ALMISKEENAH

 

Ants

Sulaiman’s host’s of jinn, men and birds were marshaled in ordered ranks before him, and when they came to the valley of ants, one ant said, "Ants! Go into your homes, in case Sulaiman and his hosts inadvertently crush you." Sulaiman smiled, laughing at its words and said, ‘Lord, inspire me to be thankful for the blessings You have granted me and my parents, and to do good deeds that please You; admit me by Your mercy into the ranks of Your righteous servants.’ (27:17-20)

Persistent, diligent, obedient, industrious, intelligent, social, skillful, organized, mathematical, managerial, meticulous, ingenious, engineers, doctors, nurses, farmers, meteorologists, ecologists, scientific, militaristic, technological, architects; qualities, professions and attributes given to man by Allah Ta’ala, but also to the tiny ant! And this list is hardly definitive! 

Allah Ta’ala, the Lord of all the Worlds, displays His Omnipotence with His miraculous creation through these minute marvels. May we be from the ‘men of understanding.’

Men who celebrate the praises of Allah, standing, sitting and lying down on their sides, and contemplate the wonders of creation in the heavens and earth, saying: "O Lord! You have not created this in vain! Glory be to You! Give us salvation from the penalty of the Fire. (3:190-191)

There are almost nine thousands species of the ant genus, all with varying characteristics, representing the highest and densest population in the world! And the 80 million year old fossilized ants found, reveal that they have not changed at all throughout these millions of years! Time we could never begin to comprehend! SubhanAllah! For these millions of years they have followed the decree as set by Allah Ta’ala. Their total submission to whatever conditions reveals the same calculating, organizing, researching, managing; striving to enact the same perfection and wisdom in maintaining the amazing tasks allotted to each group. Never complaining, never aspiring, never coveting, and never dreaming! They have perfected the ideal social system devoid of competition, individual pursuits, status, greed, power. An achievement man perpetually struggles with.

All creation possesses a sense of intelligence. How else can one explain how the ant knows to break a grain into two so that it does not germinate, and thus is able to store it for the winter? Or how does one ant know that its duty is to "milk" the honey ant, or another to guard the colony, or another to nurse the new born ants, or another to control the air conditioning? And the list goes on.

The tiny ant has the fastest jaw in the entire animal kingdom, literally quicker than the blink of an eye, as recent research has discovered. One species of ant can clamp its mandibles shut at between 78 mph and 145mph. The average time for a strike on its prey was 0.13 milliseconds, some 2,300 times faster than the blink of an eye! Such intricacies from our Rabb all around us in the most unassuming of His creation! SubhanAllah, may we truly be amazed and Glorify Him morning and night, as do these tiny ants!

So much information is readily available on these great miracles of creation. Insha’Allah, you share such learning with your children and others. Especially conveying how they are constantly glorifying their Maker, Jalla Jalaaluhu.

 

I sit transfixed by the recent appearance of ants in our humble Madinah house. Thinking that more than likely they belong to the same colony from generations ago, who were crawling around engaged in exactly the same routine during the time of our Beloved Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam! How season after season, they intuitively know, without calendars, without mechanical devices, when to begin to look for suitable places for their winter retreats and storage of their food supplies!

Abu Hurairah RadhiAllahu anhu reports from Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam that a certain Nabi of Allah Ta’ala once took his people out of town to pray for rain. As they emerged, he noticed an ant praying to Allah Ta’ala with its feet in the air. Seeing this, he told his people, "Let us return. Our prayers have been answered because of this little ant." (Mishkat)

Another Hadith affirms the fact that the ants supplicate to Allah Ta’ala. The Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam said: A learned person is as much above a worshipper as I am above the least of you. He added: Allah, His angels and all those in the Heavens and on the Earth, even the ants in their hills and the fish in the water, call down blessings on those who instruct people in beneficial knowledge.

Three of the four creatures given special status by Allah Ta’ala in His Book, ants, bees and the Hoopoe were also mentioned by the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam as being prohibited to kill. The fourth is the sparrow-hawk.

Allah’s Apostle SallAllahu alaihi wasallam said, "Once while a prophet amongst the prophets was taking a rest underneath a tree, when an ant bit him. He 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, the one that bit you?’"

Abu Dawood reports that Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam once noticed that an anthill was burnt. When he asked who had burnt it the Sahabah RadhiAllahu anhum admitted that they had done so. The Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam then told them, "It is only befitting for the Rabb of Fire to punish with fire."

‘Ata was asked by a man about the fleas or ants that vexed him while he was in the state of ihram. He replied: "You may throw away what does not belong to you."

The one who respects Allah Ta’ala’s right over him is like Ibn Sirin. He bought forty jars of butter. His servant found a mouse in one of them, so he removed it. Ibn Sirin asked, "Which jar did you take it from?" The man replied, "I don’t know!" So he dumped all of them onto the ground. Or he is like Abu Yazid al-Bistami. He bought a measure of oats in Hamadan, and a little of it was left over. When he returned to Bistam he spied two ants in it so he returned to Hamadan and released the two ants!

Allah is the creator of everything and He is the Guardian over everything. (39:62)

 

 

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. Ameen.