Blessings of Khilafat — Page 170
170 plants too have life. They certainly possess it, though it is not of such fine quality that is found in animals. To prove this, one can give the example of sensitive plant that is called lajwant i in Urdu, whose leaves shrink when touched. This shrub belongs to a family of plants that have reached a stage of life very close to animals. This shows that trees too are sentient, and some of them are more developed in terms of sensory perceptions than others. Similarly, some other plants also resemble animals, such as sponge whose food also is made of organic materials. Some even term the sponge as being an animal, for though it is a plant, it has developed itself to a stage that is very close to being an animal. In short, these precepts make it clear that plants too are sentient. The difference between the two is that though plants have sensory perception, they cannot protect themselves against any danger. The leaves of lajwant i or touch-me-not do shrink when they are touched, but are not capable of running away from danger to save them. Likewise, a person sometimes may not be fully devoid of spirituality, yet he is unable to safeguard himself against any attack of sinfulness. This is due to his being depleted of spirituality. The Holy Quran speaks of such people in the following verse: 21 21 S u rah al-A‘r a f , 7:199