Moustafa Mosharafa
Encyclopedia
Dr. Ali Moustafa Mosharafa Pasha (11 July 1898 – 16 January 1950 ) was an Egyptian
Egyptians
Egyptians are nation an ethnic group made up of Mediterranean North Africans, the indigenous people of Egypt.Egyptian identity is closely tied to geography. The population of Egypt is concentrated in the lower Nile Valley, the small strip of cultivable land stretching from the First Cataract to...

 theoretical physicist. He was professor of applied mathematics in the Faculty of Science at Cairo University
Cairo University
Cairo University is a public university located in Giza, Egypt.The university was founded on December 21, 1908, as the result of an effort to establish a national center for educational thought...

, and also served as its first dean. He contributed to the development of the quantum theory
Quantum theory
Quantum theory may mean:In science:*Quantum mechanics: a subset of quantum physics explaining the physical behaviours at atomic and sub-atomic levels*Old quantum theory under the Bohr model...

 as well as the theory of relativity
Theory of relativity
The theory of relativity, or simply relativity, encompasses two theories of Albert Einstein: special relativity and general relativity. However, the word relativity is sometimes used in reference to Galilean invariance....

 and corresponded with Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...

.

Birth and early life

He was the youngest student in his class, but the most knowledgeable. He obtained his primary certificate in 1910 ranking first nationwide. At the age of 16 he obtained his Baccalaureate in 1914 to become the youngest student at that time to be awarded such a certificate. He preferred to enroll in the Teachers' College rather than the faculties of Medicine or Engineering due to his deep interest in mathematics.

He graduated in 1917. Due to his excellence in mathematics, the Egyptian Ministry of Education
Ministry of Education (Egypt)
The Ministry of Education of Egypt is a ministry responsible for education in Egypt. The current minister is Dr. Ahmed Gamal El-Din Moussa....

 sent him to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 where he obtained BSc ( Honors) from the University of Nottingham
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...

, 1920. The Egyptian University consented to grant Mosharafa another scholarship to complete his doctoral thesis. During his stay in London many of his scientific researches were published in prominent science magazines. He obtained a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...

 in 1923 from King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...

 in the shortest possible time permissible according to the regulations there. In 1924 Musharafa was awarded the degree of Doctor of Science, the first Egyptian and 11th scientist in the entire world to obtain such a degree.

Academic career

When he returned home he became a teacher in the Higher Teachers' college. When the University of Cairo was opened in 1925, he became an associate professor of mathematics in the Faculty of Science because he was under the age of 30, the minimum age required for fulfilling the post of a professor. In 1926 his promotion to professor was raised in the Parliament, then chaired by Saad Zaghloul. The Parliament lauded his qualifications and merits which surpassed those of the English dean of the faculty and he was promoted to professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...

.

He was the first Egyptian professor of applied mathematics
Applied mathematics
Applied mathematics is a branch of mathematics that concerns itself with mathematical methods that are typically used in science, engineering, business, and industry. Thus, "applied mathematics" is a mathematical science with specialized knowledge...

 in the Faculty of Science. He became dean of the faculty in 1936, at the age of 38. He remained in office as a dean of the Faculty of Science until he died in 1950.

Among his students was Sameera Moussa
Sameera Moussa
Sameera Moussa was an Egyptian nuclear scientist who held a doctorate in atomic radiation and worked to make the medical use of nuclear technology affordable to all...

.

Scientific achievements

Mosharafa published 25 original papers in distinguished scientific journals about quantum theory, the theory of relativity, and the relation between radiation and matter. He published around 12 scientific books about relativity and mathematics. His books, on the theory of relativity, was translated into English, French, German and Polish. he also translated 10 books of astronomy and mathematics into Arabic.

When Einstein visited Egypt, he specifically asked to meet Mousharafa, and it is said that this meeting developed onto Einstein's E=MC
Mass-energy equivalence
In physics, mass–energy equivalence is the concept that the mass of a body is a measure of its energy content. In this concept, mass is a property of all energy, and energy is a property of all mass, and the two properties are connected by a constant...

2 because of Mousharafa's extraordinary knowledge of quantum atoms, radiation, mechanics, and dynamics.

Musharafa was interested in the history of science, especially in studying the contributions of Arab scientists in the Middle Ages. With his student M. Morsi Ahmad, he published al-Khwārizmī's book The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing
The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing
, also known under a shorter name spelled as Hisab al-jabr w’al-muqabala, Kitab al-Jabr wa-l-Muqabala and other transliterations) is a mathematical book written in Arabic in approximately AD 820 by the Persian (Arabic for "The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing", in...

(Kitab al-Jabr wa-l-Muqabala).

He also was interested in the relation between music and mathematics and helped to establish the Egyptian society of music fans in 1945.

Social and political views

He was the first to call for social reform and development based on scientific research. He was keen on disseminating public scientific awareness, and wrote several articles and books for the public about science in simple forms. He, further, encouraged translations into Arabic. He contributed in writing the Arab scientific encyclopedia and books on the scientific heritage of the Arabs as well. He was against the use of atomic energy in war and warned against the exploitation of science as a means of destruction.

Honors

  • He was given the title "Pasha
    Pasha
    Pasha or pascha, formerly bashaw, was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire political system, typically granted to governors, generals and dignitaries. As an honorary title, Pasha, in one of its various ranks, is equivalent to the British title of Lord, and was also one of the highest titles in...

    " by King Farouq, but he declined the title claiming that no title is worthier than a sciences PhD.
  • A laboratory and an auditorium are named after him in the Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Egypt.
  • An annual reward carrying his name has been initiated by his family to be given to the cleverest student in mathematics.
  • Egypt & Europe Magazine published a cartoon of him standing between Russia and the USA holding in his hands rolled paper, and both superpowers awaiting him to unfold the secrets of science.
  • When the Advanced Sciences Institute in the USA in 1947, Mosharafa was invited as a visiting professor at Princeton University, but the king disapproved.

Books and papers

He wrote 26 significant papers including theoretical explanations of natural phenomena. He wrote 15 books in relativity and mathematics. Among which is a book on the theory of relativity translated into English, French, German and Polish. It was reprinted in the USA. He produced around 15 scientific books about relativity, mathematics, atom and space invasion. His most important books are:
  • We and Science
  • Science and Life
  • Atom and Atomic Bomb
  • Scientific Claims
  • Engineering in Pharaohs Times

Death

He died under mysterious circumstances on Monday, January 15, 1950. Press reports at the time suggested that he was assassinated by one of the Israeli Mossad
Mossad
The Mossad , short for HaMossad leModi'in uleTafkidim Meyuchadim , is the national intelligence agency of Israel....

's operations against Arabic prominent scientists. International Scientific circles have never been so deeply moved at the death of an Egyptian scientist as they were at the death of the Egyptian genius, Dr. A.M. Mosharafa. It was not surprising for Einstein, the greatest scientist of his time who was personally well acquainted with Dr. Mosharafa's genius and ambitions to mourn him to the world as a great loss to science asserting that his name and achievements will never be forgotten. Albert Einstein in a confident tone said, "I can not believe that Mosharafa is dead, he is alive through his researches. We are in need of his talents, it is a great loss, he was a genius. I used to follow up his researches in atomic energy, definitely he is one of the best scientists in physics."
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