doesn't deceive anyone. With miracles such as this, our Lord, the
All-Knowing, makes plants from tiny seeds and shows us clearly
that no living thing exists by chance. Those who say that living
things have come into existence by chance are just deceiving them-
selves, aren't they, Kareem?"
"Yes, Grandpa," Kareem agreed happily.
Grandpa Hassan went on: "Part of the plant that sprouts from a
tiny seed goes under the ground and part of it grows upward. The
ground is quite hard and tightly packed and it is very difficult to
grow in both directions. These little sprouts don't have intelligence
and consciousness like we have, so it is a real miracle how they
manage it."
"Just think of what would happen if we put a seed in the ground
and it didn't sprout," cried Kareem. "Then we would all have huge
problems finding food to eat. And if human beings and animals
couldn't find anything to eat, they would slowly die."
Grandpa Hassan nodded his head: "Allah warns us in the
Qur'an, Kareem: 'Have you thought about what you cultivate? Is
it you who make it germinate or are We the Germinator? If We
wished We could have made it broken stubble. You would then be
left devoid of crops, distraught.' (Surat al-Waqia‘a: 63-65)"
As they walked, Kareem began to consider what his grandfa-
ther had told him. He told his grandfather what he was thinking:
"Plants are so important for our survival, Grandpa. They clean the
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