Cats are born with their eyes closed and no sense of hearing, but they improve their abilities over time. Their sense of vision develops every day and babies require approximately five months to be able match the visual capabilities of an adult cat. To augment their abilities, kittens have incredible senses of smell.

This can be witnessed when kittens are fed by their mother. A mother cat designates a nipple for each baby. When kittens that seem to be fighting each other during nursing are observed carefully, one can see that each newborn is trying to reach their own designated nipple. They find it through their incredible sense of smell.

As mentioned above, though cats are friendly, they will occasionally misbehave. This naughtiness hints that their predatory instincts are still intact. The development of their hunting ability is honed through games and aided by the fact that kittens do not have feelings of fear before they are six weeks old. During this short time, they are required to obtain sufficient experience to survive. When they are one year old, a cat will have all their adult characteristics.

One defining trait of cats is their flexibility. Cats have 40 more bones than humans and this enables them with such flexibility. Most of these bones are located in the spine and tail sections. The advanced flexibility of the lumbar bones provides cats with agility. The disks positioned in between vertebrae are tighter than the disks of human vertebra. This feature naturally enables cats to move uniquely and flex their body up to 11%.

This also means that when a cat encounters prey, it can estimate the distance at a glance and can jump 1.5 meters without needing any speed. The human equivalent would be jumping 8.5 meters without a running start. Another aspect of this flexibility is that cats can go through any opening that their heads fit through because they lack a clavicle. They also have powerful legs and their paws are created in a way to contract within a fraction of a second upon landing. Their retractable claw acts as a hook when protruded completely and permits them to climb and grasp vertical surfaces.

We often overlook cats. They’re pets and companions. But in truth, they’re so much more. Blessed with some incredible traits, cats are actually marvels of creation.

Animals with nine lives!

When falling, cats open their legs sideways to generate a parachute effect. By doing this, they control their speed to prepare for a soft landing and land on their feet with remarkable reflexes. A fluid in their inner ear moves when they are not in balance and they develop a reflex to help them land on their paws. There is one problem: they cannot relax their muscles completely when falling from places that are not high enough, disabling the parachute effect. The risk of injury for cats is lower if they fall from the thirty-second floor (100 m) than if they fall from the seventh floor, experiments have shown.

Sensing earthquakes

Cats have many senses that are significantly stronger than human senses. Sight and hearing, which are required for hunting and survival, are the two basic senses more advanced than the rest. Every sound they hear feels very powerful. For instance, the tic-tac sounds of a clock are four times stronger to cats than to humans. Cats are granted the skill to distinguish high frequency sounds that humans and even dogs cannot notice. This skill enables them to separate between the voices of people. In addition, there are more than 20 muscles in a cat’s ear. This enables the independent movement and control of each ear. Thus they can determine the source of sound with speed and precision, and detect the exact location of prey from just a small movement in one-sixteenth of a second.

These cute animals are skilled at feeling the weakest vibrations. With this skill, cats are considered to have the ability to feel earthquakes a couple of days in advance, like some other animals, though it is not exactly understood how this occurs. It is possible that these animals can even sense vibrations too small to be captured by measuring systems. Despite all the efforts of scientists, they struggle to forecast the timing of earthquakes even with modern technological devices. However, many animal species display abnormal behaviors hours and even days before an earthquake. This remains a mystery how animals react in such a way. Therefore, data acquired with detailed studies performed on animals will surely provide many benefits in terms of accurate prediction of earthquakes.

A cat’s eye

Cat’s eyes are also created in a fashion to let them focus on their prey. Sharp vision is as important as the sense of hearing for a night hunter. During hunting, the target is in focus and everything else is blurry. Cat’s eyes, when compared to human eyes, contain many extra cells in charge of sensing light, including a crystal layer behind the retina that absorbs all available but unused light. Like other nocturnal animals, cats have the layer called “tapetum lucidum” in their eyes. This layer reflects light like a mirror, and for this reason, cat’s eyes shine in darkness. This reflection effect even permits cats to utilize the lowest level of light possible. The iris can adjust its width depending on the light’s strength, just like the diaphragm of a camera; this allows cats to distinguish their surroundings in the dark. Another feature of Tapetum lucidum is that when light strikes a cat’s eye from an angle, it causes the eye to shine, even in dim light.

There are limits to cat’s night vision powers – and they make up for this with their whiskers. A cat’s whiskers enable them to sense the slightest changes in the air. These facial hairs work like a radar system, helping them to identify the outline of objects that they barely see.

Sensing fear

The one sense cat’s lack when compared to humans is their sense of taste. Cat tongues have 25% less papillae (taste buds) than human tongues; they do not enjoy sugary foods. The pleasure these animals get from eating is related to another sense granted to them in addition to smell and taste. Cats have an organ located at the frontal section of their palate which is lacking in humans. It’s called the Jacobson organ. Chemical signals enter the mouth and end up in a small capsule after passing through the opening in between two palates located behind the front teeth. These chemical cues are stored here. This means that they can taste chemical signals. Even though it is not possible for cats to compete with dogs in terms of olfactory senses, this ability is fourteen times more powerful than human’s sense of smell. This skill is used for social communication. It’s likely that cats recognize people through their scents. While a human nose houses only 5 million olfactory cells, there are around 200 million sensory cells placed in the small noses of cats. A significant portion of their brain is ready to sense, assess, and respond properly to chemical signals.

Tidy animals

Cats dedicate a major portion of their time to cleaning. These animals truly enjoy their cleaning sessions. It takes a long time to fix their tangled fur. In addition, their fur must be bright and well cleaned in order to protect their body against exposure to external elements like cold air and rain. Cats lick their paws to use them like gloves to clean their faces. Their tongue is long and there are small projections found in the rear section. This section, rich in buds, acts like a brush and enables them to better clean their fur. The tongue triggers the oil glands at the base of each hair. A fluid is secreted that makes a cat’s fur waterproof.

Despite their fur, cats do not get heat exhaustion. The hairs not only prevent them from feeling intense heat, but also keep them warm by insulating them from the surrounding environment. These animals also display strong resistance to pain. This results from their high levels of endorphin, the hormone for pain reduction.

Sleeping beauties

Cats spend 2/3 of their lives sleeping. Therefore they are often used as experimental animals for sleep-related research. It is possible to say that we owe most of the information regarding sleep mechanisms and the effects of sleep to cats.

Natural navigation

Cats are created with the perfect tool for navigation. Experiments have shown that they can cover miles of road to return back to their home. It is thought that these animals find their way by employing the sun and the Earth’s magnetic field. What is hard to explain is how they happen to find a new house when their owners move. It is still unknown whether this skill originates from a certain sensory mechanism or whether cats are provided with even sharper senses than we think they have. Whatever the answers may be for these questions, we can simply conclude that cats are animals which have been truly blessed in a way that allows them to adapt to their environments.

Said Nursi, also known as “Bediuzzaman” or “the wonder of the age” by his contemporaries, was born in eastern Anatolia (modern Turkey) in a turbulent era towards the end of the nineteenth century.¹ The Ottoman state was struggling to keep up with advances in science, technology, industry, and economy. After centuries of super-power status, Ottomans were deep in decline. The Muslim world was under continuous attack by the European powers on many fronts: economic, cultural, and military. People were questioning their beliefs and values in search of an explanation for their predicament. Most people were pessimistic and skeptical of their cultural inheritance. Under these circumstances, Bediuz¬zaman was a lighthouse of faith, hope and activism. Bediuzzaman was very far-sighted in his assessment of the conditions surrounding him, and in identifying solutions to the problems he encountered. His noteworthy stands include his championing of democratization, republicanism, the marriage of natural sciences and theology, and his advocacy for dialog with people of other faiths.

Backbiting the Dog

Backbiting, or talking negatively behind a person’s back, is considered one of the major sins in Islam. In an incident involving his students and a dog, Bediuzzaman used this term to discourage his students from talking negatively about a dog. The incident happened as follows:

One day a dog found a piece of meat that was hidden in a container to keep it cool. The dog ate the meat and when it could not get its head out of the container, it broke the container. Upon discovering this, some of Bediuzzaman’s students made a plan to trick the dog to bring it back and punish it. When he learned about the incident and the plan, Bediuzzaman questioned the student who attempted to punish the dog: “Tell me honestly, if you were extremely hungry and you find a piece of food in the open, wouldn’t you eat it?”

His student replied: “Indeed I would.”

Bediuzzaman: “And you are an intelligent being. Now realize that this is a dog. It does not have the intelligence that you have. It cannot realize that the food belongs to somebody. Can it be blamed for eating it?”

Student: “No.”

Bediuzzaman: “Then stop trying to punish this creature and do not backbite it (i.e. do not speak negatively behind its back).” It is noteworthy that he used the term “backbiting” to prohibit talking negatively about a dog, while this term is normally reserved for humans.

Killing of a Lizard

One day, after a long lesson, Bediuzzaman let his students go out and refresh themselves for a while. The students went out to the nearby plains to walk and relax. Upon their return, Bediuzzaman asked them what they had done. One of the students said that he had killed a lizard. Upon hearing this Bediuzzaman was visibly sad and told his student in a mournful tone: “You have demolished your house.”

Student: “The people of my hometown believe that killing seven lizards earns you as much reward as visiting the Ka’ba.”

Bediuzzaman: “All right then, sit here and let’s talk about this. We will try to find out who is right. First, let me ask you this: Did this animal attack you?”

Student: “No.”

Bediuzzaman: “Did it steal something from you?

Student: “No”

Bediuzzaman: “Do you provide sustenance for this animal?”

Student: “No.”

Bediuzzaman: “Was it passing through your land?”

Student: “No.”

Bediuzzaman: “Did you create it?”

Student: “No.”

Bediuzzaman: “Do you know the wisdom behind the creation of these animals? Do you know their functions in nature?”

Student: … (Silence)

Bediuzzaman: “Did the Great Lord create this animal for you to kill? Who told you to kill it? There are numerous functions these animals fulfill. You have indeed committed a great mistake by killing it.”

The House of Ants

Bediuzzaman was teaching his students near the city of Van. In summer, they used to climb Mount Erek near the city and do their studying there in order to avoid the excessive heat around the city. After a summer spent on the high plains, the fall was beginning and the weather was getting colder. They thought of building a place to take refuge before it got very cold and it snowed. Upon the suggestion of Bediuzzaman they decided to dig something like a cave or room into a hill and make a hole to serve as a window. The students started digging.

After a while they saw ants coming out of the place where they were digging. Bediuzzaman immediately told them to stop. One of the students responded:

Student: “Why should we stop? We have dug quite a bit. We will be done shortly.”

Bediuzzaman: “No. We cannot demolish a home in order make a home. Search for another spot.”

They changed their digging place three times before settling on a place where there were no ants, and they built their sanctuary.

Mr Ox

Bediuzzaman was being sent into exile based on charges that he was involved in an uprising in an eastern province. It was known by people around him that he had, instead, tried to stop the rebelling leaders from taking arms against the government. But this did not stop the government from sending him to exile. He was transported by a difficult path to the port city of Trabzon from his home city of Van in eastern Turkey. It was winter and everything was covered with snow and ice. It was the month of Ramadan. Bediuzzaman was one of the few people in the group who was able to continue his fasting under difficult conditions.

On the snowy road over the mountains, they were riding a wagon pulled by oxen. At one point, a leg of one of the oxen got hurt by rocks on the road and began bleeding. Bediuzzaman quickly noticed it and told his companions:

Bediuzzaman: “My friends! Let’s get off and walk. The leg of Mr Ox is bleeding.”

His companions looked at Bediuzzaman’s face with astonishment: “But we have paid the owners of these oxen!”

Bediuzzaman was unshaken in his stance. He jumped off the wagon himself first and said: “They are not owners of these oxen, only users or managers. Only God is the true owner. Have pity for the animals and get off the wagon.”

They all jumped off to the relief of the oxen.

Encounter with the Wolf

During their stay on Mount Erek near the city of Van, he asked his student named Molla Hamid to go down in a valley and get water from a creek. The creek was a place frequented by wild animals. Molla Hamid was visibly reluctant. He said: “Sir, I am reluctant to go… I am afraid.”

Bediuzzaman: “What are you afraid of?”

Molla Hamid: “Sir, there are all kinds of wild animals that roam around the creek. I am afraid one of them might attack me.”

Bediuzzaman: “Go. Do not be afraid. Nothing will happen.”

Molla Hamid reluctantly accepted and went to the creek. He came back with a bucket of water. Bediuzzaman asked: “What did you see?”

Molla Hamid: “Nothing sir.”

Bediuzzaman: “One should have some courage. Let me tell you a recent experience of mine. A few days ago I woke up in the middle of the night and I was putting on my clothes. An animal entered through the door. At first I thought it was a dog. It began to approach me. Then I realized that it was a wolf. Then I began to think what its intention might be. Then the wolf came right over to me and started to look at me. And I looked at it in return. We looked at each other like this for roughly half an hour. Then it simply turned and left. I interpreted his look in this way: It was as if it were trying to tell me ‘I stood with you for so long and you did not offer me anything to eat. I will not rely on your generosity. I will seek my sustenance from my Lord.’”

Then Bediuzzaman continued: “As you see we do not have any weapons. If these animals were not under the control of God, they could have easily attacked and ravaged us. But they did not. So, do not be afraid. Every single thing moves under the command of our Lord.”

These are a few incidents from the life of a prominent scholar of Islam and a contemporary student of a timeless teacher, Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. Love of animals was manifest in a number of stories narrated to us by the Companions of God’s Messenger and related through books of Prophetic Tradition. Let us have a look at some examples:

The Crying Camel

A Companion of the Prophet, Abdullah ibn Ja’far relates the following incident:

“The Messenger of God went to a garden in Madina with a few Companions. A very scrawny camel was in a corner. Seeing the Messenger of God, it began to cry. He went near the camel, and after staying beside it for a while, he severely warned the owner to feed it properly.”²

Earning Paradise through Kindness to a Dog

It is related in the prophetic tradition that the Prophet said: “A prostitute was guided to truth by God and ultimately went to Paradise because she gave water to a dog dying of thirst. Another woman was sent to Hell because she left a cat to die of hunger.”³

The Screaming Mother Bird

While returning from a military campaign, a few companions removed some young birds from their nest to stroke them. The mother bird came back, and not finding its babies, began to fly around screeching. When told of this, the Messenger became angry and ordered the birds to be put back in the nest.⁴

These stories illustrate the overflowing love and appreciation of creation that is a manifestation of the divine love our Creator and Sustainer for us.

Footnotes

1. Weld, M., Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, Sozler Publications, 1992.
2. Gulen, M. F., Prophet Muhammad: Aspects of His Life, Fountain Publications, VA, 2000.
3. Bukhari 4. 538; 3.553
4. Hadith Encyclopedia, Harf Information Technology, Cairo, 1996.