THE MIRACLE OF THE
IMMUNE SYSTEM
This is one of the reasons why significant amounts of the national income is regularly allocated to defence; nowadays, armed forces have to be provided with the most advanced weaponry, tools and equipment fitted with the latest technological features, and meticulous training has to be given to soldiers in an all-out attempt to keep defence systems fully functional.
No less than countries, people too have to be concerned about their defence, if they want to lead a healthy and peaceful life. They inevitably have to protect themselves and their possession against criminal acts, such as theft and murder, as well as against natural disasters, such as accidents, fire, earthquakes and floods.
But this is not the end of the matter. Human beings have other enemies, which go unseen by them and, as such, are often ignored. Actually, these enemies are much more resilient than the others. Serious measures must, therefore, be taken to guard against them.
Who, or what then these enemies that keep human beings under constant threat?
They are bacteria, viruses, and similar microscopic organisms, which may exist in the water we drink, the food we eat, the house we live in, and the office where we work. In essence, they are everywhere.
Most interestingly, in spite of being surrounded by such a serious threat, we make no effort whatsoever to protect ourselves against it. This is because there is a mechanism within our bodies, which undertakes this task on our behalf, providing the necessary protection for us, without causing us the slightest disturbance. This is "The Defence System".
It is one of the most important and amazing systems operating within our bodies, for it undertakes one of the most vital missions of life. We may not be aware of it, but all the elements of the immune system protect our bodies just like the soldiers of a huge army. The defence cells that protect the human body against invaders, such as bacteria, viruses, and similar micro-organisms, are equipped with extraordinary abilities. The patterns of intelligence, effort, and sacrifice, which these cells display during the war they wage in the body, astonish everyone who learns about them.
People in general would like to know what makes them ill, how illnesses take complete control of their bodies, what causes fever, fatigue, pain in their bones and joints, and which processes take place in their bodies throughout their illnesses.
The main purpose of this book is to explore how this system, which protects the human body just like a disciplined, organised army, has come into being and how it works.
These two points will lead us to very important conclusions. First, we shall together witness the uniqueness and the perfection in Allah's creation. Second, we shall observe what contradictions the theory of evolution, a superstitious belief having no verification whatsoever, includes within its own reasoning, and on what an unsound basis it was erected.
Before proceeding to the main topic, it will be useful to state another important point: In books on the immune system, you will often see statements such as:
"We do not yet know how this formed…"
"The reason still remains unknown…"
"Research on the topic is under way …"
"According to a theory…"
These statements are actually important confessions. These are expressions of the helplessness people experience at the outset of the 21 st century - even with all the latest technology and accumulated knowledge at their disposal - in the face of the miraculous work these tiny cells accomplish. The tasks achieved by these microorganisms include such intricate operations that the human mind can barely grasp the details of this well established system. There is obviously a secret wisdom hidden in the immune system which eludes man's understanding.
As you read this book, you will witness the superiority of this wisdom, hidden both in your cells and in other details pertaining to your body. The ultimate conclusion is that this could only be the wisdom of a supreme "Creator".
Science may one day succeed in solving all the secrets of the immune system and even produce a similar artificial system by imitating the actions of these cells. No doubt, this task will require highly educated professionals using the most sophisticated technology and instruments available, working in highly advanced laboratories. The most important point here is that the accomplishment of such a task would once again invalidate the theory of evolution, proving that such a system cannot originate by coincidence.
The likelihood of the spontaneous development of a mechanism such as the defence system currently seems too remote. As scientists unravel the secrets of this system, they are enthralled by the design they encounter. The points that are revealed lead to many other questions, which make the wisdom and consciousness in the cell all the more apparent. Therefore, it has become very clear that the defence system, like all the other systems in the body, could not have developed gradually, just by chance, as suggested by the theory of evolution.
The main purpose of this text is to introduce you to these "brave warriors" within you, while also proving to you that this mind-boggling system is a special sign of creation. In relation to this, we will see how the scenarios formulated by the theory of evolution are demolished and rendered meaningless when faced with the facts. The topic which will be particularly highlighted here, is not the biological details of the defence system, which are easily accessible in any book of biology or medicine, but the miraculous aspect of the system. We have especially avoided the unnecessary use of biological and physiological terms in order to make the contents of the book easily understandable to readers of all ages and professions.
Lastly, we want to remind you that even now, you are totally indebted to your defence system if you are able to read this book peacefully, without being infected by the microbes all around you. Had the immune system not existed in your body, you would never have been able to read this book, having left this world even before you learned reading and writing.
Briefly, the defence system may be defined as "an extremely disciplined, hard-working and organised army that protects the body from the clutches of external enemies." In this multi-faceted war, the main duty of the elements fighting in the front line is to prevent the enemy cells, such as bacteria or viruses, from entering the body.
Although it is not easy for the enemy organisms to enter the body, they exert themselves to the utmost to reach their ultimate goal of invading the body. When they successfully do so, after overcoming various obstacles such as the skin, and the respiratory and digestive tracts, they will find tough warriors waiting for them. These tough warriors are produced and trained in specialised centres such as the bone marrow, spleen, thymus, and lymph nodes. These warriors are "the defence cells" referred to as the macrophages and lymphocytes.
First, various types of phagocytes, which are called the "the eater cells" will swing into action. Then the macrophages, another specific type of phagocytes, take their turn. They all destroy the enemy by engulfing it. Macrophages also perform other duties such as summoning other defence cells to the battleground, and raising the body temperature. The rise in temperature at the onset of a sickness is very important, for the afflicted the person will feel fatigued by it and need to rest, thus reserving the energy needed to fight against the enemies.
If these elements of the immune system prove insufficient against the enemies penetrating the body, then lymphocytes, the champions of the system, come into play. Lymphocytes are of two types; B cells and T cells. These are again further divided into sub groups.
The helper T cells are next in reaching the battleground after the macrophages. They may be considered the administrative agents of the system. After the helper T cells identify the enemy, they warn other cells in order to initiate a war against it.
Thus alerted, the killer T cells come into play to destroy the besieged enemy.
The B cells are the armaments factory of the human body. Following their stimulation by the helper T cells, they immediately start to produce a sort of weapon called the "antibody".
After the alarm is over, suppressor T cells stop the activity of all defence cells, and therefore prevent the war from lasting any longer than is necessary.
However, the mission of the defence army has not yet ended. The warrior cells, called the memory cells, store necessary information about the enemy in their memories and keep it for years. This will enable the immune system to mount a quick defence against the same enemy at later meetings with it.
There are many more incredible factors hidden in the details of the defence system, which we have very briefly outlined above. As mentioned before, in this book, these extraordinary events are told in an easy-to-understand way.
In this book, we explained the not so well known aspects of the army inside you, that is, your defence system. We have deliberately directed attention away from the complicated details of the extraordinary jobs the defence cells do to "how" the system operates. We searched for the answer to the question: "How can such minute cells which can be viewed only under an electron microscope produce such a complicated system as the defence system?" We delved further and examined how these cells, which make up the immune system were initially formed.
All cells of the immune system are initially normal cells, which go through different educative stages ending with a "Sufficiency Exam". Only those cells that are able to recognise enemy cells and do not conflict with other normal bodily cells are allowed to live. How and when was the first cell developed and who held the first "sufficiency exam"? Who has taught the cell what to do?
It is clearly unexpected that cells and associated organs can converse freely with each other, work in total agreement, make plans, and implement these plans efficiently. Do not forget that the topic of discussion here is numerous bodily organs and one trillion cells. It is impossible to imagine that one trillion people could be organised in such a perfect way and fulfill their duties without anything being skipped, forgotten, or confused, or any kind of chaos being caused in the mounting of such a defence, which is a supremely difficult task.
There is a definite reality, which must be accepted, and that is: Allah Who possesses endless power, knowledge and wisdom has specially created cells, as well as everything in the universe without exception, from the smallest to the biggest.
... He created all things and He has knowledge of all things. (Surat al-An'am: 101)
This self-evident fact has been revealed in this text once again for all to see.
We mentioned that the unborn child in the mother's womb completes the missing components of its own defence system with the help of the antibodies received from its mother. However, if such possibilities were not available, or if these deficiencies continued following the child's birth, it would be impossible for the baby to survive. As we have repeatedly emphasised, given that mankind and countless other life forms are in existence today, this would mean that the defence system has been present from the very outset of life in its complete and fully functional form. It simply could not have been evolved in stages. It is a total impossibility that such an intensely complex system composed of interconnected, interdependent components, cells and elements could have been formed through minute coincidences over a period of millions of years.
Any person who suggests that everything has been formed through coincidences and refuses to accept that a "Creator" has created the entire universe, despite his awareness of the functioning of one or more than one miraculous system among numerous others continuously at work in his body, is also unaware that he has been mentioned in a clearly defined character type in the Qur'an some 1,400 years ago. Allah has revealed in the Qur'an that such people are unable to comprehend even clear and open realities due to deficiencies in their perception and comprehension:
... They have hearts they do not understand with. They have eyes they do not see with. They have ears they do not hear with... (Surat al-A'raf: 179)
Allah has again revealed that these people are actually aware of this situation;
They say, 'Our hearts are covered up against what you call us to and there is a heaviness in our ears. There is a screen between us and you...' (Surat al-Fussilat: 5)
Another group of disbelievers do see the realities presented, but proceed to deliberately hide the truth of what they have seen. This is the sole reason for the countless theories relating to the theory of evolution. The moment they accept the existence and majesty of Allah, they are obliged to submit to His will, which is an extremely difficult proposition for arrogant people. The Qur'an again sheds light on the plight of such people who take up a stance of an ignorant arrogance against Allah:
They repudiated them wrongly and haughtily, in spite of their own certainty about them… (Surat an-Naml: 14)
There are those who, for the sake of denying the existence of Allah, struggle to uphold the falsehood of evolution with a variety of theories that are far from any scientific or logical basis. Such is their determination that they defend their views with extremely ridiculous examples, claiming that such a sophisticated and complex system such as the immune system has developed in stages from a single antibody.
Those scientists who have become aware of the situation they are in have started to distance themselves from evolutionary associations, realizing the shameful nature of such explanations.
Another group of scientists accept the theory of evolution, not because it is accurate and they believe in it, but because there is no other theory to support their denial of Allah's existence.
However, there is no obligation to accept and follow a certain theory. When people become curious about the creation of the universe and its contents, it will be sufficient for them to assess the self-evident truths objectively and with a free mind.
As we have continuously stressed in this book, there is not a shred of evidence based on any trials, experiments or observations that could support the claims of the theory of evolution. Scientific disciplines such as biology, biochemistry, microbiology, genetics, palaeontology and anatomy have made it clear that the theory of evolution is an imaginary hypothesis about events which have never taken place and nor can ever take place. (See the chapter on "The Deception of Evolution").
Today, all research carried out in various branches of science, shows that all living and non-living beings on the earth and in the sky have been created by an All-Powerful and Almighty Creator Who possesses eternal wisdom, knowledge and might. To see this fact, and to understand the fictitious nature of fabricated theories, such as that of evolution, advanced technology or scientific knowledge is not necessarily required. Allah has displayed the evidence of His existence and creation for everyone who has a clear mind and conscience to see, irrespective of which historical era he lives in, be it the dark ages or the middle ages:
In the creation of the heavens and earth, and the alternation of the night and day, and the ships which sail the seas to people's benefit, and the water which Allah sends down from the sky - by which He brings the earth to life when it was dead and scatters about on it creatures of every kind - and the varying direction of the winds, and the clouds subservient between heaven and earth, there are Signs for people who use their intellect. (Surat al-Baqara: 164)
The duty that falls to those people of understanding, who can grasp the above verse fully, is to constantly recall the obvious "fact of creation" evident in the whole universe from the cells to giant galaxies, by quoting the following words of the Qur'an;
… Your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, He Who brought them into being. I am one of those who bear witness to that. (Surat al-Anbiya': 56)
