TAG: Can You Walk the Talk?

Green Ramadan, Can You Walk the Talk? 

www.ThinkAsGreen.com 

Faraz Khan

Islam is a comprehensive way of life. It offers humanity not only a connection to their creator but also to their environment. The environment is an extraordinary sign which draws our attention to its maker and creator. Moreover, the environment also reflects that an immoral behavior could pollute not only the esoteric spiritual heart but also the exoteric physical world.

In retrospect, Muslims are commanded to avoid moral and physical impurities. Pollution is a result of humanity’s shift from equilibrium. As a result, global catastrophes such as acid rain, air pollution, global warming, hazardous waste, ozone depletion, smog, water pollution, rain forest destruction, desertification, ecosystem destruction and extinction are early signs of a meltdown. It is not a matter of lack of technology or energy but rather waste and greed that has led humanity to a moral and corporeal decadence.

The Quran summarizes the environmental crises as: "Mischief [pollution] has appeared on land and sea because of the work that the hands of people have earned. That God may give them a taste of the consequences of some of their deeds: in order that they may turn back from wrong ways." (Quran 30:41) No doubt, Islam prohibits waste, destruction, and pollution and guides human behavior to respect their environment.

Preservation of the environment is a clear objective in Islam. The principles established in the Quran and the traditions of Prophet Muhammad serve as a guide to humanity. It is clear that environmental crisis requires more than a scientific quick fix. In reality it is not an "environmental problem" but rather a modern human problem. Clearly, the modern waste/disposable culture has no support in any traditional cultures and religions. Prophet Muhammad warned against waste even for a religious purpose "Do not waste water, even if you perform your ablution on the banks of an abundantly-flowing river” (Ibn Majah).  Furthermore, the blessed Prophet encouraged believers to be charitable and ecologically conscious. He said “If a Muslim plants a tree or grow grains and a bird, a person or an animal eats from it will be counted as a charity for him.” (Muslim).

Fundamentally, Islam promotes green – environmentally conscience living. In another example the Prophet reciprocally connected compassion to all beings on this planet with God’s mercy. He mentioned a beautiful paradigm, "The Most Merciful shows mercy to those who have mercy on others. Show mercy to those on earth, and the One above the heaven (God) will show mercy to you." (Tirmizi). Interestingly, the Qur’an literally describes dwellers of paradise wearing green garments (18:31). Compassion is infused in Islamic teachings for everyone – animate or inanimate creatures of God. 

Nevertheless, it is not sufficient to quote verses from the Qur’an and nobles hadiths of the Prophet on the ecological crisis.  While global warming is the macrocosm, plastic and Styrofoam waste - water bottles, cups, utensils, and plates that dominates Ramadan and mosques is the microcosm. Theoretical bravado aside, conserving resources and recycling has yet to become a priority of a community that takes pride in Islamic green ethos. Ramadan is a month of curbing extraneous desires and waste. God commands in the Qur’an "O Children of Adam, eat and drink, yet do not be wasteful. He does not love the extravagant" (7:31). It teaches barakah – less is more when one pleases God. In short, Islam as a green faith will become tangible when Muslims initiate a grassroots effort to green their lives, mosques, organizations, businesses, and the society.

In conclusion, faith inspires hope and hope is a harbinger to transformation. Ramadan is a great time to take a pledge and to renew the commitment to live green – environmentally conscious Muslims. This Ramadan recommit in making this world a green paradise while gaining the pleasure of God. Join TAG, Think As Green the grassroots green being initiative. Take an online green pledge, count eco footprint, form a green team at the mosque, MSA, and community, cut waste, refuse disposable culture, and protect the environment while honoring the signs of God.  

TAG, You’re IT! (green leader).

“From the Earth we created you and into it we shall send you back and from it we will raise you a second time. (20:55)

TAG: 4Rs - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle & RAMADAN

ISCJ Begins Green Ramadan Initiative

Throughout the holy month of Ramadan, the Islamic Society of Central Jersey hopes to inspire individuals to be eco-friendly and protect the environment.

http://southbrunswick.patch.com/articles/iscj-begins-green-ramadan-initiative

On Sunday, the Islamic Society of Central Jersey, on Route 1 in South Brunswick, helped launch a new initiative aimed at inspiring individuals and local mosques to make a concerted effort towards going green during the holy month of Ramadan.

The Green Ramadan Initiative is a program created by a group of concerned Muslims aiming to raise awareness about the importance of environmental stewardship and walking in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad, according to organizer Faraz Khan. The initiative calls for the implementation of new ideas and strategies that raise awareness, reduce waste, and promote healthy living.

"This is not a new age thing, but part of the Islamic teachings, as many verses in the Koran talk about conserving nature and respecting it because nature is a sign of God," Khan said. "Destroying a sign of God is disrespecting God, so those are some of the lessons we're hoping to promote within the community."
Ramadan begins on Aug. 1 and lasts through Aug. 30. Khan said the idea for a green initiative rose out of concerns about the amount of potential waste that could be created during the holiday.

"During Ramadan there's a lot of interaction, daily prayers and food served, so we're concerned about the amount of plastic bottles generated at the ISCJ since we're not eating or drinking from dawn until dusk," he said. "So we started brainstorming about how to make this event more eco-friendly. So we ask people to take the 'Green Ramadan' pledge to action, where we pledge to reduce energy consumption, water consumption, and consumption of meat."

Parts of the pledge include taking quick showers, eliminating use of plastic bottles and styrofoam, eating more fruits and vegetables, carpooling to reduce gas consumption, and the planting of gardens.
"This is something that we hope spreads to people year-round, which is why we agreed Ramadan was the best time to launch it," Khan said. "People talk about the three R's, recycling, reusing and reducing, so in our community we decided to make it the four R's, with Ramadan. This is a great way to raise awareness and bring people on board in the Islamic community to work in conjunction with fasting, to inspire people to exhibit care and compassion, while showing charity."

TAG: Shaykh Abdul-Nasir Jangda on the Environment

"When we destory the environment,

we're destorying the signs of Allah."

A conversations between Abdul Nasir Jangda and Faraz Khan

Think As Green - Featuring AbdulNasir Jangda
http://www.thinkasgreen.com/

youtube.com – http://www.thinkasgreen.com - prepare yourself for a green Ramadan

TAG - Green Ramadan PLEDGE

GREEN RAMADAN PLEDGE

"I _______________________ pledge this Ramadan to MAKE A DIFFERENCE to be environmentally conscious, socially responsible and compassionate to those around me in following the example of Prophet Muhammad – the mercy to the worlds. In order to fulfill this, I pledge to do the following action items (SELECT PLEDGE ITEMS):

WATER

ð       1. Adopt a Sunnah Wudu: It is reported that the Prophet Muhammad would perform the entire wudu from a bowl two-hands full together (approximately 0.5 liter) and he warned against excess in performing ablution (israf).

ð       2. Quick Showers: Reduce shower time by 20%. On average, a ten minute shower results in twenty-five gallons of water down the drain.

WASTE

ð       3. Eliminate Plastic Water Bottles: Plastic should be minimized because of harm related to global warming and health.

ð       4. Eliminate Styrofoam. Styrofoam is unrecyclable and non-biodegradable, which means that it will persist as garbage even a thousand year after its use.

ð       5. Adopt a Reusable water bottle/mug whether you are at the mosque, work, or home. Avoid bringing plastic disposable bottles to the mosque during iftars and for tarawih.

ð       6. Reduce Disposable Party items: Remove or reduce all of disposable items from your parties and save money while doing so.

FOOD

ð       7. Reduce food waste and over consumption by eating moderately, keeping in mind the hadith (fill ⅓ of stomach with food, ⅓ water, and ⅓ empty). Take only what you can comfortably finish.

ð       8. Sunnah Iftars: Eat More Fruits & Vegetables, Less Meat: The Prophet’s diet consisted mostly of grains, dates, water, milk, honey, vegetables and fruits. Meat was not daily part of his diet. 

ENERGY

ð       9.  Make an effort to carpool.  

ð        10. Plant or expand a garden this year (less grass, more trees and plants) at home or the mosque and remember that planting a tree is a charity.

May God help me accomplish this pledge to the best of my ability seeking His pleasure, amen.”

(Green Ramadan Initiative - TAG, Think As Green.com) 

Campaign: Green Ramadan

Campaign: Green Ramadan Initiative - Tips on how to implement a Green Ramadan

-         

1.   1. Awareness

-          2. Action -

Green Pledge

Resources

-          Manual – Green Ramadan Guide (read previous posts)

-          Green Guide (Green Leaders)

-          Khutba

-          Facts/Tips/News

-          Displays/Posters

Awards

-          Green MVP

-          Green Mosque

-          Green Institute

Green Team

Green Muslims of New Jersey

DC Green Muslims

Contact

Faraz Khan 

ThinkAsGreen [at] gmail

PERONAL PLAN for a GREEN RAMADAN

GRE - Green Ramadan Educational Guide

ThinkAsGreen.com  - TAG, You’re IT!

By Faraz Khan

7/1/11 work in progress

5 Steps towards a Green Ramadan

Personal Plan

1.      Adopt a Sunna Wudu.

It is reported that the Prophet Muhammad would perform the entire wudu from a bowl two-hands full together (approximately 0.5 liter) and he warned against excess in performing ablution (israf). Repair leaky faucets and toilets immediately. About six gallons of water in a day is wasted when a leaky tap drips once per second. A typical wudu that lasts 5 minutes results in 5 to10 gallons of water down the drain.

 

2.      Reusable Water Bottle/Coffee mug – Reuse before Recycle

The Prophet and his companions did not practice disposable culture. It is a simple fact that tap water is cleaner, safer, cheaper, and more regulated than bottled water. Plastic bottles are the most prevalent form of pollution found on beaches and 75% of plastic bottles end up in trash. Consider reusable bottle/mug as a smart green investment because “every square mile of the ocean has 46,000 pieces of floating plastic in it.” (UN, 2006)

3.      More Fruits & Vegetables - less Meat

The Prophet’s diet consisted mostly of grains, dates, water, milk, honey, vegetables and fruits. Meat was not daily part of his diet. Unlike modern livestock factories, the Prophet instructed his nation to treat animals humanely even when they slaughter an animal. Excessive meat consumption is implicated in heart diseases and various cancers. Consider the fact that high meat demand is responsible for about 20% of the world’s greenhouse gases even more than transportation.

4.      Green reusable bags and cutlery – avoid plastic and Styrofoam 

Styrofoam plates and cups are non-biodegradable. Plastic should be minimized because of harm related to global warming and health. Styrofoam is unrecyclable and non-biodegradable which means that it will persist as garbage even a thousand year after its use. Statistically speaking, Americans throw away 25 billion Styrofoam cups each year. This Ramadan make a pledge to reduce if not remove all of disposable items from your parties and save money while doing so.

5.      Quick shower

An average American uses between 100 - 150 gallons of water daily compared with 5 gallons of water used by folks in the developing world. A longer shower does not translate into a cleaner person. On average a shower of 10 minutes uses 50 gallons of water (2.5 gal/min). The Prophet advised to not waste water even if there is plenty of it and the Qur’an compares people who waste as Satan’s brother.

BONUS:

-         Unplug unused electronic appliances or use smart power strip to stop energy loss.

Take a Green Pledge to promote environmental stewardship.  

"I pledge to MAKE A DIFFERENCE to be environmeally conscious, socially responsible and compassionate to those around me". 

You can write down some of the items listed above and IMPLEMENT your pledge while being tagged as a Green Being.

TAKE A PLEDGE and WRITE your name in the Comments Section below

TAG: ADOPT A GREEN MOSQUE Campaign

ADOPT A GREEN MOSQUE

TAG - ThinkAsGreen.com

By Faraz Khan

7/1/11 work in progress

1.      Green Khutba/reminder

Be a leader. Remind your community about a Muslim’s role as a khalifa, a vicegerent of God who lives in harmony with his/her environment. Raise awareness that environmental stewardship and conservation is part of Islamic teachings. Read GreenDeen and other works on Islamic environmental ethics and raise environmental awareness.

2.      Pass a Green Resolution

Adopt a green resolution for the future construction, purchase, and services provided to the community through your mosque. Avoid any products that are either harmful or create unnecessary trash. Identify and endorse eco-friendly products with the help of green leaders in the community.

3.      Form a Green Team

Post a sign and send an email to the community about forming a green team that will evaluate and implement eco-friendly policies. Inspire others with not only with words but with works as well.

4.      Sunna Wudu Display & Environmental Education Signs

Post signs that teach people about conserving water, recycling, and reducing waste. A simple display highlighting prophetic teachings about waste will go a long way in curbing unethical behavior. Be creative and utilize photographers, painters, graphic designers and others to come up with neat signs on going green.

5.      Energy Saver

Replace incandescent bulbs, a synonym for inefficient, expensive, heat producing, outdated technology with CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Light). . CFLs use about 75% less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer. Check for highly efficient Energy Star appliances to reduce your energy bill

Bonus Tip:  Cultivate a Garden – plant trees, grow fresh produce and enjoy healthy meals while minimize chemical treatment. Plant or expand a garden (less grass, more trees and plants) at home or the mosque and remember that planting tree is a charity.

Please don't just sit there, DO More... Why not email/facebook/twitter this guide to your mosque and start initiating a dialogue on GREEN MOSQUE. You have been tagged green, YOU're IT (the green leader). Exemplify words with actions

Send an email or make that phone call for a GREEN MOSQUE TODAY.

Green Ramadan Educational Guide