This Wednesday, on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, Sevim (executive director of Green Muslims) & I will be welcoming a special guest on Khalifa Conversations: Imam Muhammad Adeyinka Mendes, resident scholar and imam at the Muslim Center of Greater Princeton, New Jersey. We’ll continue to discuss practical ways to live the environmental spirt of Islam.
Join us with your comments & questions on Wednesdays at 3PM ET via Zoom.
Register at tiny.cc/KhalifaConvo
Remember to donate to your masjid or Islamic center today. Many masajid are still providing virtual talks, classes & webinars, delivering meals to the needy, providing counseling & matrimonial services, all while taking care of masjid business & bills.
Donate to your masjid every time you think of how much you miss community prayer and worship. Light up the masjid with your sadaqa (charity).
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، وَعَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ، صَاحِبِ الزِّيَادِيِّ وَعَاصِمٍ الأَحْوَلِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ قَالَ خَطَبَنَا ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ فِي يَوْمٍ رَدْغٍ، فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ الْمُؤَذِّنُ حَىَّ عَلَى الصَّلاَةِ. فَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يُنَادِيَ الصَّلاَةُ فِي الرِّحَالِ. فَنَظَرَ الْقَوْمُ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ فَقَالَ فَعَلَ هَذَا مَنْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنْهُ وَإِنَّهَا عَزْمَةٌ
Narrated `Abdullah bin Al-Harith:
Once on a rainy muddy day, Ibn `Abbas delivered a sermon in our presence and when the Mu’adhdhin pronounced the Adhan and said, “Haiyi `ala-s-sala(t) (come for the prayer)” Ibn `Abbas ordered him to say ‘Pray at your homes.’ The people began to look at each other (surprisingly). Ibn `Abbas said. “It was done by one who was much better than I (i.e. the Prophet (ﷺ) or his Mu’adh-dhin), and it is a license.’
Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 10, Hadith 14 via Sunnah.com
Central to Islam, and thus Islamic environmentalism, is the concept of balance. There is balance in terms of opposites — night & day, birth & death, sun & moon, fire & water, heaven & earth — and balance in terms of moderation — seeking the middle path between rights and duties.
Balance itself is a creation of Allah (glorious & exalted is He) and one of His signs that point to His existence, magnificence, and mercy. Seeing His creation out of balance is also a sign that we need to pause, reflect and take action.
We can clearly see the earth is out of balance: extinction and loss of species biodiversity, extreme temperatures, glacial melt, rising sea-levels, as well as increased frequency of intense weather events like hurricanes, fires, and droughts.
Our goal as Muslims is to move away from the extremes of extravagance, excess and wastefulness that have contributed to an unbalanced earth, and return to a moderate and just way of living and being.
And the heaven He raised and imposed the balance
That you not transgress within the balance.
And establish weight in justice and do not make deficient the balance.
Holy Quran, Surah Ar-Rahman 55:7-9
English translation by Sahih International via Quran.com
? @draufsicht via @unsplash