The Muslim Green Team connect water to spirituality. Words of wisdom for the Middle East. [image via: luigig]
It may not seem like an obvious connection, but if you are a believer in God and the wonder of his creations then you probably have a vested interest in conserving them. These creations include wildlife, plant life, natural resources, and – very importantly – water.
The Muslim Green Team, a project of the Muslim American Society, has made an interesting correlation between the actions of the Prophet Muhammad and the importance of water conservation (especially in the desert region where he lived and which characterizes most of the Middle East).
In the Muslim Green Team’s own words:
“In the harsh desert environment where the Prophet lived, water was synonymous to life. Water was a gift from God, the source of all life on earth as is testified in the Qur’an: “We made from water every living thing” [21:30]. The Qur’an constantly reminds believers that they are but the guardians of God’s creation on earth and that they should never take this creation for granted: “Consider the water which you drink. Was it you that brought it down from the rain cloud or We? If We had pleased, We could make it bitter” [56:68-70].
Saving water and safeguarding its purity were two important issues for the Prophet: we have seen that his concern about the sustainable use of water led to the creation of haram zones in the vicinity of water sources. But even when water was abundant, he advocated thriftiness: thus he recommended that believers perform wudu no more than three times, even if they were near to a flowing spring or river. The theologian El-Bukhari added: “The men of science disapprove of exaggeration and also of exceeding the number of ablutions of the Prophet.” The Prophet also warned against water pollution by forbidding urination in stagnant water.”
Any insights on how your own religion relates to water conservation? Please share in the comments section below.
Read more about Islam and the environment:
Greening Hajj and Madina for the Muslim World
The National Religious Coalition on Creation Takes Interfaith Environmental Concerns to the US Government
Muslims Adopt A 7-Year Plan As Part of Islam’s Green Agenda
Author: Karen Chernick
Much to the disappointment of her Moroccan grandmother, Karen became a vegetarian at the age of seven because of a heartfelt respect for other forms of life. She also began her journey to understand her surroundings and her impact on the environment. She even starting an elementary school Ecology Club and an environmental newsletter in the 3rd grade. (The proceeds of the newsletter went to non-profit environmental organizations, of course.) She now studies in New York. Karen can be reached at karen (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
