The Unique Artistry Of Fruits And Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables spring from the same soil and are watered with
the same water, yet they come in a dazzling variety. When we consider
the multitude of different tastes andsmells of fruits and vegetables,
the question of how such a variety ever came about in the first place
comes to mind. What causes this miscellany of the tastes and
fragrances of grapes, melons, kiwis, pineapples and the like, using
the same water and minerals for centuries on end, yet without ever
mixing them up with each other and without ever getting them confused?
Allah gives them theirmatchless tastes and appearances.

Both animals and humans obtain the energy they need to survive through
nutrition which is produced by plants. In other words, plants have
been created as a blessing to benefit all living things. Most of these
blessings have been designed especially for humans. Let's take a look
at our surroundings, at what we eat, and then think. First let's look
atthe bone-dry stalk and very thin roots of a grape vine. This
bone-dry structure, one that seems so fragile that it could be broken
with the slightest pull, can produce dozens of kilos of juicy grapes
whose color, smell and taste have been designed especially to give
pleasure to man. Now let's think about watermelons. This juicy fruit,
which again comes out of dry soil, develops precisely in the season
when people begin to feel the need for it, that is, in summer. Let's
think about the marvelous smell of the melon that has been provided
since it first came into existence, without any deterioration in its
quality, and about its famous taste. When fragrances are produced in
factories, people use complex quality controls and take great pains to
produce a uniform odor that mimics nature; but there is no need for
quality checks to preserve the natural odor of fruits.

In addition to their enticing smells,each fruit also contains
ingredients that are suitable to the season. In winter, for example,
we have tangerines and oranges, which are full of vitamin C and
energy. Vegetablesalso possess any and all kinds of vitamins and
minerals that livingthings may need.

By thinking in this manner, we could examine in turn all the plants
present in nature. And at the end of this examination, we would have
learned that the plants around us have been especially designed for
human beings and all other creatures, inother words they have been
created. Allah, Who is the Lord of the worlds, has brought into
existence all nutrition for living things and has created them in such
a way that the taste, smell and use of each one of them is wonderfully
varied. This reveals His might and matchless artistry in creation. He
informs us of thisin the Qur'an:
And also the things of varying colors He has created for you in the
earth. There is certainly a Sign in that for people who pay heed.
(Surat an-Nahl, 13)