Undoubtedly one of the most amazing creatures on earth is the pacific salmon.
After spending years in the ocean, they return to the very specific place where they were born ie. thousands of miles upstream in the river. And what an amazing journey it indeed is.
They have small particles of iron in their brain which they used like a compass to navigate their way back to fresh water, and a superbly keen sense of smell that they use to detect the very stream of river they were hatched at.
And along the way, they had to face a lot of challenges.
Predators such as killer whales, sea lions, sharks, eagles, grizzly bears, and wolves,
periods of low water levels that make it difficult for them to swim & to breathe,
and having to battle powerful torrents & leap high waterfalls.
Yet finally, out of billions that tried, some manage to find their way back to their birthplace, only to lay eggs & reproduce.
And immediately after hatching, they will deteriorate and die at the very place where they first came to life.
But just think about it, just how much they sacrifice so that others may benefit.
1) The bears & so many other animals rely on the salmons to survive through the year.
2) And even when they die, they provide benefits to others.
Their decaying bodies nourish the rivers, providing abundant food for their growing eggs.
3) Nitrogen, carbon & phosphorus that are obtained from their years of life in the ocean are released, providing nutrients for the forest to grow to such prodigious heights. Even to the level that around 80% of nitrogen in the coastal forests comes from the ocean, brought by the bodies of the salmons.
All those so that they may lay eggs that will continue their epic legacy.
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Yeah, they truly are amazing. How could we observe & not take ibrah from them?
"The best of people are those that bring benefit to the rest of mankind." [HR Ahmad, Thabrani, Daraqutni]
"Most surely in the creation of the heavens & the earth and the alternation of the night & the day, there are signs for the ulul albab." [Ali Imran (3):190]
"Those who remember Allah, standing & sitting & lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens & the earth, (they say) Our Lord! Thou hast not created this in vain! Glory be to Thee; save us then from the chastisement of the fire!" [Ali Imran (3):191]
Wallahu a'lam.
And Allah is the All-Knowing.
