16. Al-Nahl/The Honey Bee
I/We begin by the Blessed Name of Allah
The Immensely Merciful to all, The Infinitely Compassionate to everyone.
16:01
Allah’s Judgment is coming.
So do not seek to hurry it – O the disbelievers.
All Glory be to HIM!
And HE is Exalted - far above what they ascribe to HIM in Divinity and Worship.
16:02
Tell them, O The Prophet, that everyone does not deserve to get the angels descend on to him.
HE sends down the angels with the Spirit by HIS Command upon whoever HE
Pleases of HIS servants, saying:
‘Warn people that there is no entity of worship except ME alone.
So keep away from MY disobedience’ in reverence, awe, and piety!
16:03
HE created the celestial realm and the terrestrial world in truth with a definite purpose.
HE is Exalted - far above what they ascribe to HIM.
16:04
HE created the human being from a drop of semen,
yet the same human being openly becomes a fierce adversary.
16:05
And the livestock - HE created them for you.
There is warmth in them - in clothing from their hides/wool - and other benefits,
and of them, you obtain meat to eat as well.
16:06
And there is beauty in them for you too -
when you bring them home in the evening, and
when you take them out to pastures in the morning.
16:07
And they carry your loads to distant far-off lands,
which you could not otherwise reach without hardship to yourselves.
In fact, your Rabb - The Lord is All-Gracious and All-Compassionate.
16:08
And HE...
In Pakistan, although women’s activism was initiated since the country came into existence, but a diverse activism was observed by the nation in the form of ‘Aurat March during 2018-2020. The current study examines the Western feminism, what it was initiated for and its accomplishments in the current time. By employing a discourse analysis approach to the ‘Aurat March event, this study highlights the women’s activism in Pakistan, ‘Aurat March and the antipathy faced by organizers and supporters from the public because of its strange slogans and ridiculous placards. It also observes the relationship between western feminism and ‘Aurat March activism from the perspective of the social, cultural, and religious transformation of society. The study finds the need to raise a constructive and logical voice for women’s rights with support of the public to eradicate social evils instead of focusing on insignificant matters. It has further recommended that there is a need to build a framework in which one may be able to differentiate women’s rights in the context of western feminism and the limitation of women’s emancipation in Islamic context.
During the present work, an in vitro approach was followed for the propagation of Pecan [Carya illinoensis (Wangenheim) C. Koch]. Effect of different media (DKW, MS or WPM) supplemented with various levels of BAP were tested for in vitro germination response. It was observed that the best medium for in vitro germination was an MS formulation supplemented with 4.0 μM BAP. During the experiments, different morphological features of in vitro-grown seedlings of Pecan were also observed. Formation of multiple shoots was also observed from intact nodal regions of developing seedlings. Multiple shoots developed from in vitro germinated seeds were shifted to various rooting media. After acquiring a sufficient length (3 - 4 cm), the developed multiple shoots were transferred to the rooting media, i.e., DKW or MS supplemented with different combinations of growth regulator (IAA, IBA or NAA). MS medium supplemented with 4.0 μM IBA + 4.0 μM NAA proved to be best medium for root induction. On the other hand, in vitro-germinated seedlings after acquiring a sufficient length (4 - 5 cm), were transferred successfully to perlite or vermiculite to enhance rooting. More than 85 % of in vitro-grown Pecan plants were acclimatized successfully to the soil under glasshouse conditions and kept for more than 30 days. These plants were then transferred to field conditions at Botanical Garden, Punjab University, Lahore. For the clonal propagation of Pecan, forcing shoot tips and/ or epicormic buds from the large stem segments taken from more juvenile portions of older trees. Softwood shoots were forced form shoot tips of Pecan during the dormant season. Forcing solution (8-HQC) containing sucrose (2 %), TDZ (2.0 μM) in combination with IBA (2.0 μM) and BAP (2.0 μM) was quite effective for the highest (89.45 %) sprouting of buds under glasshouse conditions. Softwood shoots were also forced through epicormic or latent buds form the large branch segments on different media under various environmental conditions. The present investigation demonstrated that glasshouse conditions favored the maximum (2.92) production of softwood shoots as compared to other lab or wire house (natural) conditions. Media also had a significant effect on softwood shoot production as sterilized sand produced the highest (2.92) mean number of softwood shoots during the winter season. Rooting experiments with these softwood shoots however were not successful as contamination was the major limitation. During the present investigation, a suitable explant for callus induction and its subsequent maintenance was established for Pecan (Carya illinoensis Wan.). Bark segments and immature cotyledons of Pecan were used as an explant source. Effect of different media (DKW, MS or WPM) supplemented with various levels of 2, 4-D, NAA and TDZ were tested for callogenesis from bark and cotyledonary explants. Mature bark explants cultured on DKW medium containing a combination of 2, 4-D and TDZ resulted in 93.70 % callus induction and proved to be the best medium for callus induction and its maintenance. DKW medium supplemented with 13.57 μM TDZ resulted in 93.33 % callus induction from immature fruit explants. Morphologically different calluses were also observed at various levels of 2, 4-D, NAA and TDZ. Tissue browning was a major problem associated with callus induction using bark and fruit explants. These brown callus cultures, however, formed root primordia during this study after an incubation period of 110 days or so. Calluses were also transferred for plant regeneration, however, there were no plantlet regeneration possible during the present investigation. In the present study, adventitious multiple shoots were initiated from immature cotyledonary explants of Pecan (Carya illinoensis). The embryo axes were excised carefully and small cotyledonary pieces from immature fruits were cultured on different media (DKW, WPM or MS) supplemented with various levels of benzyl aminopurine (BAP) or Thidiazuron (TDZ). The shoots were initiated after 8 days from the cultures on DKW or MS media supplemented with BAP (0.5, 1.0, 4.0, 8.0 or 15 μM). Media supplemented with TDZ had shown no response. Maximum shoot development and proliferation was observed after 16 days of culture on MS medium supplemented with 15 μM BAP. The developed shoots were then transferred to basal MS medium for further development and shoot proliferation for 20 days. The proliferated shoots (2.0 - 4.5 cm long) were transferred (without any pre-treatment) to fresh MS basal medium for root initiation. Although rooting could not be achieved during this research work, some progress has been made in this regard. However, adventitious regeneration indicates a strong possibility to regenerate whole plants from various tissues of Pecan.