World Environment Day and the Muslim’s Duty
Salam Aznan, Marketing Specialist at IRUSA, reflects on our duty to the environment.
Our Duty
Out of the many obligations bestowed upon us by Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) and our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him), one of the most neglected aspects of our religion is our duty to the environment. Islam teaches us to be kind to our neighbors, to be generous with o
Our Islam
There are a wide variety of hadiths and Qur’anic ayahs directing us to protect and to not neglect the sanctity of the environment. In Surah Al-A’raf, Allah (SWT) commands us to not consume extravagantly,
“O children of Adam, take your adornment at every masjid, and eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess.”
In a hadith narrated by Muslim, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) once said that, “the world is beautiful and verdant, and verily God, be He exalted, has made you His stewards in it, and He sees how you acquit yourselves.”
In this beautiful statement, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is reminding us that YOU and I are the caretakers of Earth and Allah is testing us on how we act and use the blessed resources He has given us.
Our Actions
What can we do to help our beloved planet Earth from indescribable destruction? Well, unless you want to pack your bags, sell your car and your house, and are willing to live in the woods free from modern appliances and pesky millennials, there are easier options.
It starts with our habits. It doesn’t take a lot of work to live a more green and environmentally-friendly lifestyle. We can reduce how much food waste we produce and eat less meat. We can consume more greens and significantly reduce our environmental impact. Taking shorter hours can save millions of gallons every year and using reusable bags for grocery shopping can prevent plastic from polluting our oceans.
It starts with you and all it takes is changing one habit at a time.
