours
Colour is a concept that helps us to identify the properties of objects and define them more precisely. Thinking about the colours of the objects around us, we simply come to notice what a variety of detailed colours we are surrounded by. Everything, animate or inanimate, has a colour. Living creatures of the same species have the same particular colours everywhere in the world. No matter where you go, the colour of the flesh of the water-melon is always red, kiwis are always green, seas are always shades of blue and green, snow is white, lemons are yellow, the colour of elephants is the same in any part of the world as also the colours of trees. They never change. This goes for artificially produced colours as well. Wherever you go on the earth, if you mix red with yellow, you will get orange or if you mix black and white you will get grey. The result is always the same. At this point, it may be useful to think somewhat differently. First, let us think by asking the question of how the colours of objects are made. We can explain this by an example. Imagine that you walk into a store and see fabric of different designs and models, the colours of which are extremely harmonious with each other. Surely, those fabrics did not come there by chance; conscious people drafted their designs, determined their colours, subjected them to a number of dying processes, and after putting them through many other intermediate stages, they displayed them in that store. In short, the existence of these fabrics depends on the people who designed and manufactured them. When you see them, you do not say that they came there by chance, or that their designs were formed by coincidence as a result of paints spilt over the fabrics. In fact, no man of reason would make such a claim.
Indeed, there is a conscious Will that presents us the views we see in nature all the time, the butterflies, flowers, multi-coloured places under the sea, trees, and clouds etc., just in the way these fabrics are presented to us. The diversity in the universe is the consequence of a special design. This design is manifested in every stage from the formation of light to its becoming a colourful image in our brain. This is one of the greatest evidences of the existence of an Owner, that is, a Designer of the design in colours. Surely, Allah, Who possesses an infinitely superior wisdom and power of creation, creates all the colours and designs in the universe that man admires.
The stages of colour formation were briefly listed earlier. In this chapter, the superior design evident in colour will be examined under separate headings in accordance with the progression from light to eye and brain.
1- Light, Life and Colour
The sun is only one of the billions of medium size stars in the universe. What makes the sun the most important star of the universe for us is its size, its relationship to the planets moving around it and the particular rays it emits. If just one of these characteristics of the sun were different from current values, there would be no life on earth. Indeed, the sun has the ideal values for life to originate and be maintained on earth.3 This is why scientists describe the sun as the "source of life" on earth.
Sunlight is the only source of heat, heating the earth in the most appropriate way, and light, helping plants with their photosynthesis. It is well known that heat and photosynthesis are essential for life. In addition, the existence of daylight and a colourful world depend on the rays emitted from the sun. In this case, the question of how these rays, the ultimate energy source for the earth, come into existence comes to mind. Surely, that these rays, which are the key to life on earth, serve such important purposes and, at the same time, have all the necessary characteristics for this, cannot be attributed to coincidence. The reason for this will be better understood when the structure of light is examined.
The energy emitted by the stars moves in waves through the void of space. Similarly, both light and heat are emitted by the sun, which is a star, as energy in the form of waves. The movement of this energy the stars emit can be compared to that of the waves caused by a stone thrown into a lake. Just as the waves in the lake have different lengths, so do heat and light have different wavelengths as they diffuse.
At this point, it would be useful to give some information about the different wavelengths of light in the universe. The stars and other light sources in the universe do not emit the same kinds of light. These different rays are classified according to their wavelengths and frequencies. These different wavelengths are spread over vast areas. For example, the shortest wavelength is 1025 1025 times smaller than the longest wavelength (1025 is a very big number consisting of number 1 followed by 25 zeros)4
In the whole spectrum, the total rays emitted by the sun are squeezed into a very short interval. 70% of the different wavelengths the sun emits lie within a narrow interval ranging from 0.3 micron to 1.50 micron. (A micron is 10-6m) Examining why sunrays are restricted to such a narrow interval, we come to an interesting conclusion: the rays that make life, and colour, possible on earth are only those present in this interval.
British physicist Ian Campbell, who defines this superior design as "incredibly astonishing" in his book "The Energy and the Atmosphere", draws attention to this point:
That the radiation from the sun (and from many sequence stars) should be concentrated into a minuscule band of the electromagnetic spectrum, which provides precisely the radiation required to maintain life on earth, is very coincidence. 5
The greater part of this small range of radiation emitted by the sun from the electromagnetic spectrum, a spectrum having a width where the longest wavelength is 1025 times large than the shortest, is named "visible light". The rays that lie below and above this interval, on the other hand, reach the earth as infrared and ultraviolet rays. Let us now briefly examine the properties of these two kinds of rays.
Infrared rays reach the earth in the form of heat waves. Ultraviolet rays that contain higher energy, on the other hand, may have a damaging effect on living beings. Infrared rays pass through the atmosphere, and provide heat, which makes the earth a place suitable for life. Ultraviolet rays, on the other hand, can reach the earth only at a certain rate. If this rate were a little higher than its current level, it would harm the tissues of living beings and cause mass deaths, while if it were a little lower, then the energy needed for living beings would not be provided.
These points are details crucial for life. As understood from the functions and uses of the rays emitted by the sun, there is order and control in every existing system in the world. Surely, it is impossible for such a system, the delicate balances of which we briefly dwelled upon, to have been formed by coincidence. Examining another element of this flawless system, we once again see the impossibility of its coming into existence as a consequence of coincidence.
2- The shield protecting the earth: The Atmosphere
In previous pages, we mentioned that some of the sunrays are harmful for life on earth. In order to avert this harmful effect, a solution is needed.
Let us put our heads together and find a solution to this problem by developing an efficient system to filter sunrays. We should also take cognisance of the fact that this system should be a multifunctional one, which will protect the world from the harmful effects of the sun, ensuring that this is maintained permanently, not requiring maintenance, and also capable of preventing some other possible threats to the earth. Certainly, in such a situation, several alternative solutions will surface. Yet, nothing put forward will be as efficient and versatile as the present filter that now covers the earth: the atmosphere. The atmosphere of the earth is one hundred percent successful at filtering harmful rays and Allah specially designed it in order to protect the world.
By means of specific layers of the atmosphere, sunrays reach earth only in required amounts because the atmosphere processes the sunrays specifically according to their wavelengths. Our atmosphere is like a giant refining plant designed for filtering these rays. This gigantic refining system that has no equal on the earth has been carrying out these processes because of its special design. Allah draws attention to the creation of the skies as follows, (the Arabic word for 'heaven – sama' is also the word for 'sky'):
The creation of the heavens and earth is far greater than the creation of mankind. But most of mankind do not know it. (Surah Ghafir: 57)
The rays coming from the sun are quite specific. It is necessary for them to possess properties enabling them to pass through the atmosphere and reach the earth. Similarly, the atmosphere, too, has to have a special structure to allow these rays to pass through. Otherwise, neither the existence of the atmosphere nor the structural appropriateness of the rays will be of any use. Because of the ray-permeable nature of the atmosphere, the rays coming from the sun easily reach the earth. There is another important point that needs mention. Whilst letting only visible light and the near infrared rays required for life pass through, the atmosphere prevents all other destructive rays from reaching earth. The atmosphere of the earth serves as a very important "filter" for the destructive rays coming from the sun or from non-sun sources, that is, from other zones in space.6 Michael Denton, a renowned astronomer, states this as follows:
Even the atmospheric gases themselves absorb electromagnetic radiation very strongly in those regions of the spectrum immediately on either side of the visible and near infrared. Note that the only region of the spectrum allowed to pass through the atmosphere over the entire range of electromagnetic radiation from radio to gamma rays is the exceedingly narrow band including the visible and near infrared. Virtually no gamma, X, ultraviolet, far-infrared, and microwave radiation reaches the surface of the earth.7
It is apparent that there is a highly developed design in the structure of the atmosphere. Out of a spectrum whose width is hinted at by this figure of 1025, the sun emits only those rays that are useful to us and necessary for a colourful world, and the atmosphere mainly allows harmless and indeed useful rays to reach the earth. In addition, due to the properties of the gases present in the atmosphere, the eyes of living beings, which are directly exposed to sunlight, are protected against any harmful effects. All these are evidence that Allah has created everything in due proportion.
He to Whom the kingdom of the heavens and the earth belongs. He does not have a son and He has no partner in the Kingdom. He created everything and determined it most exactly. (Surat al-Furqan: 2)
3- Light Striking Matter
Light coming from the sun reaches the earth at a speed of 300,000 km per second. Owing to the speed of light, we always see a world full of colour. How, then, is this uninterrupted image made?
Passing through the atmosphere at enormous speed, light reaches the earth and strikes objects. When light strikes an object at this speed, it interacts with the atoms of the object and reflects at different wavelengths corresponding to different colours. In this way, the book you are now holding, its lines, pictures, the view you see when you look outside, trees, buildings, cars, the sky, birds, cats, in short everything your eyes see, reflect their colours.
The molecules enabling these colours to be reflected are pigment molecules. That is, the colour reflected by an object depends on the pigment molecules present in that object. Every pigment molecule has different atomic structures. The atomic numbers as well as the types and the sequences of atoms in these molecules are different. Light hitting such diverse pigments is reflected in different shades of colour. However, this is not enough for the formation of colour. For reflected light possessing a certain colour quality to be perceived and seen, it has to reach a visual apparatus capable of perceiving it.
4- Light Coming to the Eye
For rays reflected by objects to be perceived as colour, it is necessary for them to reach the eye. The existence of the eye alone is not sufficient. After reaching the eye, the rays ought to be converted into nerve signals that reach a brain working in harmony with the eyes.
Let us think about our own eyes and brains as the closest example. The human eye is a very complex structure that consists of many different organelles and parts. As a result of the simultaneous and harmonious operation of all these parts, we see and perceive colours. The eye, with its tissues and organelles such as lachrymal glands, cornea, conjunctiva, iris and pupil, lens, retina, choroid, eye muscles and lids, is a matchless system. In addition, with its extraordinary nerve web that establishes its connection to the brain, and extremely complex vision area, the eye, as a whole, has a very special structure, the existence of which cannot be attributed to coincidence.
After a short introduction to the eye, let us also look at how the event of seeing takes place. Light rays coming to the eye first pass through the cornea, then the pupil and lens, and finally reach the retina.
The perception of colour begins at the cone cells in the retina. There are three main cone cell groups that strongly react to certain colours of light. These are classified as blue, green and red cone cells. The colours red, blue and green, to which cone cells react, are the three primary colours existing in nature. With the stimulation of cone cells, which are sensitive to these three colours, at different degrees, millions of different colours appear.
The cone cells convert this information pertaining to colour into nerve impulses through the pigments they contain.8 Next, nerve cells connected to these cone cells transmit these nerve impulses to a specific area in the brain. The place where the multi-coloured world that we view throughout our lives is formed is this area in the brain measuring a few centimetre squares.
5- A Colourful World in Our Dark Brain
The final stage in the formation of colour takes place in the brain. As mentioned in the previous chapter, nerve cells in the eye convey the images converted into nerve impulses to the brain and everything we see in the outer world is perceived in the vision centre of the brain. At this point, we are confronted with an amazing fact: the brain is a piece of meat that is completely dark inside. Nerve impulses coming from images created on the retina by objects are deciphered in the brain, which is completely dark inside. Images of the objects, with their colours and all other properties, are formed as perceptions in this visual centre. How does this process of perception take place in such a piece of soft meat?
A lot of question marks remain as to how colours are perceived. Chromatists are still unable to answer those questions such as how nerve impulses are transmitted to the brain via optic nerves and what kind of physiological effects this creates in the brain.9 All they know is that the perception of colours as realities takes place within us, that is, in the centre of vision in our brain.10 (For detailed information, see the chapter The Secret Beyond Matter)
In fact, most of the processes carried out by the brain have not yet been elucidated. The explanations of the subject are largely based on theories. However, the brain has been fulfilling all its functions perfectly since the moment man came into existence, just as it does today. People's experiencing a three dimensional world, along with all its colours, designs, sounds, smells and tastes, in a piece of meat weighing nearly one kilogram is made possible only by the perfect creation of Allah. Everyone finds this matchless miracle of creation ready at birth. Man has no control whatsoever, neither in the formation of its functions, nor in their continuity, nor at any other stage.
Molecules that Produce Colour : Pigments
In previous chapters, we mentioned that because of the different atomic properties of the pigmentary molecules, objects reflect light rays differently; hence, different shades of colour are produced. Have another look around you. The different colours in your range of vision indicate the existence of a similar number of pigments, because the colour of everything we see in our surroundings depends on the pigments present in the composition of that matter. The green colour of plants, the colour of skin, the colours of animals, in short all colours stem from the structural characteristics of the pigments contained in those objects or living things.
What is Pigment?
Pigments, existing both in our eyes and in the outer surface of objects, are special molecules that bring about colour. A certain energy is needed for pigment molecules to be activated. Certainly, just as in all other stages in the formation of colour, there is again perfect harmony between pigments and light. "The invisible light" reaching the earth has been specially designed for the "pigment" molecules, which are known as colour molecules, in living things.
Moreover, human eyes also have a structure compatible to this purpose. The reason why the cone cells that lie in the retina of our eye perceive three main colours – red, green, and blue – is because of the special pigment molecules they contain. The most crucial task these pigments perform so that we see a coloured world is convert the energy of "colour" in light into nerve impulses. This means that everything we know as colour is an end-result of these pigments transmitting the wavelength of light reaching to them to the brain as nerve impulses.11
The energy levels of visible light correspond to some of the energy levels needed for activating pigment molecules that are found in the skins of living beings, or in the scales, feathers, or furs covering their skins, and thus their colours are formed.
As seen, pigments, which are present both in the vision centres and in the bodies of living beings, are in perfect harmony with other bodily systems. Absence of a particular kind of pigment molecule or its presence in an amount less than required in the vision centre of a living being causes it to be unable to distinguish colours in its environment.
The question is: how do these special molecules develop in the skins of living beings? We can give an answer to this question by asking some further questions. Have living beings come to possess these colours by acknowledging the properties of a special light spectrum reaching the earth and choosing special pigment molecules accordingly? Certainly the possibility of the occurrence of such a coincidence is zero. These specific molecules have been placed in the skin of living beings by conscious design. It is obvious that neither could living beings carry out such a process, nor could random coincidence bring about such a formation. The harmony in question is one, which could only come about because of One Who Wills creating it, One Who keeps everything under control. Allah has created each living being with very sophisticated characteristics peculiar to it. Everything, animate or inanimate, has pigments suitable to it. Pigments absorb light selectively according to their molecular structure. Every pigment does not react to light in the same way. For this reason, it cannot set off the same chemical reaction and form the same colour.
We can give chlorophyll, the pigment molecule that causes plants to look green, as an example. These pigments absorb certain wavelengths coming from the sun and reflect light having the wavelength that corresponds to green colour. Chlorophylls, the pigment molecules in plants, reflect the photons that look green due to their wavelengths. At the same time, the energy they receive from sunlight enables the plants to produce carbohydrates, one of the prime food sources of all living beings.12 Different pigment molecules reflect particular colours at certain wavelengths according to their own molecular properties and hence cause different chemical reactions.
There are many kinds of pigments in nature. A few examples are sufficient to show that pigment molecules have been specially designed for life.
Examples of Pigment Types Protective Colour Source: Melanin
The eyes of living beings are quite sensitive to light and are easily affected adversely. Still, we can safely look towards the sun and see our surroundings, thanks to the support systems Allah specially created. One of these support systems is a group of pigment molecules present in the eye.
As is well known, the colours of living beings' eyes vary. What give an eye its colours are, again, pigments. Melanin is one of these pigmentary substances present in the eye that gives the eye its colour. The same pigment also gives your skin and hair their colours. However, melanin provides more than colour. Researchers believe that melanin, which exists in the eye, offers both protection against the deleterious effects of sunrays, and vision enhancement. The substance melanin, nature's solution to the problem of hazardous light rays, absorbs higher energy light more strongly than lower energy light. So, it absorbs ultraviolet more strongly than blue, and blue more strongly than green.13 In this way, melanin provides protection to the lens of the eye against ultraviolet. It provides near optimum protection to the retina by filtering different colours in proportion to their ability to damage the tissue of the retina – thereby reducing the risks of macular degeneration. People with more eye-melanin have less occurrence of macular degeneration; people with less eye-melanin have greater occurrence of macular degeneration. About 15% of our original supply of melanin is lost from the eye by the age of forty and about 25% is lost by the age of fifty. The role melanin plays in eye protection is critical: ophthalmologists report that melanin in the eye reduces the risk of age-related macular degeneration.14
As understood, each one of the functions of the substance melanin demonstrates to us the special design of this substance. The answer to the question of how such a perfect substance has come about is that it is impossible for such a multifunctional substance with such a perfect structure to have come into being by coincidence. Allah has created the substance melanin, like all other things in the universe, in a special way as to serve a beneficial purpose for people.
The Source of Lively Colours
Carotenoids (and lipochromes) are pigmentary molecules, which are synthesised by plants and which reflect the colours yellow, red and orange. Animals can obtain these pigments only by feeding on plants.
Poisonous sponges, crinoidea, toxic sea-cucumbers and some molluscs are either partly or completely yellow, red or orange in colour as a result of carotenoids, which are also present in the yellow parts of butterflies' wings and in the beaks of birds. In certain insects, these are emitted by special glands, which are yellow or red in colour. Curiously, these compounds are usually pale green or even colourless and only take on a bright yellow colour in the blood of poisonous insects. The carotenoids are not only useful as warning coloration; in some insects they are themselves transformed into poisonous compounds, in which case they serve a twofold purpose of being both a weapon and a signal.15 By means of this very special system that Allah has created, many living beings continue to thrive.
Thus far, we have briefly examined only a few types of pigment existing in nature. The conclusion we have reached in light of this review is the presence of the perfect design that reveals itself in pigments, in the atoms forming these pigments and in all the resulting colours. Allah, the ultimate Owner of this exceptional design, Lord of the worlds, introduces Himself to us by the unique artistry in the colours He creates in nature.
Have they not travelled about the earth and do they not have hearts to understand with or ears to hear with? It is not their eyes which are blind but the hearts in their breasts which are blind (Surat al-Hajj: 46)
The Language of Colours
Just as colours are important for people in making sense of their surroundings, so are they indispensable for other living beings to survive.
Living beings have a "colour language" that works according to the light and the systems of perception they possess. Different colours bear different meanings for every living being. In order to survive, every living being has to know the language of colours used in its habitat, because vital functions can only be controlled by acknowledgement of this language. So, how do living beings use this colour language?
First, the majority of living beings need the help of colours in order to find food. Second, the colours that exist on formations such as skin, scales and fur play an important role in the continuity of life due to their characteristics of absorbing or diffusing heat. In addition, living things use their colourings to protect themselves from their enemies. Owing to colours that harmonise with their habitat, they can camouflage themselves and hide from their enemies. Alternatively, their colourings and patterning may pose a discouraging image for their enemies. Colours also help animals to recognise their mates and chicks. A mother bird, for example, understands whether her chicks need food or not from the colours of their gapes. Similarly, the chick recognises its mother in this way and understands that the food has arrived.16 As seen in these examples in nature, living beings need to know the meaning of colours in order to survive. In order to attain this knowledge correctly they need to possess proper systems of perception.
If they did not have these systems, they would not be able to perceive their surroundings properly or carry out their vital activities. They would not be able to recognise their foods or discriminate their enemies. Therefore, in this latter case they would stand out from the outside world and be an easy prey doomed to death.
Surely, no one can claim that such sophisticated systems might have come into existence by coincidence. Every system, every harmony, every design, every program, every plan, every balance must be created by a designer. There is certainly a higher will and power that has perfectly placed this harmony in living beings and the habitats in which they live. The owner of this power encompasses both the surroundings and the living being itself and the systems it uses with a higher knowledge. The owner of this power is Allah, Lord of the worlds. When we examine living beings, we see how skilfully they employ the language of colours.:
Here are some examples of the language of colours, which has such an important place in the life of living beings
Camouflage
Camouflage is one of the most effective defence tactics that animals use. Self-camouflaging animals are under some kind of protection because of their body structures, which are created in great harmony with their habitats. The bodies of these animals are so harmonious with their environments that when you look at their pictures, it is almost impossible to tell if they are plants or animals, or to distinguish an animal and a plant present in the same environment from each other.
The living creatures that adapt their colourings according to the environments in which they live have always attracted the attention of scientists. Research focuses on finding an answer to the question of how a living creature can look exactly the same as a creature that is of a completely different structure.
Have you ever thought, for instance, how a frog, which, while walking in the garden, you took for a leaf, and then at the last moment skipped a step and avoided stepping on it, has it come to possess these patterns and colour? Camouflage is a very important defence mechanism for a frog. The frog that is unnoticed in its environment easily loses its enemies.
While a pink spider on a pink flower can successfully take on the flower's different shades of pinks of, another member of the same spider species can adapt to the colour of another flower, for instance, a yellow one, when it climbs on it.
While someone is looking at a branch, thinking there is nothing on it, a butterfly may fly away from it all of a sudden. This butterfly, which looked exactly like a leaf down to the dry, autumn-withered parts a second ago, is a perfect example of the miracle of camouflage.
As will be seen in the following pages, the similarity of living creatures to the objects on which they rest prevents their enemies from noticing them. It is obvious that these camouflaging creatures have not made themselves, on their own initiative, look like leaves, branches or flowers. What's more, they are not even aware that they are protected because of these similarities. Nevertheless, they employ camouflage very skilfully in all our examples without exception. An insect having the same colour as a flower, a snake standing still as a tree's branch, a frog adapting to the colour of wet ground, in short, all self-camouflaging creatures are evidence proving that camouflage is a specially created defence tactic.
No living creature can perform such a task on its own or by coincidence. Certainly, He Who bestows upon living creatures the ability to camouflage themselves, and places the chemical processes in them by which they can carry out this colour change, is Allah, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Camouflage techniques of reptiles
What does a reptile do to protect itself against its predators in the wild? One of the easiest ways for these slow-moving creatures is definitely to conceal themselves. The best method of hiding is adaptation of the creature's body to its habitat. Colours and patterns usually serve as a lifesaver for many animals. For example, in the forest it is almost impossible to distinguish a Rhino Viper, a kind of tropical snake living in the rainforests of Africa, due to its skin being covered with blue, red, yellow, black and white geometric patterns. Interestingly, the colours of the snake match the surroundings in which it lives. This one-to-one relationship evokes some questions in the mind. How did these colours, which harmonise with the environment so well, emerge? Is it possible for this to have happened by chance, or to have been produced by the reptile itself?
Certainly, it is not possible at all. It is impossible for a reptile first to analyse its environment, then to decide what kind of changes it needs to make in itself, and finally to determine a colour and pattern. Furthermore, it is totally illogical and unreasonable to claim that it might have set up a system in its body to carry out the chemical reactions that are necessary for such a change.
Even man, the only living being endowed with reason on earth, cannot change the colour of any part of his body. He cannot establish a system in his body to bring about such a change. In this case, there is only one explanation for the perfect resemblance of the colour of the reptile to the colour of its surroundings to such an extent that even the shades do not differ. An infinitely superior possessor of wisdom has designed this living creature. This design belongs to Allah, the Almighty. Allah is He Who knows best the needs of every living being.
The Most Famous Camouflaging Reptile: the Chameleon
Have you ever seen a chameleon changing its colour according to its surroundings? This is indeed something worth seeing. The chameleon has such an exceptional ability to camouflage itself that its deftness astonishes everyone. Although many other reptile species have the ability to change their colours, none of them is capable of doing it as rapidly as chameleons.The chameleon uses red and yellow colour carriers, blue and white reflector layers and most importantly "chromatophores", skin cells that respond to variations in heat, light and the animal's mood.30 If you put a chameleon in a very yellow setting, for example, you would see that the colour of its body instantly turns yellow and adapts to its surroundings. What's more, chameleons adapt not only to a single colour, but also to multicoloured substrata. The secret of their achievement is the colour cells, lying under the skin of this master of camouflage, which magnify and swiftly change place to adapt to the environment. Could a chameleon make such a perfect adaptation on its own? How do these creatures indistinguishably blend in with the environments in which they live, while even the most skilful artist has to work for hours to obtain the equivalent of a single natural colour?
It would surely be unreasonable to claim that a chameleon could perform such an act of its own volition. It is certainly not possible for a reptile to determine the appearance of its body, nor to place a system in its body to change its appearance. It would be just as nonsensical to claim that this creature has control over all the cells and atoms in its body, that it is capable of making whatever change it wishes on them and produce the required pigments. It is totally inconsistent and meaningless to claim that such an exceptional ability has come into being by chance. No mechanism in nature has the power of producing such perfect skill and granting it to the being that needs it. Just as all other living beings on earth, Allah also created chameleons. Allah demonstrates to us the uniqueness of His artistry in creation with these examples. Allah is the Almighty, the All-Wise.
Everything in the heavens and the earth glorifies Allah. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise. The kingdom of the heavens and the earth belongs to Him. He gives life and causes to die. He has power over all things. (Surat al-Hadid: 1-2)
Colour Change According to the Environment
Do living creatures only make use of colour to protect themselves against their enemies? Definitely not. Some animals protect themselves also from cold and heat by means of enzymes giving colour to the hairs covering their bodies. In animals that live in cold regions, the hairs covering the tip of the legs, ear and nose, which are the most sensitive parts of the body, are dark coloured. Dark coloured hairs provide more heat energy for animals thus helping them to warm easier, just like humans who try to benefit from the sun better by wearing dark coloured clothes in winter. Colour change is very common in land animals. For example, in summer, the fur of the northern fox turns white, because their body temperature is high. In winters, however, as it becomes colder, their body temperature drops and a more suitable environment for the enzymes to work easily is provided. For this reason, in winters, the fur of the northern fox darkens. Rabbits, foxes, weasels, and polecats living in northern latitudes turn brown in summer and white in winter.
While some birds become completely white in winter months, they take on a new appearance in spring matching the colour of the ground and vegetation.
Warning Colours
Living creatures make use of colour for varied purposes. Using it as a mean of warning is one of these purposes. In the following pages, we will give some examples of this.
Colours in Birds
One of the most important features of the multicoloured feathers of birds is that they are lifeless structures. The reason why a feather maintains its colour exactly, even after it is shed, is that a fully developed feather is completely lifeless.
Rich colour diversity in birds is basically due to the presence of pigments in the feathers, which were stored during the initial development phases of the feather, or the light shifts which occur depending on the structural characteristics of the feathers.
Since these formations, which are made up of the substance keratin, are soon worn down by environmental conditions, they are regularly renewed. Yet, each time, the bird regains its colourful feathers. This is because the feathers of birds continue to grow until they fully reach the necessary length, and the characteristic colour and pattern of that specific kind.
Due to their different structure, feathers can have an appearance similar to that obtained by a glass prism breaking light into different colours. Colours that are formed through refraction of light in this way are brighter and more metallic than those that are coloured by pigments. The colours of these feathers shift from blue to green, and from orange to red. Generally, the green, blue, and metallic colours in birds are formed through the reflection and refraction of light. Yet, some of the colours of feathers come from pigments.39
There are mainly three kinds of pigments in birds. These are melanin pigments that produce black, brown or dull yellow, lipochrome pigments that produce red, yellow or orange, and carotenoids.
Blue, green and some other bright colours in birds are created by microscopic bubbles in the keratin of the feathers that refract the light. The feathers absorbing the full spectrum of light and only reflecting blue, on the other hand, creates the blue colour of some birds.40
Hormones also play an important role in colour change in birds. The colour difference between the male and female members of some species is caused by sex hormones. The different colourings and feather shapes of cocks and hens, for example, depend on the oestrogen hormone.
The colours of birds are important for their adaptation to their habitat as well as for male and female members' recognition of each other and the males' courtship of females in the mating season. In addition, pigments, which give colour to feathers, enhance the strength of the feathers, store energy coming from the sun and prevent harmful ultraviolet rays from entering the body.
Butterflies
Formation of colour in the wings of butterflies is quite interesting. The light is reflected through the scales on the wings of a butterfly forming colours which are "actually non-existent" but which display an extraordinary symmetry and beauty. We just said that they are "actually non-existent", you wonder why?
Butterflies are known for the beauty of their wings that have surfaces that are relatively much wider than their thorax. How, then, do these spectacular patterns and colours in the wings of butterflies come about?
Butterflies have a pair of membranous wings, which are in fact transparent. Since these are covered with scales of varying thickness, the transparency of the membranous wings goes unnoticed. These scales increase the aerodynamic qualities of the butterflies' wings, and give them their colour. The scales, which are so delicate as to fall from their places as soon as they are touched, have sharply-pointed ends sticking into the wings of the butterfly. In this way, the scales remain attached without falling off. Each of these tiny scales, which seem like overlapping shingles on a roof, take on a colour either by chemical pigments or by its structure which refracts the light falling onto it into rainbow colours as does a soap bubble.41 In addition, laboratory research has shown that different colours depend on different chemical substances. The by-products of a colouring substance called pteridine, for example, create the pink, white, and yellow colours that are commonly seen in butterflies. Melanin, which is a very common colouring substance, exists in the black spots in the wings. Interestingly, the colours in the wings of butterflies are not always as they seem to be. For example, green scales are in reality a mixture of black and yellow scales. Recent research conducted on butterfly wings has demonstrated that pigments are synthesised in the scales and that the enzymes necessary for melanin production lie in the upper skin of the scales.
Colouring substances are not the only cause of these highly volatile colours in butterflies. The structure and the order of the scales on the wings of the butterfly cause various tricks of light, such as reflection, refraction, and finally the formation of colours of dazzling beauty. For instance, Stilpnotio Salicis butterflies have semi-transparent scales, which contain bubbles. Although there is no colouring substance in these scales, the light passing through the scales give the butterfly a satin-like appearance.
The surface of the scales on the Argynnis butterfly's wings is unbelievably soft, which creates silvery reflections. In some butterflies, the different arrangement of two overlapping rows of scales may also create different reflections of light, for example, causing a butterfly to look blue instead of black or brown. When we examine the structure of butterfly wings even by considering their colourings alone, we come across lots of wonders. The existence of such an extraordinary beauty is undoubtedly evidence of the exalted might and endless artistry of Allah, Who has created all these.
It also must be stated that besides their being created as adornment, the colours and patterns on the wings of butterflies have many other crucial functions for these creatures.
False Eyes of Butterflies
In many butterflies, there are round dark-coloured patterns that remind us of the eyes of a large creature. These eyes, which again consist of coloured scales on the wings, embody a most important defence mechanism for butterflies. Butterflies keep their wings closed when they rest. If they meet an enemy, or are disturbed by a slight touch, the wings instantly open, and large, bright, intensely coloured eyespots on the wing surface appear. In this way, the required message is delivered to the predator.
Camouflage of Butterflies
Butterflies' camouflaging skills are as impressive as their false eyes. It is as if camouflaging butterflies see the colour of the bush, make an evaluation of the environment, analyse it, and imitate the colour of the bush with the colours they produce in their bodies' highly effective systems. Another species, aware of the tastes of its predator, gives warning signals to it by imitating colours that repel it by suggesting that the butterfly would taste bad or even be poisonous. It is by no means possible for a butterfly alone to perform these acts. We can make it clearer with an example:
Suppose that you are trying to produce a colour in a laboratory. If you have little knowledge of this subject, you will not be able to achieve the definite result that you wish, no matter how advanced your laboratory equipment or facilities. Then consider trying to achieve the quality of colours such as those of the butterflies, which, by developing the same colours and patterns as the environment, become almost invisible. You would not be able to develop even a single meaningful colour. The situation being so, it would be certainly an unscientific and irrational approach to claim that this glorious system in butterflies has come into existence by chance free of conscious design. If there is a design somewhere, there is also a designer. The flawless design on the earth belongs to Allah, the Compassionate. What falls to people with reason is to reflect upon Allah's attribute of creating in detail. In Surat an-Nahl, Allah states as follows:
(He has made subservient to you) also the things of varying colours He has created for you in the earth. There is certainly a Sign in that for people who pay heed. (Surat an-Nahl: 13)
Black Spots that Absorb Light
In some butterflies, especially on the parts of their wings that are near to the body, there are large, dark coloured spots that consist of scales. These spots, placed on both wings symmetrically, have a very important function for butterflies. Butterflies make use of these spots in order to reach the body temperature that is required to fly. How do they do this?
Scales have the properties of modifying heat to minimum or maximum levels depending on their colours. We have all seen butterflies opening and closing their wings under the sun as if they are trying to find a certain angle. The black spots in their wings help those butterflies, which try to attract sunlight by this movement. A butterfly that needs to warm up its body opens and closes its wings so that the sunlight falls directly on these spots, and therefore warms up its body.
Butterflies that live in open lands exposed to sun have lighter colours while those that live in wooded areas have darker colours.
Some species of Lepidoptera butterflies have no scales on their wings, cannot reflect light, and so are transparent. Though it is possible to see these butterflies while they fly, it is almost impossible to locate them when they alight somewhere. This provides a perfect protection for the butterfly. Just as all other creatures, butterflies have also been created with the systems with which they can meet all their needs. Moreover, all these are interdependent systems in which one cannot exist without the other.
Like all other creatures in the universe, Allah created butterflies too with all the details they possess and endowed them with all the systems they need.
Colours of the Undersea
Life under the surface of the sea is very different from on land. All the features of sea-dwelling creatures are organised in such a way as to enable them to live in water in the easiest way possible. Humans cannot see in water as well as do fish, because the human eye does not have the features that would allow it to attain sharp eyesight underwater. The human eye does not have a lens system such as that of the fish, and is not spherical and hard like that of a fish, so it does not have as sharp sight underwater as the fish. It cannot allow as precisely as fish do for foreshortening of distances in the water due to refraction, as it cannot estimate the refraction of light in water.
Allah has created every living being with the most suitable characteristics for the environment it inhabits. Creatures living under the sea constitute only a small part of the examples of Allah's artistry in creation. Allah has no partner in creation and everything is under His control.
There is no other god besides Allah. Allah – He is the Almighty, the All-Wise. (Surah Al 'Imran: 62)
Design of Colours in Plants
If one does not reflect, one cannot see the miraculous characteristics of the living beings around one. So long as one does not think about how a butterfly with its membranous wings flies, how the flowers one sees have such diversity of colour, how the top branches of hundreds of metres tall trees remain green, one cannot grasp the subtleties of these. Even the extraordinary artistry in a flower may not capture one's attention.
As we examined throughout this book, however, perfect artistry is clearly displayed in all living beings from insects to birds, from plants to sea creatures. Certainly this artistry belongs to Allah Who is the Creator of all living things.
Let us think about plants, fruits, vegetables, flowers, and trees. Plants, each having different colours, fragrances and tastes, are evidence of the artistry in creation of Allah. Each plant you see around you or know from books has colours and patterns that are exclusive to its kind. The reproductive process of each is different, the proportions of nectar they contain and their fragrances are all different. Let us think about roses. There are red, white, yellow, orange, pink, white edged, double-coloured, even roses with wavelike colours. Certainly, it would be great blindness for a man who sees all this not to feel admiration for and not to glimpse the endless might of Allah, Who is the Creator of all these flowers. In the Qur'an, Allah refers to those who fail to appreciate the evidence of the creation they see as follows:
How many Signs there are in the heavens and earth! Yet they pass them by turning away from them. Most of them do not have faith in Allah without associating others with Him. (Surah Yusuf: 105-106)
Have you ever thought about why plants are green?
As is obvious, the colours prevailing in the world of plants are green and shades of green. Chlorophyll is the main substance producing green. Chlorophyll, a very important substance, is a pigment contained in the chloroplasts scattered out in the cytoplasm of the plant cell. These pigments absorb light coming from the sun easily, but only reflect the colour green. In addition to giving the colour green to leaves, this feature also causes the fulfilment of a crucial process called "photosynthesis".
In photosynthesis, plants utilise sunlight, which consists of the combination of different colours. One of the most important properties of the colours in sunlight is that their energy levels are different from one another. This assortment of colour called the spectrum, which is obtained by the refraction of colours in a prism for example, has red and yellow tones at one end, and blue and violet tones at the other end. Colours with the highest level of energy are those colours at the blue end of the spectrum.
The difference in the energy levels between colours is very important for plants, because they need large amounts of energy to make photosynthesis. For this reason, during photosynthesis, plants absorb those sunrays of the highest energy levels towards the ultraviolet end of the spectrum, i.e. violet and blue, as well as the colours that are more towards the infra-red (heat) end of the spectrum, i.e. red, orange and yellow. Leaves carry out all these processes through the chlorophyll pigment existing in the chloroplasts.52
For a plant to photosynthesise, the energy levels of the light particles that are absorbed by the substance chlorophyll must be adequate. The process of photosynthesis begins when a plant, with the energy it receives from light particles, breaks the water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen molecules. Hydrogen reacts with carbon in the carbon dioxide gas to form the sap of the plant, which is essential for the plant to survive. In other words, the plant produces its own food. Unused oxygen, on the other hand, is released to the air. Most of the oxygen we breathe in the atmosphere is produced that way.
As a result of the process of photosynthesis in plants, they produce carbohydrates, one of the main food sources for other living things. The substances produced during photosynthesis are extremely important for plants themselves as well as for animals and humans, because plants are the main source of food of all living things on earth.
As we have seen, besides providing an aesthetic appearance, the green colour of plants is also extremely crucial for the survival of both plants and other living creatures. Allah makes the substance chlorophyll a cause for the nourishment of plants and the sustenance of all other living creatures.
How do the Different Colours in Plants Come About?
As mentioned before, the colour reflected by each object depends on the pigment molecules that object has. The basic pigment molecule in green plants is the substance "chlorophyll" as earlier stated. In addition to this, there are other pigments producing other colours in plants, and these different kinds of pigments form the extraordinary colour diversity we see in plants.
For example, in addition to chlorophyll, there are also carotenoid pigments in plants. Some of these pigments, which we have examined in detail before, are yellow and give colour to ears of corn, lemons, goldenrod and sunflowers. Other carotenoids are much more red than yellow; these are found in beets, tomatoes, roses, and carrots. Carotenoids are also present in green leaves. Then one might wonder: why do leaves not look red, yellow or orange but are mostly in shades of green? The reason is that the green of the chlorophyll is so strong that other colours cannot be seen.53
However, changes occur in the autumn. As the hours of daylight become shorter, plants stop making chlorophyll, and the strength of the pigments producing the colour green decreases, causing the green colour of leaves to fade. The carotenoids, becoming visible now, colour the leaves brown, yellow, and red. Also in the autumn, a group of pigments called "anthocyanins" form in the outer layers of certain leaves. These pigments, which are bright red and blue, combine with the others to give leaves the crimson and purple hues we occasionally see.54
Information about all the pigments giving colour to a plant is coded in the DNA of that plant. For this reason, a plant species bears the same characteristics no matter where on the earth. For example, everywhere in the world the colour of oranges is the same; their shape and the structure of their peels are the same. The colour of the transparent membrane, which lies inside the peel of the orange, and which constitute little sacs filled with orange coloured, perfumed sugared water, never change anywhere in the world. Bananas are everywhere yellow, tomatoes are red, and roses, violets, and carnations are all the same colours wherever they are. Wherever you go in the world, you will not see a naturally growing strawberry with a different colour. Everywhere in the world, the DNA of strawberries contains the characteristics that make them the strawberry we know. The colour, smell and taste of a strawberry are always the same. It is a unique, unparalleled order. Certainly, it cannot be claimed that such a system has come into existence by sheer chance.
The owner of this matchless artistry that prevails all over the world is Allah, Who has infinite wisdom. Allah has power over all things.
Have you ever thought how such diversity of colour comes about in plants although they all grow in the same soil and are watered with the same water?
In Surat ar-Ra'd, Allah draws attention to the fact that although all watered with the same water, different crops come out of the soil:
In the earth there are diverse regions side by side and gardens of grapes and cultivated fields, and palm-trees sharing one root and others with individual roots, all watered with the same water. And We make some things better to eat than others. There are Signs in that for people who use their intellect. (Surat ar-Ra'd: 4)
As Allah has drawn to our attention, let us ponder, by looking at the vegetables and fruits around us, how different crops come out of the same soil. For example, let us look at melons, watermelons, kiwis, bananas, cherries, eggplants, tomatoes, grapes, peaches, and green beans. When you peel the dark yellow skin of a banana, out of it comes a banana of a lighter yellow with its matchless fragrance. The red, green or yellow peel of an apple has a smooth sheen. Humans cannot imitate the quality of the taste and smell, an aroma particular to it, of its sweet juice.
Then, the question may occur to one: how do all those flowers, trees, vegetables and fruits have so many different colours although they come out of the same arid soil? This is evidence of the endless knowledge of Allah and His creating without any preceding model. It is impossible for man to create a new colour. All colours produced by people are only copies of the originals existing in nature. However, Allah is the Originator, and the creation of all the colours describing the living creatures on earth is His. Allah's artistry in creation is matchless. One of the names of Allah, the All-Powerful, is al-Musawwir – the One Who forms His creatures in different forms. Allah creates everything He creates in the most perfect forms.
He is Allah – 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. (Surat al-Hashr: 24)
The colours and appearance of all plants on the earth have been created in such a way as to appeal to the human soul. In fruits and vegetables, there is a matchless diversity of colour. On the other hand, when we think of flowers and trees we again see the same aesthetic appearance and diversity of colour.
There is also a totally unequalled colour and pattern design in flowers. Each of the hundreds of thousand kinds of flowers has been furnished with particular characteristics exclusive to its kind. Today, the perfumes, patterns and colours produced by men are all imitations of their original counterparts in nature. For instance, the purple colour of the leaves of violets, which are soft like velvet, and the smoothness of the surface of their leaves are matchless. Velvet fabrics are produced in imitation of the texture of violets but a similar quality can never be achieved.
With this approach, no matter what plant we examine on the earth, the conclusion we arrive at is that it is a perfect creation. Allah, Who has no partners in creation, creates plants for men with different tastes, fragrances, colours and forms. What falls to us is to reflect on the signs Allah creates and to be grateful.
A Topic Evolution cannot Explain: Harmony and Symmetry
On the earth we inhabit and in the wider universe in which the earth is located great harmony prevails. Even by looking out of the window, we see many examples of this harmony. In the clouds, in the sky, trees, flowers, animals and in similar examples, perfect order and symmetry is apparent.
When we look at nature, we see that every plant and every animal have their own particular colours and patterns exclusive to their kind. Furthermore, each of these colours and patterns have different meanings for living things: an invitation to mate, expression of aggression, a warning against danger and many notions like these acquire a meaning among animals from the perception of colours and patterns.
The theory of evolution, which claims that everything has come into being by random coincidence, has reached a total impasse because of the artistry, diversity of colours and harmony exhibited in nature. Charles Darwin, the founder of the theory in the form in which we have it today, also had to confess the situation he faced because of the design evident in living beings. Darwin stated that he could not understand why the colours of living creatures have particular meanings:
My difficulty is, why are caterpillars sometimes so beautifully and artistically coloured? Seeing that many are coloured to escape danger, I can hardly attribute their bright colour in other cases to mere physical conditions. If any one objected to male butterflies having been made beautiful by sexual selection, and asked why should they not have been made beautiful as well as their caterpillars, what would you answer? I could not answer but should maintain my ground.55
Again Charles Darwin expresses the conflict he came into with his own theory as follows:
I value the cases of bright-coloured, incubating male fishes, and brilliant female butterflies, solely as showing that one sex may be made brilliant without any necessary transference of beauty to the other sex; for in these cases I cannot suppose that beauty in the other sex was checked by selection.56
Certainly, it is impossible for colours, order and symmetry in nature to have come into being by natural selection. At this point, it would be useful to have a closer look at the concept of "natural selection" put forward by the Darwinian theory of evolution. As is well known, natural selection is one of the imaginary mechanisms of the theory of evolution. It holds that those best fitted to their environment will survive, while those who are weak and unfit for environmental conditions will be eliminated. According to the claims of evolutionists, a beneficial change occurs in a member of a species through a random mutation in its genes. That creature is selected from among all others of that species by the mechanism of survival of the fittest, and thus what was a random mutation is transferred in larger amounts to the next generation.It is definitely not possible for colours, patterns and the symmetry in the patterns of living beings to have been created through such a mechanism. This is a very obvious fact. Although he is the founder of the theory, Darwin himself had to confess that the imaginary mechanism of natural selection could not be the cause of such an order. Also, British archaeologist J. Hawkes questions the meaninglessness of natural selection in his article "Nine Tantalizing Mysteries of Nature", published in New York Times magazine:
I find it difficult to believe that the extravagant glories of birds, fish, flowers and other living forms were produced solely by natural selection; I find it incredible that human consciousness was such a product. How can man's brain, the instrument which created all the riches of civilization, which served Socrates, Shakespeare, Rembrandt, and Einstein, have been brought into being by a struggle for survival among hunters of wild game in the Pleistocene wilderness?57
I find it difficult to believe that the extravagant glories of birds, fish, flowers and other living forms were produced solely by natural selection; I find it incredible that human consciousness was such a product. How can man's brain, the instrument which created all the riches of civilization, which served Socrates, Shakespeare, Rembrandt, and Einstein, have been brought into being by a struggle for survival among hunters of wild game in the Pleistocene wilderness?57
As understood from those confessions of evolutionists, they know that their theory is in crisis. It is unreasonable to defend the idea that a cell, which supposedly came into existence coincidentally as a result of lightning and rains on the earth, turned into multicoloured living things over time. Suppose a scientist to take a single cell of a bacterium for instance, provide the most suitable laboratory conditions, use all the equipment required, spend effort on having this cell evolve over millions of years (though this is not possible, let us suppose it is); what would he acquire in the end? Would he ever transform a bacterium into a peacock with its dazzling colours, or into a leopard with perfect patterns on its skin, or into a rose with its red velvet-like leaves? Of course, intelligent people can neither imagine such a thing nor make such a claim. Yet, this is exactly the claim of the theory of evolution.
The "Colour" Impasse of Evolution
Let us verify with an example that it is impossible for the colours of living beings and systems of transformation of colour to come about by natural selection. Let us take chameleons for an example. Chameleons are animals capable of adapting to the colours present in the environment and changing their colours according to the surroundings. While resting on a green leaf, they assume a green colour, while moving onto a brown branch, their skin changes to brown in a very short time. Let us think together over how this process of colour change takes place.
A living creature changes its colour as a consequence of highly complex processes taking place in its body. It is impossible for a man to change either his own colour or another living being's colour, because the human body is not equipped with the proper systems for such an operation. Nor is it possible for a human to develop such a system on his own because it is not like a piece of equipment to be developed and installed. In short, for a living creature to be able to change its colour, it is imperative for this creature to come into being with such a colour change mechanism.
Let us think about the first chameleon on the earth. What would happen if this creature did not have the ability to change colour? First, the chameleon would be easy prey since it could not hide. Besides, since it would be easily recognised, hunting would be very difficult for it. This would finally cause a chameleon devoid of any other defence mechanism to die or starve and, after a while, to become extinct. Yet, the existence of chameleons in the world today evidently proves that such an event has never taken place. So, chameleons possessed this perfect system from the first moment they appeared on earth.
Evolutionists claim that chameleons have developed this system over time. This would make some questions occur to our minds: why have chameleons chosen to develop such a complex system such as changing colour instead of an easier defence mechanism? Why has it chosen changing colour while there are so many kinds of defence mechanisms? How has such a mechanism, providing for all the chemical processes necessary for colour change, been formed in the chameleon? Is it possible for a reptile to think of such a mechanism and then develop the necessary systems in its body? More, is it possible for a reptile to encode the information necessary for colour change in the DNA present in its cells?
Unquestionably, this is impossible. The conclusion to be drawn from the answers given to such questions as above will be one and the same: it is impossible for a living creature to develop such a complex system that allows it to change its own colour.
Not only systems of colour change, but also the diversities of colour and pattern in living beings deserve focus. It is impossible for the bright colours in parrots, the diverse colours in fish, the symmetry in the wings of butterflies, the fascinating patterns in flowers and the colours of other living things to have been formed on their own. Such perfect patterns, colours and figures, which serve very important purposes in the lives of living things, are concrete evidence of creation. It is obvious that there is a superior design in the formation of the colours around us.
Let us make it clear with an example: let us suppose that we are designing a product consisting of squares. Even to draw one of them, we need to make a small calculation and make sure that all four sides are linear and equal and the square has 90-degree angles at the corners. We can draw the square only after making some calculations and adjustments. As seen, even drawing a single square requires some knowledge and skill.
Let us apply the same reasoning to living creatures around us and ponder on them. There is perfect harmony, order and plan in living beings. A person who appreciates the necessity of knowledge and skill in drawing a simple square, will understand right away that origination of the order, harmony, colours and design in the universe is also a product of infinite knowledge and skill. Therefore there is no reasonable or scientific ground for claiming that a system such as the universe has come into existence by chance. Allah, the Most Powerful, has created the entire universe. Allah is the One Who fashions everything He creates most beautifully.
The Symmetry in Nature Cannot Originate by Chance
One of the most striking points producing harmony in the universe is symmetry. Living things have symmetric structures. Anything we see in nature, a seed for instance, a fruit or a leaf we examine will show us symmetry in their structure. Let us take a leafy plant. Leaves wind around the body of the plant like a spiral. This is a certain type of symmetry. Similarly, an observable order rules in the arrangement of the grains of a seed and in the design of the veins of the leaf.
Butterfly wings are another example of the symmetry in nature. On both wings of a butterfly are the same shades of colour and patterns. A pattern on one wing is also present on the other in exactly the same place.
We can see many other examples of symmetry around us, a few of which we summarised above. The important thing however is that there is a common conclusion to be drawn from all the given examples. There is a matchless order, or to be more exact, a magnificent artistry displayed in living things. One of the greatest evidences of the fact that the universe could by no means have come into being by coincidence is this subtle order and artistry. In his book titled "The Theory of Evolution and Bigotry", Prof. Cemal Yıldırım states this fact although he is an evolutionist himself:
"It is far from being convincing to attribute this order in living things, which seems to have a particular purpose, to chance or coincidence".58
Allah created everything in the universe within a larger order. Allah has control over all things.
Conclusion
When a wise and conscientious person looks around, he will immediately see the fact of creation. This is so because Allah has created everything for us to know Him and ponder upon what He created.
For a person who has developed this understanding, it would be completely irrational to claim that the delicate balances constituting life came about by "chance". For each interdependently working piece forming this order has an extremely important role in the overall process. The colours of living things, which are the subject matter of this book, are one of the most important components of the order in the universe.
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As seen in the examples given so far, the colours, patterns, spots, and even lines on the creatures in nature have a meaning. Colours, sometimes used as a means of communication, sometimes as a warning for predators, have a vital importance for living beings. This is so much so that the lightness or darkness of that creature's shade of colour, and even the direction of its lines have been specially determined.
A watchful eye will immediately see that not only living beings but also everything else in nature is just the way it should be, each being in the most appropriate place for it. What's more, he will understand that everything havs been given to the service of men. The blue, refreshing colour of the sky, the colourful appearances of flowers, the trees in bright green, the pastures, the moon, which lights up the world in pitch darkness, the stars and all the other beauties that we cannot count are manifestations of the artistry of Allah.
After all the subjects covered in this book, what falls to someone who has a grasp of the might and the endless artistry of Allah, is to turn towards the real owner of all these beauties and to lead a life that will please Him alone.
