Whenever the Prophet (S.A.W) went to bed every night, he used to cup his hands together and blow over it after reciting Surat Al-Ikhlas...
BITS ‘N’ PIECES
Reflecton Narrated Aisha (R.A):
Whenever the Prophet (S.A.W) went to bed every night, he used to cup his hands together and blow over it after reciting Surat Al-Ikhlas, Surat Al-Falaq and Surat An-Nas, and then rub his hands over whatever parts of his body he was able to rub, starting with his head, face and front of his body. He used to do that three times. Sahih Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 61, Number 536
Willis Haviland Carrier invented the air conditioner to control temperature and humidity in a printing press.
In 1906, a quiet but transformative moment in modern history took place when an American engineer named Willis Haviland Carrier was granted a US patent for what is recognised as the world’s first air conditioner. At the time, Carrier could hardly have imagined how deeply his invention would reshape everyday life, architecture and even global economic patterns. The story began a few years earlier, in 1902, when Carrier was working for the Buffalo Forge Company.
A Brooklyn printing plant was struggling with a frustrating problem: changes in temperature and humidity were causing paper to expand and contract, leading to blurred ink and ruined prints. Rather than focusing on cooling alone, Carrier approached the problem scientifically. He designed a system that controlled humidity as well as temperature, ensuring consistent air conditions inside the factory. This marked a crucial shift from simple ventilation to true air conditioning. Carrier formalised his breakthrough in 1906 with a patent titled “Apparatus for Treating Air.” The patent described a system that passed air over coils filled with cold water, removing excess moisture and stabilising indoor conditions.
What made this invention revolutionary was its precision. For the first time, humans could reliably control the indoor environment, regardless of outdoor weather. This idea was radical in an era when people simply adapted to heat and humidity rather than altering them. Initially, air conditioning was not about comfort. Its earliest applications were industrial and commercial, helping textile mills, food processing plants and printing presses maintain quality and efficiency.
However, the ripple effects were enormous. As the technology improved and became more accessible, air conditioning moved into theatres, offices and eventually homes. It changed how buildings were designed, allowing for sealed windows, taller structures and densely populated urban centres in hot climates. Carrier’s 1906 patent also laid the foundation for long-term social change.
Cities in warmer regions, once considered difficult to inhabit year-round, began to flourish. Productivity increased, working conditions improved and public spaces became more accessible during extreme weather. In many ways, modern life as we know it, from glass skyscrapers to climate-controlled hospitals, owes a quiet debt to this single invention.
