How is food chewed and digested?

 Undoubtedly, contemplation on the creation of the heavens and the earth as well as on our own creation, which is the nearest thing to us, is considered as the widest gate and shortest way to know the Almighty Creator, Allah, Glory to Him, and worship Him. To this effect, Allah, All Mighty, says,

“We shall show them Our Signs in the universe and in their own selves.”

[Fussilat; 53]

1. Jaw:

 One of Allah’s Marvelous Signs in our human body is that our moveable jaw has six muscles that move it downwards, six muscles that move it upwards, two muscles that move it to the right and left, and four muscles that move it forwards and backwards. In other words, our human jaw moves up, down, right, left, front and back; and we chew and swallow food nearly 2,400 times a day. Our human system of swallowing is really very complicated! Also, 100,000 mouth-cells are renewed every minute.

2. Tongue:

  And in the human tongue there are 17 muscles that enable it to move food in all directions, just like a mixer-kneader machine. The lower part of the jaw moves right and left, up and down, and front and back; and the tongue is like a shovel that mixes foodstuff together.

3. Epiglottis and glottis

  The process of swallowing is very complicated. When we swallow food, the epiglottis closes the nasal opening, and the glottis closes the way to the throat. While we are asleep and unconscious, saliva gathers up in our mouth, so a very complicated process takes place. The mouth sends nervous signs to the brain stem, which gives orders to the epiglottis and the glottis to close the ways to the nose and esophagus. All of this happens while we are sound asleep, because the Creator’s Divine Care never sleeps!

 In fact, the process of swallowing is controlled by the cranial nerves, the 7th (facial) nerve, and the 11th, 12th, and 19th nerves, which are all connected to the brain stem. If anything went wrong with this nerve center, food would return to the nose and get out of it, and it would also go back to the throat and enter the lungs; and this would cause suffocation and death.

4. Esophagus:

  The esophagus is 50 cm’s long, and it is equipped with pharyngeal muscles that open successively and gradually. In all positions, and even if the person is lying, sitting, standing or hanging down, food goes smoothly into his stomach, passing through the esophagus, thanks to its special circular muscles, which are made to contract successively one after another, allowing food to pass into the stomach.

5. Stomach:

  The human stomach has an entrance that is tightly closed so that unpleasant acidic juices do not go back to the mouth. When we swallow food, it needs four times as much pressure as it needs while passing through the esophagus in order to open the stomach’s entrance.

What is our duty towards our Creator? What is the result of knowledge?

  All of this happens to enable you to eat and drink, to breathe and sleep, to swallow saliva while you are asleep, and to allow food into your stomach! Who has designed all this?! Who has perfected all this?!
  To this effect, the Almighty, Glory to Him, says,

“So let man see from what he is created”

[At-tariq,5]

“Verily, We created man of the best stature.”

[At-tin, 4]

 Doesn’t this Great Creator deserve trying to know Him and obey Him? Doesn’t He deserve to pray to Him? To obey His orders and keep away from what He forebade?
If you want this worldly life you need to get knowledge, if you want the Hereafter you need to have knowledge, and if you want them both you aso need to have knowledge. The result of seeking knowledge is being admitted to Paradise.