There is a surah in the Qur'an called 'The Spider' or “al-'Ankabut”. Allah tells about the spider's web. Allah says that people who think that someone or something else, and not Allah, can help them think that they have a strong 'house' but really their house is like a spider's - it is weak and will break very easily.
Have you ever watched a spider spin its web? It does it very carefully and different spiders spin different styles of webs. They don't learn how to make them but know naturally how to do it, this is something they have been given from Allah.
Do you know how a spider knows if it has caught something? It sits on one thread of its web and if something lands on it, the spider can feel the thread shaking. This is just one of the many wonders of Allah.
But not all spiders spin webs, some are hunters and instead of eating insects eat things like mice and even other spiders. Some spiders dig homes under the ground and some can live most of their lives under water in bubble webs. Spiders live in all sorts of environments.
Their bodies are in two parts, the head and the abdomen. They don't have feelers like some other small animals and insects do. Some of them have claws at the end of each leg. Most spiders have eight eyes, butsome have six, four or two.
Do you know the story of Prophet Muhammad, salallahu aleihi wa salaam, and Abu Bakr, radiallahu anhu, when they left Makkah to go to Madinah? The enemies of Islam sent some people to look for them in the desert. When they came to the cave where the Prophet, salallahu aleihi wa salaam, was hiding, they found that a dove had built a nest in front of the cave and a spider had spun its web across the entrance. Because of this, the people thought that no-one could be in the cave and they left and looked further.
Next time you see a spider, instead of killing it, think of how a spider helped to save the life of the Prophet, salallahu aleihi wa salaam. This is another of the many signs of Allah.
Ants
There is a surah in the Qur'an called ‘The Ants’ or an-Naml. Allah tells the story of Prophet Sulaiman in this surah. Allah tells us how the ants were afraid of Sulaiman and he heard an ant telling the other ants to get into their holes before he crushed them all.
Even the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned ants. He said that "Allah said, 'Who are most unjust than those who try to create something like My creation? I challenge them to create even a smallest ant, a wheat grain or a barley grain.' "
Even an ant which is so small cannot be created by anyone other than Allah. Maybe you've heard of scientists who have 'made' animals like sheep, but remember that they didn't make them from nothing, they had to have another animal to start with. But Allah created even the ants from nothing.
Allah is the Creator... He is the only one who can create everything from nothing. He is the one who created all the animals and the human beings and all the universe... even the small ants.
The Prophet, salallahu aleihi wa salaam, also said that the ants (and the fish and all the animals) make du'a for the person who tries to learn more. So if you are always trying to learn Islam for example, even the ants will ask Allah to forgive you and reward you. Even the ants. So let's always learn Islam together.
And finally the Prophet, salallahu aleihi wa salaam, said that we should not burn the houses of ants, only Allah should punish with fire. Never ever punish anything or anyone with Fire. Only Allah will punish the ones who make sins with fire.. .so do not burn the houses of ants or other animals.
Have you ever watched ants? They're very busy animals and they are known for working very hard. Ants belong to the insect family and live together in communities just like people do. These communities are called colonies.
Ants are very good at working together. If you watch a colony of ants long enough you might see some ants all helping each other to carry something which is bigger than all of them. They help each other and they are nice to each other. We should learn from ants. They'll be marching along like an army. Even Muslims are told by the prophet (peace be upon him) to help each other and be nice Muslims... so we all have to be nice to each other and help each other inshaAllah.
Male ants have wings but female ants don't. Most female ants are worker ants but some don't work, their job is to have baby ants. Ants don't live very long and many get killed by people or bigger animals walking on them. Ants are also eaten by many other animals so they need to have lots of young to keep their communities going.
Ants live in anthills which are full of tunnels. If you see one you'd better not look too close and make sure you don't sit on it! And, of course, always remember that they are part of Allah's creation and we shouldn't kill or harm them unless we have good reason to.
And Finally, remember...when you see an ant... think of how Great Allah is ... He created the ant.... so small... but no one can create even that small a thing. So when you see an ant.. remember Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala who created us all.
Camels
Camels are mentioned many times in the Qur'an and in the Sunnah of our beloved prophet Mohammad (sallah Allahu Alaihe wa Sallam).
Have you heard the story of the camel of the Prophet (sallah Allahu Alaihe wa Sallam) when he arrived at Madinah?
On the first journey to Madinah, Abu Bakr, the prophet (sallah Allahu Alaihe wa Sallam) best companion, wanted to give his camel as a gift to the Prophet (sallah Allahu Alaihe wa Sallam) but the prophet (sallah Allahu Alaihe wa Sallam) insisted that he should buy it from Abu Bakr.
The camel was named Qaswa' and when the Prophet (sallah Allahu Alaihe wa Sallam) reached Madinah everyone wanted the Prophet (sallah Allahu Alaihe wa Sallam) to stay at their home. However, the prophet (sallah Allahu Alaihe wa Sallam) kept on saying to the people who were trying to grab the camel and get it to stop at their home: “Leave her. Allah has told the Camel where to stop.” When Qaswa’ finally arrived to where Allah wanted it to stop, the camel knelt down and that is where the Prophet’s home was built.
Camels are also mentioned in the Quran. Look in Sura Al-A’raf (7:40). There Allah speaks of those people who reject His signs and are proud and He says that they will not enter the Garden until the camel can pass through the eye of the needle. If you picture a camel and the eye of a needle you know that a camel will never be able to go through it. That means that there will never be a chance for those people who don’t believe in Allah and to go into Paradise. May Allah keep us to the straight path and not be like those people and may He allow us to enter Paradise. Amin.
There are more than that on camels in the Quran. There is also the Camel that was sent to the people of ‘Ad. But we will talk about this story in another time because it is such a beautiful story that we need a lot of writing for.
Now… there are two types of Camels:
Dromedary Camels (Arabian Camel): they have one hump
Bactrian Camel: they have two humps.
Baby camels, on the other hand, don't have humps, they grow as they get older. Do you know what the humps are for? They are stores of flesh and fat so when there is no food the camel has this store as spare. A camel can survive without water for several days. Camels have thick pads on their feet and on the joints of their legs and on their chest. They need these to be able to bear the heat of the desert sand when they are walking and kneeling down. It has long eyelashes to keep the flying sand out of its eyes and it can close its nostrils to keep sand out too.
The flesh of the camel can be eaten and the female's milk can be drunk. Camels have long hair which they shed every summer and this is sometimes used to make fine paint brushes, ropes or a light, warm cloth. And of course they're used for carrying loads and even people. They can carry as much as 454 kg, that’s the same as 450 bags of sugar!
Wow… Camels are so amazing… SubhanaAllah. Every creature that Allah has created is different. Each one is unique…. Each one is beautiful in its own way. When you look at just one of this creation… the camel for example…. You can see so much amazing things… and what we should say is.. SubhanaAllah who created it. You know.. Even that Camel… that simple creature that can’t think…. That camel thanks Allah all the time. When it drinks.. it says Alhamdulillah. When it eats.. it says Alhamdulillah…. All creatures are Muslim…. They all believe in Allah and they worship Him so much… they are sometimes are better than us in their worship! SubhanaAllah.
The Bees
Amina is not feeling very well today. She has caught a cold and she coughs. Mummy tells her: "What you need is a nice hot drink with honey. Let's go and buy some honey, and you'll see your cough will get better in sha Allah."
Amina and her mother go out to the supermarket. They stop in front of the shelf where the honey is.
"Oh, Mummy, there are all sorts of different colours!" Amina says excitedly. "Look, this honey is almost white, and this one is golden, and that one over there is brownish."
"Yes, Amina", her mum answers. "They are different sorts of honey. There's clover honey, lavender honey, eucalyptus honey... and mixed wildflower honey."
"But then, does honey come from flowers?" Amina asks.
"Come on, you know it doesn't!" her Mum answers. "You know bees make honey. The bees fly from flower to flower to collect a fine powder called pollen and a liquid called nectar. And then they make the honey with their bodies. Since there are different sorts of flowers with different colours and smells, this produces different sorts of honey. If the bees have been only on clover flowers, they make clover honey, which is almost white, like the one in this jar. If the bees have been on lavender, as in the South of France, you get this nice golden colour. And if the bees go about on all sorts of wild flowers, they produce mixed wildflower honey."
Amina asks: "And what colour is mixed wildflower honey?"
"Well, it depends on the flowers!" Mummy answers. "Look, the honey in this jar is yellow, this one is brownish, and yet they're both mixed wildflower honey."
Amina thinks for a while and then she asks: "But who has taught the bees how to make honey?"
"God has taught them, darling", Mummy explains. "When the bees make honey, they obey Allah. Do you know Allah tells us about bees in the Quran? Listen to what He says."
And Mum recites for little Amina the verses from surat an-Nahl, 'The bees':
Bismillahi ar-Rahman ar-Rahim
"And thy Lord taught the Bee to build its cells in hills, on trees, and in (men's) habitations. Then to eat of all the produce (of the earth), and find with skill the spacious paths of its Lord: there issues from within their bodies a drink of varying colours, wherein is healing for men: verily in this is a Sign for those who give thought." (Surat an-Nahl, The bees, verses 68-69)
"You see," Mum concludes, "Allah has created the world. He has placed in it all the plants, animals and human beings, and He has told everyone of them what they should do. And all around us, He has placed blessings for us!"
"Subhanallah" says Amina.
Mummy chooses a jar of lavender honey and goes to pay for it. The honey jar costs two dollars, Mummy gives the cashier five dollars. How much change will she get back?
When they get home, Mummy makes a nice hot drink for Amina with honey. Amina drinks after saying bismillah. How nice it tastes! She is already feeling much better, alhamdulillah.
In the afternoon, after dohor prayer, Amina is feeling fine. She hardly coughs anymore. So she goes to the public library with her Mummy to borrow a book about bees.
SubhanaAllah.... Allah created us all, humans and animals...and told each one what their duty is.... our duty is to be good muslims... this is why we are called... Islam Kids... because we are all the kids of islam.... we will build the muslim ummah one day inshaAllah. We just have to learn to be the best muslim kids in the world!
