the strong acid found in the
stomach that the foods,
which are in large pieces
when they first arrive the
stomach, are broken down
into smaller particles that
can be used by the body. Yet
there is one more point that
needs to be noted.
We have mentioned
that the food eaten is broken
down into pieces by the
stomach or gastric acid. So how is it that this acid does not
destroy the stomach itself, which is also made of flesh? Now,
think about it. The gastric acid digests the meat, for instance,
you eat at dinner, yet ignores the stomach, which is in the
same way a piece of meat. Why is this so? At this point, the
excellence in the creation of our Lord is revealed once again.
Allah, Who created everything perfectly, designed a protection
so that the stomach itself is not digested.
This protection may be summarised as follows; another
fluid, namely "mucous", is secreted during digestion to pre-
vent the hydrochloric acid from breaking down the stomach.
46
That is Allah, your Lord.
There is no god but Him,
the Creator of everything.
So worship Him. He is re-
sponsible for everything.
Eyesight cannot perceive
Him but He perceives eye-
sight. He is the All-
Penetrating, the All-Aware.
(Surat al-An'am: 102-103)
