Subject: [Masjid Tucson] Submission weekly reminder

In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Peace be upon you,

[Quran 16:14] And He committed the sea to serve you; you eat from it tender meat and extract jewelry which you wear. And you see the ships roaming it for your commercial benefits, as you seek His bounties, that you may be appreciative.

[Quran 35:12] The two seas are not the same; one is fresh and delicious, while the other is salty and undrinkable. From each of them you eat tender meat, and extract jewelry to wear. And you see the ships sailing through them seeking His provisions, that you may be appreciative.

Both of these verses end with the phrase "that you may be appreciative." Studying just a small portion of the vast numbers of creatures of the sea makes one very appreciative. There are over 30,000 species of fish alone--more kinds of fish than all other kinds of land and water vertebrates put together!

The tiniest fish are are less than an inch in size, while a whale shark may be nearly 60 feet long. The blue whale, a mammal, grows up to a 100 feet and weighs nearly 200 tons (being the largest creature to have ever lived on earth)! The waters are full of a variety of fish. If you've ever scuba dived near a coral reef or visited an aquarium, you're aware. You can't help but be amazed by the variety of shapes, sizes and colors.

Their beautiful design, variety, and the important role these creatures play in our ecosystem are all things for us to appreciate. Who else but God could have made them all?


References:
God's Creatures Of The Sea, http://www.masjidtucson.org/God/animals/creaturesofthesea.html
Creatures of the Sea: Fish, http://www.masjidtucson.org/publications/books/sp/2005/sep/page3.html
Creatures of the Sea: Marine Invertebrates, http://www.masjidtucson.org/publications/books/sp/2005/dec/page3.html

Peace.