Site of Note: Muslim Green Team

Very rarely can you find a Muslim website dedicated to and campaigning for environmental, ecological and green issues. It is very refreshing and relieving to find one. There is one: the Muslim Green Team. A project of the Muslim American Society, the Team's objectives as stated on their site are:

• To fulfill our duty to Allah (swt) in adopting environmentally friendly practices.
• To contribute to the increasingly global effort to reverse the effects of environmentally-irresponsible practices.
• To raise awareness about environmental issues within the Muslim community.
• To demonstrate the environmental message of Islam.
• To contribute the unique, Islamic perspective of the environment to the national and global environmental conversation.

Islam is Green. Preaches Green. Commands Green. And yet: across the Muslim World, there is so much environmental and ecological misuse, degradation and destruction that is very hard to understand. We forget to strive as advised by our Founder: “Strive for your life in the hereafter as if you will die tomorrow. Strive for your life on earth as if you will live forever.” We have failed to conserve as commanded: ….But waste not by excess:......for God loves not the wasters.~ Surah Al An’am 6: 141.

It is related that the Prophet passed by his companion Sa’ad, who was performing his wudhu’ - ablutions - and said: “What is this wastage, O Sa’ ad?”.........“Is there wastage even in washing for prayer?” asked Sa’ d;......and he said, “Yes, even if you are by a flowing river!” ~ Ibn Majah. Rasulullah  صلى الله عليه و سلم  was so strict about this that he did not allow his followers to even bathe in standing water, or pollute it with excrement and urine when they relieve themselves. He said: “None of you should pass his urine or bath in a water source.” ~ Sahih Bukhari. We have lost guidance. We have become too much of a consumer and a material society to recall, or adhere to, these rules. If only there would be more Green Muslim Teams. If only We can all practice and be Green. Green as our color Is.