The next day Joseph went back to the same place and waited for    his little friend. After a few minutes, he appeared. He told him that he had waited impatiently all night to see him again. Then he reminded him of his promise to tell him about the inside of the nest. So the ant started to tell him about his home:   Although we are tiny animals, our nest is amazingly big, just like the headquarters of a big army. If you are a stranger, you can never get in. Because, as you already know, there are guards like me at the doors. Inside, there is extremely orderly, non-stop activity. Thousands, even millions, of soldier and worker ants carry out their jobs in an organized way. Our buildings are very suitable for indoor work. There are special departments for each job, and these departments are designed in such a way that both the soldier ants and the worker ants like me can work in the easiest manner. At the side, we see an underground city built by ants. Despite their tiny size, they can, amazingly, build such big cities. Besides, we consider all our needs while putting up our buildings. For instance, our building has floors underground which only let a limited amount of sunlight in. But there are also some departments where the sun’s energy is needed. We build these departments on the top floors, which receive sunlight at the widest possible angle. And then again, there are departments that have to stay in constant touch with each other. We build these close to one another, so that the ants can easily reach each other. Our storehouse, where the surplus materials are kept, is built as a separate department at one side of the building. The larders where we store our provisions are in places which are easy to reach. In addition to these, there is also a big hall right at the centre of the building where we gather on certain occasions." 1. Air Defence System   2. Greenhouse   3. Main entrance and side entrances   4. Ready-made chambers   5. Storage cemetery 6. Guards' chamber  7. Outer shield   8. Nursing chamber   9. Meat depot 10. Grain depot   11. Childcare for larvae   12. Wintering room   13. Central heating department   14. Brooding room 15. Royalty room... There is no doubt that ants cannot plan and devise all these details themselves. They are inspired by Allah to do so. The house that ants build for themselves is almost like a castle for them. When Joseph heard all that, he asked his little friend: "Do you really do all these things? I did not know that ants could work like skilful engineers and architects. If people are to build such perfect buildings, they have to spend many years at school and work very hard. Do you also receive such training?" In reply, the ant went on telling him more mind-boggling things about his friends:   "No, Joseph. All of us have these skills within us. These are never taught to us, but we know exactly what to do, and when. And that is not all. What I am going to tell you next will surprise you even more. As I told you before, our building is very big compared to our size. In spite of this, however, it is heated evenly. In our nests, there is a very advanced central heating system. This way, the temperature stays constant all day long. To guarantee this, we cover the outside surface of our building with various materials that do not let the heat in. In this way, we prevent cold air getting in during the winter and keep hot air out in the summer. That is how we always keep the temperature at the same level."   There was no doubt that if Joseph had not met his little friend, he would hardly have believed that ants could do all this. He said to the ant: "Before you told me all this, if someone had come up and told me about the details of your nest and asked who could build a nest like that, I would have come up with very different answers. I would have said that such a nest could only be built with very fine tools and hard work by highly skilled people. If someone had told me that this building was not constructed by educated people but by ants, to tell you the truth, I would never have believed him." While his little friend, the ant was talking to him, many thoughts crossed his mind. He thought that they were more skilful than people, and started to see these animals differently. He understood that ants were created by God, and that it was God’s inspiration at every moment that made them behave the way they did. Otherwise, they would never be able to do all these things successfully. As all this was crossing his mind, his little friend kept on speaking. As he went on, Joseph grew even more interested, and wanted to ask him about everything that came to his mind. He asked the first question that occurred to him right away. He had earlier been told that ants behaved like farmers, so he asked him how they managed to do that. How could an ant, being so small, farm land without any tools, something that even a man could hardly do?   The Ant said: "Let me tell you one more thing about us. That way, it will be easier to answer your question. Although we all look very much alike, we are divided into many distinct groups according to the way we live and look. There are around 8,800 different kinds of ants. All the species have distinct features. The farmer ant is one of these species. Now, I will tell you about ants that engage in farming. They are called "attas", that is, leaf-cutting ants. The foremost characteristic of attas is their habit of carrying on their heads the leaf pieces that they cut out. For this purpose, they first smooth out their path, so that they can easily move about on it. The road they travel to their nest while carrying the cut leaves looks like a small highway. Ants walk slowly along this path, collecting all the twigs, small bits of gravel, grass and wild plants on the ground, and removing them. Thus, they clear a path for themselves. .... Attas cut leaves skilfully and with great care. After much long and hard work, the highway becomes straight and smooth as if flattened by a special tool. Attas walk towards their nest on this path, hiding under big pieces of leaves, which they hold in their tightly clamped jaws."   Joseph:  Did you say they hide under leaves? Why do attas feel the need to hide under leaves?   The Ant: Attas have to be careful sometimes, Joseph. For instance, medium-sized atta workers spend almost all day away from the nest, carrying leaves. It is difficult for them to protect themselves when they are doing that, because they carry the leaves in their jaws, which they normally use for self-defense. 1. Ants chop the leaves they bring to the nest into bits 2.They chew these bits into pulp. 3.They apply this pulp over a base of dried leaves in new chambers. 4.They place bits of fungus they take from other chambers over this pulp. 5.A busy group of ants cleans the garden and removes all unnecessary materials. . Joseph: So, if they are not able to protect themselves, who does it for them? The Ant: Leaf cutter worker ants are always accompanied by smaller workers. These workers climb on the top of the leaves that the attas carry and keep watch. In the event of an enemy attack, they protect their friends, despite their small size.   Joseph: That is another amazing example of self-sacrifice. But I want to know one more thing. What do attas use these leaves for? Why do attas keep carrying those leaves all day long?   The Ant: They need them for their farming. Attas use these leaves to grow fungus. Ants cannot eat the leaves themselves. So, worker ants make a heap of these pieces of leaves after chewing them, and then place them in the underground chambers in their nest. In these chambers, they grow fungus on the leaves and obtain their food from the shoots of the growing fungus. You must now be wondering how tiny ants can carry out such miraculous events all by themselves?" Joseph: Yes. I am really trying to understand how ants manage to do all that. For example, if you asked me to grow fungus, it would not be at all easy for me to do. At the very least, I would have to read some books or else seek the advice of people who do know how to do it. But I know that attas do not receive any training like this. Now I can better understand what makes you and your ant friends so talented. You are programmed to do your jobs. For example, attas come into the world already knowing about farming. Certainly, God, the Creator of all living things, gave attas this skill. It is God Who created you and all your friends with all these awesome features.   The Ant: You are right, Joseph. We know all these things innately. Our Creator, God, gave them to us as blessings. Joseph was late again. He thanked him, and left for school. As he walked, the things his ant friend had told him were still echoing in his ears. Meanwhile, he kept on thinking. Ants’ skilful actions pointed to a great wisdom. But this wisdom could not belong to the ants themselves. They were, after all, tiny creatures. Then all ants’ skills must show man the wisdom of God. In order to show the greatness of His being and His art of creation, God, the Creator of the ants, made these tiny creatures carry out tasks they could never do by their own wisdom and will. Attas carrying the leaves they have cut. His friend owed his innate wisdom, skill and sacrificing nature to the inspiration of God. Everything he did was proof not of his, but of God’s power and wisdom. Thinking about all that, he realized that certain things that he had earlier imagined differently had been replaced by true versions of the facts. He understood once again that the stories told about living things, how they came into existence by chance, how they acquired the skills they had by chance over periods of time, were lies. How could they be true? Just think, how could ants "talk" to each other so perfectly if they had come into being by chance? How could they make contact with each other without any disorder, and build perfect nests? Besides, even if all these ants had come into existence by chance and if they lived only to defend themselves, how was it that they could make such enormous sacrifices for one another? He thought about these things all day at school. When he got home in the evening, he decided to read the Qur’an, which God sent down to all people. The first verse he read was the following: In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day, there are Signs for people with intelligence: those who remember God, standing, sitting and lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth (by saying): ‘Our Lord, You have not created this for nothing. Glory be to You! So safeguard us from the punishment of the Fire.’ (Surah Al Imran: 190-191) He was totally convinced that God alone created the ant, himself, his mother and father, his brother and everything in the universe. His little friend had reminded him of the most important fact in the world: that there was no creator but God. HE HOLD A LIE! I believe that when you read these lines, all of you will also understand the truth like Joseph, and know that it is God Who created everything. Then you will say: "Darwin, who said that ‘living beings were not created, but came into existence by chance’ was a big liar. When we are surrounded by creatures with so many fascinating skills, it is impossible to think that they came into existence by chance." So, if like Joseph you also chance upon a good friend one day, never forget that you have a lot to learn from him. Investigate and think about the perfection in the art of God, Who created him. And if you ever meet liars like Darwin, tell them about the features of your little friends and say that you will never ever believe in their nonsensical lies.         THE END