انعقاد رمضان و عیدین میں رؤیت قمر كی شرط كی حكمت

According to the Prophetic injunction, the fasting in the month of Ramadan, end of the fasting in that month, and determination of Eid al-Adha date should be based on moon sighting by at least two authentic persons. But due to advanced lunar movement calculations majority of Muslim nations prefer the lunar calendar in determining dates of Ramadan and the two Islamic festivals, 6d al-Filr and Eid al-Adha. This article attempts to prove that a pre-calculated lunar calendar cannot be the basis of determining the dates of the fasting month and Islamic festive days; and the only Islamic way to begin fasting month and celebrate festive days is moonsighting.

Antiglycation and Antioxidant Activities of Some Desert Plants.

Traditional uses of plants have been found since the time of antiquity. Their medicinal use has got attention of modern day researchers due to easy availability, less cost and negligible side effects.Sustained hyperglycemia causing diabetes and its complication is implicated by free radicals and AGEs leading to oxidative stress, damages different cell components. In the present study desert plants of Cholistan were selected including Boerhavia repens, Cleome brachycarpa vahl.ex.DC, Cymbopogon jawarancusa, Dipterygium glaucum, Prosopis cineraria and Fagonia indica as these were found to be unexplored. Preliminary phytochemical screening exhibited strong presence of saponins, steroids and alkaloids except C. brachycarpa vahl.ex.DC. P. cineraria and C. jawarancusa showed considerable presence of flavonoids which was further confirmed by quantitative analysis of plants for crude flavonoids contents. Saponins were found to be maximum for F. indica and alkaloids in C. jawarancusa. Extract yield (%) was found to be maximum for D. glaucum aqueous extract and P. cineraria methanolic extract. Highest amount of total phenolics were found in F. indica aqueous extract and P. cineraria methanolic extract. When antioxidant activities were determined by reducing power assay, maximum activity was shown by aqueous extract of P. cineraria and F. indica methanolic extract expressed as mmol of AAE/g dw of extract. Aqueous and methanolic extract were analyzed for inhibition of lipid peroxidation in linoleic acid system and maximum activity was shown by F. indica aqueous as well as methanolic extractat maximum concentration. EC50 was calculated and aqueous extract of C. jawarancusa was most effective while methanolic extract of F. indica was found to be more potent antioxidant. Significant inhibition of free radical scavenging by DPPH method was exhibited for all plant extract with maximum value for F. indica aqueous extract and minimum by B. repens .Whereas methanolic extract of P. cineraria exerted maximum inhibition and it was also found to be most effective when EC50 was calculated. All these methods were performed to have a comprehensive over view of plants antioxidant activities. Rate of glycation was found to be increasing with increasing temperature. Glycation level quantification by TBA method and all tested plants were reported for maximum glycation level at first week of incubation. P. cineraria methanolic extract was noted for maximum inhibition of glycation and D. glaucum for minimum response at 37°C. At 50°C P. cineraria and F. indica were reported for minimum glycation level at 2nd week of incubation. Appreciable inhibition was observed by P. cineraria, C. jawarancusa and C. brachycarpa vahl ex DC at third week of incubation and minimum glycation inhibition was exerted by F. indica. All plants were found to be considerable antioxidant and antiglycation agent but P. cineraria and F. indica conferred highest antioxidant and antiglycation activities. The potential for these activities may be explained in term of high total phenolic contents, flavonoid contents and rich saponins of F. indica attributing towards medicinal properties.