Chapter 1 What Is Colour? How Is It Made?

Chapter 1

What Is Colour? How Is It Made?

Some details have an important place in the minds of humans and they never change. Let us begin with trees, which are very familiar to us. The colour of trees is most often either green or shades of green. It is well known that during autumn, leaves change colour. Similarly, the colour of sky is either blue, shades of grey when cloudy or yellows and reds at sunrise and sunset. The colours of fruit never alter; the rich and varied colours of the apricot and of the cherry are set, and are always familiar to us. Every living being and every object held under light has a colour. Have a careful look at the things around you. What do you see? The table, the chairs, the trees you see through your window, the sky, the walls of your house, the faces of the people around you, the fruit you eat, the book you are reading at this minute… Each one of them have distinct colours. Have you ever thought how it is that all these colours have been formed and arranged?

Let us examine in general what is required for the formation of colours that play significant roles for life. (These points will be discussed later on in detail). For the formation of a single colour, for example, red or green, each of the following processes has to take place and, importantly, in the following sequence.

The importance of colours in man's life is indisputable as every object acquires a meaning with its colours. Imagine that none of the colours you see in this photograph at the top (including black and white) exist at all. Certainly, you would not be able see any of the objects in the photograph. For the formation of even a single one of these numerous colours present on these objects, quite a few factors must be fulfilled, all at the same time. Allah has made the formation of colours dependent on the existence of a very detailed system.

1. The first condition required for the formation of colour is the existence of light. In this respect, it will be useful to start with examining the properties of the light coming from the sun. For the formation of colours, the light coming from the sun to the earth must have a certain wavelength to produce colours. The proportions of this light, called "visible light", to all other light rays emitted by the sun is one in 10²⁵. This hardly believable, tiny proportion of the light rays that are necessary for the formation of colour reach the earth from the sun.

2. In fact, most of the sunrays diffused by the sun across space bear some characteristics harmful to the eye. For this reason, the light arriving on earth must take such a form that it can be easily perceived by the eye and not harm it. For this, the rays must pass through a filter. This giant filter is the "atmosphere" which surrounds the earth.

3. The light passing through the atmosphere is spread over the earth, and on hitting the objects it encounters, it is reflected. The objects on which light falls must not be of a type that do not absorb light but reflect it. In other words, the structural quality of the objects must also be in harmony with the light reaching the earth so that colour can form. This condition is also fulfilled and a new light wave is reflected from the objects on which the light coming from the sun strikes.

4. Another essential step in the process of colour formation is the need for a perceiver to perceive the light waves, which is the eye. It is essential that the light waves be in harmony also with the organs of sight.

5. The rays coming from the sun must pass through the lens and the layers of the eye and be converted into nerve impulses in the retina. Then these signals must be conveyed to the vision centre of the brain, which is responsible for making sense of sight.

6. There is a last step that has to be fulfilled for us to "see" any colour. The last stage in the formation of colours is the interpretation of the electric signals, which arrive at the vision centre of brain, as "colour" by very special nerve cells located there.

As seen, for the formation of a single colour, a very detailed and interdependent sequence of processes is required.

All the information we have about colour indicates that every process that takes place during the formation of colour is set on very delicate balances. Without these balances, we would inevitably be left in a fuzzy dark world instead of a clear colourful one, and would even lose our ability to see. Let us suppose that of the above-mentioned items, only one - the nerve cells that perceive the electric signals generated by the retina - does not exist. Neither the sunlight being within the visible spectrum, nor the other parts of the eye being completely functional, nor the existence of the atmosphere would be adequate and compensate for this lack.

The Role of RetIna In SeeIng

Let us examine the retina closer and in more detail. Let us suppose that the pigmentary substance called "rhodopsin", operating in the retina, is absent. Rhodopsin is a substance that ceases functioning under heavy light but is regenerated in darkness. The eye cannot see clearly in dim light unless sufficient rhodopsin is produced in the eye. The function of rhodopsin is to increase the efficiency with which the eye generates a nerve impulse from dim light. This substance is produced as much as required exactly when it is needed. When the rhodopsin balance is maintained, images become clear. What would happen if rhodopsin, which is very significant for the process of sight, did not exist? In that case, man would be capable of seeing only in bright light.2 It is therefore evident that there is a perfect system within the eye, which has been designed down to the smallest detail. Then, whose work of art is this system, which saves us from darkness and presents us a world full of colour?

Every stage mentioned thus far includes a series of processes, which require the existence of wisdom, will and power in their being brought into being. It is plain that there is no chance of such a chain of processes existing in such harmony having been formed by chance. It is also impossible for such a system to have been formed over time. The result would not change at all even if millions and even billions of years were allowed to pass. The systems to comprising a colourful world would never emerge by coincidence. Such perfect systems can come into being only as a result of special design, which is to mean that they are created. Allah possesses eternal power and wisdom that cover the whole universe. Examples of Allah's matchless artistry in creation stretch across the entire order of the universe. The unique design evident in the formation of colour is also an outcome of the peerless creation of Allah. Allah has power over all things.

(He is) the Originator of the heavens and earth. When He decides on something, He just says to it, 'Be!' and it is. (Surat al-Baqara: 117)

2..Jillyn Smith, Sense and Sensebilities, Willey Science Edition, s.60-61

Introduction A Colourful World

Introduction

A Colourful World

Have you ever thought what it would be like to live in a world without colour? Free yourself for a moment from your experience, forget all that you've learned and start using your imagination. Try to visualise your body, the people around you, the seas, the sky, trees, flowers, in short everything in black. Imagine that there is no colour around you. Try to think how you would feel if people, cats, dogs, birds, butterflies, and fruits had no colour at all. You would never want to live in such a world, would you?

Most people may never have thought about what a colourful world they are living in or wondered how such a diversity of colour has come to exist on earth. They may never have given a thought to how a world without colour would be. This is because everyone who sees was born into a world full of colour. However, a model of a black and white, colourless world is not impossible. On the contrary, the really amazing thing is our living in a bright, colourful world. (In the following chapters, we will discuss in detail why the existence of a colourful world is so amazing)

A colourless world would normally be thought of as having only black, white and shades of grey. However, black, white and shades of grey are also colours. In this respect, it is difficult to imagine colourlessness. To describe colourlessness, one always feels the need to mention a colour. With statements such as "it was colourless, completely dark", "there was no colour in her face; it was completely white" people try to describe colourlessness. In fact, these are not the descriptions of colourlessness, but of a world of black and white.

Try, just for a second, to imagine that all of a sudden, everything loses its colour. In such a situation, everything would mix with everything else and it would become impossible to distinguish one object from another. It would become impossible to see, for example, an orange, red strawberries or colourful flowers on a brown wooden table, for neither would the colour of the orange be orange, nor that of the table brown, nor that of the strawberries red. For a person, it would be quite annoying to live, even for a short time, in such a colourless world, which is even difficult to describe.

Colour has a crucial role in man's communication with the outside world, in the proper functioning of his memory, and in his brain's fulfilment of its learning functions. This is because humans can develop appropriate connections between events and places, people and objects only through their external appearances and colours. Neither hearing nor touch alone suffice to define objects. For humans, the external world only means something when it is seen as a whole with its colours.

We always see a world full of color
When the pictures above and on the right are compared, it will be better understood how nice it is to see a world full color. Colors are one of the greatest blessings that Allah has bestowed upon people in the world.

Identifying objects and our surroundings are not the only benefits from the diversity of colours. The perfect harmony of colour in nature gives the human soul great pleasure. In order to see this harmony and derive pleasure from every detail of it, man has been equipped with a pair of eyes, which have a very special design. In the world of animate beings, human eyes are the most functional and can perceive colours in their smallest details, so much so that the human eye is sensitive to millions of colours.1 Evidently, the visual apparatus in humans that works so perfectly has been specially designed to see a world full of colour.

The only being on earth that can understand the existence of such an order in the universe is man because he has the power to reflect and reason. Hence, in the light of all the foregoing, we conclude the following:

Every detail, pattern and colour in the heavens and the earth have been created for humans to acknowledge and so to appreciate this order and reflect on it. The colours in nature have been arranged in such a manner as to appeal to the human soul. Perfect symmetry and harmony prevail within colour, both in the worlds of animate and inanimate beings. This situation will certainly evoke some questions in the mind of someone who reflects, such as:

What makes the earth colourful? How do the colours, which make our world so extraordinarily beautiful, come into being? To whom belong the design of the diverse colours and the harmony between them?

Is it possible to say that whatever exists might have come into existence by purposeless changes brought about by a chain of coincidence?

Certainly, no one would claim such an absurdity. Uncontrolled coincidences cannot create anything, let alone billions of colours. Just observe the wings of a butterfly or colourful flowers of any kind, each of which looks like a wonder of art. It is surely impossible for sound reason to attribute all these to unconscious processes.

We can have a better understanding of this fact if we take an example. When one sees a painting depicting trees and flowers in nature, one would not claim nor even think that the harmony of colour, the organised patterns and the conscious design in this painting could have come into existence by coincidence. If someone came along and said, "the paint boxes were overturned by the wind, mixed, and with the effect of rain etc., and after a long period of time this beautiful painting was formed", it is certain that nobody would take him seriously. There is a very interesting situation here. Although nobody would attempt to put forward such an unreasonable claim, some people can nevertheless claim that the perfect colouring and symmetry of nature came about by such an unconscious process. Nevertheless, evolutionists produce theses that it is the workings of coincidence to explain this subject and they produce various researches. They do not hesitate to put forward baseless claims on the issue.

This is obvious blindness, with which it is difficult to come to terms. Still, someone who escapes from this blindness through exercising his faculty of thought will understand that he actually lives in an extremely miraculous environment on the earth. He would also fully acknowledge that such an environment furnished with the most appropriate conditions for the survival of humankind could not have come into existence by chance.

Just as a man who reflects, acknowledges the moment he looks at a painting that it has a painter, so will he understand that the multi-coloured, harmonious and extremely picturesque environment around him also has a Creator.

This Creator is Allah, Who has no partner in creation, Who creates everything in full harmony, and Who placed us in this world overflowing with numerous beautiful things embellished with millions of colours. All the things Allah creates are in perfect harmony with each other. Allah describes the uniqueness of His artistry in creation in the Qur'an as follows:

He Who created the seven heavens in layers. You will not find any flaw in the creation of the All-Merciful. Look again-do you see any gaps? Then look again and again. Your sight will return to you dazzled and exhausted! (Surat al-Mulk: 3-4)

1. Bilim ve Teknik Dergisi (Journal of Science and Technics), March 1985, p.23