More, more, and more

Adams GS et al. People systematically overlook subtractive changes. Nature, April 2021

A recent study showed that human beings are driven by a powerful instinct to add rather than subtract in daily problem solving. Researchers asked 1,585 participants to solve puzzles or problems where they could either add or subtract elements. Strikingly, in every single test the majority of participants chose addition over subtraction even in instances where subtraction made much more sense. For one of the puzzles, participants could either shade in squares or erase them in order to make a symmetrical pattern. Out of 94 participants, 73 added squares, 18 subtracted, and 3 simply moved around the existing squares. In another puzzle, participants were given a Lego structure and told to improve it however they liked. More than 90 percent chose to add blocks rather than remove some of them. This pattern was very consistent over many different problems. When asked to improve an essay most people lengthened it, and when asked to improve a recipe the majority added more ingredients. However, when participants were instructed or incentivized, they finally started to consider the possibility that less is more. For instance, when participants were asked to stabilize a Lego tower, they were told that completion of task will be rewarded with $1 but each new added piece during construction will cost them 10 cents. The participants then seriously considered removing pieces to solve the problem.

There are explanations for why humans might favor addition over subtraction in problem solving. While additive ideas may come to mind more quickly and easily, subtractive ideas require more cognitive effort. Numerical concepts of “more” and “higher” may be associated with the evaluative concepts of “positive” and “better” in our brains. For example, in many areas of life it may be easier to gain recognition for making something than for taking something away. This human behavior has wide-reaching implications in costly modern trends such as overburdened minds and schedules, increasing red tape in institutions, and irresponsible usage of the planet’s resources as a result of greed. Perhaps we should begin asking ourselves what we can take away before looking to see what we can add to solve our problems.

Plastics to be recycled “infinitely”

Vora N et al. Leveling the cost and carbon footprint of circular polymers that are chemically recycled to monomer. Science Advances, April 2021.

Plastics are a part of nearly every product we use. The average person in the U.S. generates about 100 kg of plastic waste per year, most of which goes straight to landfills. The invention of a new plastic called poly (diketoenamine), or PDK, could now potentially solve this global waste and energy crisis. PDK has all the convenient properties of traditional plastics without any environmental pitfalls. Unlike traditional plastics, PDKs can be recycled indefinitely with no loss in quality. The biggest problem in recycling traditional plastics is that chemicals in many plastics that make them useful are tightly bound to the monomers that stay in plastic even after it’s been recycled resulting in a new material with much lower quality. In contrast, PDK plastics solves this problem entirely since they are engineered to easily break down into individual monomers when mixed with an acid. The monomers can then be separated from any additives and the plastics can be reassembled into different shapes, textures, and colors again without any loss of quality. This process is named “chemical recycling” and requires low energy usage and has minimal carbon dioxide emissions and can be repeated indefinitely thus resulting in a completely sustainable material lifecycle.

Initial analysis showed that the best starting application for PDKs are markets in the automobile and consumer electronics industries that can make sustainable branding and savings. The long-term plan is to develop PDK plastics with a wide range of thermal and mechanical properties for applications as diverse as textiles, 3D printing, foams, and other packaging materials. In addition, scientists are looking to expand formulations by incorporating plant-based materials and other sustainable sources.

Genetic consequences of Chernobyl after 35 years

Yeager M. et al. Lack of transgenerational effects of ionizing radiation exposure from the Chernobyl accident. Science, April 2021

Morton LM et al. Radiation-related genomic profile of papillary thyroid cancer after the Chernobyl accident. Science, April 2021

The effects of radiation on human health have been investigated since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War 2 and the nuclear accidents in Chernobyl, Ukraine and Fukushima, Japan. April 26^th marks 35 years since the world’s worst nuclear power disaster in Chernobyl, where a reactor in a nuclear power plant exploded and released huge amounts of radioactive material into the environment. The Chernobyl accident killed 31 people immediately, and thousands more died over the years from radiation-linked illnesses such as cancer. Millions of acres of farmland in Europe were contaminated. The true toll of Chernobyl’s meltdown remains controversial and simply unknown. Recently, international teams of researchers have looked closely at the genetic damage of the Chernobyl exposures in two separate studies.

The first study investigated whether radiation exposure results in genetic changes that can be passed from parent to offspring. Researchers analyzed the complete genomes of 130 people born between 1987 and 2002 and their 105 parents who had worked in Chernobyl during the accident or lived close to the accident site. Each parent was evaluated for protracted exposure to ionizing radiation. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that there was no evidence of an increase in the number or types of de novo (newly arising) mutations in their children born between 46 weeks and 15 years after the accident. These results suggest that radiation exposure surprisingly does not harm future generations at the genetic level.

The second study aimed to profile the genetic changes in thyroid cancers that developed in 359 people that were exposed as children or in utero to ionizing radiation from radioactive iodine during the accident and in 81 unexposed individuals born more than nine months after the accident. An increased risk of thyroid cancer has been one of the most prominent adverse health effects of radioactive iodine. In high doses, radioactive iodine kills thyroid cells and can actually be used as a treatment for thyroid cancer however the radiation from Chernobyl wasn’t strong enough to kill cells. Instead, the next-generation sequencing data showed that the months-long exposure to lower doses had mutated genes by breaking the double strands of DNA and ultimately resulted in tumors. The association between double strand breaks and radiation exposure was more pronounced for those younger at exposure. 

Taken together, these two studies not only give us new insights into the long-term effects of radiation, but they also highlight how important long-term investments in scientific research and proper data collection are. In 1980s, scientists didn’t have the genomics technologies to understand the molecular effects of radiation, but they meticulously collected tissue samples, monitored radiation, and interviewed people over many decades. Investment in long-term scientific research always pays off.

Question: The need for affiliation and sense of belonging are human conditions, but they may sometimes overshadow charitable actions. What should believers do to engage in altruistic work with the intentions of only pleasing God and without seeking credit for themselves and their affiliated groups?

Answer: Running to aid others is the most eloquent way of petitioning for divine providence. The noble Prophet Muhammad stated the following: “Whoever eliminates a worldly trouble of a believer, God will eliminate one of the troubles of that person in the Afterlife. Whoever eases the situation of a person in hardship, God will ease the affairs of that person in this world and the next…” (Sahih Muslim, Dhikr 38; Abu Dawud, Al-Adab 68). The noble Prophet also stated that “the best of people is the one who is most beneficial to them” (Tabarani, al-Mu’jamu’l-awsat, 6/58). In this respect, if you run to the help of humanity, God will not leave you without help. If you lend an altruistic hand to humanity, you will receive help in unexpected ways.

While helping others can be in the form of a prosperous person’s financial support, a doctor’s medical help, a business expert’s consultancy, or a therapist’s counseling, the most important type of help is eliminating the obstacles between people and God, letting hearts “meet” Him, and letting people attain success in the Afterlife. Those devoted to glorifying the name of God need to extend a hand to those who are unguided, those who remain lost on long roads, and those who crawl on beaten paths instead of walking comfortably on paved avenues. Worldly hardships are obstacles that prevent hearts from meeting God and minds from thinking about the Afterlife. Therefore, eliminating worldly hardships can, in a way, be evaluated as supplementary to the spiritual aspect. Eliminating people’s material and spiritual needs will save them from being busied with simple and mundane distractions and will serve as a significant bridge for their becoming closer to God. Support given to people in difficult situations will facilitate their favorable response to being called to God’s way.

Offering material and spiritual help together is the way of the Prophets. As a righteous and noble servant of God, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) ran to help people all throughout his life and always supported and cared for the needy, so much so that he never turned down an empty hand. When he was able to, he gave to them and when he was not able to give, he promised that he would. At the same time, he perfectly fulfilled everything for the sake of letting people meet God by eliminating the obstacles between hearts and God. During his Farewell Sermon when he asked three times “have I communicated the message?” the vast congregation he addressed affirmed it in unison, to which he prayed to God to be his witness.

With a feeling of a very serious degree of responsibility, that question could be extended a bit further as if to imply asking: “Have I properly fulfilled my mission of Prophethood? Have I communicated my message to you? Have I extended a hand to you? Have I been able to show the truth to you as clearly as possible?”

Everybody should bear such a feeling of responsibility and exercise due self-interrogation. If a person is a preacher, after having addressed people for many years, he should inquire about their feelings and ask them, “have I fulfilled my duty towards you? Are you a witness to that?” This is very important to be saved from responsibility. A person should not leave this kind of bearing witness to be done at his or her own funeral. They must come face to face with their conscience while in this world and be concerned with fulfilling, and then verifying said fulfillment of, his duties.

Being able to extend a hand to everybody according to their needs and not turn down anyone asking for help is both a requirement of being human and an important trait of a believer. As this can be carried out with individual efforts, it can also be done by means of charitable organizations.

Not seeking credit for one’s group

Such acts of charity and help should be solely done for eliminating the troubles of the needy and gaining God’s good pleasure as a result. It is necessary to be freed from all considerations other than that, and these missions should never be made into tools of popularity or any worldly benefit.

I wonder whether we were able to be sincere to this degree while doing those acts. I wonder whether we sacrificed those good acts to fame and titles from time to time. I do not wish to develop negative assumptions towards anyone, however it should not be dismissed that we may have occasionally been faulty in this regard. Unfortunately, sometimes certain good acts that promise very important benefits for the sake of humanity are credited to group affiliation. While such a self-crediting irritates people who do not like faith and belief at all, it might also provoke feelings of envy and jealousy in some superficial believers.

How I wish we could be “things without names.” So many good deeds were done in the early periods of Islam as “things without names.” In that era, even though Muslims practiced asceticism, piety, abstinence, as well as impotence and poverty before God, there were no establishments or orders by which these acts were represented. There were no Sufi orders at all until the third year of the Islamic calendar. These people would obey Divine orders with great precision and would exercise a spiritual life with the entirety of its depth and fine points with no institutions or affiliations to Sufi orders.

With these words, I am not accusing those who established Sufi orders of baseless innovations (bid’ah). On the contrary, each of them took a path and method of their own based upon the qualities of the Messenger of God and his rightly guided caliphs. By taking into consideration the conditions and conjuncture they are in, some chose the path of seclusion, while others preferred mingling with people; some made their remembrances (dhikr) outwardly, and some did inwardly.

“Things without a name” continued as such particularly until the third year of Islamic calendar, when they started having names, it evoked certain considerations of affiliation without any such intentions. Different affiliations and -isms to certain individuals emerged in society and groups began getting directly credited for the good they were doing.

Over the course of time, groups and affiliations overtook this era of namelessness if you will, and things were victimized: good deeds became victims to one’s name, the spirit forsaken to the body, and meaning was sacrificed to the form. When people made progress in society with their names or titles, they even took it further with a chauvinism of affiliation and started to put on airs with certain adherences. After people took different paths in terms of practicing and representing religion and made them into different schools, they began to attach everything to these newfound identities. This being so, people became blind, deaf, and heartless towards the essence and meaning of truth. When matters began to be evaluated with a chauvinism of affiliation, they had very narrow and fanatical understandings as “those who join us and think like us will be saved. Those who do not take our path will not be delivered…” and thus they mistreated religion and the essential values of religion.

Without the qualities of esteemed pioneers such as Abdul Qadir al-Jilani, M. Khalid al-Baghdadi, or Sheikh al-Naqshbandi, considerations of affiliation can become a deadly poison for a person. The way to remain free from danger is such that those who walk on any such path, or who remain adhered to a certain system, should be able to open their door to everyone in the same degree, love everyone in the same level, and be able to appreciate good acts of everybody else in the same degree.

However, I think that the safest and soundest way still is managing to be a “thing without a name.” Because it is not this or that person who did all those good acts; God is the one who planned, acted, and created all of them. In order to put to practice this plan and project of destiny, He uses some people as instruments. In this respect, nobody has the right to lay claim to those good works.

Given that services are being offered for the sake of God and endeavors are being made for spiritual growth, then it is necessary to keep away from everything that might prevent this. If the service would be negatively affected when matters are approached with a consideration of affiliation, then we should adopt the following fair thought that becomes a believer: let alone a consideration of affiliation, if our own souls, loved ones, and wealth are obstacles for the fulfillment of the services of goodness, may God take all of these from us lest the services stop. This humble servant’s thinking has always been this way so far. I opened my hands to God and always implored thus: “My Lord, if assaults are being made to the good services because of my relation to them, I am ready to take my leave.”

What really matters is continuation of the activities deemed to be good for one’s faith, society, and the entirety of humanity. If things need to be done are completed, rays of faith sent to hearts, and breezes of love and tolerance blew between people, there is no need for us to be known, applauded, or appreciated. Otherwise, it means that we are exchanging people’s applause with appreciation from God, which is a form of associating partners with Him. The way to be saved from this lies with fulfilling one’s service quietly and without pomp, staying away from every kind of ostentation, and then walking to God quietly.

The essence and spirit of the matter

Today, unfortunately, “name” appears more on the front than the “thing” itself. This being so, no progress beyond formalism is made and the essence and spirit of the issue is not caught. For example, we talk about observing the daily prayers, fasting, and giving alms, and try to carry them out some way. Nobody can disregard these acts since God ascribed a value to them. However, if we cannot rid ourselves from going by the moves at these acts of worship and cannot grasp the meaning they bear, cannot feel the consciousness of worship deep in our conscience… namely, if it is not understood that each of them is a bridge leading to the truth, then we cannot attain the benefit out of them and progress towards the end. We cannot progress from superficial worship to true worship by effectuating the heart and spirit. And the depths like the sir (secret), khafi (hidden), and akhfa (most hidden) can never be sensed; because acts of worship like the daily prayers, fasting, alms, and the Pilgrimage are molds, envelops, and camouflages of an essence. What really matters is trying to reach that essence by means of these molds, feeling it, and trying to represent it.

On the other hand, acting with considerations of affiliation will lead to attributing certain achievements to this or that person and group, and thus to forgetting God. What really matters is coming a little closer to Him in everything seen, tasted, and felt, seeing His hand of power behind every happening, exercising constant self-nullification and saying “He.” However, people who act with considerations of affiliation will not be able to act in this manner and will start being diverted from the essence of the issue.

Although ways leading to God are as many as the breaths of His creatures, if a person who has taken any of those ways sees only that one but refuses to recognize any other right ones other than that and sees all other ways as false—may God forbid—this can be a cause of doom and disaster for that person.

The way to stay away from such danger is firstly a constant renewal of faith, keeping up a strong bond with God, and seeing His consent as paramount to everything else. Together with this, believers must not remain obsessed with the services they carried out but know to applaud others who do good works also. The good works of people who serve in different parts of the world in different ways should not be disregarded. On the contrary, it is necessary to work together with them and walk towards common goals.

Secondly, people should not praise or advertise their own charitable work. If there is an aspect to be magnified or be praised in these works, it is necessary to leave that to others. Further than this, all of those good works should firstly be ascribed to God, the true owner of every kind of goodness. If anything good is to be attributed to a human being on account of apparent causality, we should wholeheartedly say, “our inclusion in the issue is almost naught. Had the suitable grounds not been prepared by others, had minds not been readied in that respect, we would not have been able to make such achievements.” This is a necessity of being righteous, as well as showing respect to God and not provoking envy in people. Otherwise, we will not only harm our sincerity but will also become vulnerable to attacks.

Communal pride and chauvinism of affiliation are also doomed to be nasty viruses. Actually, when people with different feeling and thoughts gather around a common ideal and form a collective, and then utilize this potential in a good and charitable way, this is a great blessing for them. However, as Said Nursi also highlighted, if personal arrogance grows worse with a chauvinism of affiliation, and if differences between communities, orders, and movements, which are actually like the different loops of a lacework, are magnified to be means of separation and conflict, and thus, if people are setting about seizing a field for themselves as fueled by a feeling of envy, then a consideration of affiliation becomes a societal disease.

Such issues of conflict and disunity always inflicted different societies and states; they even made great empires collapse. One must be aware that each of these can suffice to make people lose; it is necessary to struggle against such viruses and germs, and direct them to a favorable course. If we can accomplish that, they will yield very auspicious results.

“Sincerity” in the Islamic Tradition

Ikhlas is a Qur’anic concept that is variously translated as “sincerity” or “purity of intention,” and Gülen’s understanding of this term covers both aspects of the Qur’anic concept. In ordinary parlance, “sincerity” indicates the notion of honesty or freedom from dissimulation and hypocrisy. A sincere person is one whose external words or deeds are in accord with their interior thoughts or feelings. A sincere person does not pretend to be expressing one thought or emotion while in reality his interior dispositions are to the contrary. Thus, a sincere person is not self-promoting, hypocritical, pretentious, two-faced, or devious. The sincere person neither flatters nor manipulates others. This straightforward transparency of speech and motivation is one aspect of ikhlas.

The second aspect of the Qur’anic notion of ikhlas, which brings together the notion of “purity” with that of “dedicating, devoting or consecrating oneself” to some activity, is a key virtue in Islamic practice [1], and is the aspect of ikhlas most often stressed by Gülen. Ikhlas is an eminently interior disposition by which the faithful Muslim performs all external actions in a spirit of service and directed solely toward pleasing the Divine Lord. In fact, in Islam the perfection of one’s witness to faith can be gauged by the double standard of ikhlas (purity of intention) and ihsan (goodness).

It is noteworthy that the brief expression of the Islamic creed found in the Qur’anic Sura 112, “Say: He, Allah, is One. Allah is He on Whom all depend. He begets not, nor is He begotten. And there is none like Him,” has been known in Islamic tradition as the “Surat al-Ikhlas,” that is, “The Chapter of Sincerity” or “The Chapter of Pure Religion.”

The importance of ikhlas has been commented upon down through the centuries by Muslim scholars, exegetes, and spiritual guides in every generation. The Sufi masters have been particularly fond of elaborating on this virtue, to the extent that in the minds of many Muslims, ikhlas is considered a “Sufi concept.” In commenting on ikhlas, Said Nursi distinguishes his own advice from that of the teaching of the Sufi tradition. While praising the insights of the Sufi masters, Nursi notes that “I am not a Sufi, but these principles of theirs make a good rule for our path” [2].

Because of its roots in the Qur’an and in the tradition of Islamic spiritual writing, this aspect of ikhlas can perhaps be more adequately conveyed in English by “purity of intention” or “pure religion” than simply by “sincerity.” Ikhlas indicates the interior disposition in which one practices all the acts of religion solely for God’s pleasure rather than for any personal benefit that may accrue to them, whether that be prestige, pride, or the admiration of others. When one “worships God with sincerity” one’s intention is pure and undefiled by base or irrelevant motives. The Qur’an commends those who devote their lives to seeking God’s pleasure: “And there is the type of man who gives his life to earn the pleasure of Allah: And Allah is full of kindness to (His) devotees” (Qur’an 2: 207).

Ikhlas in Gülen’s theology

In his treatment of ikhlas, Gülen builds upon what was elaborated in the tradition and applies these insights to the contemporary needs of communitarian life and the broader society. ¨While interpreting the basic meaning of the term to be “upright, sincere, and pure,” Gülen indicates that ikhlas means “pursuing nothing worldly while worshiping and obeying God” [3]. At the deepest level, sincerity can only be understood in the mystery of the relationship between God and God’s faithful servant. Purity of intention is a grace or divine gift that God places in the heart of those He loves [4] in order to increase, deepen and give eternal value to the servant’s ordinary good acts.

Gülen considers purity of intention to be “the wing of the bird” of a person’s life before God. The other wing is faithfulness, and together these virtues make up the two wings of divine grace that God implants in the soul that enable a person to approach God directly without hindrance. He quotes Mevlana Jalal al-din Rumi to the effect that if good deeds were a body, purity of intention (ikhlas) would be their soul. That is, it is sincerity that makes good deeds live, be effective, and have everlasting value. Without sincerity to animate deeds spiritually, all human endeavors would remain lifeless, ephemeral, and ultimately worthless. But those who fly with the two wings of sincerity and faithfulness will fly with God’s protection and will unfailingly reach their destination, that is, “God’s approval and pleasure.”

Faithfulness, the other wing of the bird, enables God’s servant to stick to his intention to serve God even when it is inconvenient or seemingly fruitless. This kind of loyalty to God is one of the most evident qualities of God’s servants, an outstanding characteristic of all the prophets, and the source of wisdom in the believer. In the loyal, faithful servant, God will plant the seeds of wisdom that will then spring from that person’s heart and tongue.

Gülen quotes Abu Yazid Bistami (Bayazid) to say that it is through sincerity, not through human deeds, that a person goes to God. It is on the basis of a person’s sincerity that God judges acts, not on the magnitude or notoriety of the deed. The size and quantity of good deeds is unimportant. Even a small deed or one that is unknown to others, if it is done with sincerity, is judged pleasing by God. This intentionality, the conviction that a person’s intention determines the value of a deed, is in keeping with the Islamic tradition. Gülen notes that God rewards a small act done with purity of intention more highly than many more ostentatious deeds done without the sincere desire to serve God alone.

For Gülen, Muslims must learn purity of intention from the prophets, particularly from the Prophet Muhammad. He states: “God’s Messenger had one intention: to please God and worship Him sincerely, as he himself stated in a famous hadith: “Perfect goodness or virtue is to worship God as if you were seeing Him, and although you do not see Him, yet truly He sees you” [5]. Just as the prophets could not take a step without sincerity, so also those who follow in the footsteps of the prophets will not be able to do anything without a pure intention. Gülen describes this purity of intention as “the pursuit of no worldly purpose in one’s relationship with God [6]. In other words, worshiping and obeying God are the only valid reasons that a sincere person should have for performing any of their good actions.

Living with purity of intention

Like Said Nursi before him, Fethullah Gülen is not interested so much in being a theoretician of the spiritual life as in offering concrete, practical advice to those who come to him for spiritual counsel. It is in this way that Gülen, following Nursi, distinguishes himself from the great Sufi Masters like Al-Muhasibi, Al-Ghazali, and Hujwiri. Gülen is interested in continuing in the line of Nursi’s “path of reality,” that of providing effective, helpful advice to Muslims who are seeking God’s pleasure in this world. He cites Nursi to insist that purity of intention is nothing other than the basic motivation for the disciple’s personal and communitarian actions: “We worship God only because we are His servants and He has told us to do so. Said Nursi said: ‘Do what you do only for God’s sake; start for God’s sake, work for God’s sake, and act within the sphere of God’s good approval’” [7].

Gülen advises his students to maintain spiritual discretion. In practical terms, if ikhlas, or purity of intention, means that the servant does everything solely to seek God’s pleasure and for no worldly motive whatsoever, it follows that sincere believers should not be ostentatious in the good deeds they perform. One seeking God’s pleasure alone should hide any supererogatory acts from the view of others and remain silent about any edifying personal experiences, special treatment received from superiors, or special gifts with which one has been endowed by God.

The underlying supposition is that there is a universal human tendency to perform one’s good deeds in order to be seen by others and gain their approval. Moreover, human motivation is often complex, with the desire to serve God mixed with a craving for human admiration and approval. The sincere servant recognizes that it is only God’s approval, not that of other persons, that matters; thus, it is unimportant whether or not one is seen in serving God. A person who has purity of intention worries neither about being praised for his accomplishments nor censured for his failures. He does not care if others are aware or unaware of his achievements, nor is he preoccupied about receiving a reward. Such a person behaves with consistency, whether or not one is in public or in private.

According to Gülen, sincerity teaches that the true goal of acts of piety and goodness is God’s pleasure, not human recognition or respect. Moreover, in sincere worship the believer discovers that one’s human longing for Paradise is not a sufficient motivation for doing what is right. Speaking of worship, Gülen explains: “Those performing [acts of worship] can be categorized by their intention, resolution, determination, and sincerity as follows: those who desire to enter Paradise, those who hope to be rescued from Hellfire, those who love and stand in awe of God, and those who feel that they must do so as a requirement of their relationship between God as the Creator and human beings” [8]. The sincere worshiper no longer cares whether his deeds will form the basis for attaining Paradise.

In fact, sincerity should become second nature to God’s servants, not a virtue after which a person consciously needs to strive. Gülen advises disciples to be “so involved in worship or religious deeds in seeking God’s pleasure that one does not even remember whether one should be sincere or not” [9]. In other words, even the virtue of sincerity itself must not be allowed to become the final goal of religious observance. The only true objective in the performance of any good act is to serve and obey God and to thereby give God the pleasure and satisfaction that is due Him.

Only a humble person can act with true sincerity. As Gülen explains: “Humble people do not attribute fruits of work and efforts to themselves, nor do they regard their successes or efforts for God as making them superior to others. They do not care how others regard them; they do not demand a return for their services for God. They regard their being loved by others as a test of their sincerity, and do not exploit God’s favors to them by boasting” [10].

To arrive at a state of mind where one does not care whether one receives recognition for one’s good deeds, the disciple must engage in self-examination and self-supervision. Only the person who has learned to be honest with oneself will be able to know whether one’s motivation is solely to worship God or whether the true incentive that is being pursued is some worldly gain, such as self-satisfaction, human respect, or personal ambition. Thus, developing a habit of honest evaluation and reflection will enable a person to grow in purity of intention. Gülen calls this muraqaba (self-supervision), by which God’s servants are led “to maintain the purity of thoughts, actions, and intentions even when they are alone, in the consciousness of His continual observation” [11].

Communitarian dimensions of ikhlas

It is not only for the purposes of an individual’s spiritual growth that purity of intention is a key virtue among those who seek to do God’s will. Purity of intention also has communitarian effects. There is nothing that can more quickly disrupt the proper bonds of friendship among disciples than personal ambition, competition, and rivalry. When a disciple is in the habit of calling attention to his superior abilities or achievements in one or another area, or to boast about his relationship to his superiors, resentment and jealousy will inevitably arise among his confreres.

In his emphasis on sincerity as a key element in preserving the unity of the community, Gülen’s approach is very similar to that of Said Nursi, who repeatedly wrote of the necessity for sincerity to prevent disunity among the students of the Risale-i Nur. The history of many religious groups in various religions has shown repeatedly that jealousy and a sense of competition among members has been the cause of factionalism, resentment, and divisions into rival groups. It has produced a loss of dynamism and resulted in the break-up of many groups. It is only by the members carrying out their tasks with sincerity that this unhealthy rivalry can be avoided. In his long discursus on sincerity, Nursi envisioned a community in which “Each of the members completes the deficiencies of the others, veils their faults, assists their needs, and helps them out in their duties” [12]. If this type of relationship among fellow disciples is to be possible and the unity of the community is to be maintained, everyone must be sincerely striving solely to please God.

By contrast, the unity of heart and intention among those involved in the Hizmet cemaat can be traced in a large part to this emphasis on sincerity and purity of intention. It means that humble tasks – meeting guests at the airport, serving tea or coffee, feeding the poor in soup kitchens – have eternal value and ennoble the one performing them, if they are done wholly for the pleasure of God. A similar understanding underlies the readiness of intelligent, well-prepared university graduates to renounce prestigious and well-paying positions in academics or business to devote their lives to teaching students in distant and often impoverished regions. The emphasis on purity of intention has convinced industrialists, businessmen, and entrepreneurs to contribute generously to projects whose completion they will never see.

Since it is sincerity that enables God’s servants to keep focused on serving God alone, thus making their actions, great or small, acceptable to God, if Gülen has been able to instill a sense of harmony and united service (hizmet) among his followers, it is largely because of the emphasis he has put on ikhlas. He cites Mevlana to this effect: “You should be sincere in all your deeds, So that the Majestic Lord may accept them. Sincerity is the wing of the bird of the acts of obedience; without a wing, how can you fly to the abode of prosperity?” [13]

Notes

1. L. Gardet, Encyclopaedia of Islam, Leiden: 2006, III: 1059.
2. Risale-i Nur, The Twenty-first Flash, p. 216
3. Gülen, Key Concepts in the Practice of Sufism, 1999, p. 60.
4. Ibid. p. 62.
5. Gülen, Muhammad the Messenger of God, p. 39.
6. Gülen, Key Concepts in the Practice of Sufism, p. 60.
7. Gülen, Muhammad the Messenger of God, p. 38. Gülen’s citation of the Risale-i Nur is taken from “The First Word,” p. 5.
8. Fethullah Gülen, Toward a Global Civilization of Love and Tolerance, Somerset: The Light, 2004, p. 54.
9. M.F. Gülen, Key Concepts in the Practice of Sufism, 1999, p. 62.
10. M. F. Gülen, Toward a Global Civilization of Love and Tolerance, p. 80.
11. Gülen, Key Concepts in the Practice of Sufism, p. 57.
12. Said Nursi, Risale-i Nur, The Twenty-first Flash, p. 214.
13. Jalal al-Din Rumi, cited by M.F. Gülen, Key Concepts in the Practice of Sufism, I: 62.

He does not have a familiar name like Nicolaus Copernicus, Roger Bacon, or Galileo, but Ibn al-Haytham’s name is the reason that those aforementioned scientists carry the weight that they do today.

A product of the Islamic Golden Age, Ibn al-Haytham dedicated his entire life to making sense of the world and improving the scientific understanding of many disciplines that we take for granted. Also known as “Alhacen” or “Alhazen” and by too few, the “Father of Modern Optics,” (Tbhaki, Amr, ASM) his work influenced the likes of many scholars after him such as Isaac Newton and René Descartes. Although he is revered by some, al-Haytham has by no means received the attention in history that he deserves, as is the case of many ancient Muslim scientists who were overshadowed by the European Renaissance. “(The) likes of these great scientists, philosophers, and artists lived their worthy existence and influenced Europe in a variety of ways” (Ali, p. 162).

Professor George Saliba of Columbia University has said that “Ibn al-Haytham is universally acknowledged to be one of, if not the most creative scientist Islamic civilization has ever known” (www.light2015.org).

Al-Hassan Ibn al-Haytham (www.ibnalhaytham.com) was born in Basra, modern day Iraq in the year 965. When al-Haytham was born, it was the “golden age” of the Muslim world, a progressive Islamic period of innovation and communication that has been widely forgotten in history. It was a period which, though widely unbeknownst today, served as the seedbed of new ideas and scholarly endeavor that would be the starting points for many scientific research during the European Renaissance centuries later.

During this “Muslim zenith both in arts and sciences, in agriculture, geography, and warfare,” (Ali, p. 162) the Middle East was far more advanced than anywhere else in the world. Sparkling and populated cities such as Baghdad, Basra, and Cairo emerged as symbols of rapid progression and centers of learning. Scholars, scientists, philosophers, and mathematicians flocked from near and far to trade and study in the Middle East. “It should not be forgotten that Arab civilization played an essential role in the circulation and development of ideas and in the progress of knowledge” (Rius-Pinies, p. 97).Trade routes expanded and were crowded with people traveling to and from Middle Eastern territory. This helped spread the word of all these wonderful discoveries that were taking place in the prosperous hotspots of the Muslim world and attracted copious amounts of people to visit popular cities, meet intriguing figures, and to add their own contributions to what very well may have been one of the first historical melting pots on the planet.

There is a lot of speculation around the life of Ibn al-Haytham due to the lack of available evidence and written records regarding his life. To account for the seventy-five years he lived on Earth, there are very few stories that have been shared, even fewer with consistent details. One of these stories that has been mostly agreed upon by scholars is one that has had the largest implications on his life. Ibn al-Haytham had offered his services to Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, the Egyptian Caliph during this period. His mission was to devise a way in which he could control the flow of the Nile River, which had caused issues to surrounding areas of Egypt due to uncontrolled flooding. He realized later on that his strategy of a water dam would not be successfully actualized. The Egyptian Caliph was known for his unusually cruel and brutal treatment of his subjects (Tbakhi, Amr, ASM). So, true to his nature, when al-Haytham was unable to produce a solution to the problem he had set out to solve, the Caliph was filled with rage and aimed to bring consequence to al-Haytham. Accounts differ as to whether he was actually jailed or in hiding, but the consistency in this story is that al-Haytham outsmarted the Caliph by convincing him that he was mentally ill so that his life would be spared, a unique twist of fate that our modern world has greatly benefited from. Whether he was under house arrest or hiding away from the vengeful Caliph’s wrath, it was during this period of seclusion that al-Haytham wrote his most famous and influential work, the Book of Optics or “Kitab al-Manazir” as well as a multitude of additional works on various subjects (Tbakhi, Amr, ASM).

In one of the very few traceable direct quotes al-Haytham says, “If learning the truth is the scientist’s goal… then he must make himself the enemy of all that he reads” (www.ibnalhaytham.com). His opinions on experimentation, the need for scientific proof, and the importance in the experimental process have, over time, shaped the way that scientists operate and effectively prove their findings. “One of the characteristics that make Ibn al-Haytham a modern scientist is that his scientific method was characterized by experimentation, i.e., he always tried to prove what he wanted to demonstrate” (Rius-Pinies, p. 98). Not only did Ibn al-Haytham perfect his findings, but he constructed experiments that would demonstrate his discoveries to critics, leaving little room for debate and scrutiny that he had experienced in his past. One of these experiments was as simple as inviting his students to stare at the sun, showing them that the intense light that the sun emitted burned one’s eyes, proving Euclid’s and Ptolemy’s argument that the light originates from the eye was wrong; it starts outside the eye and reflects into it (Powers, NYT). Before al-Haytham’s findings, it was believed that vision was made possible through invisible rays that expelled light from the eyes. Al-Haytham turned this belief of the world of vision upside down, and because of his experiments, he was able to support his findings. “Thanks to his research based on a physical conception of sight, he could explain how the eye moves and how binocular vision functions” (Rius-Pinies, p. 100).

To be sure of his approach and fully understand his discoveries, he dissected the eye and studied its inner workings to attain a comprehensive knowledge, giving names to parts of the eye that we still use one thousand years later, terms such as; “crystalline,” “aqueous humor,” “vitreous humor,” and “retina” (Rius-Pinies, p. 100).

Ibn al-Haytham was known for his ground-breaking discoveries in the world of optics, but few know of the contributions he has made to other sciences as well. He is considered by many who have studied him to be one of the first polymaths, (Rashed, p. 773) meaning that he is strongly knowledgeable in a wide array of subjects. “In fact, as a medieval scholar, he had an education that included religion, literature, language, philosophy, mathematics, and astronomy, among other disciplines” (Rius-Pinies, p. 97). Only about fifty of his approximately one hundred professional works have been discovered up to this point.

Aside from his amazing advances in the world of optometry, Ibn al-Haytham is also responsible for contributing to other diverse areas of study, an attribute that not many scholars can boast. He was known to be a great philosopher and paved the way for the world of phenomenology, (Tbakhi, Amr, ASM) a complex discipline within the world of philosophy. Al-Haytham is also known to have been the first philosopher to draw a link between the worlds of religion and science, something that proved he was far ahead of his time (Tbakhi, Amr, ASM).

Within the field of astronomy, al-Haytham was one of the first scholars that seemingly began to doubt the geocentric model, the idea that the Earth was the center of the Universe. His studies and critiques on Ptolemaic astronomy were helpful to astronomers later on who were influenced by his writings (Tbakhi, Amr, ASM).  In his later years he also wrote “The Model of the Motions of Each of the Seven Planets,” of which only one damaged copy, with much of the material missing, has been discovered.  In mathematics, he made advances that included developing a link between two previously separate sciences; algebra and geometry (Tbakhi, Amr, ASM). Although al-Haytham is not known to have discovered any astronomy related breakthroughs, his works instilled enough doubt in later scholars on the correct form of the galaxy and nevertheless greatly influenced many Western scholars in their ventures.

It is confounding to think of how long ago al-Haytham’s works were formed given the knowledge that they have only recently been thoroughly studied and translated. “…it was not until the end of the 20^th century when the seven volumes of the Arabic text were edited, translated, and studied properly by Prof. Abdelhamid I. Sabra…” (Rius-Pinies, p. 99).  The fact that his work had waited so long to have been translated or brought to the public eye has made it easier for other scholars to be undetected as they used al-Haytham’s work and made it their own while reaping the benefits of his success. One example of this is Erazmus Witelo, a thirteenth century philosopher who wrote his own book on optics and was later discovered to have taken a significant amount of al-Haytham’s work and passed it as his own thus earning himself the eventual title of “Alhazen’s Ape” (www.light2015.org).

The knowledge of how the Muslim scientists of this period were underrepresented can be paralleled to a majority of Western culture views on the Middle East today (Hehmeyer, Khan, page 1467). Even during the European Renaissance, scientists and philosophers of that time failed to properly credit or realize the work of the Muslim scholars before disguising their works as their own, thus altering the perceptions and beliefs of later generations. I believe that in the United States there is a general consensus that there have not been significant contributions from the Middle East in the worlds of science, math, philosophy, and astronomy, because we have not been educated on such topics. It has become part of a baseless bias, one that for generations has coasted off a xenophobic attitude that has oppressed Muslims and discredited them for their achievements.

The Year of Light

An important step in recent years has been made by the United Nations as they officially declared 2015 the International Year of Light. One thousand years after the known completion of Ibn al-Haytham’s “Book of Optics,” this year was dedicated to celebrating important milestones in the history of light and science developments. This is incredibly important in restoring credit and honor to the man who devoted his entire life to changing not only the way in which we see the world, but the way in which we understand sight itself. It is a meaningful step in honoring not only Ibn al-Haytham, but the many Muslim scientists that existed before, during, and since his time and the great advances that they gifted to us. The goal of the International Year of Light was to create a campaign that raises awareness “of how optical technologies promote sustainable development and provide solutions to worldwide challenges in energy, education, agriculture, communications and health” (lightsources.org/about-2/).

Another powerful product of 2015, “1001 Inventions and the World of Ibn Al-Haytham” was a short film produced in honor of Ibn al-Haytham and his life’s accomplishments.

The amount of information and change that the world received from the few surviving works of al-Haytham is astonishing. From Ibn al-Haytham, we can attribute so much more knowledge to the science of the eye, how vision works, and its relationship with the brain. From his experiments we have learned about the scientific process and the importance of backing up ideas with solid evidence. From his studies of light, lenses, and refraction we have invented the telescope and microscope (Powers, NYT). One can only imagine what other knowledge he would have left us with had his remaining texts survived. With Ibn al-Haytham’s contributions, the world took a grand leap into a more progressive future.

“Arabic scientists, for instance, are a good example of incomprehensibly ignored figures, and for this reason, Ibn al-Haytham is still a complete stranger to most Western citizens” (Rius-Pinies, p. 96). Ibn al-Haytham dedicated his entire life to developing ideas and inventions that changed the world, made it more convenient for future generations, and paved a clear path for scholars of the Western civilization that ended up taking credit for his work. He lived just seventy-five years, but he accomplished enough for ten lifetimes.

SOURCES CITED

• Ali, Rabia Umar. “Medieval Europe: The Myth of Dark Ages and the Impact of Islam.” Islamic Studies51, no. 2 (2012): 155-68. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23643958.
• “Discover the World of 11th Century Scientist Ibn Al-Haytham.” 1001 Inventions and the World of Ibn Al-Haytham, 1001 Inventions Limited, King Abdul Aziz Center, UNESCO, IYL 2015, 2015, www.ibnalhaytham.com/.
• Hehmeyer, Ingrid, and Aliya Khan. “Islam’s Forgotten Contributions to Medical Science.” Canadian Medical Association Journal, vol. 176, no. 10, 8 May 2007, pp. 1467–1468., doi: 10.1503/cmaj.061464.
• “Ibn Al-Haytham and the Legacy of Arabic Optics.” International Year of Light – Ibn Al-Haytham and the Legacy of Arabic Optics, 2015, light2015.org/Home/ScienceStories/1000-Years-of-Arabic-Optics.html.
• “International Year of Light: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.” International Year of Light | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2017, www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizes-and-celebrations/celebrations/international-years/international-year-of-light/.
• org. 15 May 2020, lightsources.org/about-2/.
• Powers, Richard. “Eyes Wide Open.” The New York Times, 18 Apr. 1999, archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/magazine/millennium/m1/powers.html.
• Rashed, Roshdi. “Portraits of Science: A Polymath in the 10th Century.” Science297, no. 5582 (2002): 773. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3831971.
• Rius-Pinies, Monica. “On Science and the Construction of Identities: Remembering Ibn Al-Haytham (965–1039).” Contributions to Science: Open Access, 2015, doi:10.2436/20.7010.01.217.
• Smith, John D. “The Remarkable Ibn Al-Haytham.” The Mathematical Gazette76, no. 475 (1992): 189-98. doi:10.2307/3620392.
• Tbakhi, Abdelghani, and Samir S. Amr. “Ibn Al-Haytham: Father of Modern Optics.” Annals of Saudi Medicine, vol. 27, no. 6, 2007, doi:https://doi.org/10.5144/0256-4947.2007.464.

Bennet Omalu^[1] is a physician specialized as a forensic expert and pathologist, which means he examines the tissues and organs of dead people to determine their cause of death. One day, he was asked to prepare an autopsy report about the corpse of a 50-year-old man named Mike Webster, a former professional US football player^[2]. Having examined the corpse in detail, the physician reported his cause of death to be “heart attack.” While examining the brain structure during the autopsy, he noticed a pathology normally seen in the brains of boxers, and decided to study this player’s life. Mike Webster had been an American football player since his childhood and had been a professional player for 18 years. Dr. Omalu watched this player’s games and noticed that Webster often played in the most dangerous positions where collisions with rival players were the highest, and he had sustained very serious blows to his head. Taking into consideration the number of the games he participated in, Omalu calculated that this player had sustained more than 70,000 blows to his head. Realizing that Webster suffered from short-term blackouts after collisions as well, Omalu concentrated his studies on his brain.

Dr. Omalu found out that these shocks triggered a neurological reaction, which in turn led to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)^[3]. He was the first scientist who demonstrated that American football players face the risk of developing this disease.

Having autopsied other people who played American football, Dr. Omalu identified deaths due to brain damage. These deaths were caused by depression-induced suicide, substance abuse, heart attack, and accidents due to damage to brain tissues. He published his findings, despite obstruction and threats from the executives of the National Football League (NFL), a billion-dollar business, as well as other people who profited from this business. Following this publication, new safety measures, such as designing new football helmets and wearing neck protectors, were taken to minimize the damage to players from collisions.

Skull and brain

Our skulls are created in the form of a special cage that protects our brains with a robust bone structure and ovoid shape formed by flat bones. Impacts in sports like American football, wrestling, boxing, ice hockey, or in various accidents will cause no problems up to a certain level. However, collisions bigger than 60G on head may result in concussions and even death. In American football, players may suffer from concussions of the brain as big as 100G upon head-to-head collision even if they wear helmets as this impact is equal to that of getting hit by a sledgehammer.

Akin to a suit of armor made up of bones, our skull protects our brain. It may appear like one simple, unified structure, but our skull is made up of 22 different bones, including the eight bones that surround our brain (excluding those of inner ear)^[4]. Unlike other bones, the bones in our skull are fused to each other in an indented or zigzagging pattern. In this way, they perfectly fit into each other in a mutually supportive manner.

Adults have solid and robust skulls while babies have more flexible skulls. As babies grow, their skulls grow proportionally. If the skull grew more slowly, it would have exerted pressure on the brain; in contrast if it grew too quickly there would have been greater space between the skull and the brain and thus would have left the brain more subject to impacts. Moreover, in babies the eight main bones that surround the brain have not fused completely into each other. There are soft gaps between cranial bones called “fontanelle.” This is a vital characteristic for babies during birth. If the skull of a baby had been rigid and without these gaps, their skull would be very likely to be crushed during birth. These gaps provide room for flexibility. As babies grow, their skulls grow as well and become rigid as these gaps are filled. The fontanelle also plays a role in the balance mechanisms of babies and it takes some 18 months to become rigid.

Nature

Such protective mechanisms can be observed in nature, too. For instance, gannets are great divers, and they can dive from a height of 30 m with an approximate speed of 100 km/h. Although they dive with such a speed, they sustain no damage. These birds are equipped with “air bags” on their faces and under their skins, which can dampen the impact from the water. Woodpeckers as well as horned animals like rams and deer, which use their heads in hunting or defying their enemies, have skulls created specifically for these purposes.

Woodpeckers, the master carpenters

Woodpeckers uses their bills like a drill and can dig holes in tree trunks to build their nests or hunt for food. They generally feed on woodworms, ants, termites, caterpillars, bugs and larvae. Some woodpecker species use these holes as a storeroom and store certain foods, such as acorns, for the winter. Woodpeckers are picky about the trees in which they will build their nests^[5]. They choose dead or very old trees, because these trees have thick bark. They prefer pines, spruce, and certain fruit trees. Scientists note that these birds have an excellent sense of hearing and they can hear the sounds of worms and bugs beneath the barks of trees and select the trees with these worms^[6]. A woodpecker can peck a  tree trunk at a rate of 15-20 times a second and with a speed of 40-100 km/h. A special locking system protects its bill from the impact. With this system, it can withstand a force of 1,000 G.

Sang-Hee Yoon and Sungmin Park from the University of California demonstrated that these birds’ system for dampening impact shock have four main components^[7]. These are their hard but elastic beak; spring-like hyoid bone that stretches up to the rear of the skull; the spongy portion in its skull; and the interaction of the spinal fluid with the skull. This magnificent mechanism that absorbs the impact in woodpeckers are similar to dampers used in cars but are more effective because they can absorb shocks in rapid intervals. Woodpeckers have very strong muscles in their necks, and their cranial bones are completely fused. Like a safety belt, their tongues go around their heads and stretch up to their noses.

This perfect system for absorbing shock has inspired scientists to design the black box protection system used in aircrafts^[8]. Thanks to this protection mechanism, black boxes are now capable of withstanding impacts of up to 60,000 G.

Scientists from the University of Bath in the United Kingdom have developed a special tool with inspiration from woodpeckers^[9]. This specially designed electrical hammer moves back and forth rapidly to perform a hammering motion by utilizing less energy than would be expected. In this way, nails can be driven in a short time. Hammer drills that help us break through hard surfaces have been developed with a similar inspiration.

As we learn more about the amazing creatures that inhibit our world with us we are astonished to realize how magnificently created they each are so they can survive, seek out their sustenance, and fight against their enemies.

Notes

1. wikipedia.org/wiki/Bennet_Omalu
2. wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Webster
3. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2945234
4. Dr. Arif Sarsılmaz, “Ben Hasan’in Iskeletiyim” (I am Hasan’s Skeleton), Sızıntı, January 2001.
5. com/why-are-woodpeckers-making-holes-in-my-trees
6. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3548892
7. newscientist.com/article/dn20088-woodpeckers-head-inspires-shock-absorbers
8. popsci.com/technology/article/2011-02/woodpecker-heads-inspire-new-cushioning-systems-electronics-and-humans/
9. researchgate.net/profile/Julian_Vincent/publication/245387767_A_woodpecker_hammer/links/0a85e53cd2be397e97000000/A-woodpecker-hammer.pdf

“Black cumin is healing for all diseases except death.” Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

Studies on the positive effects of black cumin have a long history. Even a simple list of the titles of these studies would take many pages. The research in the fields of modern biochemistry, organic chemistry, cytology (cell biology), and physiology has come up with interesting results.

One of these studies demonstrated that black cumin decreases the release of proteins IL-6, TNF-α, and NO by inhibiting pro-inflammatory T helper-1 cells which act as soldiers for our immune system, and has an anti-inflammatory effect by stimulating the number of protective cells that are released by our bone marrows, known as natural killers [1]. Another study found that it helps to increase the number of macrophages and neutrophiles which identify and destroy foreign materials and which must be found in certain amounts in our blood at all times, by stimulating the functioning of bone marrows and, as such, they perform immunomodulatory functions. As regards the autoimmune diseases, in which the immune system targets the cells of one’s own body, black cumin acts differently and eliminates autoimmunity, thereby contributing to protection against, and prevention of, attacks [2].

The increase in allergic diseases in recent years has made physicians working in this field consider the potential effects of black cumin in treating these diseases. For the patients with food allergy, black cumin seeds were shown to result in a decrease in the number of mast cells that are found in intestines and considered as responsible for allergy symptoms, thereby reducing the disorders that emerge in connection with food allergy [3]. This applies to allergic asthma as well. During attack periods, it was determined that black cumin considerably alleviates the symptoms, results in improvements in pulmonary function tests and, as a prophylactic agent, leads to considerable decreases in the number of attacks [4].

Another study investigated the effects of black cumin in providing protection against, and decreasing, lung infections. This study found that it reduces lung inflammation, and prevents edema in pulmonary alveoli, which are instrumental in respiration, as well as fibrosis, which degrades lung tissues and results in decreased lung function. As it helps to increase the surfactants that reduce the tension between the gas inside the lungs and the liquid covering the interior of the lungs, thereby preventing pulmonary alveoli from shrinking and their interiors from clinging on to each other. Black cumin was found to be extremely precious for intensive care patients who have difficulty in breathing [5].

Nigella sativa has protective effects for the liver as well. As is known, the liver is like a laboratory which helps to clean our body and remove toxins. A number of dangerous wastes, such as foreign substances and toxins, are discharged from the body through the liver’s perfectly designed cleaning methods. Black cumin facilitates the way substances that are considered carcinogenic are excreted through the liver and functions as an antioxidant [6].

Additionally, black cumin has many benefits also for the most prevalent diseases of our time, including cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. A study found that black cumin has prophylactic effects against heart attacks [7] while another study demonstrated that insulin levels, carbohydrate metabolism, and fasting glucose levels return to normal after consuming black cumin seeds or oil [8].

The wonders of black cumin are no new discovery, and people have long known the benefits of this amazing substance. The juice and oil of black cumin was determined to be effective against bugs, viruses, and bacteria. Its seeds contain small amounts of B1, B2, and B6 vitamins, protein-building amino acids, trace elements of iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and selenium that have significant metabolic functions in organisms. A study reported that black cumin was equipped with properties that are effective in killing various cancer cells and stimulating the production of antibodies targeting specific tumors. It is also reported that black cumin is not toxic to normal cells. ß-sitosterol, found in black cumin seeds, is a molecule that is capable of boosting secretory activity and lowering blood cholesterol levels. This molecule was reported to prevent prostate growth, have diuretic effects, lower blood pressure, promote lactation, stimulate one’s appetite, induce menstruation, and have many other properties.

Its oil is known to be effective against dandruff and hair loss, and the volatile fatty acids it contains fight against bacteria, fungi and tapeworms.

Although there is no obvious method regarding the consumption of black cumin for protection or specific amount to be consumed, it is advised that its seeds should be ground in a wooden or porcelain mortar and mixed with honey or olive oil before being consumed on an empty stomach in the morning. People with good teeth may consume its seeds after chewing them thoroughly.

References

1. Pichette, A. et al. Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antibacterial activities of extracts from nigella sativa (black cumin) plant parts. J Food Biochem, 2012; 36(5): 53.
2. Mohamed, A. et al. Amelioration of chronic relapsing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (cr-eae) using thymoquinone-biomed 2009. Biomed Sci Instrum, 2009; 45: 274–279.
3. Duncker, S.C. et al. Nigella sativa (Black Cumin) seed extract alleviates symptoms of allergic diarrhea in mice, involving opioid receptors. PLoS One, 2012; 7(6): e39841.
4. Boskabady, M.H. et al. The possible prophylactic effect of Nigella sativa seed extract in asthmatic patients. Fundam Clin Pharmacol, 2007; 21(5): 559–566.
5. Kanter, M. Effects of Nigella sativa seed extract on ameliorating lung tissue damage in rats after experimental pulmonary aspirations. Acta Histochem 2009; 111(5): 393–403.
6. Zafeer, M.F. et al. Cadmium-induced hepatotoxicity and its abrogation by thymoquinone. J Biochem Mol Toxicol, 2012; 26(5): 199–205.
7. Nemmar, A. et al. Contrasting actions of diesel exhaust particles on the pulmonary and cardiovascular systems and the effects of thymoquinone. Br J Pharmacol, 2011; 164(7): 1871–1882.
8. Salama, R.H. Hypoglycemic effect of lipoic acid, carnitine and Nigella sativa in diabetic rat model. Int J Health Sci, 2011; 5(2): 126–134.

Absorption can never mean the unity of being—the unity (union) of God and the universe or God’s being identical with the universe—in the sense that pantheists claim, nor is distinguishing totally its opposite. The One Who is the Eternal (beyond all time and space) is eternal, and the beings who are contained in time and come into existence within time are mortal and different from the Eternal One. The Creator cannot be and is not the same as the created. The relation between them is not that which comes from appearance; that is, the universe is not an apparent form of God. Rather, this relation is that between the Creator and the created. We can also see the creation as the totality of the manifestations of God’s Names. These manifestations are completely pure and transparent, while that which issues from the created is usually tangible. Human beings have both a pure, transparent aspect or dimension, and a dense/tangible one.

This is why, as declared in the verse (17:84), Each being acts according to his own standard of measure, they can display behavior either according to their bodily dimension or according to their spirit. As they are made up of a body and a carnal soul, they fix their eyes on nature and corporeality, while they carry inclinations toward spiritual, exalted worlds as well because there is an immaterial spirit in their composition. By means of the ways of rising which the Shari‘a has appointed and guaranteed, travelers on the way to God cut their relations with fleeting and decaying things and turn to eternity. As described in Is he whose breast God has expanded and opened to Islam, so that he follows a light from his Lord…? (39:22), when travelers to God turn to Him in submission, they travel in the exhilarating horizons with utmost self-possession and awareness under the guidance of the light of their Lord. Even though they may sometimes encounter confusion or bewilderment, they easily overcome these with the assistance of the never-deceiving leadership of the master of creation (Prophet Muhammad), upon him be peace and blessings. They always head for the sources of knowledge that God has determined and secured through Prophethood, and never err as some pantheists do.

From another perspective, absorption has been dealt with under the rubrics of “absorption with respect to knowledge,” “absorption with respect to existence,” and “absorption with respect to the (Divine) Being Himself.”

“Absorption with respect to knowledge” means that at the beginning of their journey, travelers to God base themselves on the knowledge that comes from, or that is obtained through, the proofs and indications of God. Then this knowledge develops from the certainty based on knowledge into a certainty based on observation and finally into a certainty based on experience. However, only a shadowy degree of certainty based on experience can be reached in the world. Ultimately, this knowledge becomes pure knowledge from His Presence. Although it is the result of following the way of inference, it is not the same as the knowledge acquired through proof originated in the outer world or in the human inner world. Not is it totally different either. It is a special gift of the Almighty to the proper use of the free will with which God has endowed human beings, and which is in fact a simple means given to them for the execution of the Divine commandments. However, like all other Divine gifts, this gift is never proportionate to our free will. Like it, all other gifts of God Almighty are many times greater than what we actually deserve.

“Absorption with respect to existence” is when the travelers to God are perfectly aware in their consciousness of how things and events occur and how they are maintained. All of existence disappears from their vision to the extent that they are no longer aware of which direction is right and which is left. Heroes of the spiritual life, who have stepped into this station, feel only the rays of the Eternal All-Holy Existence and Knowledge and see all else as the motions of these rays. Provided manifestation is not confused with appearance, and shadow with the original, those who have attained this horizon feel or hear innumerable things and/or beings in every part of the universe invoking His Name, saying, He is the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting (by Whom all subsist) (2:255).

“Absorption with respect to the (Divine) Being Himself” means that all the indications and proofs of God that originate in the outer and inner human world are no longer visible in the face of the light of knowledge of God and the spiritual pleasure that the Almighty lets flow into the hearts of travelers to Him. Some have regarded this rank as the final station of the spiritual journey. If they base this consideration on constant turning to God during traveling from wakefulness to self-possession and thence to repentance, penitence and contrition one after the other, and on the relation between God and humankind as being the relation between the Creator and the created, and the Sole Object of Worship and the worshipper, and the Lord and the servant, there can be no objection. But, if they imply by absorption that things have no reality at all, and it is of no use or significance to use one’s mental faculties to infer from things and events the existence of God and therefore to acquire certain knowledge about Him, and that people are no longer responsible for the fulfillment of religious obligations after reaching some point in the spiritual journey, and that there is essentially no difference between I and you and He, then this is most definitely a total deviation in conception and creed. This can be either a fantasy of those who are pursuing “originality” for the sake of fame or a view held by some self-conceited pantheists and monists.

As for the Prophets and the pure, saintly scholars, they have regarded the way leading to the Infinite One as endless, and have experienced the final station one can reach in the journey along this way according to their capacity with the same solemnity, wakefulness, and consciousness as they experienced in the beginning. They have always accepted that serving the Ultimate Truth with the utmost humility is the goal of their lives. The Almighty ordered the master of creation (Prophet Muhammad), the most perfect in servanthood to Him, Worship your Lord until certainty, which is bound to come, comes to you (15:99). By this, together with ordering him to worship Him until death comes to him, He both emphasizes that death marks the end of this responsibility and consoles the Messenger for the afflictions and tortures he was subjected to by reminding him of his meeting with God. Because meeting with God meant for him reaching certainty based on experience in his own, unique level.

O God! Include us among Your servants sincere (in faith and practicing the religion), and endowed with sincerity, and God-revering, pious, and abstinent from all forbidden things big or small, and among those of ascetism and those near-stationed to You, and who are pleased with You and pleasing to You. And bestow blessings and peace on our master Muhammad, the leader of the God-revering, pious and the leader of those endowed with sincerity, and on his Family and Companions, those of ascetism and those near-stationed to You, and who are pleased with You and pleasing to You. Amen!

Hi, my name is Everlasting. I know what you are thinking. What an absurd name, what a paradox, as no one can last forever except in paradise.  Well, I’m not sure who gave me the name, but I like it. It gives me the power to grow in an environment where many would not dare to visit.

I am one of those rare creations who can survive in extreme conditions. Between 4000 and 5000 meters above sea level, in a semi-arid zone, where there are no trees and few plants, is where I call home. It is called the alpine desert. I encounter a few people who pass by this area on their way to the ice-capped summit, the highest peak in Africa. These few people are the tough ones that have refused to give up and are aiming for the highest point. Like me, they must believe in the saying, “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars” (Norman Vincent Peale).

Being near the summit, even in these harsh conditions makes me feel like I am aiming high. Sure, it gets lonely sometimes, but I have my few like-minded friends for encouragement and intellectual conversation. There are other survivors like the sky-blue gentians, hearty helichrysums, and asters. I greet spiders and small insects when they are on their journeys looking for food.

Mind you, being alone is good for you, not like how some people may think. I’m not anti-social or unwanted; I just choose to focus on what I think I’ve been created for. I mean, surely, God created me and placed me in this harsh environment because He knew I have it in me to endure this hardship. I may be the envy of some who fail to understand my courage and audacity: to thrive and flourish between moss and thistles.

I get inspired when I look up and glance at the stunning view of the craters of Mawenzi and the snow-crowned summit Kibo. I have accepted the drought-like conditions, where vegetation is sparse and sunlight is intense. I have accepted My Creator’s choice for me. See, the sooner you know your role in life, the better for you. Finally, I have realized that my function is to give hope to those who may lose hope in this harsh environment with its intense weather. I am the glow and beauty in this desert-garden.

I know my role. Do you know yours?

The recent pandemonium
enveloping us all

unsheathes a swashbuckling
double-edged sword

advancing our retreat
into global disconnect

may our union reunite
beating swords into plowshares

Owls are known to be a symbol of wisdom throughout history in ancient Greece, Asia, and America. They are also unquestionably mysterious predators. This mystery derives from the math they seem to be utilizing during the hunt: owls can use the parabolic system to spot their prey.

This system is “parabolic facial formation,” which is a unique feature of owls, and it describes the design of their faces by way of which they adjust to incoming sounds and catch their prey even in the darkest nights. This is the same formation in the structures of radio telescopes by which new planets are discovered in the depths of space. From hunting stars in outer space to how owls hunt at night, parabolas in mathematics guide us to understand some of the marvels in the universe.

Parabolas can be seen frequently in both nature as well as in human-made monuments. A parabola is a stretched U-shaped geometric form that can be made by cross-sectioning a cone. Menaechmus (380-320 BC), a Greek mathematician and friend of Plato, is credited with discovering these conic sections. Additionally, he is credited with finding out that the ellipse, parabola, and hyperbola are sections of a cone   produced by the intersection of a plane with the surface of a cone . This credit derives from an epigram of Eratosthenes of Cyrene that refers to cutting the cone “in the triads of Menaechmus.” Parabolic shapes can be seen in the Eiffel Tower, a wrought iron lattice tower in Paris, France, built-in 1889. The four legs of the structure were designed by using parabolas. With two of those “legs” side by side, they form one individual parabola, making an upside-down “U” shape. In this specific parabola, the vertex is in the middle arch of the upside-down “U.” It is comfortable to infer that the axis of symmetry runs straight down a point on the x-axis. Without the wonders of parabolas, it could not have been built!

The Eiffel Tower is not alone in its usage of the marvels of parabolas; the famous Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California, has parabolas on each side of its side spans or towers. The Parabola (now Design Museum), a structure in London that was built in 1962, boasts a copper roof with parabolic and hyperbolic lines.

Dolphins leap out of the water in the form of a parabola by making an upside-down “U” shape. One purpose of this leap could be to conserve energy, although some scientists believe they serve as a way for dolphins to communicate with one another or even just to have fun. They breathe, escape from predators, and locate preys with this jump. Although we currently do not fully understand why exactly dolphins jump, this parabola-shaped jumps seem to be essential for their survival.

Unlike dolphins, owls use parabolas to listen to their surroundings. This is especially useful when they hunt at night. Owls receive all transmitting sounds in their ear holes in their heart-shaped face, which looks more like two symmetrical parabolas. Owls can collect every incoming sound wave with the help of their facial structure. Their feathers, which are tight and distinct, clean itinerant sounds so they can distinguish what they hear. After that, the parabolic shape of their face allows sounds to transfer to their ear holes. The parabolic face of the owl, which is more like an inverted umbrella or satellite antenna, allows focusing the sounds on a point. In experiments, owl could not catch their prey in the dark when the collar feathers on their faces were plucked off. Even if the parabola’s focus directs the owl to the sound’s location, failure to clear the sound interference leads to the inability to perceive the sound’s exact coordinates.

To make matters worse for their prey, owls can hear restrained and ambiguous sounds with exceptional detail. Their ability to distinguish sounds is so refined that it can display selective behavior during the hunting process. For example, owls can determine whether it is a field mouse or a tree rat that makes rustling behind a bush. Owls can do this because they can distinguish the sound frequencies of their preys, identifying their species, and whether they are adults or not.

Humans have hearing functions that are only slightly similar to that of owls. Since our ears are on our heads, sound does not come to both ears at the same time. It reaches one ear faster than the other in an expeditious period. The hearing system of an owl is very distinctive from ours. Both ear holes are located symmetrically on both sides of the head, but the ear holes are designed slightly differently, not precisely symmetrical like our ears. The left ear hole is placed just above the right ear hole. Thus, incoming sounds are always picked up by the right ear before the left ear and this adds the dimension of height to the hearing process. The ability of owls to rotate their head 270 degrees also benefits hearing (we can turn our heads 90 degrees).

Experiments on owls are carried out in dark artificial environments, which are not like the natural environment. In nature, there are distracting sounds; the rustling of leaves in the forest, many other creatures that may alert them, and the vibrations of animals apart from their prey. These noises will confuse the owl and thus results are not exactly the same as lab tests.

Owls are equipped to clear all background sounds and focus solely on their prey. They can pinpoint the prey’s location through all the echo, resonance, and even tinnitus that happen around them with the help of its parabolic face and the skin, eyes, ears, and feathers that form its shape. There are many genera and species of owls, and each one of them is a separate work of art.

We can see the useful reflection and focusing properties of parabolas in many other places that exhibit so many similarities to the owl face model. For instance, if a light source is placed on a plane at the focal point of a parabolic mirror, it will generate beams parallel to the plane where the light source is located, as is the case in car headlights. In the working principle of car headlights, the headlight lamp is placed at the focal point for long-distance vision and just above the short-distance image’s focal point — the opposite of the system used by headlights used in satellite antennas and optical infrared telescopes. Optical infrared telescopes scan the entire universe and collect incoming data in the same way an owl’s face collect the sound waves at specific points. Such a telescope conveys the light, sound, and radio waves from space to the receiver in the focal point using a parabolic face. One of the world’s largest known optical infrared telescopes is the “Subaru Telescope” placed on top of the Mauna Kea volcano in Hawaii. It has been providing access to the darkest corners of space since 1999. Besides being the world’s few “infrared telescopes,” it is also the world’s biggest one-piece parabolic reflective mirror. The Telescope’s 8.2-meter-diameter and the 20-centimeter-thick mirror has similar features to that of a contact lens. Since images can so easily be distorted in such a large mirror, it is connected to a computer-controlled support system. The support system also helps keep the mirror in the proper position by making the necessary “push and pull” movements with 261 small motors with screens and sensors. In this way, the telescope discovers faint objects in the darkest and distant regions of space. Located at a height of 4250 meters, this telescope monitors the universe at a max range. Thanks to this telescope’s capability to gather light, render images, and wide-angle view, scientists have a chance to study even very distant supernovae.

Next to the Subaru, the world’s largest telescope, called TMT (the Thirty Meter Telescope) is in the process of installation at the summit of Mauna Kea. The project, which is projected to cost 1.4 billion dollars, is currently on hold due to many obstacles, last being Covid-19. The most important reason for choosing the foothills of Hawaii and Mauna Kea for the telescope is that the weather is clear for an average of three hundred days a year. There were already hundreds of small telescopes in the region. Using the giant telescope, astronomers plan to track planets orbiting stars, study the early years of the universe, and observe new planets and forming stars. Scientists emphasized that the telescope’s segmented with its 30-m prime mirror diameter in size, collect data about nine times more area than the largest optical telescopes used today, and its image resolution is twelve times sharper than that of the Hubble Space Telescope.

Mathematics never ceases to astound mankind with its seemingly endless uses and applications that manifest in nature and human life. Parabola is one good example that connects the face of an owl to telescopes scientists use in their searches in outer space. This sometimes leaves one puzzled, wondering where such marvels originated from. Could all of these occurrences have resulted merely out of chance?