ENVIRONMENT

There are hundreds of verses in the Quran that exhort believers to reflect on nature & orders us to pay heed to them as a sign and a warning - the sky, the stars, the moon, the sun, the seed, the rain, the oceans and the mountains are all mentioned repeatedly and we are asked to understand the signs that are in them. But how can we appreciate these signs if we are carelessly defiling our own surroundings? Along with acknowledging the signs in nature, Islam also considers appropriate sanitation to be one of the fundamentals of belief.

The whole earth has been created a place of worship, pure and clean. Hence, civic sanitation & conservation is a commandment from Allah. Throughout the ages cleanliness was one of the most striking characteristics of the Islamic Civilization. Islam’s care & respect for the environment and fellow living beings is amply borne out by the fact that even clearing an obstacle from people’s path is also considered charity. As representatives/stewards of Allah on earth, Muslims are instructed to look after the environment instead of presiding over its destruction. It is the religious responsibility of Muslims to have proper civic sense, be hygienic & care for all forms of life created by the Almighty.

Civic Sanitation Drives

The Earth is a sanctuary Allah made for our benefit and productive use. According to Islamic injunctions afforestation is highly encouraged. If a person plants a tree or sows a field and humans, beasts & birds eat from it, he is rewarded for it. So much so that the Prophet decreed, “Even when the doomsday comes & if someone has a palm shoot in his hand, he should plant it”.

Moreover Islam also forbids us to waste water, food or spend of our wealth on unnecessary things. The Quran says, “But waste not by excess: for Allah loveth not the wasters” (6:141). Each one of us will be responsible for wasteful behavior and we will be held accountable for it. The Prophet directed us not to waste while performing ablution even if we are using water from a flowing river. Therefore Islam's aversion to waste & concern for the depletion of natural resources is not simply instrumental, but fundamental.

Volunteers of Rahman Foundation on a civic sanitation drive at Damatvillage, Maharashtra

As Allah’s trustees on earth human beings are responsible for protecting & maintaining the purity of the Earth’s vast oceans, forests, mountains as well as its flora & fauna, its wildlife and the fragile equilibrium in the environment. It is our duty to preserve the biodiversity in nature & tackle the ecological problems that besiege our planet. In an earnest attempt to be sincerely thankful to Allah for all the bounties that He has blessed us with, the Rahman Foundation periodically conducts cleanliness drives & promotes a sense of public hygiene in the neighbouring localities.