Every creature in nature has different qualities depending on the conditions prevalent in the place where it lives.
Some animals hide themselves using camouflage techniques. That is, they cannot be detected in their environment because their appearance blends in with the colors and designs of the place where they live.
Some animals role play and others resort to clever tactics.
Now let’s look together at these interesting characteristics that animals have and see some examples of God’s creative art in nature.

CAMOUFLAGE
Pay close attention to what you are about to see. Can you see any animals hiding here?
Not easy, is it? Let’s look together:
Here is a white spider….
Here is a snake as still as a branch…
A toad hidden among dry leaves….
All these are interesting examples of camouflage in nature. And they show us that camouflage is a specially created method for hiding.
Some creatures have a color and design that matches the ground cover of the place where they live. For example, it is very hard to notice a tiger hidden in the yellow grass.
Lions are created with the color of the plains they live on. For this reason, they can easily hide in the dry grass.
Some masters of the art of camouflage live in the world’s coldest lands in areas near the poles.

POLAR BIRDS
It’s autumn.
Snow has fallen on a rocky area. There are two birds hidden here. Can you see them? There they are.
It is nearly impossible to see them in the natural environment where they live because they have wonderful camouflage in their feathers that looks the same as the ground.
Now, let’s look a bit more closely.
The white feathers of the birds are a copy of the snow covering.
The patches of the ground remaining among the snow are also carefully marked on the birds’ wings.
The ground and the birds look the same…it is almost impossible to distinguish between them.
It’s winter. Everything is covered with snow.
There is a miraculous change on the bodies of the polar birds. They have no dark feathers left! Again, it is almost impossible to make out the white bird in the snow.
The bird does not realize it, but its body is perfectly camouflaged.
The black feathers around its eyes prevent it from being blinded by the light reflected from the snow.
Now it’s springtime.
The snow has begun to melt. Plants have begun to emerge from the melting snow. New feathers have appeared on the bird’s body; they are the same color as the new plants.
And now it’s summer.
The snow has all melted and the ground cover has appeared.
Again the bird displays a remarkable camouflage.
You will notice that there is a deliberately planned change in the bird. Its body is covered with feathers that match the design of the ground cover.
Again, it’s almost impossible to see it in the grass…
Let’s think a bit about this marvelous display of camouflage.
The bird cannot adjust the color of its feathers to match the environment by itself.
It does not have the intelligence to realize what use its camouflage serves.
In that case, who gives it its remarkable camouflage ability?
Who knows the kind of camouflage the polar bird must have in every season?
Who marked the colors and designs of the environment on the feathers of the bird just like an artist?
There’s only one answer to these questions.
God created the bird and it is He Who gave it its qualities.

VARIOUS EXAMPLES OF CAMOUFLAGE
Animals with camouflage not only live on land but are also to be found in the seas.
Look, this fish at first seems to be hiding in seaweed. But when you look more closely you see that this is not the case. It is not seaweed, but a seahorse created to look like seaweed.
This creature that at first looks like a sea sponge is actually a fish……
There are two bumps on this branch…but one of them is a camouflaged spider…
The spider camouflages itself again at moments of danger and you can’t distinguish it at all from a real bump on the branch.
There’s an insect hidden in these leaves….right there!
You will notice that there is no difference between the body of this insect and a real leaf.
Every detail has been flawlessly created down to the leaf-like veins on it.
There is another insect in these yellow leaves. Let’s try to find it.
Here is a perfectly camouflaged insect. It is almost impossible to see it on the leaf.
The insect’s wing has all the subtle details of a yellowing leaf down to its spots and discolorations.
Here is another insect that look like a section of a leaf.
Now let’s think a bit about the camouflage designs on these creatures:
These creatures can’t think. They are not aware that they need to look like a leaf in order to survive.
Even if they were aware, they could not draw the shape of a leaf on their bodies.
So, who produced these drawings so deliberately designed on the wings of these creatures?
These drawings are certain proof of the Creator Who brought these creatures into existence…
The Creator Who made this creature with such a wonderful design and showed His artistry and power to us in this way is Almighty God, the Lord of the worlds.
This object swinging on a branch looks just like a dried leaf in its color and shape.
But it is not a dried leaf; it is actually a butterfly cocoon. Because of the perfect method of camouflage that God gave it, the defenseless caterpillar inside completes its development unnoticed by its enemies and emerges as a new butterfly.
This white spider is waiting for its prey right on the edge of the white part of a flower…
In this way, from the point of view of a butterfly alighting in the center of the flower, the spider is the same as the color and design of the leaves. The spider is so well camouflaged that the butterfly sometimes lands on it without noticing.
Now you are seeing a pink orchid. But not all of what you see is part of the orchid. There is another creature that fits in totally with the color tones and even the shape of the flower. It is a perfectly camouflaged praying mantis…
This perfect similarity in shape, design and color is certainly nothing the mantis designed itself. Almighty God, Who created all things, shows us His artistry once again in this example.
In a verse of the Qur’an, God tells us that He created living things perfectly:
He is God―the Creator, the Maker, the Giver of Form… (Qur’an, 59: 24)

THE CAMOUFLAGE OF BUTTERFLIES
Among the wonders of camouflage in nature, butterflies occupy a special place. Huge eye designs have been placed on the wings of some species of butterfly. These false eyes constitute one of the butterfly’s most important defense tactics.
Whenever the butterfly is in danger, for example, when it meets a bird looking for something to eat, it opens its wings wide. Now it looks like the face of a huge creature. Seeing these false eyes, the bird quickly flies off.
Who does this design on butterfly wings belong to?
Such a design could not be the result of chance, as some people claim.
This design on butterfly wings shows us once again the creative artistry of God.
Apart from its false eyes, the butterfly has other amazing camouflage abilities. Butterflies alighting on a plant can blend in with the colors of that plant.
In order to be able to do this, it first has to examine the plant and then change its body to that color. But a butterfly can’t do that. This design in butterflies is a clear proof of creation.

POTOO BIRDS
The potoo bird that lives in the jungles of Venezuela is a master of camouflage.
The color of the bird’s feathers and the color of the bark of the tree it sits in are created the same.
Let’s look carefully. You can see on the screen the tree bark and the bird’s feathers together. The tree is on the left and the bird is on the right-a perfect similarity…
The only hint that could give the bird away is its bill and its eyes.
But the bird knows how to use the design on its body and starts to play possum in moments of danger.
It closes its bill and its eyes and becomes rigid.
Now it looks just like a part of a branch.
Here is another remarkable design….
Even when it closes its eyes, it can still see its surroundings through special openings under its eyelids.
When the danger is passed, it relaxes and stops acting.
Very well, but who taught this bird to act in this way?
Again we come face to face with a truth―it is the flawless and incomparable artistry of God Who created everything.

CREATURES THAT MAKE CLOTHING

Some animals make clothing to hide themselves from their enemies. The interesting thing is that some larvae― newly hatched young insects―do this.
The walking mosaic you see here is actually a small larva. Its costume is made of little pieces of stone that have carefully been placed on it and give it perfect camouflage.
Larvae have several different costumes. Just as they have costumes made of smooth little pieces of wood, they also make more showy costumes for themselves from leaves.
These creatures newly emerged from the egg know nothing about the outside world, they are little larvae with no intelligence or consciousness. So, why do they load heavy weights on their backs?
The activity of these creatures is an intelligently designed method of camouflage. The camouflage does not belong to the creatures that display it, but to another Power that rules them.
God created all these wonderful qualities of living things, and they are all proofs of His infinite intelligence and knowledge.

GOLDEN BIRDS

The camouflage ability of golden birds, their skill in acting a part, their qualities of courage and self-sacrifice make them creatures that truly amaze us.
This bird that lives in Patagonia makes its nest in an open pasture. Immediately before the mother bird lays the egg, it is covered with earth designs. This is a special defense created to camouflage the egg. So, the eggs will not be noticed in the grass.
If a vulture, human beings or some other danger approaches the nest, the golden bird makes some surprising movements.
It leaps out of its nest and begins running.
Then it imitates a bird with a broken wing in the grass.
When the stranger comes up close to it, it starts to run off again.
Farther on, it lies down on the ground again pretends to be injured.
Its purpose is to distract the approaching stranger’s attention from the nest.
When the danger is sufficiently passed, it stops acting and flies back to the nest.
Here the bird displays remarkable behavior.
It is a great act of self-sacrifice for a little bird to put itself in danger for its young.
This self-sacrifice cannot be explained at all by the theory of evolution, which claims that animals are selfish.
The example of the golden bird discredits this assumption and shows once again that God has created in animals their intelligent and self-sacrificial behavior.

LET’S THINK AGAIN
Whenever we look at nature, we always see the same truth: The fact that God has created all animals and every living thing with its perfect qualities is a proof of creation.
The methods of camouflage and intelligent behavior that we have seen in this film are only a few examples. Each one of the animal species in nature has its specially created qualities and superior features.
All this wondrous creation belongs to Almighty God, the Lord of heaven and earth and all that lies between.
It is the duty of intelligent people to think about God’s creation and to exalt and praise Him.
A verse in the Qur’an commands:
“All praise belongs to God, the Lord of the heavens and the Lord of the earth, Lord of all the worlds. All greatness belongs to Him in the heavens and earth He is the Almighty, the All-Wise.” (Qur’an, 45: 36-37)

[had been + present participle]

Examples:

USE 1 Duration Before Something in the Past

We use the Past Perfect Continuous to show that something started in the past and continued up until another time in the past. “For five minutes” and “for two weeks” are both durations which can be used with the Past Perfect Continuous. Notice that this is related to the Present Perfect Continuous; however, the duration does not continue until now, it stops before something else in the past

USE 2 Cause of Something in the Past

Using the Past Perfect Continuous before another action in the past is a good way to show cause and effect.

Examples:

Past Continuous vs. Past Perfect Continuous

If you do not include a duration such as “for five minutes,” “for two weeks” or “since Friday,” many English speakers choose to use the Past Continuous rather than the Past Perfect Continuous. Be careful because this can change the meaning of the sentence. Past Continuous emphasizes interrupted actions, whereas Past Perfect Continuous emphasizes a duration of time before something in the past. Study the examples below to understand the difference.

REMEMBER Non-Continuous Verbs / Mixed Verbs

It is important to remember that Non-Continuous Verbs cannot be used in any continuous tenses. Also, certain non-continuous meanings for Mixed Verbs cannot be used in continuous tenses. Instead of using Past Perfect Continuous with these verbs, you must use Past Perfect.

ADVERB PLACEMENT

The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.

ACTIVE / PASSIVE

NOTE: Passive forms of the Past Perfect Continuous are not common

Listen and download

A blinding flash of white light (Seberkas kilatan putih terang membutakan)
Lit up the sky over Gaza tonight (Api memancar ke angkasa Gaza malam ini)
People running for cover (Orang-orang berlari untuk berlindung)
Not knowing whether they’re dead or alive (Tidak mengetahui apakah mereka sudah mati atau hidup)

They came with their tanks and their planes (Mereka datang dengan tank dan pesawat tempur)
With ravaging fiery flames (Memporak porandakan dengan api yg berkobar)
And nothing remains (Dan tidak ada yg peduli)
Just a voice rising up in the smoky haze (Hanya suara melengking di dalam asap pekat berkabut)

 
We will not go down (Kami tidak akan turun semangat)
In the night, without a fight (Pada malam hari, tanpa berjuang)
You can burn up our mosques and our homes and our schools (Anda dapat membakar masjid dan rumah-rumah kami serta sekolah kami)
But our spirit will never die (Tetapi semangat kami tidak akan pernah mati)
We will not go down (Kami tidak surut semangat)
In Gaza tonight (Malam ini di Gaza)

Women and children alike (Perempuan dan anak-anak sama-sama)
Murdered and massacred night after night (Dibunuh dibunuh secara kejam baik malam dan subuh)
While the so-called leaders of countries afar (Sementara yang disebut pemimpin negara jauh entah kemana)
Debated on who’s wrong or right (Hanya berdebat tentang siapa yang salah atau benar)
But their powerless words were in vain (Tetapi mereka tak punya nyali, hanya kata-kata tak berguna)

And the bombs fell down like acid rain (Tetapi mereka tak punya nyali, hanya kata-kata tak berguna)
But through the tears and the blood and the pain (Tetapi disambut dengan air mata, darah dan penderitaan)
You can still hear that voice through the smoky haze (Anda masih dapat mendengar suara menembus asap pekat berkabut)

We will not go down (Kami tidak akan turun)
In the night, without a fight (Pada malam hari, tanpa berjuang)
You can burn up our mosques and our homes and our schools (Anda dapat membakar masjid dan rumah-rumah kami serta sekolah kami)
But our spirit will never die (Tetapi semangat kami tidak akan pernah mati)
We will not go down (Kami tidak akan turun)
In Gaza tonight (Malam ini di Gaza)

 Asad went to visit his grandfather at the weekend (Di akhir pekan Asad berkunjung ke kakeknya ). The two days passed very quickly, and before Asad knew it his father had arrived to take him home (Dua hari berlalu begitu cepat, dan sebelum Asad mengetahuinya, Ayahnya telah tiba untuk membawanya pulang). 

 Asad said goodbye to his grandfather and went to sit in the car (Asad mengucapkan selamat tinggal pada kakeknya dan duduk di dalam mobil).  He was looking out of the window as he waited for his father to collect his things (Ia melihat keluar jendela, menanti Ayahnya mengumpulkan barang-barangnya.) A butterfly sitting on a flower a short distance away fluttered its wings and flew to the car window (Seekor kupu-kupu hinggap di sebuah bunga tak jauh darinya, mengibaskan-ngibaskan sayap, dan terbang ke jendela mobil.)

“You’re going home, aren’t you, Asad?” asked the butterfly in a tiny voice (“Kamu mau pulang ke rumah, Asad?” tanya kupu-kupu itu dengan suara kecil). Asad was astonished “Do you know me?” he asked (Asad sangat terkejut. “Kamu tahu siapa diriku?” tanyanya)

“Of course I do,” smiled the butterfly ( “Tentu saja aku tahu,” senyum kupu-kupu mengembang ) “I’ve heard your grandfather telling the neighbors about you.” (“Aku mendengar kakekmu menceritakan dirimu pada tetangga-tetangga.”)

“Why didn’t you come and talk to me before?” Asad inquired (“Mengapa tidak dari dulu kamu datang dan bicara denganku?” Asad ingin tahu.)

“I couldn’t, because I was in a cocoon up a tree in the garden,” explained the butterfly (“Aku tak bisa, karena aku berada dalam sebuah kepompong di atas pohon dalam taman,” kupu-kupu itu menjelaskan.)
“A cocoon? What’s that?” asked Asad, who was always a curious boy (“Sebuah kepompong? Apa itu?” tanya Asad, yang senantiasa ingin tahu.)
“Let me explain from the beginning,” said the butterfly as it took a deep breath.(“Mari kujelaskan semua dari awalnya,” kata kupu-kupu itu sambil menghirup udara dang-dalam.)
“We butterflies hatch out of the egg as tiny caterpillars (“Kami, kupu-kupu, menetaskan telur menjadi ulat-ulat kecil.)
We feed ourselves by nibbling leaves(Kami memberi makan diri kami dengan mengerumuti dedaunan)

Later we use a liquid which comes out of our bodies like thread and wrap ourselves up in it (Kemudian, kami gunakan cairan yang keluar dari tubuh kami seperti benang, dan membungkus diri kami di dalamnya).
That little package we weave is called a cocoon(Bungkusan kecil hasil tenunan kami disebut sebagai sebuah kepompong.)
We spend a while inside that package as we wait to grow (Kami menghabiskan waktu beberapa lama di dalam bungkusan itu sambil tumbuh berkembang).
When we wake up and come out of the cocoon we have brightly colored wings(Ketika kami bangun dan keluar dari kepompong, kami mempunyai sayap-sayap cerah berwarna-warni)
We spend the rest of our lives flying and feeding ourselves from flowers.” (Kami menghabiskan sisa hidup kami dengan terbang dan memberi makan diri kami dengan bunga-bungaan.”)

Asad nodded thoughtfully (Asad mengangguk-angguk penuh pemikiran) “You mean all those colorful butterflies were once caterpillars before they grew wings?” (“Maksudmu, semua kupu-kupu berwarna-warni itu dulunya adalah ulat-ulat, sebelum mereka menumbuhkan sayap?”)

“Can you see the green caterpillar on that branch?” asked the butterfly. (“Bisakah kau lihat ulat hijau di cabang itu?” tanya kupu-kupu.)
“Yes, I see it. It’s nibbling away hungrily at a leaf.”(“Ya, aku melihatnya. Ia sedang menggerogoti daun dengan kelaparan..”)

“That’s my little brother,” smiled the caterpillar (“Itu adik lelakiku,” kata ulat bulu itu tersenyum) “In a while he’ll weave a cocoon too, and one day he’ll be a butterfly like me.” (“Beberapa waktu lagi ia akan menenun sebuah kepompong, dan suatu hari akan menjadi kupu-kupu seperti aku.”)

Asad had lots of questions to ask his new friend (Asad punya banyak sekali pertanyaan yang ingin diajukannya pada teman barunya. ) “How do you plan this change? (“Bagaimana caramu merencanakan perubahan ini?) I mean, when do you come out of the egg, how long do you stay as a caterpillar and how do you make the thread to weave your cocoons?” (Maksudku, kapan kamu keluar dari sebuah telur, berapa lama kamu menjadi seekor ulat bulu, dan bagaimana kamu membuat benang untuk menenun kepompongmu?”)

“I don’t plan any of it at all,” explained the butterfly patiently (“Aku tidak merencanakan apapun,” kupu-kupu itu dengan sabar menjelaskan.)
“Allah has taught us what we need to do and when we need to do it (“Allah telah mengajari kami apa yang perlu kami lakukan, dan kapan kami harus melakukannya)
We just act in the way our Lord wills.” (Kami hanya bertindak sesuai dengan kehendak Allah.”)

Asad was really impressed (Asad benar-benar terkesan). “The patterns on your wings are wonderful. And all butterflies have different patterns, don’t they? (“Pola-pola di sayapmu sangat indah. Semua kupu-kupu memiliki corak yang berbeda-beda, bukankah begitu?) They are really colorful and eye-catching!” (Mereka betul-betul berwarna-warni dan menarik perhatian!”)

“That’s a proof of Allah’s incomparable artistry (“Itulah bukti kesenimanan Allah yang tak tertandingi). He created us one by one in the most beautiful way possible,” explained his friend (Ia menciptakan kita satu demi satu, dengan kemungkinan cara yang paling indah,” temannya menjelaskan.)

Asad agreed enthusiastically: “It’s impossible not to see the beautiful things Allah has created (Asad menyetujuinya dengan antusias: “Tidak mungkin kita mengabaikan hal-hal indah yang telah Allah ciptakan)

There are hundreds of examples all round us!” (Ada ratusan contoh di sekeliling kita!”)
The butterfly agreed: “You’re right Asad. We need to give thanks to Allah for all these blessings.” (Kupu-kupu setuju: “Kamu benar, Asad. Kita mesti berterimakasih pada Allah atas segala berkah ini.”)

Asad looked over his shoulder: “My father’s coming (Asad melihat ke arah punggungnya. “Ayahku datang)
It looks like we’re about to set off (Tampaknya kami akan segera berangkat)
It was really great to meet you (Luarbiasa sekali bisa bertemu denganmu.) Can we talk again when I come next week?” (Bisakah kita berbicara lagi ketika aku datang minggu depan?”)

“Of course,” nodded the butterfly (“Tentu saja,” kupu-kupu mengangguk). “Have a safe journey home.” (“Semoga selamat di perjalanan sampai ke rumah.”)

Everything in the heavens and the earth glorifies Allah… (Surat al-Hadid, 1)…Segala sesuatu di langit dan bumi memuja Allah … (Surat Al-Hadid, 1)

Do you not see that Allah sends down water from the sky and by it We bring forth fruits of varying colors? (Tidakkah kalian melihat bahwa Allah mencurahkan air dari langit, dan dengannya Ia menumbuhkan buah-buahan beraneka jenis?) And in the mountains there are streaks of white and red, of varying shades, and rocks of deep jet black ( Di pegunungan, terdapat lapisan-lapisan merah dan putih, bayang-bayang yang beranekaragam, dan batu-batu hitam legam). And mankind and beasts and livestock are likewise of varying colors (Manusia dan hewan, serta ternak, juga beraneka warna). Only those of His servants with knowledge have fear of Allah (Hanya pelayanNya yang berpengetahuan yang takut kepada Allah) Allah is Almighty, Ever-Forgiving (Allah adalah Yang Maha Kuasa, Maha Memaafkan )(Surah Fatir: 27-28)