The Elephants Trunk and the Giraffe's Neck

Contemplate over the elephant’s trunk, and the incredible wisdom behind its creation. The trunk takes the place of the hand for the elephant, in regard to the handling of food and water, and placing them in its mouth. If it wasn’t for its trunk, the elephant would not be able to eat anything that is on the ground, because it doesn’t have a neck that can stretch like other animals. So, because of the lack of a neck, it was given a long trunk in its place. It was given the ability to extend, lift, twist and handle things the way it pleases with it. It was created as a dry container that is soft to the touch. With it, it handles its needs, places what it wants into its mouth, stores in it what it wants, as well as give and take what it wants.

So ask the Mu’attil ^[1]: Who is it that compensated the elephant with a limb [a trunk] in place of what He didn’t grant it [a neck], which takes its place and accomplishes all the actions of the neck, except Ar-Raoof (The Most Kind) Ar-Raheem (The Most Merciful) with His creation? The One who takes care of their welfare and is Lateef (Most Subtle, Most Courteous) towards them.

How is this possible if there was negligence?

How is this possible if the world lacked its Inventor, its Creator, its Originator?

There is no deity worthy of worship except Him - the All Mighty, the All Wise!

And if you were to ask:

“Why didn’t He create a neck for it like the rest of the animals? What is the wisdom behind that?”

It is said, and Allah knows best about the wisdom behind His creation; that it is because the elephant’s head and ears are enormous and heavy. So, if it had a neck like other animals, the neck would collapse due to the weight, or be greatly weakened from having to support it. Thus, He made its head fixed to its body, so that it does not feel fatigue from the effort of having to support the weight. And He created for it, in place of a neck, a long trunk that enables it to feed.

The longer an animal’s neck is, for a wisdom in that, the smaller its head is in proportion to its body, so that its neck is not harmed or weakened by the weight.

So Subhan Allah, whose wisdom has far surpassed the tally of those who try to count it, and the limit of those who try to limit it.

Then contemplate over the creation of the giraffe, the contrast between its limbs and how they resemble different animals. It has the head of a horse, the hoofs of a cow, the skin of a leopard…

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[1] Those who negate Allah’s names and attributes and therefore negate the presence of Allah. It also includes those who negate the meanings of legislated text and Atheists.

Some interesting facts about an elephants trunk [courtesy of realclearscience.com]

• Elephant Trunks actually have fingers. African elephants have two while Asian elephants only have one. That's why the former is able to grasp objects by pinching the opposing tips of the trunk while the latter must wrap its trunk round objects.
• The elephant's trunk contains over 40,000 muscles, divided into as many as 150,000 individual units!
• An elephant’s trunk has a sense of smell up to four times as sensitive as a bloodhound's.
• Elephant trunks are stunted at birth, then rapidly elongate over the course of a few days.