Power of Unity

Following article in the August, 2013 issue of Ubqari magazine is particularly interesting and eye catching. This was written by Maulana Waheed-ud-deen Khan. I remember having posted another article by him earlier in December, 2012. That was about the importance of tolerance. I find this article important because it illustrates the importance of unity in our life and does so with the example of two European astronomers namely, Johannes Kepler and Tycho Brahe. The article is written below. It is quite interesting to note that the Ubqari magazine is getting better and better by the day. The writers in the magazines write articles for encouragement and motivation by taking examples from diverse cultural backgrounds. It is also quite interesting that the author may certainly have read about the works of the two characters of the following article. Johannes Kepler's name may be well known to many, as I remember that we come across this name in our high school physics. But I am sure that Danish Tycho Brahe is not a very well known name, although his significance in the history of cosmology cannot be undermined. It is interesting to have read his mention in the magazine.

Nonetheless, Ubqari magazine is a treat for everyone. It is an increasingly Islamic magazine that tries to teach all of the humanity as to how to co-exist peacefully. It is being published in a time while a great proportion of humanity is quite confused, and not least of the causes of this confusion is religion. Ubqari invites people to Islam and its magazine is worth reading and the sermons worth listening to. The article is as follows:

No person can do anything tremendous alone. But united struggle has a price. And that price is to overlook the differences and to unite on the common interests.

Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler were contemporaries. But one thing had become an obstacle for both of them in a significant discovery related to astronomy. That was that none of them had complete expertise on every corner of their respective scientific fields. Tycho Brahe had made a plenty of observations in astronomy. He used to keep writing his observations. He had collected a large volume of a written treasure related to the observations about astronomy. But the second aspect about the knowledge of astronomy is related to mathematics. But Tycho Brahe was weak in mathematics.

On the other hand the situation with Johannes Kepler was that he did not have any expertise in astronomical observations. His only specialty was that he was an expert in mathematics. And from a mathematical point of view he had formulated many precious ideas about astronomy. 

Although Johannes Kepler and Tycho Brahe had personal differences. So much so that in one of his letters, Johannes Kepler had accused Tycho Brahe of hypocrisy and had bad-mouthed him. But Tycho Brahe did not become angry with Kepler despite being short tempered. At the last moment of his life he thought that only Johannes Kepler can be a better inheritor of his knowledge treasure. Thus, he invited Kepler to himself while forgetting all of his rudeness. And in 1601 he gave all of his educational treasure to Johannes Kepler without seeking any reward in return. When all the stock of Tycho Brahe's observations reached Kepler, the deficiency of Kepler was addressed. Now he applied all the mathematical powers of his mind to associate them with these observations. The result of this came out in these three principles which are known as Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion.

This is the secret to a great success in the present world. Every man has a limited knowledge. And based on this any single person cannot do something tremendous alone. But united effort has a price. And that price is to overlook the differences and to unite on common interest. To unite with people despite the differences. This, indeed, is dignity and generosity.