Upon the birth of her first child, the author took it upon herself to bestow an important blessing. Twenty-five years later, she used that blessing to help another new mother take her first steps into parenthood.

The story begins in the ninth month of my pregnancy, as I was reading a book entitled Special Delivery. While reading the detailed instructions on how to have a home birth, my curiosity was piqued by the author’s sharing of a “personal touch.”  She described it as her “Persian tradition,” and explained the importance of blessing a newborn. This was something I had never heard of in my whole life.

At the time, I was not a practicing Muslim, even though I had been raised by Muslims parents (and grandparents). Despite the fact that I was the second generation born in America, I grew up without a mosque, because there were none in all of New England – at least not until 1964. Moreover, I had never been a part of any Muslim community.

That meant there was no place for me (or my parents) to learn about my religion, Islam. Consequently, like most Americans, I knew very little. But, there was one word in the book that was familiar to me. From my upbringing, I recognized the word, “Allah,” the word for God in Arabic.

The author stated that most babies are blessed by an imam, or a man in the family, such as a father, grandfather, or husband. But since I was having my child as a single parent, isolated from my family, and had no knowledge of what an imam was or did, I immediately considered the difficulty of my situation in a new light.

As I read on, I realized that there was something urgent at stake here. The author explained that if the baby heard the call to prayer as soon as h/she was born, there would be an immediate recollection of having just been in the presence of God, before birth. By reinforcing this memory at birth, the child’s iman (faith) would be guaranteed for the rest of his life. The tradition and its aim were similar to a Christening. Knowing this, I began to covet the blessing for my child, trusting that he would grow up believing in the Creator, who had gifted this life to me. 

I carefully read the author’s how-to instructions about whispering in the baby’s right ear at birth and learned the “call to prayer,” which was in italics in the book:

(Allah whoo Akbar) God is the great
I bear witness that there is no god but One God
I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God
Come to prayer
Come to success
God is the greatest
There is no god but One God

Unencumbered by cultural taboos or religious traditions, I decided to do the blessing myself. I wanted my child to hear this word, Allah, and thus, renew his relationship with God, a relationship that I had somehow neglected to develop during my childhood and early twenties.

The fact that this book came into my possession at the exact time I was preparing to give birth seemed to be Divine intervention. This strengthened my faith when I needed it most. Imagine, I thought, to have missed a moment that comes but once in a lifetime.

The Importance of Blessing a Newborn: Carried forward 25 years later

One day, during my chaplaincy residency at Brigham & Women’s hospital, where I was studying to become a Muslim chaplain, I was called to the room of a young Muslim woman on the maternity floor. Asma was 20 years old, with a soft brown complexion and dark curly hair that framed a sweet, round face. When I walked in, she was sitting up in bed. Unlike most new mothers who had just given birth and are tired but radiant, Asma was just plain tired. Her beautiful face was marred by a deeply troubled expression. With no baby present and no visitors, the room was lonely, joyless, and dark.

Asma asked me to arrange for the imam in the hospital to bless her newborn baby. I went downstairs and proceeded to check the imam’s schedule, only to learn that the patient would be leaving the hospital before he came on duty.

On my way back to tell Asma about the scheduling problem, I was intercepted by her social worker outside the room. She informed me that Asma was not married, and that she was in physical danger from her boyfriend. The social worker had just been advising Asma not to move in with the boy, once discharged from the hospital, because he had been violent on several occasions in the past. My colleague let me know that Asma would be better off moving in with her grandmother, who had offered a room for her and the baby, and that this was her best choice right now, even if it was only temporary.

As we parted, my thoughts turned to my own life, long ago: a single mother, a new baby, a lonely and difficult situation, and the book, Special Delivery. I knocked and entered the room, finding Asma sitting up in bed, her face still absent of joy or relief, and with no baby present once again. I explained that the imam was unable to do the blessing due to the scheduling conflict. I asked if she knew anyone else in her family who could do it; maybe a father or brother, another imam?

Asma started to cry silently and spoke in a small voice, “No. There isn’t anyone.” Pausing to dry her eyes, “But I want it done.  It’s important to me.  Can you do it?”

I had done the blessing before, at the request of new parents. And, I would have done it for Asma, if the baby had been present, and if my own schedule had permitted it. But I had no time either. Asma was scheduled to be discharged within the hour. Then, I had a better idea.

I said, “Asma, I’m sorry, but I don’t have time to do the blessing because my shift is almost over. But, let me tell you something. I think you should do it yourself.”

This elicited a big negative reaction, “But I can’t do it.  I don’t know how to.  I can’t do it. She pleaded with me, “Can’t you do it, please?”

“Asma, do you plan to raise this child to be a Muslim?”

“Absolutely,” she said, listening now.

“Okay, then. Since this is your child, your responsibility, and you are planning to raise her as a Muslim, you can take the responsibility. As her mother, you will always be the most important person in her life, and as the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, ‘the mother is a child’s first teacher.’ You can do the blessing yourself, right here and now.”

Tentatively, Asma acquiesced, “Yes… but… will you show me how to do it?”

“Asma,” I said, looking into her frightened eyes, “I will show you how to do it. You, Asma, will give your child this most important blessing. Are you ready to learn?”

Asma paused, thoughtfully, and when she finally spoke, it was with a new resolve,

“Okay.  I mean, yes, I’m ready. I want to do it.”

After explaining how the blessing was done, I asked Asma where she was planning to go when she left the hospital. I noticed that she had perceptibly changed, perhaps empowered by the simple idea that she could bless her own baby. 

Without hesitating, she said, “I think I’m going to my grandmother’s house. It’s really nice there, and I love my grandmother. I’ll only stay for the first few weeks, so she can help me with my baby. She paused to restate her decision, “Yeah. I can’t wait to go there.”

Upon seeing her beautiful face, wearing a smile for the first time, I affirmed, “That sounds like a great idea, Asma. I’m sure you’re going to be a wonderful mother.”

We all say Inshallah to that!

If we study the way metals are structured and processed, lessons can be drawn about how human’s function, too. One just has to look closely enough.

Humans and metallic materials are both worth investigating for their comparable features. Both are open to improvement. Both take time to develop and reach a privileged status.

Let’s begin our examination with iron. It begins as dirt in the soul, indistinguishable to the untrained eye. When iron ore is isolated from surrounding dirt, its purity is enriched. Without performing this procedure, the iron cannot be molded in a furnace. Is this not also the case for humans? Can they be molded into their ideal form if they are not shaped in the best educational environment? Can they become their best version if they are not isolated from fruitless deeds?

The physically enriched iron ore is now ready to be placed in the furnace, where it will become metal. It will gradually be heated in the furnace. It will go through certain changes with the addition of air, high carbon coal, and cinder producers; thus, it will turn into a metallic raw iron. Finally, when the process reaches its hottest point, around 1800 degrees Celsius, the iron will be a liquefied metal. Of course, it’s still not ready for use; it requires additional processes to be made ready. For raw iron to be used as a material, it must be made into cast iron or steel. For this to happen, its core must be purified of any imperfections. Then, certain materials are added, heat is applied, and the iron can be used.

Are not humans the same? People with great potential can only be noticed by certain people. Just like iron ore, the liberation of humans from setbacks that stain the soul, degrade skills, and prevent them from attaining their true character resembles going through a hot furnace. To control one’s carnal soul is a struggle worth of a hot fire. Whoever can endure this struggle will come out refined, ready to be made into a substance like raw iron. A similar arduous journey awaits those who are eligible to attain the loftiest horizons. Such people must also be freed from certain weights, using their willpower and effort to obtain the ultimate character. And then they, too, can be used as objects of strength and good in the world.

Material endurance provided by internal composition

Metallic substances have external features and internal structures, just like humans. All external features are borne of this internal structure. Similarly, a human’s heart and conscience dictate the face they show the world.

If raw iron is to be transformed into steel, it needs to be cleaned of native carbon, sulfur, phosphorous, and other damaging materials below certain concentrations. Then certain alloys, like chromium, molybdenum, nickel, wolfram, and vanadium, must be added in certain ratios. After this, the material is heating to the redness temperature. Following an appropriate cooling, the internal structure thus obtained will determine the material’s resistance. For example, if steel is added, alloys like Cr, Ni, W, Mo aside from naturally occurring Fe, C, S, P, Si, Mn, etc in its structure, the grain size decreases and endurance increases; this means the iron gains resistance against rusting, high temperature, and electricity, enhancing its magnetic and hydrophilic capacity, and optimizing the thermal expansion value.

What do we owe the malleability of metallic substances?

Various methods, like rolling and extrusion, are employed to turn a metal or an alloy into a wire, sheet, gear, or more complex piece. If there were not any differences in the atomic sequences – that is, the internal compositions – of metallic substances, it would be very difficult, or maybe even impossible, to shape these materials via rolling, extrusion, or compression (plastic deformation). If these materials had permanent internal compositions, they would be resistant against external forces, preventing them from being shaped in various ways.

Are not humans the same way? The fallibility of mankind to mistakes and shortcomings is one of the major reasons we can reach a level of existence above angels or inferior to animals. The difference comes from the internal make-up of our willpower. However, the necessary internal variations that allow a material to be shaped can also be used for deception and abuse in humans, who cannot control these gifts or deficiencies with their willpowers.

Do metallic materials get tired?

Metallic substances have various endurance levels against external impacts. This depends on their structure and how they are prepared. Even steel, which is known for resisting extreme conditions, experiences fatigue after a certain amount of time. For any material asked to bear a load, certain forces will wear on it. Over time, even if no impact leads to direct damage, the fatigue will eventually lead to permanent damage.

The fatigue endurance of a material is very important for systems working under dynamic loads. Most damage comes from fatigue fractures. In this process, primarily microscopic discontinuities occur via tiny imperfections left from manufacturing within the internal structure or surface, and these become macroscopic discontinuities by growing, step by step. Once these reach a sufficient size, a fatigue fracture occurs and the material can no longer perform its job.

Are not humans like that? We occasionally observe a strong and dynamic person saying, “I am very exhausted,” before lying in bed. A standing person can carry a specific load for a long time without moving. However, people get tired much sooner when carrying the same load while climbing or running. In addition, each person has a different level of strength. This is also true for a person’s spiritual life. If the initial small mistakes that are neglected, ignored, and underestimated are not stopped and treated, they turn into unwanted emotions and actions that can change the person in a way that causes them to fail their true purpose. Just like a tired person regaining lost fitness and strength following rest and nourishment, spiritual exhaustion and suffering can be eliminated with the guidance of true advisors.

Metallic substances age too

Age hardening happens as certain metallic substances harden over time, or through heat-induced atomic dispersal. Some materials, like aluminum alloys, can be hardened with a second-phase heating procedure. This enhances their hardness and endurance for a while, but eventually, age will catch up with them.

Similar situations also apply for humans. The physical performance expected from a young person is not asked from an old man; however, social and psychological hardships and problems that are not easily confronted and tolerated spiritually by young people can be handled more peacefully, patiently, and with more tolerance by an experienced and insightful senior.

In conclusion, if we closely examine any object in the universe, they can be viewed as a microcosm of the struggles that humans endure. Through study and research, we can better understand mankind and society – as long as we look closely enough.

Figures

Internal structure of the low density alloy before water application

(ferrite and perlite)

Internal structure of the low density alloy after water application

(Martensitic structure)

“Historic” was a word I often heard a number of Ghanaian dignitaries used to describe the international conference on “Love & Tolerance: Peaceful Co-Existence in Diversity” which took place in Accra, Ghana on April 30, 2015. Sponsored by the National Peace Council (Ghana), and the Ghana-Turkey Cooperation and Development Association (TUDEC), along with The Fountain Magazine, the conference was a cooperative venture between Ghanaians and Turks. Over 300 men and women were in attendance as both speakers and participants, many of whom were distinguished religious, governmental, academic, and business leaders from Ghana and other parts of West Africa, as well as from Turkey and the U.S. The conference was intellectually stimulating and deeply moving, on so many levels. But perhaps the most memorable moment for me–as someone involved in building bridges of understanding, mutual respect, and cooperation between Muslims and Catholic Christians–was when the beloved Archbishop of Accra, Palmer Buckle, eagerly approached the revered Chief Imam of Ghana, Shaykh Nuhu Sharbatu, embraced him and said to me: “This is my father! This is my dear spiritual father!”  

As the conference title indicates, its general theme was “love and tolerance,” especially among people of different faiths. But one name that came up over and over again was that of M. Fethullah Gulen, the spiritual inspiration behind the global Muslim spiritual renewal and social reform movement known as Hizmet. More than a few of the speakers discussed various aspects of Mr. Gulen’s teachings on dialogue and on education as the key to personal and social development in an increasingly inter-cultural and interdependent world. Particularly memorable, for me, in this regard were the presentations of Shaykh Khalid Abubakar Aliyu of the Jama`a Nasril Islam of Kaduna, Nigeria, and Prof. Jon Pahl of the Lutheran School of Theology in Philadelphia. Shaykh Khalid spoke of the way in which Gülen’s thought and educational philosophy are implicitly calling for a “psychological revolution” whereby human beings unashamedly recognize and celebrate as their strongest qualities their capacity for altruism, service, and openness to personal transformation in their encounters with the other. For his part, Prof. Pahl presented two very thoughtful images: the first being the “iceberg of violence,” and the second being “the garden of peace.” Pahl divided each image into three distinct dimensions moving from the personal to deeply embedded social structures. He explained how the methodologies of the Hizmet movement attempt to create a three-tiered “peace garden” in an attempt to “melt” the three-tiered “iceberg of violence.” 

The conference breaks were marked by the artistry of a highly-skilled traditional Turkish music ensemble which served to elevate the atmosphere of fellowship by adding a dimension of aesthetic beauty to the already engaging analyses offered by the speakers. In the final minutes of the gathering, the distinguished chairman, the Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Asante, invited the HON. ABDUL-RASHID HASSAN PELPUO—the Minister of State in the administration of President John Dramani Mahama – to the podium. The minister spoke of how intellectually engaging and personally moving he found “this historic conference” to be. He also made a point of congratulating the conference organizers and emphasizing the degree to which Flagstaff House (the Ghanaian presidential residence) “strongly supports” and endorses this conference and its aims.

Scott C. Alexander
Director, Catholic-Muslim Studies, Catholic Theological Union in Chicago

Just as there is a perfect order that allows life to exist and function, there are incredible numerical symmetries and orders within the Qur’an. Exploring them can deepen our appreciation of both the Qur’an and the world.

The studies on numerical and gematrical codes in the Qur’an show great variety in their results. Some present such an approach as major evidence for the divine origin of the Qur’an, and others render such an approach meaningless or absurd. Such studies have produced interesting connections and verifiable facts, as well as unacceptable claims and abuses. This article is a meek attempt to point to a middle way between the extremes.

There are thirty distinct whole numbers that are mentioned in the Qur’an: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 19, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 99, 100, 200, 300, 1000, 2000, 3000, 5000, 50000 and 100000. The numbers that are made italic in the list occur only once. The eight distinct fractions used in the Qur’an are 1/10, 1/8, 1/6, 1/5, 1/4, 1/3, 1/2 and 2/3, some of which occur more than once. The Qur’an made general references to all even and odd integers (whole numbers) as stated in, “And [by] the even [number] and the odd…” (89:3). Besides the set of integers that define what are called countable numbers, it may even be possible to find general references to uncountable numbers in the Qur’an (namely the reals, which also include the rationals as a subset): “And should you attempt to count God’s blessings, you could not compute them. God is indeed All-Forgiving, All-Compassionate” (16:18).

The Arabic gematrical value system, also known as /abjad/, assigns a whole number to every letter in the Arabic alphabet [1]. It was in use long before Islam, and has been used by many scholars and saints after Islam. There are essentially six /abjad/ systems: major, big, small (standard), minor, marked, and unmarked. The practice of predicting future events using /abjad/ systems on sacred texts is sometimes called /hasab al-jifr/, /hasab al-jummal/, or gematria. The numerical values for the standard /abjad/ system are given as follows:

Before discussing the numerical and gematrical codes in the Qur’an, it may be worthwhile to recall another mysterious aspect of whole numbers. Associated with most small integers, there is some symbolism that is often made use of in Sufi traditions. In order to understand the basis of mystic symbolism, the verses where these numbers occur should be studied carefully. In addition, the Arabic letter corresponding to each number in the gematrical (/abjad/) system should be considered. The verse 2:196, for example, states “these (make) ten (days) complete,” suggesting a sense of completeness and maturity for the number 10, as the word /kamilah/ in the original text denotes such meanings. Incidentally, the Arabic letter /ya/ has the /abjad/ value of 10; it is the final letter of the Arabic alphabet and it completes the verse. Likewise, the number 3 is seen to indicate gathering and strength. It is mentioned in a tradition [2] as the minimum number for a group of people to form a convoy or congregation. We also read verse 36:14 with a similar reference: “When We sent to them two but they denied them, so We strengthened them with a third, and they said: Indeed, we are messengers to you.” On the other hand, the letter /jim/ has the /abjad/ value 3, and is the first letter of the root verb /j-m-a/ which gave rise to most words indicating congregation and gathering, such as /jumua/, /jamaah/, etc. Most small integers are associated with a similar numerological symbolism.

In all creation, we see clear signs of precise measures and delicate proportions at the level of perfection. There are no faults or flaws in creation at all. If the created book of the universe presents such delicate measures, why should not the spoken book of the Qur’an be studied in this respect? Most meticulous scholars, indeed, have studied the wording of the Qur’an and the proportionality in its word composition, and have discovered many remarkable mysteries. In a (weak) tradition we read the Jewish scholar Huyayy bin Akhtab suggesting to the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, that the life of his community will be short by pointing out the isolated letters /alef-lam-mim/ in the beginning of chapter al-Baqarah [3]. These letters add up to the value 71. The Prophet smiled and told him there are more like that, and recited /alef-lam-mim-sad/ (adds up to 161), and /alef-lam-ra/ (adds up to 231), /alef-lam-mim-ra/ (adds up to 271). This incident shows that the Prophet did not reject the validity of such calculations outright, and cited a few more examples for his listener.

We also find references in the Qur’an to the divine act of enumerating and appraisal. The verse 78:29 states, “But all things We have enumerated in writing [in a book],” and the verse 72:28 reads “and He has encompassed whatever is with them and has enumerated all things in number.” The enumeration of all things is related to the divine name al-Alim, the All-Knowing, and issues from the name al-Muhsiy, which means the Accountant, the Appraiser, and the Numberer of All. It is, therefore, a form of reflection to study numerical treasures of the Qur’an provided that one does not study it as an end in itself, does not make a mockery of it, and does not forget the primary purpose of pursuing its healing and guidance. As in all matters, we should seek a balanced approach between the two extremes. It is not appropriate to consider numerical codes in the scripture as the main evidence for its truths, and give too much weight to it. On the other hand, it is not proper to reject it, and claim it null and meaningless.   

It is known that there is a natural 19 year cycle between the moon and the sun. That is, the full moon appears at the same position in the sky for approximately 19 years [4]. We remarkably find, for example, that the words “sun” and “moon” have been mentioned together exactly 19 times in the Qur’an. It turns out that other miraculous numerical codes in regards to the number 19 exist. The first chapter revealed as a whole (chapter 1, the Opening) has 19 letters in its first verse, the /basmalah/. Likewise, the last revealed chapter (chapter 110, the Help) also has 19 letters in its first verse. (We note that /basmalah/ is considered as a verse from the Qur’an only in the beginning of the 1st and the middle of the 27th chapters.) It is interesting to also note that the first revelation (the first five verses of chapter 96, the Clot) has 19 words. In addition, it is the 19th chapter from the end of the Qur’an in the sequential ordering. The last revealed chapter (chapter 110, the Help) also has 19 words in it. Let me cite one more example about the number 19: the fundamental pillar of Islamic faith is the unity of God. The number of times the word /wahid/ (which means one) is used to refer to the unity of God is 19. Incidentally, the /abjad/ value of the word /wahid/ is also 19.

Other numbers besides 19 have similar mysterious connections. For example, the number of distinct letters used in the first chapter (al-Fatihah, the Opening) and the last chapter (al-Nas, the Mankind) with respect to the sequential ordering in the Qur’an are both 22. In addition, both chapters have 7 verses counting the /basmalah/. Chapter 112, titled Sincerity of Faith, describes the divine attribute of unity. It has 11 letters in the first verse, which matches the /abjad/ value of the divine name /huwa/ (He) that refers to the Divine Being alone, without any consideration of other names or attributes.

Even though there are different views among scholars, the sequential ordering and the names of all chapters in the Qur’an are commonly believed to be given by divine revelation. The lengthier chapters are usually located in the beginning and the shorter ones are towards the end; however their sequential ordering was not determined based on their lengths or chronological order, but the revelation. [5] We point out a few marvels in this regard to illustrate further evidence for the divine ordering and naming of the chapters of the Qur’an. The chapter titled the Night (/al-Layl/) is the 92nd chapter of the Qur’an. The word “night” is repeated 92 times in all of the Qur’an, including both singular and plural forms (/layl/ and /laylah/). For another example, consider the gematrical value of 57 for the word /al-hadid/, the iron. The chapter named al-Hadid, the Iron, turns out to be the 57th chapter in the Qur’an. The /abjad/ value of iron in the indefinite form without the article “the” in the beginning (that is, just the word /hadid/) is 26, which turns out to be precisely the atomic number of iron. In addition, the word “iron” occurs only once in that chapter, which is in the 26th verse. Such marvels of the Qur’an are so myriad that it is not possible to advance any arguments in favor of chance and coincidence.

A different type of numerical code found in the Qur’an is the distance between certain words: the distance that is measured in terms of the number of words or letters between two given words. In the story of “the people of the cave” in chapter al-Kahf, for example, the duration of their sleep in the cave is given to be 309 years (18:25). It turns out that their story in the Qur’an is narrated in 309 words. That is, there are precisely 309 words between the two words /labithu/ (they stayed) that occur in verses 18:12 and 18:26 from the beginning of the narration to the end, including these two words and counting the conjunction word /wa/ (and) as a separate word.

The letter statistics and word statistics in the Qur’an show interesting proportions. We see, for example, that the word /shahr/ (month) is repeated 12 times in its singular form. The words /rajul/ (man) and /imraah/ (women) are repeated 24 times each. Similarly, we find the words /malak/ (angel) and /shaitan/ (devil) repeated 88 times each. Even a modest list of such relations contains numerous items; we wanted to indicate only a few cases here.     

There are 29 chapters in the Qur’an starting with disjointed, isolated letters called /huruf-u muqattaa/. They are believed to be miraculous ciphers [6] that contain many secrets: They point out certain future events, and have relations to the invisible realm of existence, the overall content of the chapter, and the divine names of God. These letters also present many interesting numerical features. The letter /qaf/, for example, appears as a disconnected letter in the beginning of two chapters, namely 42 (al-Shura, the Consultation) and 50 (the Qaf). It is amazing to note that the letter /qaf/ is repeated 57 times in both these chapters. This is indeed remarkable as chapter 42 is more than twice as long as chapter 50.

Bediuzzaman Said Nursi listed several miraculous examples where a phrase or a verse in the Qur’an contains references to certain significant events in our times through its /abjad/ value. He, for example, explained that the phrase /tarmihim bihijaratin/, “striking them with stones” in verse 105:4 points out to the use of warplanes for the bombings of World War II that wiped away much of Europe [7]. The /abjad/ value of that phrase turns out to be 1359, which gives the year 1941 when converted to solar calendar years. Chapter 105, the Elephant, gives a brief account of the people of the elephant, and how their strong army was utterly destroyed by flocks of birds carrying stones in their beaks and talons. The content of the chapter as well as its wording point to the mass killings during World War II. Nursi’s treatise, called the First Ray, lists several other instances where the /abjad/ value of a verse foretold the date of a future event in a figurative way.

The geometric features of the beautiful /mushaf/ (the scrolls of the Qur’an) inscribed by Ahmed Husrev Efendi, a student of Bediuzzaman, should also be mentioned here [8]. Bediuzzaman Said Nursi noticed that the divine names “Allah” are all perfectly aligned beneath one another (called /tawafuq/) in all pages of Qur’an scrolls inscribed by Hattat Hafiz Uthman in the 19th century. Hafiz Uthman took the longest verse (/ayat al-mudayanah/, the verse of loaning, 2:282) as the size for one page and used chapter 112 for the size of one line, and thus inscribed the entire Qur’an in a beautiful form in such a way that none of the 6000 plus verses will extend into the next page. However, the features Nursi pointed out were not noted before his time. Bediuzzaman asked his students to write a new copy where such features are made manifestly clear, which resulted in the lovely /mushaf/ we read today. Not only the name Allah, but other divine names, and the names of the prophets, as well as certain ordinary words that are derived from the same root, are lined up perfectly, with a few exceptions.

I would like to conclude by pointing out again that these extraordinary numerological marvels should not be seen as an end in itself, and should not be studied just for the sake of information or for amusement: “Indeed, the Qur’an is a decisive statement; and it is not a thing for amusement (merriment or pleasantry)…” (86:13-14). Such numerical marvels should be seen as an invitation to study the sublime wisdom and deep meanings of the Qur’an. In addition, the few instances listed here make it clear that altering any parts of the divine writ, its wording or ordering, would break the codes in their respective chapters, or the entire scripture. The Qur’an is the final testament, and all its features are determined by divine revelation, and are preserved under divine protection as it was originally revealed.

References

1. Yakit, I. 2003. Abjad Calculation and Date Deduction in Turkish-Islamic Culture.
2. Abu Dawud, Jihad, 79.
3. Tafsir ibn Kathir, al-Baqarah, Verse 2:1.
4. Meeus, Jean. 1997. Mathematical Astronomy Morsels, Willmann-Bell.
5. Yazır, Elmalili Hamdi. 1979. Hak Dini Kur’ân Dili, Istanbul: Eser Yayınları, IX, 6431.
6. Nursi, Bediuzzaman Said. 2010. The Words, 25th Word, NJ: The Light, Inc. p. 395.
7. —. Risale-i Nur Külliyatı, Sikke-i Tasdik-i Gaybi, p. 55.
8. —. 2010. The Rays, 11th Ray, NJ: The Light, Inc.

People of our age are the victims of living without a purpose or ideal. With no aspiration to follow, they have at times allowed their willpower to decay; at other times, they have unleashed it, but only to cause destruction to the values they once held dear, like peace and human dignity. When they were in a state of lethargy this has led them to self-destruct from within, and when they sprang into action, it was to raze to the ground values such as faith, ethics, and justice. So, both their withdrawal and involvement have always caused trouble.

These carnal beings are guided by the whims of desire instead of the wisdom of conscience. They are constantly piqued emotionally, but their hearts prefer daily gossip and small talk. They have no perspective, no new ideas, no code of conduct, and no significant projects for the future. At their times of weakness, they remain silent regarding almost every subject. But when they attain power, they attempt to express themselves through various means of destruction; and just like leaves scattered around with the coming of autumn, they are continuously swept from one place to another according to the direction of the winds; and occasionally those who pass by tread on these piles of leaves.

For many years, this dark and gloomy atmosphere virtually became a part of the nature of today’s people. Indeed, ever since this society willingly restricted its emotions, thoughts, and objectives, it was either overcome by an inferiority complex, or it raved with delirium. In both cases, it was a war waged against its distinctive identity. Unfortunately, even today this battle continues at full speed, just in a different dimension. While one half of the world pursues new projects in contemplation of a new age, the other half is still suffering amidst the vicious circles of old crises. Our thoughts are confused, our emotions repressed, our behavior inconsistent, and our hearts uncompassionate. The masses are mere puppets in the traps of the meaningless tides; the society pursues a different path, changing direction every day, and the guides are reckless. Each and every institution we study corrodes from within, and this makes us shudder. Indeed, it is almost impossible to observe a life of thought—or its morals, culture, art, politics, or law—without feeling the pangs of sorrow.

There are many nations that have shared a similar fate of oppression and injustice. They persist in competing among each other in undesired behavior.  They secretly cause destruction amongst one another, and are constantly at war. The fate of this vast world might be a perpetual state where power dominates justice, and countries try to imitate one another in a race to the bottom. But in all honesty, it would be wrong to expect sparrows to win a victory lost by eagles…

This society is like a ship taking on water, and being damaged from within. To prepare this ship for the long journey ahead, we need courageous individuals who have been successful in protecting their faith, determination, and hope. They possess high ideals, their lives are devoted to permanent service, and they are prepared to make both material and spiritual sacrifices. They are determined individuals capable of eliminating oppression of the sorts suffocating society over the last few centuries. These brave souls bind their own salvation to being in the service of others, disregard their stability, and spread it like soil on the path of others’ happiness. They circulate in people’s veins as air and blood to give life to others. They overflow as waterfalls to subdue the scorching heat of those burning with longing. Their actions arise out of a sense of responsibility that lies as an aspiration deep in their soul. Their mercy goes far beyond the borders of personal accountability and their compassion is vast enough to embrace all of humanity.

With these qualities they will remind humanity of the spiritual essence it has lost. They will serve as an example to those idle souls who have whittled away the last few centuries bearing no ideals. The fate of humanity is unity, not division. Even if we close our eyes and ignore certain things, by embedding the common aspects between us into our minds, events attract us more towards the communal atmosphere of pleasure and sorrow rather than individual emotions. We are reminded in our consciences of our social collectiveness. Indeed, just as our every move involves everyone in one way or another, any incident occurring, even in the most remote corner of the earth, involves us, too. This solidarity is due to our universal humanity, our shared emotions and thoughts. We were destined to live together with others, and we were created to share and sympathize. Principally, if mankind could perceive that its nature has been programmed for this solidarity, then, by taking advantage of this fate, we can change the course of our world together.

Once synchronized with our intentions and willpower, this natural flow will be enriched with new dimensions of reason, common sense, and free will. This will reveal the uniqueness of being human and will reward us for our choice and good intentions. Our willpower will be key that unlocks the ideal of an everlasting life.

Therefore, those who seek an everlasting life must bear the ideal of embracing others, so that they in turn may be embraced on the path towards eternity. On the contrary, just as the selfish, overly ambitious, and uncompassionate souls whose salvation depends upon the destruction of others were never capable of loving these “others,” they were themselves never loved. In addition, the pain of the injured and the devastation of the aggrieved have a greater effect on those who actually suffer these afflictions. An individual who is privileged enough to sacrifice for others is respected by all, even those besieged by loss and sorrow.

Those who behave selfishly and without compassion are condemned to remain prisoners in their individual worlds; they will never experience the vastness of true collectivity. These selfish humans are little more than living corpses who suffer nothing but misery between the course of life and death. They are only deceiving their own souls and consciences by eliminating the true values of being human.

The true life is planned for the generations of today and the future; an ideal life lived for noble causes, a life lived for others. Every step of this life is suffused with this collective awareness. The reflection of this kind of life is a full-length mirror of the characteristics that define a real human; it is the peak of perfection. Those who can look with wisdom can easily see behind this reflection a profound and intimate connection with the whole of existence. In this reflection, one observes both himself and others with the eyes of the heart and perceives with the appreciativeness of the conscience. Therefore, just as individuals have a sounder connection with their own spiritual worlds, they also attain the ability to observe and grow familiar with their surrounding environments; they see that everything appears to be kinder and more reasonable.

However, it is impossible to achieve this transformation overnight. This is the manifest of compassion which emerges following a long fermentation process within the depths of our souls, and a call to humanism in the language of the heart. This call surges from spiritual souls, spreading its own colors into the environment; over a period of time, it begins to ensure that everything speaks in its own language. As this emotion ascends directly from the heart, it can never be affected by exterior influences and parasites which pollute the entire environment.

This call is most fitting to be welcomed in the heavens and the earth, for it is faith-inspired and grace-filled. One day, the residents of spiritual realms will honor this call and the gates to the heavens will be opened to usher it in with praise and courtesy. Then, all the hearts will beat with compassion, think with compassion, speak with compassion, act with compassion, and embrace the whole world with compassion… And I believe on that day, when the earth has become a radiant reflection of compassion, we will embrace life and encourage others to embrace life with more sincerity. By completely escaping miserliness in showing others the path to eternity, by observing the inner spirits of both ourselves and others, we will have reached the spiritual capability of perceiving from a much different angle. By not being satisfied solely with the good ideas we are capable of accomplishing, we will also strive to attain the goodness and kindness beyond our capability. And when the inaccessible becomes accessible, it will roar with the gratitude of benefaction; and those transcendent ideals will inspire us with hope and anticipation.

A spiritual level like this, which asserts an individual’s own limits through the devotion of kindness, must be the deepest, most remarkable aspect of a person. In the eyes of God, and in the eyes of other people, these individuals will reach an esteem of exceptional superiority, and will undoubtedly gain the favor of being the perfect creation due to this depth. Their affection felt towards everyone is a result of their sound relationship with God and it is an ideal at the personal level. It is a sublime ideal at the national level to pray for the nation’s glory even at the cost of one’s own life. And it is a transcendent ideal to utter the words, “I am ready to burn in the hellfire if only I could see the faith of my nation has been ensured.”[1] It is an ideal founded upon an all-encompassing sense of responsibility, mercy, and universal compassion to say, “My Lord, forgive my people, for they do not know,” to those who have even gone as far as to threaten to kill.[2]

Our present society needs courageous individuals of such noble ideals. It needs brave idealists capable of holding their hands out with a sense of compassion to their own nation, and then to the whole of mankind. We need these courageous idealists who pray for the good of others every time they hold their hands up in supplication. And as nobody else can, or will fulfill such a major demand, it is our duty to voice and enforce this amongst ourselves…

[1] A quote from Bediuzzaman Said Nursi (d. 1960).

[2] A prayer of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, after the pagans of Mecca wounded him during the Battle of Uhud.

Today, humans get most of their energy from fossil fuels. We know this rate of consumption isn’t sustainable. Will fuel cells be the primary energy source of tomorrow?

Humans have always needed energy. Throughout history, humans have developed various systems to produce this energy. Just as man was created, so, too, were the energy sources we need to survive. We just have to find them. Finding and extracting this energy has been enormously important to human civilizations.

Today, accelerated population growth, technological advancements, and growing industrial sectors have contributed to a rapid increase in our energy demand. The major portion of energy (around 86%) consumed worldwide is generated from fossil fuels (as of 2013). Diminishing fossil fuel reserves underline the significance of new and renewable energy sources. One of the first places scientists are looking is our first source of energy: the sun. Its light has been utilized by societies for power and food throughout history, and today, scientists are searching for new ways to utilize the sun. Another field being researched is electrical energy. From this research, fuel cells have been developed as alternatives to fossil fuels. Are there any differences between battery cells that we use in devices like flashlights, radio, and toys, and these fuel cells?

Classic batteries provide stored energy, but when they run out, they must be discarded. However, fuel cells are designed as systems that do not store energy, but generate it. While classic battery cells are considered major environmental pollutants, even aside from their short life spans, fuel cells are superior sources of energy. They are:

• Environmentally friendly
• Have high energy output
• Operate silently
• Durable
• Highly efficient
• Offer alternative fuel diversity
• And can be remotely operated

Why is a system with so many advantages not widely used in our daily lives? Fuel cells have not found the common use they deserve because of many reasons: they are difficult to install, the need for high level information and technology to use them, and higher expenses during installation. And then, of course, there are the petroleum companies – cartels, really – that have done everything in their power to block the spread of alternative energies.

The first fuel cell was developed by Sir William Grove in 1839. NASA first used fuel cells in 1952 to supply electric energy to a space craft. In the 1960s, these cells were proven to be valuable for transportation after the production of the first fuel cell powered tractor. In 1966, a vehicle called the Electrovan was designed by General Motors; it worked with a fuel cell (Figure 1). These advances were followed by a fuel cell powered train in the 1980s, a submarine in the 1990s, and eventually planes. In addition to all these applications, recently, fuel cells have been widely used in power plants.

A fuel cell system is made up of an anode, cathode and electrolyte material. As seen in Figure 2, while the separated electrons of fuel (hydrogen) are sent to the anode, they continue their way to the cathode on the circuit; then, the hydrogen ions, with their lost electrons, move on to cathode over the electrolyte and here the circuit is completed by the reaction of air with electrons arriving from the anode. This generates an electric current at the arm where the electrons are routed towards the outer circuit.

Today, fuel cells are manufactured for various goals. It is possible to classify fuel cells according to fuel consumed, the type of oxidizing compound used, or the conversion of consumed fuel to “usable fuel” inside or outside the fuel cell. Aside from these, some fuel cells are also classified by operation temperatures or electrolyte differences. The most common designation is based on the electrolyte type.

Solid oxide fuel cells

Solid oxide fuel cells are the most efficient in terms of converting chemical fuel directly into electrical energy. The basic ideas regarding these cells were presented towards the end of the 19^th century by Nernst and his friends. Furthermore, new theories are still being proposed and experiments carried out, even a century after their discovery.

Solid oxide fuel cells are usually designed to generate power in the range of 1 kW and 2 MW. If we think about a 20 Watt energy saving light bulb that is used to illuminate our room, a solid oxide fuel cell can illuminate in between 50 and 100,000 rooms. These fuel cells are operated between 600 °C – 1,000 °C. Emitted exhaust fumes can be used to enhance the yield by utilizing them in another gas turbine.

The efficiency in this type of hybrid system can reach up to 70%. The oxygen ions in these cells are carried over a solid oxide electrolyte material to react with the hydrogen in the anode at high temperatures. The reaction taking place in the anode and cathode in a solid oxide fuel cell is as follows:

-Anode: 2H₂+2O^2–→2H₂O+4e^–

-Cathode: O₂ + 4e^–→ 2O_2–

-Main reaction in the cell: 2H₂+O₂→2H₂O

Solid oxide fuel cells have many advantages over other fuel cells:

• They have high efficiency compared to all other fuel cells (50–70%).
• Long life span (40,000–80,000 hours).
• Produced from easily accessible materials like ceramics rather than precious metals like platinum and gold
• Fewer problems are encountered during the operation of electrolytes.
• Can produce recyclable waste.

Even though fuel cells are not widely used, they are employed in space works, military projects, uninterrupted power supply systems, mobile power sources, waste water treatment, and vehicles. The power generation and use of solid oxide fuel cell systems in developed countries increases every day. For example, a 40,000 kW’ (40 MW) section of the electric demand in Tokyo, and an 11,000 kW (11 MW) portion of the demand in Rokko Island, are covered by solid oxide fuel cells. The electricity consumption of some malls, homes, and apartment complexes in America, Japan, and Germany are also covered via solid oxide fuel cells.

In 2009, Nissan started using solid oxide fuel cells in its model Nissan X-trail FCV (Fuel Cell Vehicle) and managed to achieve around 40% efficiency. It has been reported that this fuel cell, with a 1 cm³ volume, has a capacity of 2 kW at an operating temperature of 550 °C using hydrogen fuel. The solid oxide fuel cells manufactured by the DELPHI company for commercial and military fields are at 5 kW capacity, with a near 40-50% efficiency. Another major advantage of these fuel cells is that they operate both noise and emission free. With the solid oxide fuel cells that Sweden started using on a ferry called UNDINE, in 2010, a power of 20 kW is generated, and this runs the navigational and radio devices at the harbor.

There are many ongoing studies regarding the use of fuel cells in mobile devices. The fuel cells designed for laptop computers and mobile phones are still in their prototype phases, but are expected to be marketed within a couple of years. Today’s mobile phones, with regular batteries, can only operate for a few days before they need to be recharged. Tomorrow’s phones will be able to function nonstop for a month with fuel cell technology. In addition, laptop computers, which now only last for 3 or 4 hours, will work for 2 or 3 days. These mobile applications are also suitable for military tasks, including land, air, and sea crafts. In terms of stationary applications, giant power plants established outside residential areas will be replaced by more localized power plants, thus shortening power transmission lines and preventing energy loss. This system can even be applied to a domestic scale in our homes.

In fuel cells, electricity is generated when the hydrogen and oxygen supplied in a system reacts with an electrolytic material. Solid oxide fuel cells are predicted to be one of the most common systems to generate electricity in the near future.

To widen the present uses of fuel cells, efforts continue to reduce the cost of its installation expenses and to advance its technology. In conclusion, in a world where our energy dependence increases daily, fuel cells, used as an alternative and renewable energy source, and especially solid oxide fuel cells, are a candidate to be an essential power source in the future. This should be considered as a big opportunity for countries dependent on foreign energy. There are major benefits for researching and investing in fuel cells.
Figure – 1 A minivan powered with fuel cells manufactured by General Motors in 1966.

Figure 2 The schematic outline of the fuel cell

References

• Grove, W.R., (1839), On voltaic series and the combination of gases by platinum. Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science, 14 (86);127.
• Stone, C., Morrison, A.E., (2002), From criosity to ‘power to change the world’. SolidState Ionics, 152-153:1-13.
• Durmuş S., Bozoklu M., Gökkoyun M., Erat S., Braun A., Metin H., Arı M., (2009). Electrical properties and crystallographic characterization of Gd₂O₃ doped Bi₂O₃ polymorph, San Francisco, CA:Materials Research Scociety. Abstract no:R5.23
• Jung, S., Eric D. Wachsman and Naixiong Jiang,(2002). Structural Stability and Conductivity of Cubic (WO₃)x- (Dy₂O₃)y- (Bi₂O₃)l.x.y, International Jounal of Ionics, Volume 8, Numbers 3-4 , 210- 214.
• Tu, H., Stimming U., (2004). Advances, aging mechanisms and lifetime in solid-oxide fuel cell, Journal of Power Sources, 127 (1-2) :284–293.

One of the processes that occurs in the body is called “inflammation.” Inflammation occurs when a cut into the skin also punctures a blood vessel. This situation directly exposes the blood to the air. Inflammation occurs in a few steps. First, the blood vessels near the wound are expanded (which causes the swelling that we see near the cut) and special proteins called “fibrins” are brought in. These fibrins bind to each other to form a net-like structure. We are all quite familiar with this net, which we call a blood clot. This net stops the bleeding and cuts the interaction between the air and the blood within a few minutes.

Next, it is time to quickly eliminate any foreign objects that got into the tissue. Special immune cells called “macrophages” are sent to the crime scene to clean up. Macrophages are large white blood cells that “eat” microbes and other foreign objects using a process called “phagocytosis.” After the scene is all cleaned up, these macrophages excrete special molecules that induce tissue repair and return the blood flow to normal. An important note here is the specific order of these events. Like every single process in the body, they occur in the most purposeful way possible. What do I mean? I mean that, first the wound is closed urgently; second, macrophages are sent in; third comes the tissue repair. Any other order would have greatly lowered the effectiveness of inflammation. Imagine that the wound is closed after the macrophages are sent in. Then, by the time the macrophages killed all the microbes, twice as many would have entered the scene. The body seems to know every single event beforehand and plans its defense accordingly.

Our body is perfectly calibrated to keep our blood, the milk of our organ systems, absolutely pristine.

Let’s say a microbe managed to sneak into the blood before inflammation occurred, and is long gone to another region of the body. Does the microbe win? Unfortunately for the microbe, it has to pass another test. This time the tester is the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is the sewage system of the body. When the blood transfers its nutrients to the tissue, the fluid goes through the “interstitial area” (the empty space between organs). During this process, some of the fluid stays in this area and starts to accumulate. This is where the lymphatic system kicks in. The lymphatic system consists of many tubes running parallel to the blood vessels and recollects any excess fluid and transports them to the subclavian vein near the neck. This way, excess fluids of the body and all of the molecules in them, are reintroduced into the circulation. If there is a problem with this process, an abnormality called “edema” occurs. Of course, the blood is a very sensitive fluid because it travels through the whole body and seeps into almost every single cell. If a microbe were to get into it, it would easily spread and cause disease. So, the lympatics first does a checkup on the body fluid. This checkup occurs at special nodes in the system called lymph nodes found all over the body. Two of the most famous lymph nodes are the spleen and the tonsils. Within these nodes are lymphocytes, special immune cells that “tag” bacteria and other microbes to be later destroyed by macrophages. Thus, the blood is continuously cleaned and kept safe from harmful microbes.

Last but certainly not the least, the final inspection the blood goes through takes place in the kidneys. The aforementioned two checkpoints prevent the entrance of any foreign materials into the blood, and the elimination of any microbes lucky enough to somehow make it through. So, the only task to be completed is the elimination of excess molecules formed in the metabolism. For example, the blood in the veins (the vessels that carry carbon dioxide formed by the respiration of cells) is carried to the lungs where the carbon dioxide is exhaled. But, a much more precise mechanism comes into play in the kidneys. Blood vessels that come from all around the body form a knot-like structure in the kidney called the “glomerulus.” This knot-like shape increases the surface area of filtration. The blood running from the glomerulus is then filtered into the “Bowman capsule,” which surrounds the glomerulus.

But wait! The sanitation system is not satisfied with this first filtration and “thinks” that the filtrate is not ready to be excreted by the urine. So, a more delicate filtration occurs right after the filtrate enters the “proximal tubule.” While passing through this tubule, essential molecules are immediately reabsorbed into the body. The most valuable of all these molecules is glucose, since it is the main source of energy in the body. The proximal tubule reabsorbs around 98 % of all the glucose, while the distal tubule scouts out the rest. After the tubules are done with the filtration, not a single glucose molecule is left in the urine. As a matter of fact, the presence of even a few glucose molecules in the urine leads to a diagnosis of “renal glycosuria.”

After the proximal tubule, the filtrate goes into the “loop of Henle,” where it is dipped into a high-concentration environment. Water travels passively (without the need for energy) from low-concentration to high-concentration areas. In the loop of Henle, the urine is low-concentration, so water runs back into the body. Thus, any excess water in the urine is effectively and economically reabsorbed. The big machine that consists of the glomerulus, the Bowman capsule, the tubules, and the loop of Henle is called a “nephron.” Everything described above occurs in a single nephron. The average number of nephrons in one kidney is around 1,000,000. The human bladder holds around 150 ml of urine on average. So, each nephron is actually responsible for 0.00015 ml of urine production. The kidneys filter over 1,000 liters of blood each day, so our blood is kept just as we want it. Millions of tiny nephrons work in unison to take in huge amounts of blood and they know exactly what to leave and what to keep, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Our blood is our life source. It is the milk of the organs, and our organs would dry up without it. Believe it or not, our organs are quite picky. If they are to receive anything they don’t like, they will start acting up. In order to keep the organs happy, the three mechanisms mentioned above have to work hard and not make a single mistake. These mechanisms are, of course, also made up of cells. These miniscule cells “know” exactly what their clients on the ends of the body like and don’t like, and prepare the blood composition accordingly. Only one word can describe these wondrous mechanisms: Impeccable.

Brian Turk is a medical student from New Jersey. He writes on medicine, health, and biology on a freelance basis.

It is a fact that our social values have been turned upside down. It is very difficult for order to appear from this chaos; every chaos gives birth to new chaos. In general, scholarly viewpoints affirm this pattern.

Willpower is one of God’s most unique and important blessings. It helps to distinguish humans from the rest of creation; it is what elevates us from the level of “beast” to that of man, which means we have more potential than any creature in the universe – but that potential is both for good or evil.

Because human willpower pales in comparison to the Divine willpower, any restoration or renewal initiated by people is likely to be preceded by chaos. When we’re faced with such chaos, it’s necessary to break the vicious cycle of entropy – the transformations and changes leading to decay – to be able to attain a virtuous circle; that is, a prolific circle and not a barren one. Many instances in human history show that such breakthroughs have been possible with the grace of God.

For example, the children of Israel wandered aimlessly in the At Tih desert for forty years. Yet, internally they were directed towards a purpose, and they eventually dominated the destiny of that region. As a result, since they were fully focused on material things, the messages of Jesus shook them to the core. But they eventually collected themselves and became a community open to the metaphysical.

During the Age of Ignorance, before the advent of Islam, all moral principles had decayed; illicit relationships were encouraged and the family structure was turned upside down. Yet from a society where almost all moral values had degenerated, God managed to bring forth teachers of civilization to lead mankind.

These examples show that feelings, consciousness, and willpower are important factors for humanity and should not be neglected. Yes, just as these qualities distinguish a person from all other people in the world, they also distinguish him from creatures that have been subjugated to his or her service.

If an exemplary society could rise out of an ignorant and savage society in the past, then new generations can surely rise from today’s society to fulfill our hopes – with the grace of God, of course. It is important to be able to inspire these generations with love of faith. For faith is what nurtures love, enthusiasm, and hope. Yes, faith is the best way to nourish hope; one who has no faith has no hope, either. In the words of Bediuzzaman, “Faith is both light and power. A person who has obtained true faith can challenge the universe… and can withstand all trials in proportion to the strength of his or her faith.” Thus it is very important to implant the light of faith in the bosoms of new generations and allow it to take root there.

The second basic principle after faith is knowledge. However, many people portray faith and knowledge as opposites; actually, they are connected like the two faces of one thing. For with faith, a person has opened the door to love of the truth. The love of truth is a love of searching. The love of searching brings about the love of knowledge. Knowledge should be upheld at the level of love. The love of truth should not be held at bay. For love of the truth is serving humanity. In my opinion, almost every problem – physical and spiritual – can be easily solved by connecting these two matters.

On the other hand, it is possible to add the love of responsibility as a third principle, after faith and knowledge. Taking on duties for the sake of one’s country, society, and religion, without any consideration for personal gain, and attaining this feeling of larger responsibility to educate future generations is truly an important factor in ending this chaotic period. Those who act with this spirit of responsibility will find their misfortune turn into fortune.

As a result, the laborers of thought who are trying to transform the path of God’s good pleasure into a highway should never get caught up in the passion for personal success and future expectations. By subjugating their own desires, they can attain a better society for tomorrow’s generations.

Indeed, attaching a purpose to everything non-systematically is subjective and seems not to be compatible with the current scientific methodology. For this reason, some people tend to deny religious sources of knowledge, whereas other people tend to accept a dualist viewpoint where they separate the domains of religion and science. Such dualism pushes religion out of people’s lives and restrains it only to particular instances and environments, reframing religion with surrealist subjects.

The path to reviving religious spirituality in daily life, on the same objective domain with science, requires many approaches. One of them is to answer the following question: is it possible to find a systematic way of understanding the purpose of the phenomena that has been observed and discovered by scientific methodology?

Although scientific methodology has evolved throughout history, the common motive that fits all stages is exploring the causal relationship among phenomena and expressing causality with some set of laws and principles. If we traced back to the origins of the scientific approach, we would encounter Aristotle’s definitions. He stated in his book “Metaphysics” that there are four types of causes (Fine, G., 1987):

1. Material cause – i.e. the materials that something is composed of. For example, water, sunshine, soil etc. are necessary to plant a tree. Therefore, these are material causes for the tree that was planted.
2. Formal cause – in his original words, “the form or pattern; that is, the essential formula and the classes which contain it.” For instance, a drug can only be useful if its constituent chemicals are mixed in a certain ratio. Hence the specific ratio is the formal cause of the drug.
3. Efficient (or motive) cause – the prior conditions that lead to the resulting situation. This is what is usually considered as “the cause” in science, especially in physics. An example is the source of new cells, which was unknown until the 19^th century. It was François Raspail (1794–1878) who first stated Omnis cellula e cellula, meaning that every cell is derived from another cell which tells the efficient cause of cell (re)production. (http://www.ohio.edu/chastain/rz/raspail.htm)
4. Final cause – i.e. the purpose or the goal of something. This is also known as telos. In our daily language, we often mean the final cause or telos, when we talk about “whys.” For example, the telos for a seed to germinate is to become a tree.

Considering these different types of causes, which all together become a complete explanation, we can see that the current understanding of science is diverged from this point. These four categories of cause survived in science until the 17^th century. But then, by constraining science on the matter and its motion, as Francis Bacon stated in his Advancement of Learning (1605), only the material and efficient causes are taken into account as the major two subjects of science (Bacon 1605). During those days, Spinoza and Descartes deliberately rejected the final (teleological) cause and claimed that the efficient causes are necessary and sufficient to explain the universe. Thence, Newtonian physics was developed on the basis of the efficient cause. For example, the cause of acceleration is thought of as the force, in a sense that when a force F is applied to a mass m, the acceleration becomes a = F/m.

Causality in science is therefore reduced to the “efficient cause” and effect relationship. However, as we discussed, religions emphasize the purpose of events and accept God as the cause of causes. Therefore, religions use a different language, especially by underlining the telos, in terms of explaining phenomena.  For instance, one of the amazing properties of water is that its least absorbing spectrum corresponds to the optical regime (Gedik, N. 2005). To explain this phenomenon, science asserts the efficient cause and searches for the relationship between the absorption spectrum and the natural oscillation frequency of the water molecule. However, disregarding the temporal order, this purpose-based approach says that because it is crucial and vital for living beings to receive sufficient light, and since the atmosphere largely consists of H₂O molecules, then water had to be transparent to the optical frequencies of light to allow creatures that have eyes and photosynthesis systems to get enough light.[1]

We should admit that the latter explanation does not sound strong enough to be generalized and be formulated. Therefore, we usually avoid using the adjective “scientific” for such explanations. But when our subjects or phenomena are chosen in the bio-world, we observe that the “standard” efficient causality does not give a satisfactory explanation, and the teleological causality is necessary. For example, the adaptation concept is teleological, which makes the usage of “final cause” indispensable in biology. Furthermore, in the early 19^th century, in his book The Origin of the Species, Charles Darwin deliberately employed the term “final cause,” as it was noticed by James Lennox (Lennox 1993). Although some people claim the opposite, by carefully investigating Darwin’s works, Asa Gray and James Lennox appreciate Darwin by stating that he is the first scientist who reconciled morphology and teleology. Simply put, every species are equipped with specialized organs so that they can maximally benefit from, or maximally defend against, their environment. The same idea is also valid from the religious point of view and does not necessarily deny natural selection.

We can find more examples of teleological causality in systems biology, which studies biological concepts in a holistic way and therefore utilizes a teleological language. For instance, during mitotic cell division, chromosomes are replicated only once and then separated into two new cells. But note that something, indeed a checkpoint, prevents the cell from replicating its DNA more than once. This situation appeals for attention and can be explained in two ways. First is the teleological, or what biologists sometimes call the “biological explanation.” DNA is replicated once because otherwise it is severely defective or even lethal for the cells. Such a teleological explanation is perfectly compatible with the mechanistic explanation (efficient cause) based on the chemical interactions of some related proteins, which can be modeled by thermodynamic equations. As the system is complex, it is often hard to fully fit into a model using thermodynamic formulations. However, system biology offers another way that mixes the language of teleological and efficient causes by considering the system as a signaling network, on which the signal (or information, as in the information theory) is carried out via specific protein phosphorylations or reactions. If we were to analyze the spectrum of the words used in systems biology, such as commitment, robustness, checkpoint, decision etc., we would see that its language is more similar to our purpose-based daily language. For such irreducibly complex systems, the employment of teleological concepts does not arise as metaphorical; rather, it is indispensable as the whole cannot be purely explained by its parts.

Other sciences also provide teleological examples. Beginning in the early 20^th century, quantum physics emerged, bringing along some very unintuitive experiments. For example, Einstein, Podolsky, and Rosen offered a paradox called EPR. This states that measurements on two spatially separate but entangled particles can demonstrate correlations that cannot be simply explained by efficient causes. Later on, this phenomenon, called quantum entanglement, was empirically validated and can be explained by the final causes, introducing a retrocausal relationship.

Theoretical physicist Ken Wharton argues that the process known as frustrated spontaneous emission is naturally explained by such teleological causality. A light-emitting atom stops emitting light when the surrounding atoms are no longer able to absorb light. The decision of the atom whether to decay or not depends on the other atoms’ absorption, which has not happened yet. The idea that “the atom is probing the future” is not only counter intuitive, but also difficult to accept on the basis of the efficient causality, as Wharton states. (G. Musser, 2014).

Although teleological explanations are not always indispensable and can always be accompanied by efficient causality, the urge for the simplest explanation usually brings teleological language to science. Because science has been facing complex systems in various fields, teleological (purpose based) causality has become necessary since the beginning of the 20^th century. As a purpose-orientated understanding of existence is fundamental for almost all religions, it would not be strange to observe the engagement of science and religion in the near future.

Returning back to the initial question, of whether the purpose-oriented view can be reconciled with scientific research, we see that this is already widely evident in the scientific community. But there are still some people who think religions oppose science, owing to their purpose-oriented view. The judgment is left to the reader.

Yusuf Malik holds a PhD in physics. He is a freelance writer based in Boston, USA. 

Reference

1. Fine, G.. 1987. “Forms as Causes: Plato and Aristotle,” in A. Graeser (ed.), Mathematics and Metaphysics in Aristotle, Bern: Haupt, pp. 69–112.
2. http://www.ohio.edu/chastain/rz/raspail.htm
3. Bacon, Francis. 1605. “Of the Proficience and Advancement of Learning, Divine and Human.” en.wikisource.org.
4. Gedik, N. 2005. “The Miracles of Water,” The Fountain, Issue 49.
5. Lennox, James G. 1993. “Darwin Was a Teleologist.” Biology and Philosophy 8 (4).
6. George Musser. 2015. “The Quantum Mechanics of Fate,” Nautilus, February.

[1] The difference between this explanation and the anthropic principle may seem subtle here, but there is an enormous conceptual gap which extends beyond the scope of this article.  

Frostbite Protection in Mice Suggests an Antifreeze Glycoprotein
Heisig M. et al. PLOS ONE, February 2015.

Some animals such as ticks and fish have anti-freeze proteins that protect them from extreme cold conditions. Anti-freeze proteins typically prevent cold damage by limiting the formation of ice crystals that would otherwise lead to tissue damage. However, warm-blooded mammals, including humans, do not have such proteins and can suffer injuries from severe cold, such as frostbite. In a recent study, scientists tested whether the anti-freeze proteins of other species can protect mammals from such cold injuries. They genetically introduced an anti-freeze protein from the black-legged tick into a live mouse. When mice tails were exposed to cold for seven days, 60% of the transgenic mice showed no visible signs of frostbite, compared to only 11% of the controls. In addition, inflammation response from the immune systems of the transgenic mice was dramatically lower.  This study is the first to demonstrate a protein’s ability to boost frostbite resistance in an adult mammal. Although any potential human applications of anti-freeze proteins are far away, this study spotlights two future directions. First, anti-freeze proteins could potentially be utilized to extend the lifetime of organs prior to transplantation. Second, anti-freeze proteins may provide cellular protection for people with certain autoimmune diseases, such as scleroderma, that are characterized by cold sensitivity.

Smartphones as earthquake warning devices

Crowd-sourced earthquake early warning
Minson ES et al. Science Advances, April 2015.

The cellphones in our pockets function as cameras, calculators, flashlights – and now earthquake sensors. During an earthquake, even a few seconds can make a difference between life and death. Japan has the most advanced early warning system, which saved many lives during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake with a magnitude of 9.0. However, these systems are expensive and not practical at a personal level. A new study proposes that smartphones can be utilized to detect earthquakes via their GPS (Global Positioning System). Although GPS in smartphones use a relatively coarse method of positioning compared with many sensitive instruments, they can detect as little as six inches of displacement, which can be sufficient for earthquake detection. Scientists first tested the accuracy of smartphone GPS systems by shaking a phone and comparing the recorded displacements with a sensitive scientific instrument. After many analyses in different contexts, they concluded that smartphones could reliably detect earthquakes of a magnitude 7.0 and above. However, an obvious problem with this approach is that smartphones are always in motion as we walk, drive, or simply play with our phones; how can a smartphone differentiate a real earthquake from a routine motion? Scientists then came up with a solution called a “trigger” in which an earthquake alarm would only be activated if a smartphone and its four closest neighbors recorded the same amount of displacement. Experts are still skeptical about how well this system would work in a real-world situation. But, the benefit of crowd-sourcing earthquake detection is well recognized; all you need is a smartphone app.

Ocean acidification linked to the greatest extinction

Ocean acidification and the Permo-Triassic mass extinction.
Clarkson MO et al. Science, April 2015

A recent study suggests that ocean acidification caused by extreme volcanic activity triggered the greatest extinction of all time. This extinction event took place approximately 252 million years ago, and over the course of 60,000 years, it erased more than 90% of marine species and 60% of land animals. The researchers analyzed ancient rocks from the deserts of the United Arab Emirates, which were formed on the ocean floor about 250 million years ago. They specifically examined the ratios of boron and carbon isotopes. These chemical measurements revealed that oceans went from alkaline to highly acidic over the course of a few thousand years, which is very quick in geological terms. Scientists suggest that a huge pulse of volcanic eruptions discharged immense amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and acidified the oceans. This resulted in possibly fatal conditions for marine life; when combined with the destruction of food chains, most marine life went extinct. The amount of carbon added to the atmosphere during the mass extinction was predicted to be greater than today’s fossil fuel reserves. However, alarmingly, the rate of carbon released at the time was very similar to modern emissions. Oceans today are rapidly acidifying due to increased CO₂ emissions by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels; the average pH has dropped by 0.1 units since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Oceanographers cautioned that a dramatic rise in the acidity levels of oceans affects all marine life, particularly shellfish fisheries around the world. We can only hope that the future does not resemble the past.