Islam & Earth

A collection of voices and conversations on Earth connection, environmental issues, climate action,and sustainable solutions through an Islamic worldview.

Episode 16, 1445

Connecting to the Qur'an & the Creator through Nightsky Exploration

In this majestic episode of Islam & Earth, Sr. Nadia Abuisnaineh, a NASA Solar System Exploration Ambassador, speaks about how the majesty of the nightsky.  She discusses how this connects us the Creator and the wonders of the Qur'an.  Sr. Nadia provides examples of how the sahabi, and our previous predecessors connected to the nightsky, navigated using the nightsky.

She discusses practical tips on how families can begin to explore the nightsky, local events and places to connect with and how it nurtures curiosity in children.

Sr. Nadia also shares personal experiences about how she became excited about astronomy and nightsky exploration and how her fond memories of nights in Palestine inspired her to be awed by the nightsky.

Finally, she talks about things to consider when we discuss climate change and atmospheric impacts on the skies above us.
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Sr. Nadia Abuisnaineh was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For as long as she can remember, she always had a deep fascination with the universe. She was one of those kids in school that knew what she wanted to study in college at a very young age, and that never changed, even as she got older. Her love and enthusiasm for math and science allowed her to pursue a Bachelors of Science Degree in Astrophysics from the University of Minnesota. After graduating in 2011, Nadia dedicated her time and talents to a couple non profit organizations in her community. She worked with Mishkah University, and helped launch AlMaghrib Institute classes in Minnesota. Her effort with these organizations taught her the meanings of community service and sacrifice toward a cause larger than herself. By providing community members with an experiential platform to seek knowledge, she enabled them to explore their culture and religious identities under world-renowned scholarship. In 2019, Nadia got accepted into NASA/JPL’s Solar System Ambassador program, where she, and hundreds of other volunteers across the US, engage the public in space and space exploration missions.  Nadia currently resides in Fridley, Minnesota, with her husband and three kids. She spends most of her time teaching her son and daughters how to navigate the world around them. She enjoys watching documentaries, walking around the state's many lakes, swimming, and stargazing.

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More info regarding  Sr. Nadia's work can be found at:


https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/ambassadors/1828/

 

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