Compiled by Abdullahi Jamaa
In Islam, every creature counts, however feeble, few and fetched they are, the purpose of their creation is a powerful indictment of the existence of Allah, the almighty, the cherisher and sustainer of the universe.
The Glorious Qur’an carries with it many historical anecdotes of not only the lifetimes of the Holy Prophets but it also highlights the roles and appreciates the existence of Allah’s creatures human and animals alike.
Ants, flies and mosquitoes are some of the creatures that Allah has talked about in a bid to establish the signs of his supernatural powers. The stories of these creatures are written in golden letters bringing out the supremacy of the Kingdom of Allah (SW).
And when Allah (SW) mentioned the names of these miniature creatures and narrated parables about them, idolaters started to be objective and negative. They thought they caught the chance they had been looking for in order to humiliate the Quran.
And here disbelievers said how could Allah talk about such small and irrelevant things and insects? How on earth can He say that? Allah the Glorious addressed their doubt in verse26 of surah al-Baqara:
Surely Allah is not ashamed to set forth any parable– (that of) a Mosquito or anything above that; then as for those who believe, they know that it is the truth from their Lord, and as for those who disbelieve, they say: What is it that Allah means by this parable: He causes many to go astray by it and many He leads aright by it! But He does not cause to go astray by it (any) except the transgressors.
In a language rich with astounding parables and many Arabic similes and metaphors, the Glorious Qur’an brings out real issues that deal with both the past, the present and the future of humanity.
In one example, the Glorious Qur’an highlights the story of ants in a surah named after this eusocial insect-Surah an-Namal (chapter 27).
Ants though they be little on earth, are exceedingly wise. They are great teachers, so we learn in them that they are upbeat, self-motivated and purpose driven. They are meticulous workers with an intrinsic commitment to excellence.
During the times of Prophet Suleiman (AS) ants were part of many creatures that were not only obedient but also very respectful to the Rasulhood of the time. They recognized the kingdom with zeal and sincerity.
Once there was a crippling famine in the Kingdom of Prophet Sulaiman (AS) and so one day He came out with his people and proceeded to an open location in the desert to pray for rains to come.
Suddenly, He saw an ant standing on its two legs, raising its hands up towards the sky and saying, “Oh Allah! We are but very small among all your creatures. We cannot survive without your grace. Please bestow upon us your sustenance and do not punish us because of the sins of human beings. Please send down the rains so that trees can grow, farms become green and grains become available and we have our food to eat.”
Prophet Sulaiman (AS) was gifted and knew the language of all creatures. He told his people, “Let us go home. The prayer of this ant is enough.” It then rained heavily and all the land became green and productive.
In another incident, One day Solomon gathered his army, which had different battalions of men, jinns, birds, and animals. He marched them with power reaching the valley of ants, where the ants established a great city for themselves.
While they were passing through the valley, an ant saw the approaching army and cried out to warn the other ants: “Run to your homes! Otherwise, Solomon and his army might crush you unknowingly”
Prophet Sulaiman smiled at this warning sounded by the ants’ chief, and ordered his companions to wait till the ants went inside their holes. “None of us should hurt any ant while passing over their land”,
It is said that Prophet Sulaiman addressed the queen of the ants and said: “How could my people hurt you. Don’t you know that I am a messenger of God and would never act unfairly?”
The queen of the ants replied: “O Messenger of Allah! My cautioning the ant was not for any hurt that they would suffer but to prevent them getting astray and forgetting the glory of Allah(SW) after seeing your pomp and power.”
This is a powerful indication of how a tiny creature prays and obeys toAllah, the Almighty. In his mercy, the Almighty listens and cares for every being on earth offering a great blessing to those who obey Him and his kingdom.
The conversation between Sulaiman (AS) and the ant is a long one that includes some valuable advices and incites that the ant gave to the Rasul. So many lessons are learnt through this conversation but above all, the astounding reasoning of an insect as fragile as an ant is miraculously Islamic and remains a sign for those who are righteous.
