In Islam, Every Day is Earth Day

In Islam, Every Day is Earth Day
by Fatima Ashraf
4/22/10
Earth Day was established in 1970 to raise awareness about the environment. Islam however, did more than that; it provided clear directives for action, as early as the seventh century. The Quran is filled with ayats and the Sunnah is filled with actions, on how to be stewards of the Earth.


The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “the Earth is a Mosque.” You can pray anywhere. The entire planet is meant to be a place for worship of its Creator. You can kneel down in awe and gratitude of Allah on grass, on sand, on a mountain, in a cornfield. Therefore, the planet and its people deserve to be protected.

To demonstrate the connection between Islam and the environment, let’s talk about waste, water, watts, and food. These four topics are especially important because civilizations have been built and destroyed on their ability or inability to manage them. Think about it - a society that cannot remove its trash, preserve its water, create energy, and distribute food - will not flourish. As Muslim-Americans who live in this country, we create waste, drink water, use energy, and eat food. We need to start thinking responsibly about our actions and how they impact the environment. Knowing what our Deen says about being Green is the perfect place to start.

America leads the world in waste production. We are less than 5% of the world’s population and create over 25% of the entire world’s waste. .....Read the rest of the article at elan