Eco- Islam
God gifted us this earth to care for and protect. What does this mean for Muslims? The beauty of this earth is that it provides us with natural resources, which humans need to survive.
We have been gifted with naturally growing fruits and vegetables, water, medicine, agriculture, and renewable energy and all of these wonderful things allow us to grow and live a comfortable life. Sadly, we are now running out of resources quicker than we are able to renew them.
We are taught to carry ourselves with humility and gratitude, appreciating the gifts that surround us:
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“He created man of clay like the potter's…”
[Surah Rahman: Aya14]
Mud and water are who we are. We drink water, and we eat from pots of clay. The very vessels, from which we satiate our hunger, were used to create our bodies.
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Islam teaches us to reconnect with our natural disposition – the fitrah. It is a faith that teaches us to declutter, recycle, reuse, and renew. Not only does an eco-friendly attitude help the earth, but it helps us too!
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Islam teaches us to be the best we can in this world, and to work hard to benefit in the Hereafter.
A good deed on earth can amount to enumerable deeds in the next, and that is what makes deeds so very special.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace & blessings be upon him) taught us:
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“If any Muslim plants any plant and a human being or an animal eats of it, he will be rewarded as if he had given that much in charity.”
Trees provide fruit, shade, cleanliness to our atmosphere, and benefit for future generations to come. Until that tree is standing, you benefit as much as whoever ate from its fruits, took shade from its leaves, and rested upon its bark.
Some of the favourite foods of the Prophet Muhammad (peace & blessings be upon him) were:
Honey, milk, bread, watermelon, dates, figs, dill, parsley etc.
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The Prophet rarely ate meat, and encouraged us to eat a third to our stomach’s fill (leaving a third for water and one for air). This helps our bodies to keep disciplined, and avoid greediness.