Elevation (Part 1)

If you have ever been on a plane, you may recall the pre-flight safety announcements and their mention of cabin pressure. They typically state something along the lines that if we experience a sudden drop in cabin pressure, oxygen masks will fall down to supply you with oxygen. This is required since, at higher altitudes, the air is thinner, so there is not enough oxygen for us to function, and the supplemental oxygen supplied through the masks keeps people from passing out.

This is because the Earth’s gravity pulls air molecules closer to the surface at lower altitudes. So at higher altitudes, the air is thinner and, therefore, less oxygen. This is why it is more difficult to breathe at higher altitudes. Consider if you ever go for a hike in the mountains or a trip to a place like Peru; you may notice that you get more winded the higher up you go.

The human body needs oxygen to function. When you breathe, your lungs take in oxygen from the air and deliver it to your blood. Your blood then carries oxygen to all of the cells in your body. The cells use oxygen to produce energy. If you do not get enough oxygen, your body will not be able to function properly. This can lead to hypoxia, where your tissues cannot get enough oxygen. This lack of oxygen causes shortness of breath and makes breathing difficult. To compensate, the lungs work harder to try to extract the oxygen that it desperately needs. This only exacerbates the problem causing even more fatigue and discomfort.

Understanding this is pertinent to the following metaphor in the Quran, which compares those who choose God’s guidance to those who choose to go astray.