The diversity of creatures on earth, led by ants and other insects, as evidence of God's greatness and of creatures who submitted to His authority (33:72). A report follows on the 18th annual United Submitters International Conference in Tucson, Arizona, in August 2003, with its Friday prayer, youth presentations and a planetarium visit. A closing reflection on gratitude to God for each day.
This is a small study on the number of creatures
who disagreed with Satan (33:72). They took the opportunity to kill their
egos and submit to God’s Absolute Authority. Of the billions of
creatures that live on earth, which do you think are the largest in number?
The first reaction would be to say “human beings,” of course.
Why, our species seem to be just about everywhere. Well, for all our arrogance
we would be surprised to learn that we are very wrong. And, we would be
astounded to find out that the record for the most abundant organisms
on Earth is held by insects. And even among insects, it is the ants that
dominate. As we know God named Sura 27 The Ant.
From the Arctic Circle to the tip of South America, there are over
20,000 species of ants, and those are only
the ones that have been discovered so far. In the rain forests, ants make
up ten percent of what scientists term the biomass. That is, if all the
animals, birds and insects in the forest were to be collected, dried and
weighed, for every 100 kg of combined weight, 10 kg would be made up of
ants alone.
Did you know that for every 100 kg of people, there are 1,000 kg of termites!!!
Did you know that a single tree in the tropics could have more than 1,000
different kinds of insects living on it at the same time!!!
No one is quite sure how many species live on our planet. Scientists
believe that less than 5 per cent of the world’s species have been
recorded by humans. So far over 1.4
million species have been identified. But
scientists estimate that the total number of species could be any where
between 10 and 100 million.
Data from “The Diversity of Life” by E. O. Wilson provide
us the breakup of the 1.4 million species identified:
Bacteria 4,800 species
Fungi 69,000 species
Algae 26,900 species
Trees, shrubs and higher plants 248,400 species
Protozoa 30,800 species
Sponges 5,000 species
Corals and jellyfish 9,000 species
Flatworms 12,200 species
Roundworms 12,000 species
Earthworms 12,000 species
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Magnifying GOD
Clams and other mollusca 50,000 species
Seastars and relatives 6,100 species
Insects 751,000 species
Spiders and other non-insect anthropods 123,400 species
Fishes 18,800 species
Amphibians 4,200 species
Reptiles 6,300 species
Birds 9,000 species
Mammals 4,000 species
A total of 1,402,900 species! And if you think you are beginning
to see zeroes instead of stars, how about this? How many viruses
do you think will fit into a teaspoonful of unpolluted water? Scientists
in Norway have estimated that the number could exceed ONE BILLION.
That is a teaspoonful of 1,000,000,000 viruses!!!
Scientists estimate that the deep ocean floor could be home to
10 million undiscovered species. The tremendous diversity of life
is not limited to those habitats that seem to obviously offer the
basics of food, shelter and space. Scientists have found life in
regions which would be considered uninhabitable. It is the inhabitants
that have developed special features to survive in the harshest
of conditions.
Would the unbelievers not realize that there is a SUPREME POWER
that has created and controls this method of adaptation and everyone
and everything else? In the bays of Antarctica, the coldest marine
habitats on earth, where the water is cold enough to turn normal
blood into ice,
fishes live and thrive. These fishes
generate an anti freeze element in their own bodies. Around the
fishes are host of other marine creatures - each with their own
protective devices to survive the freezing waters.
In the burning heat of the deserts live unique collection of plants,
insects and reptiles adapted to survive the harshest of conditions.
In the perpetual darkness of the world’s deepest and dampest
caves live numerous insects, feeding on the fungi and bacteria that
grow there, and in turn being eaten by larger—all of them
blind—specialized for a life in the dark.
And even in the boiling water of hot springs, deep down at the
bottom of the seas, scientists have discovered unique one-celled
microorganisms that thrive in waters up to 110 degrees centigrade.
Thanks to God, diversity and adaptability have made life possible
in the most remote regions of our planet.
Imagine that you are on a journey upward from the center or core
of the earth. You are walking at a leisurely pace. For the first
twelve weeks you would travel through burning rocks and molten lava
where no life exists. Three minutes before you reach the surface,
you would encounter the first organisms in the form of bacteria
feeding on nutrients that have filtered deep underwater. As you
reach the surface of the earth, you would be dazzled by the millions
of life forms that you see—micro organisms, plants and animals—spread
right across the earth’s surface. Still walking upwards at
the same pace, you would find that only half a minute later, almost
all life has disappeared. Upwards still, two hours
later on your walk, you would only find
traces of life very faint—consisting mainly of people in airplanes
etc. The region with all this multitudes of life makes up only 1
part in 10 billion of the Earth’s mass. This layer of earth
that consists of living organisms and their environment is called
the “biosphere”. This is the only region of earth where
life can exist naturally and it extends only from the bottom of
the sea to the highest point of the atmosphere.
Finally, let us imagine that all the tremendous variety of living
things on earth are finally discovered and then described. Let us
imagine that we had to put together a compilation of all this information.
We then decided to devote one page per species. The description
would contain the scientific name, a photograph or drawing and a
brief description and information on where the species is found.
If all this were to be compiled in order to be published as a book,
it would be bound in volumes of 1,000 pages making each volume about
17 cm wide. By the time the information about all the species were
to be compiled, the volumes covering a million species would occupy
60 meters of space in a library. If we assumed that there were 100
million species of organisms on earth, the volumes would extend
through 6 km of space in a library.
Such is the greatness of God who made these millions of species
by merely saying to it “Be and it is;” (2:117, 3:47,
6:73, 16:40, 19:35, 36:82, 40:68) “without the least effort”
(46:33) and “no fatigue touched us.” (50:38)
Alim C. / India
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CONFERENCE REPORT 2003
by Lydia and Nargis
O you who believe, you shall reverence GOD and seek
the ways and means to Him, and strive in His cause, that you may
succeed. 5:35
The 18th annual United Submitters International Conference was
held in Tucson, Arizona August 29-31, 2003. Submitters from around
the world gathered to share ideas and to commemorate God.
The Friday prayer was led by brother Abdullah, who stressed the
importance of striving in God’s way. And he reminded us that
God is running everything. He quoted 8:17 from the Quran:
It was not you who killed them; GOD is the One who
killed them. It was not you who threw when you threw; GOD is the
One who threw. But He thus gives the believers a chance to earn
a lot of credit. GOD is Hearer, Omniscient.
Abdullah then opened the conference with a welcome to all the submitters,
especially those who had traveled far to attend. While some chose
not to attend this year’s conference for a variety of reasons,
he stressed the need for unity and respect for diversity, and also
that we should concentrate our efforts on enriching our souls.
Introductions were handled a little differently this year. We broke
into small groups and interacted within those groups. It was a very
effective and fun way to get to know one another better. Then each
person introduced the person to his right to the whole group. It
meant you really had to listen to each other and remember?!!
Friday evening we scheduled a trip to the Planetarium at the University
of Arizona. Because the planet Mars is closer to the earth than
it’s been in 60,000 years, it seemed like a good way to admire
the awesomeness of God’s creations. [Mars was only 34,646,418
miles from Earth on August 26th, its closest approach to the Earth.]
As always, we were treated to excellent presentations and personal
sharing throughout the three days. From the innocence of small children’s
voices—Hannah, 6, and Melissa, 8—to the mature understanding
of new and old submitters, the wealth of information was truly amazing,
and the different perspectives inspiring. We enjoyed several power
point presentations, including the one given by 12-year old Ehsan
on the temptations of this worldly life. Those who pursue this worldly
life and its material vanities, we will pay them for their works
in this life, without the least reduction.
It is they who gave up their share in the Hereafter,
and, consequently, Hell is their lot. All their works are in vain;
everything they have done is nullified. 11:15-6
Meditation, Zikr and Quran reading are always highlights of the
conference. They uplift our souls as we sing the praises of God
and commemorate His name.
This was such a lovely, peaceful conference that we were all energized
and revitalized for another year of spreading the message. Abdullah,
in his closing remarks, complimented the youth in our submitter
community. They are strong and steadfast and a good example for
the rest of us. All of us need to be patient, persevering, appreciative,
and dedicated to God alone.
Our Lord, let not our hearts waver, now that You
have guided us. Shower us with Your mercy; You are the Grantor.
Our Lord, You will surely gather the people on a day that is inevitable.
GOD never breaks a promise. (3:8-9)
You shall hold fast to the rope of GOD, all of you,
and do not be divided. Recall GOD's blessings upon you…. 3:103
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart,
as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will
receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. [Colossians 3:23,24]
Commit your work to the Lord, and then your plans
will succeed. [Proverbs 16:3]
Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you;
He will never let the righteous fall. [Psalm 55:22]
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Best Day of My Life
Today, when I awoke, I suddenly realized that
this is the best day of my life, ever! There were times when I wondered
if I would make it to today; but I did! And because I did I’m going
to celebrate!
Today, I’m going to celebrate what an unbelievable life I have
had so far: the accomplishments, the many blessings, and, yes, even the
hardships because they have served to make me stronger.
I will go through this day with my head held high, and a happy heart.
I will marvel at God’s seemingly simple gifts: the morning dew,
the sun, the clouds, the trees, the flowers, and the birds. Today, none
of these miraculous creations will escape my notice.
Today, I will share my excitement for life with other people. I will
make someone smile. I will go out of my way to perform an unexpected act
of kindness for someone I don’t even know.
Today, I will give a sincere compliment to someone who
seems down. I will tell a child how special
he or she is, and I will tell the people I love just how deeply I care
for them and how much they mean to me.
Today is the day I quit worrying about what I don’t have and start
being grateful for all the wonderful things God has already given me.
I will remember that to worry is just a waste of time because my faith
in God and His Divine Plan ensures everything will be just fine.
And tonight, before I go to bed, I will go outside and raise my eyes
to the heavens. I will stand in awe at the beauty of the stars and the
moon, and I will praise God for these magnificent treasures. As the day
ends and I lay my head down on my pillow, I will thank the Almighty for
the best day of my life.
And I will sleep the sleep of a contented child, excited with expectation
because I know tomorrow is going to be the best day of my life, ever [again
God willing!]
Writer unknown
About this work
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International Community of Submitters
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International Community of Submitters / Masjid Tucson