Caring for the Earth
| Khatib : |
Sadullah Khan |
| Khutbah No: |
146 |
| Khutbah Date: |
04/22/05 |
وَسَخَّرَ لَكُم مَّا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا مِّنْهُإِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لَّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَAnd Allah has subjected to you, what is in the heavens and on earth: Behold, in that are Signs indeed for those who reflect.[Qur’an 45:13]Nature, the Environment and the Qur’anThere are more than 500 verses in the Qur'an dealing directly with nature, the environment and natural phenomena. In fact, numerous chapters (
surahs) are titled after either animals or natural phenomena. There are more than 500 verses in the Qur'an dealing directly with nature, the environment and natural phenomena. In fact, numerous chapters (
surahs) are titled after either animals or natural phenomena. These include ...
Al-Baqarah The Cow,
Al-An'aam The Cattle,
Ar-Ra'd The Thunder,
An-Nahl The Bee,
An-Noor the Light,
An-Naml the Ant,
Al-'Ankabut the Spider,
At-Toor the Mountain,
An-Najm the Star,
Al-Qamar the Moon,
Al-Buruj the Constellation of Stars,
At-Tariq the Night Star,
Al-Fajr the Dawn,
Ash-Shams the Sun,
Al-Layl the Night,
Ad-Duha the Morning,
At-Teen the Fig, and
Al-Feel the Elephant. We are commanded
[Q 7:179] to use our sensory, conceptual and moral faculties to appreciate the realities around us and to be heedful of the signs we see and the lessons we learn. We are encouraged to reflect upon the
creation of the celestial and earthly spheres, upon the operations of nature, upon the alternation of night and day, upon the variety of life forms, upon the vegetation with all its variety and its tendency to decay and regenerate [Q3:190, Q13:2-4, Q10:6, Q45:5, Q42:29, Q35:27,Q30:19,Q87:4].
Surely, in all these there are signs for those who reflect [Q 45:13].
Natural Communities As the human community is part of nature
so too do other creations form communities at their respective levels. Allah reminds us of this in the Qur'an
[6:38] The thought-provoking incident between the wise Prophet Solomon / Sulayman (pbuh) and the community of ants related in Surah an-Naml
[Q 27:16-19] serves as a great lesson in human consideration of other creation.
Natural Disposition The Qur'an and Prophetic traditions make constant reference to
Fitrah natural disposition. We are ...
- informed that every person is actually born upon pure natural disposition
- instructed to live according to the best of our nature [Q 30:30]
- made aware that every creation submits its existence to a natural pattern [Q 3:83]
These references to the natural world around us aim at ...
- conscientizing us about the Creator of creations
- instilling in us a sense of respect for Allah's creation
- making us cognizant of our inextricable relationship with nature
Do Not Abuse Nature Nor Destroy The Environment We are commanded in the Qur'an
not to cause disruption /corruption/ mischief/chaos on earth after it has been so well ordered/organized [Qur'an 7:56 and 67: 3-4]. Wise ones have said that we abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect. Native Indian Chief Seattle of the Duwamish Tribe said:
"Whatever befalls the Earth - befalls the sons of the Earth. Man did not weave the web of life - he is merely strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself." There is an age-old native Indian saying:
"Reflect on the fact that the land belongs to a vast family of which many are dead, few are living, and countless numbers are still unborn." The Dangers We Face The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) was drawn up by 1,300 researchers from 95 nations over four years.The most comprehensive survey ever into the state of the planet concludes that human activities threaten the Earth's ability to sustain future generations. The report indicates that human abuse of the environment, through pollution, deforestation and indiscriminate exploitation of the natural resources has caused irreversible changes that are degrading the natural processes that support life on Earth. This will impact on hunger, poverty and healthcare.
Facts and Figures60% of world ecosystem services have been degradedOf 24 evaluated ecosystems, 15 are being damaged.The World Conservation Union (IUCN) latest report species threatened with extinction…
- 25% of mammal
- 20% of reptiles
- 11% of bird species
- 34% of fish
- 12.5% of all plant species
If present trends continue one half of all species of life on earth could be extinct in 100 years. Nearly seven out of 10 of the biologists polled said they believed a "mass extinction" was underway and almost all attributed the losses to human activity, especially the destruction of plant and animal habitats.Currently over one billion people lack a reliable supply of water while 2.4 billion people - or just under half the world's population - have no adequate water supply for daily needs. Human pollution is one of the main factors seriously undermining the quality and availability of freshwater, says the report. About 2 million tons of waste are dumped every day into rivers, lakes and streams. One gallon of wastewater pollutes about eight gallons of freshwater.
UN World Water Development Report (WWDR)As a result, more than 2.2 million people die each year from diseases owing to contaminated drinking water and poor sanitation. Everyday around 6,000 people, mainly children under the age of five, die from water-related diseases. But despite these startling figures, the report warns that water resources will steadily decline because of population growth, pollution and expected climate change. Human pollution is one of the main factors seriously undermining the quality and availability of freshwater, says the report. About 2 million tons of waste are dumped every day into rivers, lakes and streams. One litre of wastewater pollutes about eight litres of freshwater.
UN World Water Development Report (WWDR)The World Resources Institute predicts that by 2025, at least 3.5 billion people, or nearly 60 percent of the world's population, will face water scarcity.
Negative Human EffectsHere is a brief list of the effects we humans have had upon the earth and some of the consequences of these changes:
- Pollution of the air from factories, automobiles, and homes causes environmental illnesses from cancer to lung diseases.
- Pollution of the water in rivers and lakes and now oceans makes conditions unsafe for fish and other water creatures. The fish cannot be eaten by humans and the water cannot be used for recreational purposes.
- Pollution of the land from the garbage and other waste produced by humans. Toxic dumps and nuclear waste are a threat to the health of many communities, as well as to the plants and animals of the area.
- Loss of ground water reserves from overuse for personal and agricultural purposes will lead to food losses, lifestyle changes, and conflicts over limited resources.
- Loss of biological diversity due to encroachment of humans causes destruction of plant and animal species. The loss of species goes hand in glove with the loss of diverse ecosystems that support many forms of life. The result is the loss of sources for medicine, as well as a diminishment of the gene pool of animals and plant strains that allow life to survive and adapt to changing conditions.
- The destruction of forests changes the temperature of the earth and diminishes the earth's capacity to provide the carbon dioxide that enables humans and other animals to breathe. The loss of arable land to desert from erosion and overuse leaves people without sustainable levels of food and water.
- Global warming from the trapping of heat due to pollution of the air threatens to cause the oceans to expand, which will inundate population areas and fresh water reserves, create extreme weather patterns, move the food belts to different areas of the globe, and bring on outbreaks of infectious disease.
- The depletion of the ozone layer due to the use of certain refrigerants and other dangerous products will allow greater exposure to ultraviolet rays and will cause chemical and genetic changes in the entire food chain from the plankton in the sea to the cattle in the fields. It will also greatly increase the cases of skin cancer.
- The incredible growth of the population, increasing at an ever greater exponential rate, puts stress on every ecosystem.
Care for World We Live inWhy should man expect his prayer for mercy to be heard by the One Above when he shows no mercy to what is under him? Prophet Muhammad reflectively said: ارحم من في الأرض يرحمكم من في السماء
"Have mercy for those on earth so that the One above may have mercy on you.” Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) reminded us that
the best of Allah's creation are those most beneficial to his creation, and advised us that
ان الدنيا خَضِرَة ٌ حِلوة ٌ و ان الله مُستخلِفُكم فيها فناظرٌ كيف تعملونthe world is green and delightful and Allah has put you in charge of the world and is observing carefully how you deal with it.
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