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Chapter 5: Comparative Study of Dr. Isrār Aḥmad’s Thoughts

Methodology of Prophetic Revolution

            Dr. Isrār Aḥmad is unique in giving the idea of a Prophetic Revolution to the present society. Various scholars have given different ideas on it. Let us first see what Dr. Isrār has said about it.

            In his lectures, he describes six phases of the Islamic/Prophetic Revolution which are:-

(1) Invitation(Da‘vat)

(2) Organization(Tanẓīm)

(3) Training(Tarbiyyat)

(4) Absolute Patience(Ṣabr-e-Maḥiḍ) and Non-violence

(5) Step Forward(Iqdām) and Challenge

(6) Armed Conflict, i. e. Musallah kashmakash/Qitāl fī Sabīl-e-Allāh[1]

First Phase: Invitation (Da‘vat)

            Dr. Isrār Aḥmad is of the view that as a first stage of the revolution there should be some novel idea; some revolutionary philosophy that should be spread and presented before the people who should be convinced in their minds about the usefulness of this idea through arguments and reasoning. [2]

            All the Islamic Movements working in society today consider INVITATION(Da‘vat) as the first phase and there is no difference of opinion about it. When the holy Prophet (SAWS) himself started his work; he first invited the people towards Dīn and presented an ideology before them. MaulānāṢafī al-Raḥmān Mubārakpūrī(d:1428A. H/2007A. D) in his book Al-Raḥīq al-Makhtūm divides Prophetic life into two parts;

  1. Makkan Life
  2. Medinite Life

He has divided Makkan's life further into three phases;

  1. The phase of Secret Invitation.
  2. The phase of Open Invitation and preaching amongst Makkans.
  3. The phase of Popularity and spreading of Islamic Invitation outside Makkah. [3]

       The above facts indicate that the holy Prophet (SAWS) started his mission with an invitation and the...

Exploring the Challenges Faced by The Teachers in Developing Higher Order Thinking Skills Among Students at Higher Education Level

This study was designed to describe the importance of higher order thinking skills (HOTS) among students by the teachers; to analyze the availability of instructional facilities and to explore the challenges faced by the teachers in developing higher order thinking skills among students at higher education level. The theoretical framework of the study was based on the model of Bloom’s revised taxonomy and higher order thinking skills by Mishra & Kotecha (2016). The model based on six dimensions named as remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating and creating. The research approach was qualitative with case study research design. The population of the study was based on faculty members of the three different departments of the National university of Modern Languages, Islamabad. Convenient sampling was used as the sampling technique. Data was collected by open ended questionnaire. Data was analyzed by categories and sub-categories after that researchers established codes from the responses of the faculty members. The findings of the study revealed that higher order thinking skills are important because it help us to develop critical thinking skills and creativity. Teachers faced many challenges during the class like lack of time, cooperation among students, diverse mental level, large number of students and lack of physical resources. These challenges can be tackled by motivation and suitable teaching method.

Endocrine Profile and Bone Turnover Markers in Severely Obese Children from a Pakistani Population

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The rare single gene mutations resulting in early onset extreme obesity and hyperphagia have led to the discovery of the central leptin-dependent melanocortin signaling regulating energy homeostasis, food intake and body weight. Energy imbalance is known to influence other physiological mechanisms such as neuroendocrine, reproductive, metabolic and immune functions. Excessive obesity has also been shown to impact bone formation and mineralization as evidenced mainly through imaging techniques. However, the effects of obesity on bone metabolism have remained controversial and often conflicting in various reports presumably due to the heterogeneity of the disease and differences in age, sex and ethnicity of subjects under investigation. Monogenic obesity provides an exceptionally unique paradigm to study the physiological phenotype in relation to specific energy-impaired states in the human. In view of the foregoing, the present study aims to first identify cases of monogenic obesity by screening, a group of children with early onset severe obesity from consanguineous families and subsequently to assess bone metabolism in affected individuals using specific bone turnover biomarkers. In addition, associated changes in metabolic hormone levels are recorded. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Initially, 130 unrelated severely obese children from consanguineous families were recruited from the central Punjab province of Pakistan. The subjects, 0.3-13 years of age, had a body weight percentile >97 and a BMI SDS for age ≥3.0. Anthropometric data and information about family and medical history were recorded. In the first phase of investigation, DNA of all subjects was screened for leptin (LEP) and melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) genes mutations, in the coding regions. Subjects found negative for these mutations were subsequently screened by microdroplet PCR targeted against a panel of 27 known obesity associated genes and next generation sequencing. Serum from subjects identified with monogenic obesity and from a control group of 26 age-matched children with normal body weight, was analyzed for bone specific turnover biomarkers, osteocalcin (OC), osteopontin (OPN), osteoprotegerin (OPG) and sclerostin (SOST) using multiplex analyte profiling. In addition, serum levels of leptin, insulin and cortisol were assessed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroid hormones (T3 and T4) were determined by electro-chemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA). RESULTS: The two-step genetic analysis of 130 children with morbid obesity, identified 42 probands with lossof- function homozygous mutations in LEP, leptin receptor (LEPR), or MC4R genes. Amongst these, 23 probands were identified with mutations in LEP, 11 with mutations in LEPR and 8 children with mutations in the MC4R gene. Eleven of the 18 variants identified in the 3 genes associated with obesity, are reported here for the first time. Bone metabolism in affected subjects, was assessed by specific serum bone turnover markers. Serum levels of bone formation indicators, osteocalcin and osteopontin, were significantly lower in LEP and LEPR deficient subjects compared with controls. In contrast, in MC4R deficient children, levels of these two biomarkers were remarkably raised over values observed for all other groups. Serum concentration of bone resorption biomarkers, osteoprotegerin and sclerostin, for the three mutant groups were not remarkably different from the values of normal weight subjects. However, mean sclerostin levels in children with MC4R mutations tended to be lower than those with LEP and LEPR defects and of the control group. As expected, leptin levels were undetectable in subjects with LEP mutations. Hyperleptinemia was more pronounced in subjects with LEPR deficiency compared to those with MC4R deficiency. Insulin levels though raised in all affected subjects were significantly higher in children with MC4R deficiency whereas serum cortisol concentrations were significantly elevated in LEP deficient children compared to all other groups. Interestingly, TSH, T3 and T4 levels in all affected subjects were unremarkable and within the normal range. CONCLUSIONS: The present data in conformity with previous reports in this population, demonstrate a relatively high prevalence (32%) of monogenic obesity among severely obese children. Eighteen different known or novel loss-of-function mutations were identified in LEP, LEPR and MC4R genes. Assessment of bone metabolism in affected subjects revealed a consistent deficit in bone formation in subjects with leptin or leptin receptor deficiency. These results indicate an impaired osteogenic activity and further support a substantial role of leptin in bone homeostasis. Remarkably, opposite alterations in bone turnover presumably due to an up-regulation of bone formation, were associated with MC4R deficiency. The present data advocate investigation of bone health preferably using a combination of imaging and biochemical techniques in cases of severe obesity for individualized management or treatment.
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