Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Nahjul Balagha Part 1, The Sermons Sermon 165: Allah has provided wonderful creations… Describing the wonderful creation of the peacock ومن خطبة له يذكر فيها عجيب خلقه الطاووس About the wonderful creation of birds خلقة الطيور Allah has provided wonderful creations including the living, the lifeless, the stationary, and the moving.
He has established such clear proofs for His delicate creative power and great might that minds bend down to Him in acknowledgement thereof and in submission to Him, and arguments about His Oneness strike our ears. He has created birds of various shapes which live in the burrows of the earth, in the openings of high passes and on the peaks of mountains.
ابْتَدَعَهُمْ خَلْقاً عَجِيباً مِنْ حَيَوَان وَمَوَات، وَسَاكِن وَذِي حَرَكَات، وَأَقَامَ مِنْ شَوَاهِدِ الْبَيِّنَاتِ عَلَى لَطِيفِ صَنْعَتِهِ، وَعَظِيمِ قُدْرَتِهِ، مَا انْقَادَتْ لَهُ الْعُقُولُ مُعْتَرِفَةً بِهِ، وَمُسْلِّمَةً لَهُ، وَنَعَقَتْ فِي أَسْـمَاعِنَا دَلاَئِلُهُ عَلَى وَحْدَانِيَّتِهِ، وَمَا ذَرَأَ مِنْ مُخْتَلِفِ صُوَرِ الاْطْيَارِ الَّتِي أَسْكَنَهَا أَخَادِيدَ الاْرْضِ، وَخُرُوقَ فِجَاجِهَا، وَرَوَاسِي أعْلاَمِهَا They have different kinds of wings, and various characteristics.
They are controlled by the rein of (Allah's) authority. They flutter with their wings in the expanse of the vast firmament and the open atmosphere. He brought them into existence from non-existence in strange external shapes, and composed them with joints and bones covered with flesh. He prevented some of them from flying easily in the sky because of their heavy bodies and allowed them to use their wings only close to the ground.
He has set them in different colours by His delicate might and exquisite creative power. مِنْ ذَوَاتِ أَجْنِحَة مُخْتَلِفَة، وَهَيْئَات مُتَبَايِنَة، مُصَرَّفَة فِي زِمَامِ التَّسْخِيرِ، وَمُرَفْرِفَة بِأَجْنِحَتِهَا فِي مَخَارِقِ الْجَوِّ المُنفَسِحِ وَالْفَضَاءِ المُنفَرِجِ.
كَوَّنَهَا بَعْدَ إِذْ لَمْ تَكُنْ فِي عَجائِبِ صُوَر ظَاهِرَة، وَرَكَّبَهَا فِي حِقَاقِ مَفَاصِلَ مُحْتَجِبَة، وَمَنَعَ بَعْضَهَا بِعَبَالَةِ خَلْقِهِ أَنْ يَسْمُوَ فِي الْهَوَاءِ خُفُوفاً، وَجَعَلَهُ يَدِفُّ دَفِيفاً، وَنَسَقَهَا عَلَى اخْتِلاَفِهَا فِى الاْصَابِيغِ بِلَطِيفِ قُدْرَتِهِ، وَدَقِيقِ صَنْعَتِهِ; Among them are those which are tinted with one hue and there is no other hue except the one in which they have been dyed.