10 Green Hadiths

Forest

By: Muhammad Fathi

Did the Prophet (peace and blssings be upon him) say anything about saving our planet? Did he promote any ideas or practices relevant to the world's growing concern about the future of the earth and its resources?

Today, with the increasing awareness of the dangers facing our planet and the great interest in green ideas, a reflection on the guidance of the Prophet in this area proves helpful and relevant. What is distinctive about the Prophet's approach to environmental issues is the connection he establishes between green practices and the Hereafter reward, which represents for Muslims an incentive greater than any worldly gain or reward and, as a result, prompts a greater care for the earth and more effort to conserve its resources.

Plant a tree even if it is your last deed:

1. Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “If the Hour (the day of Resurrection) is about to be established and one of you was holding a palm shoot, let him take advantage of even one second before the Hour is established to plant it.” (Authinticated by Al-Albani)

Planting trees is a renewable source of hasanat:

2. Anas also reported that the Prophet said, "If a Muslim plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person or an animal eats from it, it is regarded as a charitable gift (sadaqah) for him." (Bukhari)

Conserve resources even when used for rituals:

3. Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Al-`Aas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet passed one day by Sa`d ibn Abi Waqas (May Allah be pleased with him) while he was performing wudu' (ritual cleaning of body parts in preparation for prayer). The prophet asked Sa`d, "Why is this wastage?" Sa`d replied "Is there wastage in wudu also?" The Prophet said, "Yes, even if you are at a flowing river." (Ahmad and authenticated Ahmad Shakir)

Keeping environment clean is important:

4. Mu`adh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet warned, "Beware of the three acts that cause you to be cursed: relieving yourselves in shaded places (that people utilize), in a walkway or in a watering place." (Ranked sound, hasan, by Al-Albani)

5. Abu Zarr Al-Ghafari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Removing harmful things from the road is an act of charity (sadaqah)." (Authenticated by Al-Albani)

No for over-consumption! Consider recycling and fixing before buying new items:

6. Abdullah ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet said, "The believer is not he who eats his fill while his neighbor is hungry." (Authenticated by Al-Albani)

7. Asked about what the Prophet used to do in his house, the Prophet's wife, `A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), said that he used to repair his shoes, sow his clothes and used to do all such household works done by an average person. (Authenticated by Al-Albani)

8. The Prophet said, "Whoever kills a sparrow or anything bigger than that without a just cause, Allah will hold him accountable on the Day of Judgment."  The listeners asked, "O Messenger of Allah, what is a just cause?" He replied, "That he will kill it to eat, not simply to chop off its head and then throw it away." (An-Nasa'i)

Animals should be cared for:

9. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet said, "A man felt very thirsty while he was on the way, there he came across a well. He went down the well, quenched his thirst and came out. Meanwhile he saw a dog panting and licking mud because of excessive thirst. He said to himself, "This dog is suffering from thirst as I did." So, he went down the well again, filled his shoe with water, held it with his mouth and watered the dog. Allah appreciated him for that deed and forgave him." The Companions said, "O Allah's Messenger! Is there a reward for us in serving the animals?" He replied: "There is a reward for serving any living being." (Bukhari)

10. Abdullah ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet said, "A woman entered the (Hell) Fire because of a cat which she had tied, neither giving it food nor setting it free to eat from the vermin of the earth." (Bukhari)

This article was originally published on OnIslam on April 22, 2014. 

Ten Green Hadiths

By: Muhammad Fathi Did the Prophet (peace and blssings be upon him) say anything about saving our planet? Did he promote any ideas or practices relevant to the world's growing concern about the future of the earth and its resources?

Today, with the increasing awareness of the dangers facing our planet and the great interest in green ideas, a reflection on the guidance of the Prophet in this area proves helpful and relevant. What is distinctive about the Prophet's approach to environmental issues is the connection he establishes between green practices and the Hereafter reward, which represents for Muslims an incentive greater than any worldly gain or reward and, as a result, prompts a greater care for the earth and more effort to conserve its resources.

Below is a collection of the Prophet's hadiths that, although said 14 centuries ago, are so relevant today. The green ideas are not novel, they are as old and well established as the religion of Islam is.

Plant a tree even if it is your last deed: 1. Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “If the Hour (the day of Resurrection) is about to be established and one of you was holding a palm shoot, let him take advantage of even one second before the Hour is established to plant it.” (Authinticated by Al-Albani) Planting trees is a renewable source of hasanat: 2. Anas also reported that the Prophet said, "If a Muslim plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person or an animal eats from it, it is regarded as a charitable gift (sadaqah) for him." (Bukhari)

Conserve resources even when used for rituals: 3. Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Al-`Aas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet passed one day by Sa`d ibn Abi Waqas (May Allah be pleased with him) while he was performing wudu' (ritual cleaning of body parts in preparation for prayer). The prophet asked Sa`d, "Why is this wastage?" Sa`d replied "Is there wastage in wudu also?" The Prophet said, "Yes, even if you are at a flowing river." (Ahmad and authenticated Ahmad Shakir)

Keeping environment clean is important: 4. Mu`adh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet warned, "Beware of the three acts that cause you to be cursed: relieving yourselves in shaded places (that people utilize), in a walkway or in a watering place." (Ranked sound, hasan, by Al-Albani)

5. Abu Zarr Al-Ghafari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Removing harmful things from the road is an act of charity (sadaqah)." (Authenticated by Al-Albani)

No for over-consumption! Consider recycling and fixing before buying new items: 6. Abdullah ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet said, "The believer is not he who eats his fill while his neighbor is hungry." (Authenticated by Al-Albani)

7. Asked about what the Prophet used to do in his house, the Prophet's wife, `A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), said that he used to repair his shoes, sow his clothes and used to do all such household works done by an average person. (Authenticated by Al-Albani)

8. The Prophet said, "Whoever kills a sparrow or anything bigger than that without a just cause, Allah will hold him accountable on the Day of Judgment."  The listeners asked, "O Messenger of Allah, what is a just cause?" He replied, "That he will kill it to eat, not simply to chop off its head and then throw it away." (An-Nasa'i)   Animals should be cared for: 9. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet said, "A man felt very thirsty while he was on the way, there he came across a well. He went down the well, quenched his thirst and came out. Meanwhile he saw a dog panting and licking mud because of excessive thirst. He said to himself, "This dog is suffering from thirst as I did." So, he went down the well again, filled his shoe with water, held it with his mouth and watered the dog. Allah appreciated him for that deed and forgave him." The Companions said, "O Allah's Messenger! Is there a reward for us in serving the animals?" He replied: "There is a reward for serving any living being." (Bukhari)

10. Abdullah ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet said, "A woman entered the (Hell) Fire because of a cat which she had tied, neither giving it food nor setting it free to eat from the vermin of the earth." (Bukhari)

This article was originally published on OnIslam.net on April 22 2013.

Photo Credit: kaybee07

Islam and Consumerism

By: Mohannad Hakeem

Consumerism is spreading like a plague in today’s culture. People are transformed into tireless shopping machines whose lifestyles are centered on malls, sales, and new offers. In the words of  Tyler Durden, from Fight Club, the movie:

"We’re consumers. We are by-products of a lifestyle obsession. Murder, crime, poverty, these things don’t concern me. What concerns me are celebrity magazines, television with 500 channels, some guy’s name on my underwear”.

In the pre-Islamic era, also known as Jahiliyyah (period of ignorance), the Arabs were known for worshipping multiple idols, magnifying their dads and forefathers, adopting all their belief system, in addition to tribalism, racism and sexism. The Qur'an and the message of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) were revealed not only to solve those problems but also to provide guidance that fits all problems of humanity.

Nowadays, we are experiencing a newer version of Jahiliyyah that is centered on celebrities dictating our lifestyles (replacing idols and the forefathers), using women as sex-objects in advertising (which might not be so different from burying them alive), and the most important ritual that takes place at the temple of consumerism (malls): Shopping!

The H&H Perspective (Halal /Haram)

I know that many people expect answers about every single matter from an H&H (Halal and Haram) paradigm. If you are one of them then you may not want to continue reading this article because you will not find what you are looking for.

Instead, we will try to examine the etiquette of spending and dealing with money in Islam, and hence will leave the H/H answer up to you, based on YOUR understanding of YOUR situation.

BEWARE from Omar’s Stick

Jaber ibn `Abdillah narrates that `Umar ibn Khattab saw some meat in his hand. `Umar immediately asked: "what is this, Jaber?"

Jaber replied: I was craving for meat, so I managed to buy some. (It looks like meat was such a luxury item at that time, something we don’t think about these days).

`Umar said: So are you going to buy whenever you crave for something, Jaber? Don’t you fear that the following verse might apply to you:

{And the Day those who disbelieved are exposed to the Fire [it will be said], "You exhausted your pleasures during your worldly life and enjoyed them …} (Al-Ahqaf 46:20)

While some people will counter this argument by quoting the hadith:

“Allah loves to see the traces of His blessings on His slave” (Tirmidhi)

It is interesting to note another narration of this hadith, which is preceded by the following:

“Enjoy eating and drinking without excessive spending and showing off, because Allah loves to see the traces of His blessings on His slave” (Narrated in Al-Mustadrak )

Keeping up with the Joneses

This is a well-known idiom in many parts of the English-speaking hemisphere, which refers to always comparing what you have (house, car, backyard, clothes, etc…) with what your neighbors, the Jones, own.

After starting as a comic strip holding the same name in 1913, this slogan redefined one of the pillars of modern consumerism: shopping and spending to show off and to compete with others, regardless of whether you need the goods or even if you can afford them  in the first place.

In the age of social media and satellite channels, the Jones need not to be your next door neighbors, they might be a random family living on the other part of the world. They are definitely not happy with what they have (if they really own it) and are trying to compete with their own version (or perception) of the Jones family, and this infinite loop continues endlessly.

No one can claim that the modern capitalism invented envy, which is a trait that existed in human beings since their creation, since the famous story of Habeel and Qabeel (Abel and Cain) (Al-Ma’idah 5:27-31).

In addition, greed was built into the creation of Adam himself (Ta-Ha 20:120). However, there is a big difference between having a negative trait that you recognize and try to cure and fight, and having this trait control your life, dictate the way you identify yourself and you look to others.

Therefore,“Keeping up with the Joneses” defines a culture of consumerism. The consumerism culture is becoming like a fire that is continuously ignited by the fuels of greed and envy.

Rich man with one garment

An interesting long story is narrated in Sahih Al-Bukhari about Ka`b ibn Malik, a rich companion who did not join the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) during the expedition of Tabuk. To make a long story short, he was boycotted by the Muslims for fifty days, and no one was allowed to talk to him until further instructions are revealed from Allah in his matter.

 After this lengthy period of living alienated from the Muslim society, Allah accepted the repentance of Ka`b (At-Tawbah 9:118) and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed the Muslims about the happy news. Now listen to Ka`b himself, narrating how he got the good news:

While I was praying Fajr that morning on the rooftop of my house, I heard a man shouting on the top of Mount Sil`: ‘O Ka`b ibn Malik, rejoice!’

I fell prostrate, and I knew that relief had come.

The Prophet had announced my forgiveness during Fajr. A man came riding on a horse to bring me the news, but the voice of the other man on the mount has reached me first. So when I saw that man I gave him my garment as a way to thank him, and I had only one garment. So I borrowed an outfit and rushed to meet the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)

While this story has lots of benefits and wisdom to learn from, it sheds the light on one important aspect in the life of the Companions, particularly the rich ones: They did not have a closet full of clothes and had to stand up next to it for half an hour to decide what to wear! Ka`b was known to be rich, and you may refer to the early part of this long story in Sahih Al-Bukhari for more information.

However, it was a well-known practice for them not to buy clothes more than their need (because of their proper understanding of Islam).

We really have to reframe our mindsets on how we define our needs, our budget, and our spending, if we want to achieve something in this world or in the afterlife.

{And do not make your hand [as] chained to your neck nor extend it completely and [thereby] become blamed and insolvent.} (Al-Israa’ 17:29)

Dr. Mohannad Hakeem holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering. He is a youth counselor and motivational speaker in Greater Detroit area, Michigan, USA. This article was originally published on OnIslam.net on March 24 2013.

Photo Credit: szeke