Al-Ūdwī’s Theory of Iʿjāz Al-Qurʾān

Maulānā Muḥammad Ismāʿīl al-Ūdwī al-Shikārpurī (1897-1970) was one of the very prominent scholarly personalities of Pakistan. His life and works are studied and analyzed in detail elsewhere. (See. IRJAH, Faculty of Arts, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Vol. 42, 2014 and Ma’arif Research Journal, Islamic Research Academy, Karachi, issue. 13, 2017). This paper mainly deals with al-Ūdwī’s theory of iʿjāz al-Qurʾān. With regard to the theory of iʿjāz al-Qurʾān, classical scholars including al-Rummani, al-Khaṭṭābī, al-Baqillani, al-Rāzī significantly emphasize the linguistic nature of iʿjāz as an argument to support the doctrine of iʿjāz al-Qurʾān. Al-Ūdwī on the other hand, after accepting the linguistic iʿjāz of the Qurʾān, proceeds to go further than his predecessors in supporting the doctrine of iʿjāz al-Qurʾān by emphasizing and situating iʿjāz in the content of the Qurʾān. Therefore, his book Nūr al-Īqān bi iʿjāz al-Qurʾān seems to be considerably different in its arguments from his predecessors’ theory. There is no exaggeration to say that al-Ūdwī has distinctly added several new arguments in his book, which, according to him, provide the certainty in the doctrine of iʿjāz, as he names his book as Nūr al-Īqān bi Iʿjāz al-Qurʾān, ‘Light of the faith through the inimitability of the Qurʾān.

Synthesis and Characterization of Multifunctional Inorganic-Organic Hybrid Microgels for Catalytic Applications

Microgel particles are emerging soft and smart materials for multiple applications including their use as adsorbent for environmental applications and as micro-reactor for in-situ fabrication of metal nanoparticles etc. The impregnation of such organic microgel particles with catalytic and optical active inorganic metal nanoparticles results in formation of hybrid materials with exceptional properties. This work encircles the synthesis of microgels with different morphologies, their use as adsorbent for environmental applications and as micro-reactor for stabilization of catalytic active metal nanoparticles. First part of the thesis emphasizes on recent research progress of the synthesis, properties, characterization and applications of microgels and hybrid microgels with different morphologies. Later, synthesis of poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide-acylic acid) [p(NipMa-Aac)], polystyrene poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide-acrylic acid) [PSt-p(NipMa-Aac)] core/shell microgels and silver nanoparticles loaded PSt-p(NipMa-Aac) composite microgels have been described in detail. pH responsive behavior of acrylic acid (Aac) co-monomer functionalized p(NipMa), PSt p(NipMa) and Ag@PSt-p(NipMa-Aac) core/shell hybrid microgels have also been described. Then, characterization of both pure and hybrid microgels using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Uv-vis spectroscopy (Uv-vis), dynamic light scattering (DLS), thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has been described. Use of p(NipMa-Aac) microgel particles and PSt-p(NipMa-Aac) core/shell microgel particles as adsorbents for removal of various pollutants such as dyes and heavy metal ions from iii aqueous medium have been discussed in detail. At the end of thesis, applications of Ag@PSt p(NipMa-Aac) core/shell composite microgel particles as catalyst for reduction of various nitro aromatic compounds such as 2-nitrophenol (2-Np), 4-nitrophenol (4-Np), 2, 4-dinitrophenol (2, 4-DNp), 4-Nitrotoluene (4-NT) and 4-chloro nitrobenzene (4-CNb) as well as toxic dyes such as Congo red (CR), Rhodamine B (Rh-B), methylene blue (MB) and brilliant blue (Bb) under various reaction conditions to explore the mechanism of catalysis process have been described. Recoverability and reusability of Ag@PSt-p(NipMa-Aac) core/shell composite micro particles catalyst was also investigated.