59. Al-Hashr/The Encounter
I/We begin by the Blessed Name of Allah
The Immensely Merciful to all, The Infinitely Compassionate to everyone.
59:01
a. Whatever is within the celestial realm and within the terrestrial world is Glorifying Allah
– The One and Only God.
b. And HE is The Almighty, The All-Wise.
59:02
a. It is HE WHO drove out those, who disbelieved, among the Followers of the former
Scriptures from their homes in the very first encounter of the two rival groups.
b. You would have never thought that they may ever leave so easily,
c. just as they thought that their strongholds would protect them from Allah.
d. But then Allah’s seizure came upon them from where they could not even perceive,
e. and HE cast such a terror into their hearts that they destroyed their houses with their own
hands, and with help of hands of the believers.
f. So learn a lesson from this, O People of Insight!
59:03
a. And had Allah not decreed exile for them, HE would have definitely punished them in this
world.
b. As for the Hereafter, they will definitely have the punishment of the Fire.
59:04
a. This is because they had opposed and challenged Allah and HIS Messenger.
b. And whoever challenges and opposes Allah and HIS Messenger should know then that
Allah is certainly severe in punishment.
59:05
a. The palm trees you had cut down of the enemy, or left standing on their stem was by Allah’s Permission,
b. and it was so that HE would disgrace the rebellious.
59:06
a. And whatever Allah bestowed as spoils of war upon HIS...
Background: Hypertension is a growing medical and public health issue. The United States and European treatment guidelines have been issued to attain smooth control of hypertension in various categories of patients. It is a need of time to unveil safe combination therapies in various populations. Objectives: (i) To determine the efficacy of valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide versus valsartan and amlodipine (ii) To determine the safety and tolerability of both combinations. Materials & Methods: This experimental study was conducted at Shalamar Hospital Lahore. 126 patients with stage 2 hypertension were recruited from the medical outdoor of Shalamar Hospital Lahore after getting informed consent. In group A, 63 patients were given valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide. In group B, 63 patients were given valsartan and amlodipine. Blood pressure (BP) of both study groups was recorded on day zero, 2nd, 4th, and 8th weeks and the readings were entered on a Proforma. The efficacy of drug combinations was accessed in both groups by recording the change in mean systolic blood pressure (MSBP) and mean diastolic blood pressure (MDBP). The safety and tolerability of the drug combinations were assessed in terms of side effects and laboratory findings. Results: In group A, there was a 39±7mmzHg and 18±1mmHg decrease in MSBP and MDBP, respectively, from baseline BP. In group B, there was a 26.7±4mmHg and 14±2 mmHg decrease in MSBP and MDBP, respectively, from baseline BP. Both combinations were safe, and no significant difference in the efficacy of both combinations was observed after 8-week of treatment. Conclusion: Both combinations are effective for control of BP, but the valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide combination (group A) appears to have better tolerability and greater effect in decreasing BP as compared to the combination of valsartan and amlodipine (group B), although this difference is not statistically significant.
The integrated use of slurry from a biogas digester (bioslurry), poultry manure and chemical fertilizer has potential to replace sole application of nitrogen as chemical fertilizer and improve maize productivity in a sustainable way. Field studies were designed using a randomized complete block design with a split plot arrangement during 2012-13. The trials included three tillage systems (minimum, conventional and deep tillage) with combinations of the different sources of nitrogen (bioslurry, poultry manure and chemical fertilizer), applying 100, 50 and 25% of the recommended nitrogen application to improve maize productivity. The results showed that deep tillage treatment with the recommended nitrogen application rate of the chemical fertilizer alone produced maximum plant height, stem diameter, cob length, cob diameter and number of grain rows per cob. However, deep tillage treatment with the recommended nitrogen application rate applied as 50% chemical fertilizer, 25% poultry manure and 25% bioslurry produced maximum 1000 grain weight, biological yield, grain yield and N uptake in maize grains as compared to other treatments. The maximum fertilizer N recovery efficiency in maize grains and value to cost ratio were observed in treatment where recommended nitrogen application rate applied as 50% chemical fertilizer, 25% poultry manure and 25% bioslurry. The potential of bioslurry and poultry manure to improve soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration and soil fertility under different tillage systems were also studied in the silt loam soils of Haripur, Pakistan. The results showed that tillage systems, nitrogen treatments and their interaction significantly increased SOC stocks, total porosity, soil total nitrogen, available phosphorus, potassium and significantly decreased bulk density. The maximum soil total nitrogen was recorded in the deep tillage system with 100% nitrogen applied as poultry manure. The maximum soil available phosphorus and potassium were observed in the deep tillage system with 100% nitrogen applied as bioslurry. The maximum SOC stocks were observed in minimum tillage with 100% nitrogen applied as bioslurry. These experimental measurements were used to evaluate a dynamic simulation model of soil organic matter turnover, RothC, which was then used to estimate future carbon sequestration. The correlation between experimental and simulated values was highly significant and the root mean square error was within experimental error, suggesting that RothC is providing an acceptable representation of the changes in soil carbon that are occurring in this experiment. The uncertainty in simulations was less than 3%. Simulations using future weather scenarios suggest that addition of the recommended rate of nitrogen in 8.4 t ha-1 y-1 bioslurry increases soil carbon sequestration over 100 years (2012-2112) by 24.9±0.7 t ha-1 compared to the control where no organic waste was applied. This sequesters 7.5±0.2 t ha-1 more carbon than if the same amount of nitrogen is applied as poultry manure, requiring an application rate of 7.5 t ha-1 y-1. If the same amounts of bioslurry and poultry manure are applied, carbon sequestration is still significantly greater for bioslurry than for poultry manure (4.5±0.2 t ha-1). Losses of carbon with climate change were highest under climate scenario B2 (environmental protection with regionalisation) and B1 (environmental protection with globalisation), followed by A1B (economic growth with globalisation), with minimum losses from A2 (economic growth with regionalisation). These predicted losses are likely to be more than compensated for by application of organic fertilizers at the rates needed to supply sufficient nitrogen to the crops. The findings can be concluded that the integrated use of bioslurry and poultry manure with a reduced rate of chemical fertilizer application improved maize productivity, soil carbon sequestration and reduced the cost of chemical fertilizers.