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Fasting of Penguin
By:
Dr. `Abd Al-Hakam `Abd Al-Latif As-Sa`idi
Lecturer of Entomology – Faculty of Agriculture – Al-Azhar
University
Penguin
is one of the sea birds that live in the cold regions. In fact,
there are 17 species of these birds in the entire world. Only one
of these species inhabits the North Pole territories while the
remaining species are distributed widely in the Southern
Hemisphere, extending along south Australia, Africa and America.
These
species differ totally in their way of laying and hatching eggs. As
for those living in the Southern Hemisphere, they spend the winter
therein. With the coming of spring, they return in groups to their
native land in the North Pole, covering (a distance of) hundreds of
miles until they reach their destination and proper location for
reproduction. Upon arriving there, they start immediately building
their nests out of stone pieces. Following three weeks from their
arrival, they will have completed building these nests and the
process of procreation. In the usual course of things, the female
lays two white eggs mixed with blue color. The male penguin
undertakes the task of brooding eggs instead of the female penguin,
which is engrossed in seeking food in the deep-water seas. On the
other hand, the male penguin goes on in a state of fasting for two
weeks until the chicks (the young penguins) develop. When this
happens, the male penguin rushes at maximum speed into the sea to
drink some of the seawater and to eat from Allah’s provisions. It
eats this food in a state of merriment whereas the female penguin
(the mother) comes back in order to feed the flourishing young
penguins.
Unlike
all species of penguins, there is another kind called "the
Emperor" which does not build nests for the young. Actually,
it spends winter in the North Frozen Zone wherein it lays its eggs;
the mother lays the eggs, not on snow, but on its hind feet.
Sometimes, the male penguin (the father) may relieve her and they
remain in a state of fasting throughout the winter season.
With
the advent of spring, the ice melts and the eggs are incubated
reproducing those young penguins. The secret behind this strict
kind of fasting is that the (penguin’s) eggs require this
specific degree of coldness. Practically, when the young penguins
grow up, they start observing fasting through abstaining from food
until their down falls out and their bodies are covered with
feathers. At this very moment, they rush into water declaring the
end of this fasting through having food and drink.
As for the old penguins, they also observe fasting for another
period that is sufficient to replace their old feathers with
another which is more glowing and flourishing. They throw
themselves into the sea merrily as if they imitate the human beings
when they wear new clothes on the coming of the `Eid that comes
after fasting in Ramadan or as if the human beings imitate these
wondrous creatures. More accurately, we can say, "It is a
recurring Sunnah in Allah's creation."
Allah, Most High, says,
[…That
is the decree of (Him), the Exalted in Might, the All-Knowing]
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