Ink heals,
Pen befriends.
Paper mirrors,
Words are interlocutor.
They are lost indeed
when you have no mirroring ear,
when the mirror is gone,
the paper torn;
to hear
makes the pen cry, and
only then ink is revealed.

O, Beloved Friend
Fill my hands with the ink
of your inspiring winds.
Let my eyes, right and left, see
none,
All You,
thus all.
Did you hear what happened?
Did you know how it happened?
Of course you do.
But I want to tell
because this is what you do:
you know, but again, the pleasure
is to listen.
And on my part
it is to tell.
I want to forget my forehead on the soil that stands before You, welcoming,
I want to forget nothing.
But I only become Zero
In that moment.

Octopuses are equipped with a very powerful sensing system in addition to their sharp vision. For example, an octopus whose vision is obstructed can sense the size of objects and the distance between them. Regulation and synchronization of vision is realized with internal and external movement of the lens contrary to human beings. When it faces a threat, the octopus releases dark blue-black ink and tries to repel its enemy. Immediately after the spray, its color changes and it carefully leaves that spot. The secretion glands found in the inner face of the bladder have been programmed to secrete ink the moment the animal becomes frightened. Another function of the ink is to blunt the attacking animal’s sense of smell. Even if the animal touches the octopus at this time, it cannot recognize it.

Another striking and important ability given to the octopus is its ability to camouflage. In some situations it tries to protect itself from danger by hiding itself with this capability. If it has not been able to find a suitable place to hide, the octopus swims among the corals and, taking on the color and shape of its surroundings with the help of color cells comprised of richly colored matter (chromatophores) found under the skin, it camouflages itself perfectly.

At first glance the suckers of an octopus are no different from suction cups vacuum pressed onto smooth surfaces. However, in reality this organ is more complex than it appears to be. This organ was not created just for the purpose of sticking on objects. By means of muscles unique to it, the octopus is able to make various maneuvers.

There are approximately 200-250 suckers in two lines on each arm of the octopus. This means there are approximately 2 thousand suckers on its eight arms. There are two small chambers on each sucker. The external chamber is called a cone and the internal one is called a pot. When it sights its prey, the muscles of the external cone take the shape of the surface of the prey and completely cover it. The muscles of the internal pot structure are full of water and, disconnected from the outside world, decrease the inner pressure. This difference from the outside pressure has the effect of a vacuum. The external muscle structure enables the octopus to turn from an erect or parallel angle by decreasing the pressure difference around the object and without destroying the functional structure of the sucker.

In addition to possessing the complex muscle structures explained above, the suckers have an amazing nerve system. The chemical receptors found on the edge of the suckers (chemo-receptors) give feedback regarding the taste of the object, and the pressure and position receptors give information regarding pressure and touch. The nerves of these receptors, gathered in a node, act as a tiny brain. The chain structure extending the length of the octopus’ arm connects the suckers and nodes and synchronizes them. This structure enables the animal to lift and raise its arms without need of a command from the main brain. How this amazing task is accomplished by the brain, arm and suckers is a subject that needs investigation.

Only considering its suckers, the octopus appears before us as a creature adorned with perfect artistry and special capabilities. The characteristics of these animals being in a wise and most appropriate form is one of the clearest proofs of the blessings and benefaction of a compassionate and merciful Creator.

Canoglu is a freelance writer from Turkey with a degree on zoology.

When pen was created, it could not know what it would write. In this bewilderment, speech whispered its mystery and ink began to shed tears. Since then, when pen arrives at speech, it laments and ink weeps.

Had it not been for speech, we would never have been able to hear anything of eternity or understand anything of the mysteries pertaining to the All-Exalted Creator which satisfy our insight and inmost hearts. It is by means of speech that the universe has become a place of exhibition and the books coming from the Truth, serve as heralds. When speech was placed on the head of the ruler of the earth like a crown inlaid with beryl, the meaning of existence was manifested and we, human beings, became as if made of speech only.

It is speech which connects the earth with the heavens and unites the world with the Hereafter. Although its innate beauty and exalted being are not apparent of themselves, we may say that everything is indebted to speech and has its source therein.

Speech is such a standard demolishing fortress towers and such a flag conquering castles, that commanders who have not been supported by it, have not been able to conquer even a single village. Even the greatest commanders have not been able to capture the places that speech has captured, kings have not been able to obtain as much glory as it has obtained, and no mortal has been able to live as long as it. Those who have come have gone, and those who have gone have gone also from memories, whereas speech has remained ever fresh and lively, losing nothing of its value.

Those who can use speech effectively or who can write and speak effectively and eloquently are celestial nightingales. Their tongues exhilarate their friends and alarm and dispirit their enemies. The bayonets of speech they produce are sharper than the swords of warriors and more awe-inspiring than their lances. Physicians are able to heal the wounds of swords and arrows but have never been witnessed to heal the wounds opened up by words. It is the Prophets who wielded the most effective and penetrating of words and, after them, those with sincere hearts open to inspiration. Over the passage of time they have torn up the veils of darkness with their arrows of word; at times they have lit fires in hearts with the sparks of the words they have put in them; at other times they have sometimes sprinkled words like showers of mercy, changing their surrounding into gardens of Paradise.

When those birds of inspiration have taken wing, even angels have hastened to them in order to collect the pearls that have scattered from their mouths.

Those who write and speak eloquently in the way of truth are like the sun: at the cost of burning inwardly, they light up their surroundings. They may also be likened to oceans which hold the world’s vastest treasures yet are not made haughty by their wealth. They are perfectly humble among people and profoundly devoted to God and most careful of all in their relationship with Him, they scatter jewels around without needing to make any show thereby. And while they continue to produce new jewels, they do not think of themselves as having made anything worthy of praise.

They enliven minds and hearts with their precious words and enchant men and jinn, attracting those both in mosques and taverns to their jewels. Today, imprisoned within the thick walls of matter and shut off to the realms of inspiration, it seems impossible to produce the same jewels as those produced by our predecessors. Even the words of those who have some fame for their rhetoric and eloquence are feeble and lacking in the depth to hold hearts and minds. The wings of inspiration are broken and in the hearts needy of inspiration the witches of imitation have settled. For this reason we are left with nothing to do but pray to the Creator of speech to help us.