Everything Glorifies Allah: Pollination and a Falling Leaf

“And there is not a thing except that it exalts [Allah] by His praise.” (Qur’an, 17:44)

Rational Belief
Rational Belief
Published in
5 min readNov 28, 2024

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The Many Forms of Speech

Speech is not limited to spoken or written words. The universe itself is constantly communicating with us through signs, occurrences, and designs. Road signs, for example, silently guide us, and dark clouds warn of rain. Every element in creation carries a message — a sign waiting to be understood.

Allah reminds us in the Qur’an:

“…And there is not a thing except that it exalts [Allāh] by His praise, but you do not understand their [way of] exalting. Indeed, He is ever Forbearing and Forgiving.” (Qur’an, 17:44)

This verse teaches us that all of creation exalts Allah by His praise in ways that often go unnoticed without deep reflection. From the smallest atom to the vast cosmos, everything declares Allah’s greatness, silently but ceaselessly.

Reflect on the story of Isaac Newton. The sight of an apple falling from a tree revealed to him the concept of gravity. This simple observation led Newton to formulate one of the most fundamental laws of physics. However, apples had been falling for countless generations before Newton’s insight, their message unnoticed until someone took the time to observe and think deeply. This mirrors the meaning of the verse, reminding us that such messages often go unnoticed without thoughtful reflection.

The Qur’an further reminds us:

And no leaf falls but that He knows it. And no grain is there within the darkness of the earth and no moist or dry [thing] but that it is [written] in a clear record.” (Surah Al-An’am, 6:59)

Just as the apple revealed gravity to Newton, the falling leaf carries countless messages about Allah’s knowledge and wisdom. Every leaf falls with Allah’s permission, and its design holds lessons for humanity, waiting to be understood by those who reflect.

Pollination: The Quiet Miracle

Image by Michael Reichelt from Pixabay

One of the most awe-inspiring processes in nature is pollination. This essential mechanism sustains life on Earth, yet it often goes unnoticed. Pollination involves the transfer of pollen from the male part of a flower (the anther) to the female part (the stigma), enabling plants to reproduce and bear fruit. This process ensures the survival of plants, which in turn sustain countless other organisms, including humans.

Interestingly, neither the plants nor the pollinators (like bees or butterflies) intentionally collaborate for this process. The pollinators are simply seeking food — nectar or pollen — while the plants seem to passively provide it. However, this apparent simplicity belies a deeper truth: the entire process has been designed by Allah with precision and intention.

Allah has equipped flowers with bright colors, alluring scents, and sweet nectar to attract insects. Bees, for example, are drawn to ultraviolet patterns on flowers, guiding them to the nectar. As bees collect food, they unknowingly transfer pollen from one flower to another, fulfilling the essential purpose of pollination. The insects, focused on their own survival, have no awareness of their role in this larger process. Similarly, plants have no consciousness of the insects’ needs. It is Allah who has designed their features and behaviors to align perfectly, ensuring the survival of ecosystems.

Divine Design in Colors, Scents, and Features

Plants that rely on wind for pollination offer another fascinating contrast. Unlike flowers that attract insects, wind-pollinated plants do not need bright colors or nectar. Instead, their pollen is light and easily carried by the wind. Allah has tailored each plant’s features according to its needs, ensuring that no energy is wasted on unnecessary traits. This further highlights the precision and purpose in creation.

The Wisdom in a Falling Leaf

Image by Artur Pawlak from Pixabay

“And no leaf falls but that He knows it.” (Surah Al-An’am, 6:59)

The falling apple revealed gravity to Newton, giving us a deeper understanding of the universe’s physical laws and leading to innovations like space exploration. However, the Qur’an uses the example of a falling leaf, which does more than simply fall — it falls gently, using its wide surface to resist gravity. This design inspires inventions like parachutes, showing us how to adapt to gravity rather than merely observing it.

While the apple demonstrates gravity’s force, the leaf teaches us how to work with it, offering both a scientific principle and a practical lesson in Allah’s wisdom. Additionally, fallen leaves nourish microorganisms in the soil, which break them down into nutrients for plants, maintaining the cycle of life. Without these microorganisms, ecosystems would collapse. Allah ensures nothing in creation is wasted.

Image from Pixabay

If a simple falling leaf contains such profound lessons, imagine how many secrets remain hidden in the processes of pollination, still waiting to be understood.

Conclusion: Signs for Those Who Reflect

The Qur’an calls us to observe the universe and reflect on the signs of Allah’s greatness:

“Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding — those who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], ‘Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire.’” (Surah Ali ‘Imran, 3:190–191)

Pollination, the falling leaf, and every detail in creation are signs of Allah’s infinite knowledge, wisdom, and power. The vibrant colors of flowers, the purposeful fall of leaves, and the harmonious cycles of life all proclaim Allah’s greatness and guidance.

These signs invite us to remember Allah, reflect deeply, and recognize the profound purpose behind everything in creation.

Truly, everything says Allah.

Read other articles in this series: Everything Glorifies Allah

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Rational Belief
Rational Belief

Published in Rational Belief

Rational Belief explores the harmony between reason and faith through an Islamic lens. Delve into topics like belief, God, worship, philosophy, science, and the universe with clarity, wisdom, and logic. Discover the beauty of rationality in Islamic thought.

Rational Belief
Rational Belief

Written by Rational Belief

Muslim, interested in Religion, Philosophy, Science and Engineering.

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