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Aisha’s Office: Photosynthesis in the Qur’an
Essential in the production of not only light, but also hydrogen and oxygen, the sun plays a primary role in sustaining all of creation across the globe. Swearing, “by the dawn when it breathes“ (“itha tanaffasa”), Allah reveals in the Qur’an the life-sustaining production of oxygen, which is performed only during daylight. Ceasing production as the night “closes in,” oxygen production once again resumes as the horizon approaches the dawn.
So I swear by the retreating stars –
Those that run [their courses] and disappear –
And by the night as it closes in
And by the dawn when it breathes
[That] indeed, the Qur’an is a word
[conveyed by] a noble messenger
{Surah Al-Takwir 81:15-19}
Earth’s Oxygen Production Resumes Daily at Dawn
Making up 21% of the air we breathe, oxygen is produced only during photosynthesis – a process used by plants to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) and water into sugar. The resulting sugar, glucose, becomes the nutritional fuel supplying plants with energy needed for growth.
Harun Yahya, in A Scientific Miracle of the Quran: The Dawn that Breathes, states, “While 30% of the oxygen in the atmosphere is produced by plants on land, the remaining 70% is produced by plants and unicellular organisms in the seas and oceans – which are capable of performing photosynthesis.”
Yahya points out that “itha tanaffasa”(“when it breathes”), in Surah Al-Takwir, “metaphorically means to breathe deeply or respire.” He notes, “The phrase emphasized in the verse is remarkable in the sense that morning is the time when oxygen production starts, as well as being the time when the oxygen is produced most. In addition, the importance of this fact is emphasized in the verse with the oath being made upon this fact.”
Only with solar energy can Earth’s plants perform photosynthesis, a respiration cycle of inhaling carbon dioxide and exhaling oxygen in the chemical production of glucose. Thus, the oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere could not be produced without the daily dawning of the sun.
Just as the daily dawning of the sun is critical for the process of photosynthesis, so too is the nightly approach of darkness. As the Qur’an reveals in the above verse, the two phenomena are paired in a joint relationship: As the darkness “closes in,” the absence of light halts the cycle of glucose production, and reverses the cycle of respiration. At nights, plants, just like humans and animals, inhale oxygen and exhale CO2.
The Complex Process of Photosynthesis
As discussed by the scientific research team at Istanbul Quran Research Association (IQRA), in Respiration and Photosynthesis, identification of the scientific process now known as photosynthesis is fairly recent. A research team led by American Chemical Engineer Melvin Calvin was awarded the 1961 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for work on photosynthesis.
“At the time of the descent of the Quran,” IQRA notes, “people knew nothing about photosynthesis or transformation of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, or again, about the role played by the sun’s rays in the realization of this process.”
When oxygen is released during photosynthesis, energy in the molecules of nutriments stored in the plant’s cells is chemically released. “So the act of respiration must not be considered exclusively as an exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide, but as a more complex process that forms the basic energy source of plants and animals.”
Photosynthesis and the Carbon Cycle
Holli Riebeek, Education and Public Outreach Specialist of NASA Earth Observatory, writes in The Carbon Cycle, “Carbon is both the foundation of all life on Earth, and the source of the majority of energy consumed by human civilization.”
Carbon cycles through Earth’s atmosphere geologically and biologically. The geological, or Slow Carbon Cycle primarily involves carbon compounds expelled by volcanoes, eroding from land into the ocean, sinking to Earth’s mantle and once again expelled by volcanoes.
The biological, or Fast Carbon Cycle, primarily involves photosynthesis. Riebeek reports the two most significant components of the fast carbon cycle are respiration of land-based plants and microscopic organisms in the ocean, called phytoplankton.
Photosynthesis impacts the Fast Carbon Cycle so significantly that monthly CO2 fluctuations associated with plant-growing seasons are measurable. Riebeek reports, “In the Northern Hemisphere winter, when few land plants are growing and many are decaying, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations climb. During the spring, when plants begin growing again, concentrations drop.” She continues, “It is as if the Earth is breathing.”
Every Dawn Breathes New Life Into Earth’s Atmosphere
Providing an excellent fuel source for growing plants, the bonds of carbon molecules are highly-energized. However, without the catalyst provided by sunlight, and the resulting oxygen generation during photosynthesis, the chemical energy to sustain life can never be released.
In Miracles from Quran and the World of Plants, Dr.Nazmy Kaleel abu al Ata states, “Photosynthesis is the basic source of almost all energies on earth and food substances.” Dr. Nazmy, a Biology Specialist at Ain Shams University in Egypt, continues, “and if it hadn’t been for light this process wouldn’t exist and all means of life would vanish.”
Regarding Allah’s oath, “And by the dawn when it breathes,” Harun Yahya points out, “this single feature is enough to prove that the Earth and the whole universe is certainly not an idle place that accidentally came into being. The universe, the Earth we live in all the systems that sustains life on Earth, animals and men, are all created by the Almighty Allah, in all their intricate detail.”
Every morning brings a fresh, new start to the cycle of photosynthesis. Every dawn brings a new day, literally breathing new life into Earth’s atmosphere, a blessing from Allah for all of His creation. We may be reminded by this to recite the following du’a upon waking every morning:
Alhamdulillaahil-lathee ‘aafaanee fee jasadee,
wa radda ‘alayya roohee,
wa ‘athina lee bithikrihi.
“Praise is to Allah
Who gave strength to my body
and returned my soul to me
and permitted me to remember Him.”
(–The Prophet Muhammad, recorded by At-Tirmithi 5/473)
Sunrise from the International space station
(This is an article I wrote for onislam.net, but their website disappeared, unfortunately, and it was never published. Insha’ Allah, I hope you found it interesting!)
;^)
Aisha’s Office: I Love Shopping in Egypt!
I just love shopping in Egypt!
There is a blessing for my shopping-challenged heart here in Egypt that erases all the heart attack symptoms that arise whenever I find I need to go out shopping for something. I just sit down and shop for it online. It’s awesome. My blender just broke and I never broke a sweat. I just let somebody else figure out where the best priced blender is hiding in the midst of the busy market-place. I just type in souq.com!
Then some nice person drives all the way from Cairo to my front door, just to see me smile when they deliver it like a birthday present! And they wait patiently for the payment, right there at my door, too – no problem!
Reblog from “A Broad’s View:” 7 Lies We Need to Stop Telling About Women Who Wear Hijabs Via Mic
My great thanks to Christina for posting this on her excellent blog, and my deep appreciation to Laila for bringing her eloquent voice and excellent message to our attention! Please read and enjoy the truth! ♥♥♥ ;^)
7 Lies We Need to Stop Telling About Women Who Wear Hijabs – Mic.
By Laila Alawa via Identities.mic
Imagine a Muslim woman and you’ll most likely picture a hijab, the head covering worn by some Muslim women across the globe.
The hijab is not the most important part of being a Muslim woman, but it is certainly the most visible. In a time when Islamophobia only seems to be on the rise in the West, a practice that is so personal and diverse has become a warped and misunderstood part of a flat and monolithic picture of Muslim women.
As Islam becomes more and more wrapped up in public debates about foreign policy, integration and immigration, the hijab has quickly become shorthand for a set of stereotypes that neither represent nor capture the experience of being…
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Egyptian Culture, Part 6: Water, Water, Everywhere
Clay Water Jugs On A Wire Rack Attached To A Pole
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Aisha’s Egypt: A Kiss From The World
This Photo Poem is my latest post over at Kiss From The World Travel & People Magazine. You might recognize this little shepherd boy from an earlier post, although I have repurposed it slightly to condense the text into a poem. I like the way it turned out, so I decided to post it on my new little home at Kiss From The World.
I just started writing for them about a month ago, and finally I’m taking the time to post about it! If you do not already know about it, KFTW is a really terrific website for international travel articles by interesting bloggers from all over the world. I hope you’ll take a look at their exciting array of travel related topics, I’m very sure you’ll enjoy yourself immensely! And, by the way, if you are interested in joining the lineup as a featured writer for KFTW, click on the banner image where it says, “Become our Kiss From The World Blogger.”
If you like to write about the place where you live, you might find a home writing under the topic, “Live Like A Local.” If you are an expat, like me, you might find a home writing under the topic, “Living Overseas.” If you are a seasoned traveler and enjoy blogging about the places you love to visit, Kiss From The World is stuffed with a variety of topics you can file your posts under. Writing for KFTW is easy, they allow you to post articles previously published on your blog, and it is an excellent platform with awesome internet exposure. There’s always room for more writers at KFTW, and I’d really like to see more WordPress bloggers in the lineup. We have a wonderful sense of community on WP that I’d love to see grow on KFTW. Click this link and join us!
My Official Bio Blurb
PFM Promotional Poster,
click to enlarge
Sometimes reality is better than any dream!
Start reading at: “Episode 1, Joyride To Egypt: My First Cup of Tea In The Oasis.”
My First Reblog! Poem: Speak To Me In Kisses
Special Thanks to Crysta at Dancing With Fireflies for reblogging my poem, Speak To Me In Kisses. This is my very first post to be reblogged! Click the link below to visit me at Crysta’s wonderful blog:
A Light Entered My Cocoon
My first Guest Post! Deep Thanks to Ms. Kim Saeed at letmereach.com!
At 19, I became engaged to my childhood sweetheart, following him from California to Virginia, but the engagement didn’t survive the transplant. Unwilling to return home, I worked in a hotel restaurant for room and board. He was 27, living in the hotel after touring as a crew member with Van Halen, a famous Rock&Roll band. He romanced me with excitement, affection and Southern charm. When he wrote a letter thanking my parents for me, I married him gratefully.
Twenty years later, after our divorce, I resumed thinking rationally. My husband had quickly, mysteriously, become an angry man, impossible to please. I attached paper to a cabinet door, writing everything he demanded, hoping to avoid his wrath. He undermined my confidence, constantly making demands and rarely offering praise. He withheld his affection also, emotionally punishing me for any mistake. His temper was so irrational and explosive, after…
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My Expat-Blog.com Interview
Recently I discovered a wonderful website, http://www.expat-blog.com for expats of every nationality. It’s a huge website with a wide range of helpful services and attractive forums. They really go the full distance to serve the interests of expats. My interview with them just went live yesterday, and I think that’s especially nice because yesterday was my birthday!
You can read the full interview here, with more photos, and you can also find it online at:
http://www.expat-blog.com/en/interview/147_aisha-in-aga.html
Why did you decide to move to Egypt?
I am an American woman who flushed twenty years of marriage to a mean, drunk, ‘wasp’ in favor of an incredibly interesting and loving Egyptian man I met online. He insisted to me by email that, “Sometimes, reality is more wonderful than any dream,” and I was so ripe for the picking, I fell directly into his hand. It’s been a joyride ever since! He moved to America with me, and we built a life, a house and a farm together in rural South Carolina, and then we packed as much of it as we could fit into a 20 ft. container and shipped it all to Egypt, where we are now building another life, another home, and, thankfully, our 5-story chicken farm here is already up and running!
How was the moving process?
It was hilarious! The floor level of a shipping container is four feet off the ground, and the truck comes with no magic wand to get your stuff up in there. It does, however, come with a ticking meter way more expensive than any taxi cab, and you must get your stuff up in there within two hours or they start charging by the minute! I had pre-packed everything into a room of our guest house that was roughly similar dimensions as the shipping container, hoping to speed things up. We also had a neighbor with a farm tractor, and he was kind enough to put the fork lift attachments on the tractor, and offered to lift the boxes up to the truck.
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