EGYPTIAN Islamic scholar and geologist Zaghloul El-Naggar dies aged 92

Egyptian Islamic scholar and geologist Zaghloul El-Naggar, a leading figure in the field of scientific interpretation of the Qur’an, has died at the age of 92.

El-Naggar passed away in Amman, Jordan, after a battle with illness, according to statements released on his official social media accounts on Sunday.

His funeral prayer will be held on Monday at Abu Aisha Mosque in Amman, followed by burial at Umm Al-Qutain Cemetery.

Born on 17 November 1933 in the village of Mashal in Egypt’s Gharbia Governorate, El-Naggar showed an early passion for science.

He graduated with honours in geology from Cairo University in 1955, earning the Mustafa Baraka Award in Earth Sciences. He obtained a PhD from the University of Wales in 1963 and became a full professor in 1972.

El-Naggar’s career spanned decades of teaching and research at universities in Egypt, the UK, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Yemen, Jordan, and the United States.

He chaired the geology department at Qatar University, taught at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, and served as a visiting professor at UCLA.

He also directed Al-Ahqaf University in Yemen and later taught at the World Islamic Sciences and Education University in Jordan.

He became one of the Arab world’s most recognised voices on the relationship between science and faith, authoring numerous books and delivering hundreds of lectures on what came to be known as the “scientific miracles of the Qur’an and Sunnah”.

His popular TV programme Ayat Bayyinat (“Clear Verses”) aired across Arab channels, exploring Quranic descriptions of natural phenomena.

El-Naggar was a member of the International Commission on Scientific Signs in the Qur’an and Sunnah and was honoured several times for his contributions to promoting scientific understanding within an Islamic framework.

source/content: newarab.com (headline edited)

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El-Naggar passed away in Amman, Jordan, after a battle with illness [Al-Araby Al-Jadeed]

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EGYPT

Dr. Farouk El Baz – Egyptian American Space Scientist and Geologist

Farouk El Baz Ph.D., Space Scientist. Geologist

  • Formerly – President Sadat’s Scientific Advisor (1978-1981)
  • Founder – Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, National Museum of Atmospheric and Space, at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC
  • Dr. El Baz played a pivotal role for the Apollo mission where he served as the secretary for the Apollo landing board on the moon, and was responsible for leading the astronaut training team in general science, particularly in moon imaging

So pivotal was he to Apollo that in Tom Hanks’ HBO TV-series, From the Earth to the Moon , El-Baz’s role as an Apollo scientist and astronaut trainer was featured in a segment entitled, “The Brain of Farouk El-Baz,” and a shuttle craft named El-Baz soared through the popular TV-series Star Trek : The Next Generation

Awards:

  •  He has won over 31 awards, including achievements in science, in NASA, incl:
  •  Golden Door Award of the International Institute of Boston
  • Nevada Medal of the Desert Research Institute
  • The Pioneer Award of the Arab Thought Foundation.
  • The Apollo Achievement Award

Honour:

  • Asteroid 7371 El-Baz, discovered by American astronomers Eleanor Helin and Schelte Bus at Palomar Observatory in 1978, was named in his honor.   The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 27 August 2019 ( M.P.C. 115893).

Book:

  • Deserts and Arid Lands , Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, ISBN 90-247-2850-9

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pix: scoopempire.com /egypttoday.com

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AMERICAN / EGYPTIAN-AMERICAN / ARAB AMERICAN