Islam and Animal Rights

 

By: Luyfiyah Suliman

All living beings – humans, birds, animals, insects etc – are worthy of consideration and respect. Islam has always viewed animals as a special part of God's creation. Mankind is responsible for whatever it has at its disposal, including animals whose rights must be respected. The Holy Qur'an, the Hadith, and the history of Islamic civilization offer many examples of kindness, mercy, and compassion for animals. According to Islamic principles, animals have their own position in the creation hierarchy and humans are responsible for their well-being and food.

Islam strongly asks Muslims to treat animals with compassion and not to abuse them. The Holy Qur'an states that all creation praises God, even if this praise is not expressed in human language. Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) often chastised his Companions who mistreated animals, and spoke to them about the need for mercy and kindness.

Holy Quran and Animal Welfare

The Holy Quran contains many examples and directives about how Muslims should treat animals. The Quran describes that animals form communities, just as humans do:

"There is not an animal that lives on the earth, nor a being that flies on its wings, but they form communities like you. Nothing have we omitted from the Book, and they all shall be gathered to their Lord in the end"(Quran 6:38).

The Quran further describes animals, and all living things, as Muslim - in the sense that they live in the way that Allah created them to live, and obey Allah's laws in the natural world.

“Seest thou not that it is Allah Whose praise all beings in the heavens and on earth do celebrate, and the birds (of the air) with wings outspread? Each one knows its own (mode of) prayer and praise, and Allah knows well all that they do.” (Quran 24:41)

"And the earth, He has assigned it to all living creatures" (Quran 55:10).

Animals are living creatures with feelings and connections to the larger spiritual and physical world. We must consider their lives as worthwhile and cherished.

"And the earth, He has assigned it to all living creatures" (Quran 55:10).

These verses serve as a reminder to us that wildlife, like humans, are created with purpose. They have feelings and are part of the spiritual world. They too have a right to life, and protection from pain and suffering.

Ahadith and Rights of Animals

Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) exhorted Muslims to show kindness and compassion towards animals and birds, and repeatedly forbade cruelty towards animals.

"Whoever is merciful even to a sparrow, Allah will be merciful to him on the Day of Judgment."

“A good deed done to an animal is like a good deed done to a human being, while an act of cruelty to an animal is as bad as cruelty to a human being."

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) once passed by a camel that was so emaciated that its back had almost reached its stomach. He said, "Fear Allah in these beasts who cannot speak." (Abu Dawud)

Humans were created by Allah, the Almighty, to be custodians and guardians of the Earth. Killing without need- that is killing for fun- is not permissible.

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)

A group of Companions were once on a journey with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he left them for a while. During his absence, they saw a bird with its two young, and they took the young ones from the nest. The mother bird was circling above in the air, beating its wings in grief, when the Prophet came back. He said, "Who has hurt the feelings of this bird by taking its young? Return them to her." (Muslim)

In Islam, hunting for sport is prohibited. Muslims may only hunt as is needed to meet their requirements for food. This was common during the time of the Prophet Muhammad, and he condemned it at every opportunity.

Few Points to Ponder

We need to seriously ask ourselves – is the Muslim community upholding the rights of animal despite explicit orders from Allah (SWT) and the Prophet (SAW)? What should our role be, not only in the debate on such subjects, but in conservation and protection of animals and the environment as a whole? Have we disenfranchised wildlife? How do the laws of the country in which we live stand up to the Islamic principles? And finally, how does Islam help us to find solutions to the dilemmas we face?

It is not impossible to demand greater action and consideration for the natural world. Bolivia has gone as far as to legally grant nature equal rights with humans and has introduced the Law of Mother Earth which reportedly assigns 11 new rights to nature, including: ‘the right to life and to exist; the right to continue vital cycles and processes free from human alteration; the right to pure water and clean air; the right to balance; the right not to be polluted; and the right to not have cellular structure modified or genetically altered.’ Ecuador has also changed its constitution to give nature "the right to exist, persist, maintain and regenerate its vital cycles, structure, functions and its processes in evolution".

These laws are considered radical, but what it enshrines does not ask for much, indeed only that animals, and nature are given equal respect and care- as much as is expected of us in Islam. Individuals and governments have an important role to play in educating the public animal welfare and establishing institutions to support animal well-being.

Lutfiyah Suliman is a Master of Science student at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa and the Media representative for Green Deen South Africa. Her research delves into the impact and influence of journalism and the media industry on environmental science communication. Lutfiyah’s interests lie in environmental communication, education and policy. For queries related to the content and media aspect of Green Deen please email at lutfiyah.suliman@gmail.com

This article was originally published on EcoMENA on February 25^th, 2014. 

Photo Credit: TheAnimalDay.org

Combating the Disease: Materialism and its Effects

By Safia Latif

Rows of colorful handbags repose on shelves and display tables around me. They boast of their structured silhouettes and textured leathers: boarskin, saffiano, patent. But these are not just any handbags. Carefully embossed in the center in glossy patent black or lined in gold, the words of the designer brand catch the eye of even the most timid shopper.

The brand, a multi-million dollar high-end fashion company and daughter of a multi-billion dollar global corporation—caters to the world’s sophisticated elite. Handbags, accessories, and clothing are specially designed for a particular type of woman: the career woman on a mission, who gracefully flags down taxis and makes important business meetings just in the nick of time—all while modeling the latest haute couture and thousand-dollar handbag. She is fun, playful, and smart. But most importantly, she is rich.

This fashion house, like any other global brand, capitalizes on our naivety—our false belief that somehow a glamorous new handbag can solve our problems. Worse yet, it fools real working-class Americans into thinking that they too, can be worth a million dollars. You can be a celebrity so long as you acquire this superfluous material item most likely manufactured in China for a fraction of American minimum wage yet sold at the price of an average car payment. The shattering reality, however, carries deep social ramifications.

Last year, I lived abroad in Egypt where I studied Arabic at Alexandria University. When I returned to the States, I began the tedious process of applying to jobs. Egypt—where socioeconomic problems run rampant and a large portion of society visibly lives below the poverty line—had rendered me disillusioned with modernity and materialism. So one can imagine what a painful process it was to go from life in a developing country to the shiny interior of a wealthy corporation. I became a temporary employee at the above mentioned company to make, as one of my co-workers thoughtfully put it, “fun money,” while I pursued other more long-term enterprises.

I began work, detached and aloof yet resolute in my antipathy towards consumer culture. I hated the slew of handbags and their patina of false promises. I observed as customers attempted to trade in their personal problems for a new designer purse. One woman confabulated with me about a death in the family. She had recently come into money and decided to treat herself. Another woman also lamented over the loss of a family member. This evidently prompted a shopping spree. She bought four purses and a wallet and trying to justify her lavish expenditure stated matter-of-factly, “I needed retail therapy.”

My co-workers and managers, also puppets of a deceitful corporate puppeteer, cautiously pick up various handbags in the store, and as if children, cradle them longingly. Every particular purse has a name. Eerily, they are treated like animate objects, virtually assuming human value.

“I love this little guy,” my co-worker says, eying a pebbled cowhide neon green purse. “Little Curtis is my faaavorite.” Another popular piece, the “Beau Bag” or “boyfriend” bag replaces the need for male companionship. It is, according to the official fashion brand’s website, “the ideal companion to tote around town.”

Sales associates, like at most corporate companies, are paid minimally with little health benefits. Pressured into buying products, as the company demands that employees model the name brand at work, associates find their already meager paychecks further diminished. Duped by the illusion that employee discounts actually save them money, they end up spending more in the long run. One manager, a young dainty single mother, struggles to make ends meet every month. Although she works full-time, managing unseemly hours and forsaking invaluable time with her three-year-old daughter, she complains mournfully of having to eat ramen noodles for dinner. As American social critic, Chris Hedges contends in his book, Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle:

“The wild pursuit of status and wealth has destroyed our souls and our economy. Families live in sprawling mansions financed with mortgages they can no longer repay. Consumers recklessly rang up Coach handbags and Manolo Blahnik shoes on credit cards because they seemed to confer a sense of identity and merit. Our favorite hobby, besides television, used to be, until reality hit us like a tsunami, shopping. Shopping used to be the compensation for spending five days a week in tiny cubicles. American workers are ground down by corporations that have disempowered them, used them, and have now discarded them.”

In an age of capitalist fantasy and materialism, Hedges’s words ring painfully true. The upshot is unavoidable. Societal ills are tempered with and all together forgotten for a beguiling fantasy world that aims to encroach upon even the most fervent iconoclasts. Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad also preaches against materialism. In a scholarly essay, he notes:

“When we forget who we are, so radically, the protection begins to be withdrawn, and we are at the mercy of the material world, which we now trust and love more than we trust and love God.”

That God should become secondary to our materialistic pursuits is a very real scare. We see it happening in our local Muslim communities. Muslim families compete over luxurious homes and fancy cars. Intrinsic value is measured monetarily by occupation and financial status rather than moral and spiritual conduct. Allah, subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He), warns against this precarious state in surah Al-Takathur: “Competition in [worldly] increase diverts you. Until you visit the graveyards,” (Qur’an, 102:1-2). The reality—cold and difficult to swallow—reminds us that all trivial pursuits end in permanent privation. The middle path, however, can be hard to find.

Lately I have nurtured a radical desire to withdraw from the modern world, and become somewhat of an ascetic. Although many of my friends candidly pointed out severe flaws in this plan, I still struggle to maintain a balance between love of this world and love of the next. Shamefully I must admit that, despite all my attempts in resisting the urge, I am not immune to the sparkly consumer allure of this fashion house. I purchased my first leather handbag a few weeks ago. I can’t say that I am any happier than I was before. But I can say with every certainty, that money would have been better spent elsewhere. In the future, it might do well for me as well as everyone else battling the pathology of consumer culture to remember the beautiful adage attributed to the Prophet Jesus, alayhi as-salaam, blessings be upon him:

“The world is a bridge; so pass over it to the next world, but do not try to build on it.”

This article was originally published on SuhaibWebb.com on January 21^st, 2014. 

Photo Credit: n.karim

Alhamdulillah for the Fog

Alhamdulillah for the Fog

The “Alhamdulillah Series” was inspired by Ruzky Aliyar who featured a series of nature images with the tagline “Alhamdulillah”. The series was profiled on Muslim Matters during the Winter of 2012 and quickly drew praise for the simplicity of the message. Building upon this effort to remember the many blessings of Allah, Khaleafa.com has picked up the initiative and will continue to highlight the many signs of Allah.

“There truly are signs in this for people who reflect.” (Quran 13:3)

Sacred Science and the Environmental Crisis

By: Muaz Nasir

This past weekend marked the 12^th annual Reviving the Islamic Spirit Conference in Toronto, Canada. The conference brings together academics and scholars from across the world and engages participants in lectures ranging in topics from civic engagement to environmentalism from an Islamic perspective.

This year Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasir, prominent author, researcher and lecturer at George Washington University, spoke on the issue of Sacred Science and the Environmental Crisis. For several decades Dr. Nasir has called for the revival of the sacred sciences and has written extensively on the paradigm shift needed on how we interact with nature. Some highlights from his lecture have been summarized below.

The contrast between sacred and modern science is great, but not mutually exclusive.

• Sacred science refers to a field of study that is rooted in the ancient sciences and refers to a world that is rooted in the divine.
• Sacred science includes a hierarchal universe at the metaphysical level, such as Angels as referenced in the Quran. Modern science however is the negation of other forms of reality and reduces it to the singular sense. This leads to a universe that is truncated and eventually to a disassociation with nature.
• Modern science does not deal with the nature of things as they are but interacts with it from a particular world view. In the west, the foundation and goal of science is power compared to the Islamic perspective which is wisdom.
• This idea of power and control over nature is derived from an experimental design that is based on the controlled experiment rather than through observation alone. This creates a particular way of understanding nature through control.

Western science has inherent limitations that can only be overcome by incorporating the sacred sciences.

• Modern science is not based on how nature is, but how it is controlled. The foundation of modern science begins with the denial of the non-quantitative aspect of reality which reduces nature to aspects such as force, distance, weight or measure.
• All other factors such as colour, form or beauty are deemed as subjective and how we immediately react with the world is disqualified under the guise of modern science.
• Modern science operates completely without the necessity of God and creation is decreed as irrelevant even as a hypothesis. We praise this science without even thinking what it means for Islam and without regard for the ethical/social ramifications.

The globalization of the idea of western science as the only way is destructive

• Before modern times many societies cultivated science and held it to include the integration of pure/applied sciences with the social and spiritual constructs that incorporated faith.
• Science was always related to the divine (sacred sciences). Human reason never operated independent to the presence of God.
• Nature was always considered to be created and sustained by God  (to be an ayat or sign of God) and the Quran includes many messages appealing to the phenomenon of nature.
• The secularization of the sciences has removed the ethical and social component and has yielded a narrow vision of how the field is applied.

The environmental crisis is real and is inextricably tied to the spiritual crisis the world is facing

• Many acknowledge that there is an environmental crisis but do not make the connection that this is often tied to an inner spiritual crisis and our perception of the natural world.
• The Islamic sciences need to be revived from an intellectual level where traditional knowledge is taught authentically and in a manner that integrates societies together.
• The environmental crisis is an external sign of an inner crisis within ourselves. The externalization of the spiritual crisis within modern humanity cannot be solved without the removal of this inner crisis and coming to peace with God.

You can find more information about Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasir, including a complete listing of his lectures, courses and books on his website.

Islamic Gardens in the UK

By: Muaz Nasir

Are there community gardens operated by your local mosque? Is there such a thing as an Islamic or Quranic garden? What are the Islamic principles regarding gardening and agriculture in general? These questions and more have been asked by avid gardeners in the Muslims community who have been keen on establishing natural areas that conform to traditional Islamic permaculture.  While access to this information has been limited in the Western world, there is a growing movement towards spiritual gardening that incorporates the sacred and scriptural teaching into how we grow plants, raise animals and interact with nature in general.

The Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) recognized the interest in this area and recently commissioned a report examining the need, value and viability of Islamic gardens in the United Kingdom. The goal of Islamic Gardens in the UK was to promote conservation through an alternate means and to better engage the Muslim population in the UK about environmental issues. The researchers were seeking to establish the feasibility of bringing Islamic gardening traditions and faith-based environmentalism together, and evaluate the likelihood of its success.

Although the findings demonstrate that many of the existing Islamic gardens in the UK do not pro-actively promote biodiversity and conservation, they do act as a medium for educating both Muslim and non-Muslim audiences about the traditional gardens in the Islamic world and the rich heritage it represents.

The concept of an Islamic garden can still be found today across the Muslims world. Areas from Persia to Northern India have remnants of the integration of formal garden architecture with symbols of paradise as described in the Quran. There is also emerging evidence that the gardens of the Islamic Empire were sites of experimental study and more closely resemble the botanical gardens or experimental farms of today.

The methodology of the study involved consulting with various experts and activists, specifically those that work in the field of Islamic garden design and Islamic environmentalism.  They also worked with those members of conservation and horticultural societies to seek their feedback on the viability of Islamic gardens as well as engaged with other faith groups to document the benefits of gardening from a spiritual perspective.

The remaining sections of the report document the case studies and aggregate results of the research study. Some notable findings of the case-research study include:

The most significant barriers in terms of visiting botanic gardens, in the respondents view, are in order of frequency

1. lack of publicity and an associated unfamiliarity with what a botanic garden might have to offer
2. geographic distance
3. lack or prayer facilities
4. expense, both in terms of travelling but also admission charges

• In relation to other British Muslims, the respondents indicated they were aware of environmental issues and that this was largely driven by the efforts of secular/mainstream initiatives (64%), rather than Islamic principles and obligations (12%). Islamic leaders could have an important role in reversing this balance, and 94% of respondents would like to see Friday sermons addressing this issue.
• Islamic gardens could have a significant role in promoting Muslim heritage, which could be valuable for inter-religious understanding and social cohesion.
• Passive educational methods (posters, pamphlets, film) could be effective in enabling visitors to appreciate the link between Islam and conservation.

The researchers did note that the environmental message is of Islam is slowly being taken up by a new generation of British-born activists who possess the credibility and knowledge to demonstrate environmental responsibility from an Islamic perspective. Developing traditional Islamic gardens is one tool towards promoting greater stewardship within the Muslims community.

Overall this report represents an important first step in surveying the Muslim community on their perspectives towards the environment. Although the sample size is fairly small, the findings document a genuine interest and inherent need for the environmental message to be incorporated into the religious framework of the mosque.

From a Canadian context, the findings of this study can be applied to our municipal, provincial and national park network to better engage Muslims with the natural environment. Many of the barriers identified in the UK are a less of an issue here as many Canadians have access to parks, and admission fees are reasonable if they are charged at all.

The development of passive educational methods is one tool that is fairly inexpensive to develop and would be a significant first step in connecting the natural world with the spiritual teachings in Islam. Raising the profile of environmental issues through mediums like the Green Khutbah Campaign is another takeaway as there was a strong desire from the respondents to learn these messages through mosques.

The Existence of the “Vegetarian Muslim”

By: Karima Burns

The Prophet (SAW) said, “The superiority of 'Aisha to other ladies is like the superiority of Tharid (i.e., a meat and bread dish) to other meals.”

When one first reads the above Hadith, it appears to be non-controversial and simply stated to honor a strong and blessed Muslim woman. However, a vegetarian reading it might have trouble accepting the fact that the Prophet himself (SAW) elevated a meat dish to such a high rank among foods.

On the other hand, vegetarians would be pleased with a Hadith related by Yahya that states that the Prophet (SAW) said, “Beware of meat. It has addictiveness like the addictiveness of wine” (Malik). In this Hadith, it seems that meat does not hold such a high rank, after all; rather, it appears to be among the worst foods we can consume.

So what is the correct perspective regarding meat in Islam? Should Muslims be vegetarians, carnivores, or omnivores?

In the argument for meat, one must note that the Prophet (SAW) himself ate meat; he condoned and even encouraged eating it; and Allah has required sacrificing at the time of Eid-ul-Adha for the purpose of consumption.

The Prophet even considered meat “clean” that, according to the narration of Ibn Abbas, “The Prophet (SAW) ate of the meat of a shoulder (by cutting the meat with his teeth), and then got up and offered the prayer without performing the ablution anew” (Bukhari).

It was also one of the favored foods to be taken on journeys. Jabir bin ‘Abdullah narrates, “During the life time of the Prophet, we used to take the meat of sacrificed animals (as journey food) to Medina” (Bukhari, Hadith No. 474, Vol. 7).

As well, according to the narration of Aisha, meat was also a favored gift. “I never felt so jealous of any woman as I did of Khadija, though she had died three years before the Prophet married me, and that was because I heard him mentioning her too often, and because his Lord had ordered him to give her the glad tidings that she would have a palace in Paradise, made of Qasab, and because he used to slaughter a sheep and distribute its meat among her friends” (Bukhari).

Modern Science Says

Modern researchers have also begun to favor meat again as an important part of the diet. For years, it was unpopular within the health industry after it was found to contain fats that potentially cause heart disease and obesity, and a structure that requires a longer digestive time and causes constipation and increased body toxicity. Moderate intakes of all useful nutrients is a must.

However, many experts have now concluded that some vitamins and minerals can only be found sufficiently in meat products, and that most vegetarians will become deficient in these nutrients over time.

Hence, a recent article in Prevention magazine asks, “Does this latest swing back to red meat mean that we're heading straight for imminent health disaster?” Their answer was, “Not at all.

In moderation, lean meats can provide significant health benefits, from preventing vitamin and mineral deficiencies and boosting immunity to building stronger blood.”

In fact, meat does provide many health benefits. Dr. Susan Kleiner, R.D, PhD. and owner of High Performance Nutrition in Mercer Island, Washington says, “People read reports that red meat causes cancer and heart disease so they think they have to stop eating meat.

What they don't realize is that people in these studies eat more than ten ounces a day. Eating three to five ounces a day is considered quite healthful.”

One of the most important nutrients found in abundance in meat is iron – a mineral that boosts the oxygen carrying capacity of blood. Without enough iron, our red blood cells get smaller and we start feeling worn out. Women and athletes are even more at risk for iron deficient anemia, because their bodies use more iron due to menstruation and exercise.

In one study, 47 inactive women were enrolled in a 12-week moderate aerobics program. After the 12 weeks, their iron levels showed a significant drop. This could explain why some people who exercise complain that they still feel fatigued even though they “should” feel more energetic from their efforts.

Iron is also found in abundance in dark leafy greens such as spinach or Swiss chard; however, it takes about five cups of uncooked Swiss chard or spinach to equal the iron found in 10 ounces of meat. Realistically, even a person who is willing to eat five cups of greens in a day would not find them available year round, particularly during the winter.

Furthermore, meats contain an iron called heme iron which is fifteen percent more absorbable than non-heme (plant) iron. And consuming heme iron actually helps the absorption of non-heme iron; therefore, it is a good idea to combine foods from the plant and animal kingdoms for the best balance and benefit.

To compensate for the deficiency of iron in vegetarian and low meat diets, many people take iron supplements. However, it has been found that consuming many of these supplements can actually be detrimental rather than helpful because most are made from a non-organic iron which is not absorbable by the body, but instead forms deposits over time, which can lead to an increased risk of infections, heart disease and cancer.

Zinc, responsible for supporting the immune system, is another mineral found abundantly in meat. A three-ounce top round, for instance, provides one third of the USRDA (U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance) for zinc, which like iron is more easily absorbable coming from meat than vegetable sources.

However, unlike iron, it is not readily available within the plant kingdom. One would have a hard time getting enough zinc in a strictly vegetarian diet unless they were to consume a few cups of pumpkin seeds every day. Therefore, a person who never eats meat would soon become deficient in zinc.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B-12 is perhaps the most difficult to obtain nutrient that meat provides, as it is virtually unavailable in the plant kingdom at all. In fact, most doctors recommend that vegans (those that do not eat meat products at all) absolutely need to take a vitamin B-12 supplement.

Doctors have noted that many vegetarians feel “fine” for years; then, five or seven years down the road, they suddenly feel fatigued.

Strict vegetarians are at high risk for developing “pernicious anemia,” a rare and often fatal disorder resulting from a depletion of B-12 in the system.

This is because vitamin B-12, which is stored in the liver, depletes itself over time.

Most people who include at least some meat products in their diet, however, will never have this problem.

Therefore, most experts advise eating meat at least occasionally in the vegetarian diet.

This view syncs well with the example of the Prophet (SAW). The Qur'an (7:31) says, "Eat and drink, but waste not by excess, for God loves not the prodigals.” Muhammad (SAW) elaborated on this verse when he said (narrated by Yahya), "What is this, Amir al-muminin?”

“We desired meat and I bought some meat for a dirham," Umar said.

"Does one of you want to fill his belly apart from his neighbor or nephew? How can you overlook this ayat: 'You squandered your good things in the life of this world and sought comfort in them' " (Qur'an, 46:20).

In this Hadith, the Prophet (SAW) seems to imply that eating meat in excess is an act of selfishness, and that one should feed any extra meat that they might have to someone who is in need.

Concern for animals prompts many people to be vegetarian. That we should be concerned about animals is obvious in a famous Hadith narrated by Bukhari: Abu Hurairah 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 and filled his shoe with water and watered it.

Allah thanked him for that deed and forgave him.” The people said, “O Allah's Apostle! Is there a reward for us in serving the animals?” He replied: “Yes, there is a reward for serving any animate (living being)."

Another Hadith that encourages kind treatment toward animals is that related by Malik that states, "Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, is kind and loves kindness.” We are encouraged to be mild towards animals – even “beasts of burden” which the Prophet instructed the Muslims to spare from traveling through difficult terrain.

Despite these and numerous other Hadith enumerating the virtues of kindness towards animals, it does not follow that they should not be slaughtered. Not only is it permissible for our lawful use, it is also permissible to kill an animal as a protection against danger or evil.

Aisha narrated that Allah's Apostle said, "Five kinds of animals are harmful and can be killed in the Haram (Sanctuary). These are the crow, the kite, the scorpion, the mouse and the rabid dog."

The general consensus, amongst the Prophet and modern health experts, is that we should eat meat – at least in moderation – and, while it certainly can become “as addictive as wine,” it holds a high rank amongst foods as long as it is eaten in moderation.

Therefore, we can conclude that the best health is enjoyed by those who “Eat of the good things We have provided for your sustenance, but commit no excess therein" (Qur'an, 20:81).

Karima Burns, MH, ND has a Doctorate in Naturopathy and a Masters in Herbal Healing. She has studied natural healing for 12 years, published a natural healing newsletter for 4 years, and writes extensively on natural healing and herbs. Sister Karima became interested in natural healing after ending her personal lifelong struggle with asthma, allergies, chronic ear infections, depression, hypoglycemia, fatigue and panic attacks with herbs and natural therapies.

This article was originally published October 16, 2013 on Onislam.  Photo credit from threadless

Alhamdulillah for the Mountains

And you see the mountains, thinking them rigid, while they will pass as the passing of clouds. [It is] the work of Allah , who perfected all things. Indeed, He is Acquainted with that which you do. (Surat An-Naml 27:88)

December 11th marks International Mountain Day, as recognized by the United Nations. This year the theme is “Mountains – Key to a Sustainable Future,” and is used as an opportunity to create awareness about the importance of mountains to life, highlight the opportunities and constraints relating to its development and to build partnerships that will bring positive change.

The “Alhamdulillah Series” was inspired by Ruzky Aliyar who featured a series of nature images with the tagline “Alhamdulillah”. The series was profiled on Muslim Matters during the Winter of 2012 and quickly drew praise for the simplicity of the message. Building upon this effort to remember the many blessings of Allah, Khaleafa.com has picked up the initiative and will continue to highlight the many signs of Allah.

“There truly are signs in this for people who reflect.” (Quran 13:3)

Reconnecting with Nature

By: Klaudia Khan

The concept of responsible management and taking care of the natural environment is firmly embedded in the teachings of Islam, so Muslims shouldn’t be reminded that living eco-friendly lifestyle is part of their religion. Or do they?

Fazlun Khalid, a man synonymous with the eco-Islam movement and one of the most influential contemporary Muslims, claims that people nowadays, including Muslims, are getting more and more disconnected from nature.

It’s not only Islam that teaches respect for the natural environment, but it’s an idea rooted in every religious system in the world. Yet as the philosophy of the Post-Enlightenment Era divided the sacrum from the Profanum, industrialization and urbanization allowed people to live lives that are physically disconnected from nature, the sacrosanct link between the Creator and the creation has gone into abyss.

The result is a new world order in which the decisions are made by the people who care more for economical growth and the disastrous consequences this growth causes to the planet. And while environmentalists of all faiths are proclaiming the doomsday for Earth, the decision-makers seem deaf or oblivious to their reasoning and continue pushing our civilization towards environmental disaster. So is everything lost for us and future generations?

Not if we wake up now and make radical changes to our lives. But it’s not going to be easy as we have to make a step back and give up on luxuries that we got accustomed to. We have to go back to the Prophetic tradition of simplicity. As Khalid put it: "We have to live simply, so that others may simply live."

Reconnecting with Nature seen through a faith perspective was the subject of a series of lectures followed by discussion organized by Dr. Rizwan Nawaz at Leeds University on November 12.

Khalid was the first speaker with his lecture on ‘Reconnecting with Nature – An Islamic Perspective’; and his vast knowledge and experience in the field of conservationism made the listeners realize the seriousness of the problem.

His lecture provided an exposition of the problem, while the other speakers tried to present the possible solutions.

Emma Clark, a well-established international garden designer specializing in Islamic gardens, a writer and a senior tutor and lecturer at the Prince’s School of Traditional Arts in London gave a presentation on ‘The Islamic garden as an opportunity for bridge-building between cultures’.

She started by explaining the concept of Islamic garden and the philosophy underlying all of its elements and went on to point out how the sacred art of Islamic gardens, the indisputable beauty and the magnitude of nature can speak and be understood by people from all the cultural and religious backgrounds and help build bridges between the communities.

Traditional Islamic gardens – Charbagh, are reflections of heaven on Earth, but the idea of heaven which they reflect is common to people of different faiths, not only Muslims.

And so through pondering on the beauty and the manifestation of cosmic harmony expressed through the design of Charbagh, people could find what has been missing in their lives and start the process of realigning themselves back to nature.

Mark Bryant, Development Officer for the study of Islam at University of Cardiff, and the last speaker at the event presented a lecture ‘Are British Muslims green?’ which offered some insight into how local Muslim communities are reconnecting with nature, often through creating green spaces, Islamic inspired gardens and communal gardens.

One of the success stories he related is the Community Garden created by the Wapping Women’s Centre in the East London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Creating a green space for vegetable garden enabled women not only to grow their own greens, but also boosted their confidence, helped establish a sense of belonging and promoted some pro-ecological changes to their lifestyle.

While many British Muslim communities are skeptical about the gardening projects, those who give it a try and start soon begin to see the positive changes that such ventures bring, their outlook changes and they do embrace more green lifestyles.

The lectures were followed by refreshments and discussions over the cups of tea, where the speakers, organizers and the visitors freely exchanged impressions, opinions and ideas. It was an interesting event and it certainly provided lots of food for thought and inspiration. Maybe the best way to start reconnecting with nature is by getting physically close to it. To find our right place within Allah’s creation we need to realize its grandeur. “Assuredly the creation of the heavens and the earth is a greater (matter) than the creation of men: Yet most men understand not.”(Surat Ghafir: 40:57).

Klaudia Khan is a freelance writer interested in all aspects of green living. She studied Sociology in London and now lives with her husband and two daughters in the UK and Pakistan.

This article was originally published November 24, 2013 on Onislam.  Photo credit from mwanasimba

Is the rise of Islamic finance good news for the environment?

By Nalima Choudhury

The growing Islamic finance sector could spell good news for investments in clean energy according to experts RTCC has spoken to.

Islamic finance is growing 50% faster than the traditional banking sector, and it has huge growth potential, with assets expected to increase by 250% this year.

Its profile was boosted last week when UK Prime Minister David Cameron told the World Islamic Economic Forum he wanted the country to be the “first western sovereign to issue an Islamic bond”.

In an interview with RTCC, Professor Habib Ahmed, a World Bank author and Professor in Islamic law and finance at the University of Durham said the principles and values on which Islamic finance is based could contribute to sustainable economic development.

“There is an increasing demand from different stakeholders that Islamic finance should also reflect the ethical, social and environmental aspects in their financing,” he said.

“Many non-Muslims are attracted to Islamic finance because they find it sound from economic and ethical perspectives.”

This could be positive news for the clean energy sector that in 2012 suffered a 14% drop in investment as Europe curbed green subsidies and the USA’s attention was diverted from renewables to fracking.

Last month analysts at Bloomberg New Energy Finance reported that annual investment in renewables and energy-smart technologies will fall for the second consecutive year.

Emerging sector

There are already signs the clean-tech sector is starting to benefit from Islamic finance.

The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) is already a major player in the clean energy sector investments of around $1 billion between 2010-2012.

The top five beneficiary countries of IsDB’s renewable energy sector financing were Morocco ($908 million), Pakistan ($896 million), Egypt ($886 million), Tunisia ($764 million) and Syria ($668 million).

Last month the IsDB agreed a $100 million investment with the Industrial Development Bank of Turkey for the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.

On a wider scale, a report by  Ernst & Young published in December 2012 valued Islamic assets at about $1.8 trillion in 2011, representing about 1% of the global financial market.

Green shoots 

Some analysts believe Islamic finance will be good for the environment because it values more than just profits.

Western banks are required by law to provide the best return on investment for their clients regardless of where that investment goes.

But according to Asad Zaman from the International Institute of Islamic Economics in Pakistan, while green growth in the west is secondary to economic growth, this is not the case in Islamic financial circles.

“Natural resources are a sacred trust and protecting them for future generations a primary responsibility,” he said.

“Economic growth is not (directly) a goal at all, though it may be desirable as a means to (say) poverty alleviation.”

It’s a view shared by the heir to the British throne Prince Charles, who recently said Islamic banking could provide the answers where conventional banking could not, given Islam’s emphasis on a “moral economy”.

Where large Western banks have divested from oil and gas, it has generally taken place not because of ‘green’ reasons, but as a result of long term investment planning.

“Scottish Widows divested from these [fossil fuel] companies not on ethical grounds but because we think they’re not a very good investment decision. That view is shared very widely in the investment community,” said the bank’s head of sustainability Craig Mackenzie.

New investment model

The Islamic financial structure is so attractive that the UK Treasury is now investing about £200 million to work on the practicalities of issuing “sukuk”, or Islamic law compliant bonds in the country.

Sukuk bonds do not pay interest, but instead offers the investor a share of ownership in the project they are supporting.

In order to develop an environmentally friendly sector financed by Islamic banks, the Green Sukuk Working Group was launched last year by think tanks Climate Bonds Initiative, NGO Clean Energy Business Council of the Middle East and North Africa and the Gulf Bond & Sukuk Association.

“Interest in both Shari’ah compliant and ethical investing is on the rise. Green sukuks can support this trend by expanding the range of available financial instruments,” said the GBSA’s Michael Grifferty at the group’s launch.

“Green sukuks also support national development strategies by offering longer term finance for essential infrastructure.”

The group aims to develop best practices and promote the issuance of sukuks for the financing of climate change investments and projects, such as renewable energy projects.

Banks like UK-based Islamic investment bank Gatehouse Bank offer people the opportunity to invest in sustainable companies that offer technology, products and services throughout the water industry to help with water desalination, a burgeoning sector in the Middle East.

According to Professor Ahmed, the Islamic financial sector’s growth is likely to continue because it has proven to withstand events like the 2008 global financial crisis.

“After the crisis, Islamic finance came to light because it had features that would have lessened the intensity of the crisis,” he said.

Social responsibility

A paper published in July this year by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) argues that increasing levels of debt in the ‘West’ will make Islamic banking a safer bet for many investors.

“Islamic finance principles serve to insulate the Islamic financial system from excessive leverage, speculation and uncertainty, which in turn contributes toward promoting financial stability and long-term sustainability,” the authors say.

“As a result, the implementation of Islamic finance principles is anticipated to grow, not only in Muslim countries’ financial markets, but also in those markets concerned with socially responsible objectives and ethical financial solutions.”

Muhammad bin Ibrahim, the Central Bank of Malaysia’s deputy governor, argued earlier this month that it was an Islamic bank’s duty to “enhance the general welfare of society.”

“The teachings of Islam basically promote preservation of natural resources and the need to respect all living things. Failure to do so would be detrimental…where severe destruction of the land and sea would come upon those who mistreat the environment,” said Ibrahim.

There are, of course, plenty of examples of Islamic banks lending to oil and gas companies. Money based in Saudi Arabia and Qatar is, in all likelihood, derived from the extraction of fossil fuels.

But the rapid growth of a financial sector underpinned with strong ethical and environmental leanings indicates that the damage investments may do to the planet may come under increasing scrutiny.

Ahmed argues that currently there is little sign of a “green” culture in the Islamic financial sector, perhaps not a surprise given its relatively small size.

But he says there is a debate among bankers over what the sector’s role should be moving forward, and how it can be a force for the global good.

“As the industry moves forward it will be expected that they consider social and environmental issues as the values on which Islamic finance is based on [these] demands,” he said.

This article was originally published November 7, 2013 on Responding to Climate Change. Photo credit from emrites247

Alhamdulillah for Fall Colours

Fall Colours

Do you not see that Allah sends down rain from the sky, and We produce thereby fruits of varying colors? And in the mountains are tracts, white and red of varying shades and [some] extremely black. (Surat Fāţir 35:27)

The “Alhamdulillah Series” was inspired by Ruzky Aliyar who featured a series of nature images with the tagline “Alhamdulillah”. The series was profiled on Muslim Matters during the Winter of 2012 and quickly drew praise for the simplicity of the message. Building upon this effort to remember the many blessings of Allah, Khaleafa.com has picked up the initiative and will continue to highlight the many signs of Allah.

“There truly are signs in this for people who reflect.” (Quran 13:3)

Climate Change: A Religious Perspective

By:Mohammed Salarbux

Nowadays, two groups have mainly polarized the discussions about global warming and the Environmental Protection Act. On one end, the religious right and its pundits have been very active in denying climate change and making mockery of any meaningful environmental protection measures. On the other end, environmentalists, who are ignoring and/or ridiculing the role of religious upbringing in shaping people's attitudes toward the environment, are undermining the importance of spreading their message across a large group of people.

Science, religion and preservation are not necessarily mutually exclusive in their approach to this important subject. In Islam, seeking and accepting knowledge, respect to the environment, preservationism, and respect of other forms of life are part of the faith. There are no contradictions within Islam for Muslims to accept the scientific research of Anthropogenic Global Warming (AGW), and it is a part of its belief system that humans will suffer the consequences for any abuse of the earth's natural resources.

It is without doubt that had humankind practiced a balance between enjoying the earth's natural resources without being wasteful and preserving the environment for future generations, the world would be today a very different place. Furthermore, such a concept would have made it easier for the environmentalists to convey their messages to others. We would not have reached the edge today from run away Carbon Dioxide increases into the atmosphere that not only threaten our climates, but also our very existence. Pollutants and overfishing are destroying a great food resource, while gluttony and waste in food distribution further threaten a clean and healthy food supply. Food has now become an entertainment with non-stop television commercials promoting a lifestyle where people live to eat instead of eating to survive.

We are in a vicious adaptation to the needs of consumerism; everything must be fun and entertaining. This demand for convenient and immediate gratification has, for example, led to the mass production of petroleum based plastic products that not only leach PCB's into the food and water supply, but also create the ubiquitous waste of bottles and bags that swirl along our highways and have formed a giant whirlpool of plastic garbage in the Pacific Ocean further decimating wildlife and our food supply.

"Corruption appears on land and sea because of (the evil) that man's hands have done, so that He may make them taste a part of what they have done, in order that they may return." (Quran 30:41)

Contrary to other religious beliefs, in Islam, humans have to take full responsibility for their actions and not expect divine intervention to mollify their abuse of the world's resources. Sadly some environmentalists have failed to make the distinction that not all religions are inherently antagonistic toward exploring meaningful solutions to halt the degradation of our environment. The Quran teaches us that men are the caretakers of the earth (Quran 2:30), and are responsible for maintaining it. This belief is part of the Muslim tradition. While definitely not a part of the history of secular movements who tend to advocate, "Enjoy life as much as you can" which has contributed to the neglect of so many important aspects of our ecosystem. As a result our rain forests, aquifers, and waterways have suffered and cannot be expected to continue to sustain man's endless appetite for more "stuff."

Water conservation in Islam is more a matter of principle. The Prophet (pbuh) forbids wasting this precious resource even when it is available in abundance. He also cautions against its waste even while performing certain religious rites.

"Do not waste water even if you were on the bank of a flowing river." (Prophet Mohammed [pbuh])

Interestingly, one of his sayings was promoted by a water bottling company in Australia to stress the importance of conserving water. It is a developmental lesson with profound meaning that should be taught to all children. Just imagine our planet if we raised our children to respect the waters of our earth from the smallest springs to the mighty oceans. How much more would they appreciate the water flowing from the tap?

It has been counter-productive just to blame religion per se for obstructive solutions to rectify and address climate change, instead of focusing on the impact that consumerism has had on the ecosystem. The Quran has clearly laid down a balanced and commonsensical approach, wherein individuals are instructed to enjoy the good things of life, but not become intoxicated with their pleasures and abuse them. The "live as if there is no tomorrow" way of life only serves to further degrade our environment by encouraging everyone to consume more and more of the earth's natural resources. The Islamic position, however, (often not reflected in the Muslim world today) of believing in "life is a test" is overlooked as is the belief that we will be held accountable for our actions. Even a skeptic would admit the benefits of this concept, which should make one at least pause and be more conscious of the squandering of the earth's resources.

This article was originally published September 17, 2013 on HuffPost Green.  Photo credit from Phillippe 2009

Environmental Jihad

Environmental Jihad

By Shajuti Hossain

One must think twice, maybe three times, before using religious terminology. Words that are commonly used in the media to describe “religiously motivated” acts of violence are of special concern.

I recently got an email with the subject, “Environmental Jihad?” from the League of Conservation Voters, a nonprofit that promotes pro-environment policies. It said, “Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson just called our climate action campaign ‘an environmental jihad.’ We need every LCV supporter to help us push back. Tell him to apologize for his offensive rhetoric and stop blocking congressional action on climate change now.”

Upon reading this email, I laughed with disgust. Not because I am an environmentalist (although I am quite a fervent one), but because I am a Muslim. I and every other Muslim I have spoken to have always learned that “jihad” is “the struggle to please God.” Examples included giving charity even when money is tight and visiting the sick even when time is short. These are the acts of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) that Muslims must follow.

Muslims frequently and contentedly hop on this struggle bus when our intention is to please God. Helping a friend move out even though we haven’t gotten much sleep is jihad, because God says to use our resources for the benefit of others. Waking up at 6:00 a.m. on weekdays to work out is jihad, because God says to take care of our bodies. Visiting our parents on weekends even when college life begs us to stay on campus is jihad, because God said to be dutiful to our parents.

My career goal is to be an environmental policy-maker and that is jihad, because I am struggling to protect human beings from the devastating effects of environmental degradation. Jihad is not committing acts of terror, suicide or corruption, even if the Muslims with the loudest voices these days say so. Since they do not understand the concept of jihad, the rest of us, whether Muslim or not, must educate ourselves and others of its true meaning before we use it as a negative term or as an insult.

It is unfortunate to hear Sen. Johnson, like the mainstream media, use the word “jihad” negatively. One cannot blame him, because the media has accepted and spread a distorted definition of the word. Then again, one cannot put the entire blame on the media either, because people with Muslim names are propagating a misinterpreted definition through their actions. Regardless of the blame, those of us who want to use the term “jihad” must make sure we use it appropriately to avoid turning a spiritual, self-reflective and inspirational word into a word that implies intolerance and hate.

Other phrases in the news, such as “Islamist” or “Islamic extremist” or “Islamic fundamentalist” also have negative associations, even though they actually have positive meanings. Did the journalists and politicians who use these phrases even stop to think what these phrases really mean? “Islam,” which literally means “submission,” comes from the word “salaam” which means “peace.” Do journalists and politicians know that they’re condemning “pacifists” and “submission-ists?” Granted, there are some people out there who call themselves Muslim and say they are killing in the name of Islam, but they are ruining the peaceful message that Muhammad brought to us from God. Why can’t we call these terrorists “apostates” or “heretics” or just leave religion out of the equation?

Muhammad always emphasized taking the middle, or moderate, path and to stay away from any kind of extreme. So a true Islamic extremist is actually moderate.

Politicians, the media and those who strive to think and speak more intelligently must think about the true definitions of jihad and Islam in order to do justice to these beautiful terms. The general public expects politicians to lead with respect and expects the media to provide accurate information. If policy-makers and journalists want to stay true to their work, they must do their research. They can begin by substituting “pacifist” or “moderate” for “Islamist,” “Islamic extremist” or “Islamic fundamentalist” and think about how that sounds. That will prompt them to use a more appropriate phrase to describe those who tarnish the image of a religion that emphasizes peace, unity, tolerance, self-improvement, knowledge, helping others and trusting God. They can thereby use religious terminology more carefully and appropriately while educating themselves and others.

This article was originally published September 13, 2013 on The Chronicle. Photo credit from Peter Blanchard

Alhamdulillah for the Moon

 

And He has subjected for you the night and day and the sun and moon, and the stars are subjected by His command. Indeed in that are signs for a people who reason. (Surat An-Naĥl 16:12)

Photo Credit: mccun934

The “Alhamdulillah Series” was inspired by Ruzky Aliyar who featured a series of nature images with the tagline “Alhamdulillah”. The series was profiled on Muslim Matters during the Winter of 2012 and quickly drew praise for the simplicity of the message. Building upon this effort to remember the many blessings of Allah, Khaleafa.com has picked up the initiative and will continue to highlight the many signs of Allah.

“There truly are signs in this for people who reflect.” (Quran 13:3)

Green Eid Gift Guide

As Ramadan comes to a close, most of us are preparing for the upcoming celebration of Eid-ul-Fitr, which marks the end of the Muslim month of fasting.  Part of the tradition includes exchanging gifts with loved ones and spending time with family and friends. To add an environmental slant to the celebration; this year consider purchasing products that are sustainable, ethically sourced or fair trade.  Some suggestions from both Canadian and international retailers are listed below of products that not only make good gifts, but also minimize the impact on the environment.

Green Toys

Eastern Toybox is a company offers a wide range of eco-friendly, fair trade and handmade products made by socially and environmentally conscious artisans. They carry a wide range of unique toys, stationery and decor from Turkey, India, Indonesia and Germany as well as locally sourced products from Canada and the United States. Some of the more novel items include hijaushka, whimsical wooden nesting dolls and Mecca Tours, a handmade, hand painted wooden bus with 4 Hajjis.

Green Fashion

For those more into fashion, the Azadi Project is a retailer that offers high quality, ethical products that ensures their producers provide fair wages and dignified working conditions. They offer an assortment of clothing from dresses and shirts to purses and jewelry. What impressed us most is that they clearly outline their fair trade standards and offer profiles of the artisans they source their products from. Their Saidpur Tote is an example of their commitment to working with rural communities in Bangladesh, a country that has recently been in the spotlight for its safety practices.

Green Books

The gift of knowledge is often the most treasured, so why not share it with friends and family. Green Deen by Ibrahim Abdul-Matin is a good primer on what Islam teaches us about protecting the environment. A Picnic of Poems by Dawud Warnsby is a collection of poems and songs for children that educates them about the importance of caring for each other and nature. Green Muslims by Luqman Nagy takes a historical perspective examining the contributions Muslim civilization has made in the field of environmentalism and sustainability.

Green Causes

World Wildlife Fund Canada is one of the country’s leading conservation organizations whose goal is to prevent the degradation of the natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature. Their online store offers several products that follow this mandate, such as organic clothing and books. They also offer ‘animal adoptions’ which includes a personalized certificate, a plush toy and details on the work this gift will support.

Eating less meat is more Islamic

By: Joseph Mayton

The Qu'ran reminds us animals and birds are 'communities like you'. So why do so many Muslims break their fast with meat?

For most of the billion-plus Muslims who sit down each evening to break their Ramadan fast, meat will be on the menu. Lots of it. But how Islamic is eating meat?

Not very, according to Sheikh Hamza Yusuf, who argues that historically Muslims ate so little meat they were almost vegetarian. "Meat is not a necessity in sharia, and in the old days most Muslims used to eat meat – if they were wealthy, like middle class – once a week on Friday. If they were poor – on the Eids."

In today's world, meat-eating has taken on a new fervour, with many Muslims demanding animal flesh as part of their daily diet. Just the other day, an Egyptian journalist was relating to me how he attended a dinner at a local organisation here in Cairo. When people arrived, questions began to fly across the hall: "Where is the meat? We aren't going to have enough for everyone."

According to a recent study by the Egyptian cabinet's Information and Decision Support Centre, 89% of Egyptians eat more than 2kg of meat monthly. This figure rises along with social class. The study revealed that wealthy Egyptians often consume more than 8kg of meat each month.

The prophet Muhammad was not an advocate of daily meat-eating. Instead, the Islamic Concern website says, he warned his followers against constant meat consumption as it could become "addictive". It seems that 1,500 years later his concerns are not being heeded.

Early Islamic leaders and scholars repeatedly emphasised that animals were to be cherished and treated in a humane manner, but many Muslims nowadays view animals as the dominion of people. A sheikh at the Egyptian ministry of religious endowments told me: "Animals are slaves for human purposes. They were put here for us to eat, so talk of vegetarianism is un-Islamic."

This statement by the ministry official goes against everything the prophet stood for, in the opinion of Gamal al-Banna, a prominent Islamic scholar who has come under attack in recent years for his "liberal" stance. Al-Banna told me that being a vegetarian and Muslim does not break any tradition and is in no way un-Islamic.

"When someone becomes vegetarian they do so for a number of reasons: compassion, environment and health reasons," he began. "As a Muslim, I believe that the prophet would want the followers to be healthy, compassionate and not destroy our environment. If someone believes not eating meat is that way, it is not like they are going to go to hell for it. It may be the right thing to do."

Al-Banna continued, when I asked him about the Eid al-Adha sacrifice (which many argue is obligatory), that any Muslim who believes in being vegetarian does not have to slaughter a sheep. "In today's modern world, ideas and religion change and Islam is no different. We must not remain rigid in our understanding of faith to mean the blind acceptance of anything, killing living beings included. There is no obligation to kill."

Others disagree, arguing that meat-eating is part of the Islamic tradition and, thus, vegetarianism is a foreign notion for the Middle East. Muslims who eat meat at every iftar (fast-breaking evening meal) this month undoubtedly believe they are doing the right thing. On the other hand, the idea that animals are merely slaves to humans is not only abhorrent to animal-rights advocates, but seems to be at odds with the prophet's teaching.

Some would argue that the prayer said before halal slaughtering is part of Islam's humanity when animals are killed for food. This may have been true historically, but in today's "halal" slaughterhouses, a pre-recorded prayer often blares nonstop as the animals are lined up and killed. That is a cop-out from what Islam teaches about "humane" slaughter.

Ultimately, the argument is simple. The Qur'an reveals that all living animals are sentient beings, just as human beings are.

"There is not an animal on earth, nor a bird that flies on its wings – but they are communities like you." (Qur'an, 6:38)

Joseph Mayton is an American journalist based in Cairo, Egypt. He is currently working on a book about the Muslim Brotherhood and is founder/editor of Bikya Masr website.

This article was originally published in The Guardian on August 26, 2010. 

Photo Credit: ugod

Hungry for Change? Impact Hunger

By Shehnaz Toorawa

When we fast in Ramadan, we inevitably think of those who feel hunger every day of the year. Can you imagine if no food was available at sunset? Millions of people face this crisis—their hunger doesn’t end at sunset. We know the grim statistics: 850 million people in the world are undernourished (that’s one in every six human beings), 5.6 million children under the age of five die from hunger-related illness each year. Yet, our world produces enough food to feed twice the global population.

So why are people hungry? A lack of power and justice, not a lack of food, causes hunger. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said,

“If anyone fulfills his brother’s needs, Allah (glorified and exalted be He) will fulfill his needs; if one relieves a Muslim of his troubles, Allah (glorified and exalted be He) will relieve his troubles on the Day of Resurrection’’ [Bukhari and Muslim].

Here are 8 easy and effective ways to change your eating habits so you can help end hunger in the world today:

1. Eat more fruits and vegetables

Livestock consumes 80% of the grain the United States produces. In Mexico, where poverty and hunger are abundant, 45% of the nation’s grain is fed to livestock. In most industrial nations, corporations raise animals in factory farms that consume huge quantities of grain, water, hormones and electricity, and produce tonnes of toxic wastes. A diet high in grain-fed meat consumes two to four times more land than a vegetarian diet. If everyone ate meat at the North American rate, the world would run out of farmland and food! Try to reduce your share of the world’s food and energy by eating more fruits and vegetables and less meat. 

2. Eat locally grown food

The farther food travels before it reaches your plate, the less money the rural farmer retains. When you purchase coffee grown in Uganda, for example, 10% of the profit goes to the farmer and 90% is consumed by giant North American corporations that import and process the coffee. The farther food travels, the more energy it consumes for pesticides, preservatives, ripening, packaging, processing, transportation and sales. The food processing industry in the United States consumes ten calories of fossil fuel energy for every calorie of food energy it produces.

In North America, we like to eat all our fruits and vegetables in winter. To meet this demand, governments of developing countries subsidize and encourage farmers to plant one-crop monocultures for export. This leaves small farmers unable to grow food for their families and communities. With one crop to rely on, farmers in the developing world become vulnerable when market prices fall or a disease hits their crop. Monocultures need high inputs of hazardous pesticides that threaten the health of farmers and their environment.

This winter, forget the guavas and mangoes. Find the local farmer’s market and buy what’s in season. When you buy local, you avoid an unjust food trade system that keeps the poor hungry.

3. Choose organic food

Conventional farming, especially monocultures, requires high inputs of pesticides, fertilizers and irrigation that eventually degrade soils. 30 million hectares from the world’s 240 million irrigated hectares are severely damaged by salt build-up. Almost a third of the world’s cropland is abandoned due to soil erosion. A lack of land forces many farmers to clear and destroy forest land that cannot sustain agriculture. Pesticides and fertilizers trap farmers in a cycle of spending more and more on chemical inputs as insects become immune and the land loses its fertility. Eventually small farmers in developing countries fall into debt or degrade their land and are forced into poverty.

Organic farming uses natural methods to protect the quality of agricultural land and soil and ensure that the land can continue to produce food. Organic agriculture may be the best way to ensure a continuous world food supply and protect the health of farmers and consumers. Each organic product you buy supports farmers who care about hunger and the environment.

4. Buy fair trade food

Fair trade eliminates injustices in the trade system and guarantees farmers a minimum price for their crop, enough to sustain their families. Fair trade shortens the market chain for products, allowing the farmer to receive a higher proportion of the profits. Fair trade standards require the farmer to follow environmentally and socially ethical agricultural practices. A portion of the profit from fair trade products funds social development projects in the farmer’s community. Currently, fair trade coffee, tea, chocolate, fruit, rice, and spices are available in North America. The next time you go to a grocery store, look for the fair trade logo.  Every fair trade purchase prevents hunger in a poor farming community.

5. Avoid genetically modified food

Genetically modified crops are “owned” by corporations that have a monopoly on the seeds. Farmers cannot save the seeds for re-planting. They must purchase new seeds from the company each year and must succumb to the corporation’s regulations and prices. As more and more crops become genetically modified, our food becomes a ‘product’ rather than a renewable resource. GM crops pose health risks because they are not tested for environmental and health effects and are not subject to government safety regulations. Do your best to avoid GM products to prevent our food from becoming a corporate commodity, controlled by a few large companies.

6. Buy less and avoid wasting food

On average, an individual in a developed nation consumes twice as much grain, twice as much fish, and three times as much meat as an individual in a developing nation. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) warned us that

“No man fills a container worse than his stomach. A few morsels that keep his back upright are sufficient for him. If he has to, then he should keep one-third for food, one-third for drink and one-third for his breathing” [At-Tirmidhi].

Along with overeating, North Americans waste large amounts of food. 30% of consumable food in the United States is lost in retailing, food service, and consumers. The Quran tells us to

“eat and drink: but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess” [7:31]

Help end hunger with a commitment to buy less, eat less and waste less food.

7. Choose charities that make people independent

Food aid from rich nations does not help hunger. Rich nations often dump surplus grain on poor nations, as “food aid”. This “aid” rises and falls to maintain the market price of commodities in rich countries. Food dumping reduces the price of farmers’ crops in developing nations. Farmers cannot sell their produce and earn enough to invest in future crops.

Poor farmers need long-term solutions. They need investments and interest-free loans to buy land or equipment so they can diversify their crops and survive times of drought or falling prices. When you send Zakat overseas, choose a charity that helps people become independent, rather than dependent on aid.

8. Write letters

Change the world with your words. Encourage governments to cancel the high interest debts owed to them by developing countries. The Quran warns,

“O you who have believed, fear Allah (glorified and exalted be He) (glorified and exalted is He) and give up what remains [due to you] of interest, if you should be believers“ [2:278] 

Debt repayments to rich countries prevent poor countries from spending on poverty, hunger and welfare of their citizens. Start a family letter-writing campaign to eliminate debt and hunger.

Hunger in the world is intimately connected with what we, in North America, choose to buy and eat. Decide as a family to earn extra rewards by changing the way you eat so you can impact hunger. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said,

“If any Muslim feeds a Muslim when he is hungry, Allah (glorified and exalted be He) will feed him with some of the fruits of Paradise” [Sunan Abi Dawud].

Shehnaz Toorawa is a teacher with a degree in education,  professional writing and geography. She also holds a Shariah degree from the American Open University. She is a busy homeschooling mother of three and is active in the Toronto community and currently host a blog called myinkspiration.

This article was originally published November 5, 2012 on ProductiveMuslim. Photo credit from ginnerobot.

Alhamdulillah for Watermelons

Watermelons are not only a refreshing way to break your fast during Ramadan, but provide you with a boost of vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, B and B6. It also contains the highest concentration of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that is known to fight heart disease and several types of cancer. Watermelons also are a great source of potassium that help maintain a proper electrolyte and acid-base balance, perfect for rehydrating after fasting. This summer put down the deep-fried sugary sweets and grab a slice of refreshing watermelon instead.

Photo Credit: Harsha K R

The “Alhamdulillah Series” was inspired by Ruzky Aliyar who featured a series of nature images with the tagline “Alhamdulillah”. The series was profiled on Muslim Matters during the Winter of 2012 and quickly drew praise for the simplicity of the message. Building upon this effort to remember the many blessings of Allah, Khaleafa.com has picked up the initiative and will continue to highlight the many signs of Allah.

“There truly are signs in this for people who reflect.” (Quran 13:3)

Ramadan Healthy Eating Guide

“Nothing is worse than a person who fills his stomach. It should be enough for the son of Adam to have a few bites to satisfy his hunger. If he wishes more, it should be: One-third for his food, one-third for his liquids, and one-third for his breath.”- Tirmidhi

Islam encourages Muslims to be mindful of their health and the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) advised Muslims to lead a healthy lifestyle which includes a balanced diet, regular mental and physical exercise and a balance between material and spiritual needs. The holy month of Ramadan is meant to recharge our spiritual batteries through, among other vices, abstaining from food and drink during the daylight hours. However, the foods we eat at dawn and dusk have a profound impact on our bodies and our overall health.

The Ramadan Health Guide was developed by the National Health Service in the United Kingdom in conjunction with Communities in Action, a civic action organization based in Devon, UK. The goal of the guide is to help Muslims understand the health issues related to fasting, and to make informed choices that minimize complications and maximize the benefit of your fast. Fasting can be rewarding experience meant purify both the body and soul. If proper precautions are taken, it can also lead to healthy lifestyle changes that can benefit you throughout the year.

The guide is divided into six sections that examine the different aspects of fasting including:

1)      The physiological changes that occur during the fast

2)      Foods the benefit and foods that harm

3)      Spirituality and food

4)      What you can gain from fasting

5)      Potential health complications and possible remedies

6)      Tips for healthcare professionals

Overall this resource provides a comprehensive and concise overview of steps that can be taken to ensure a healthy Ramadan. The suggestions that are provided are both scientific and culturally sensitive, and can be practically incorporated into your routine. Key sections of the guide have also been translated into several languages to reach out to the broader Muslim community. As always, be sure to consult your physician before fasting if you have pre-existing health issues or concerns.

Download: Ramadan Health Guide

National Health Service Healthy Ramadan: http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/healthyramadan/

Photo Credit: raasiel

Green Ramadan Switch

Recently Khaleafa.com had the opportunity to the interview Kori Majeed, the founder of the Green Ramadan Switch, an innovative initiative aimed at increasing awareness about waste during the month of Ramadan. She shares with us her inspiration and motivation for going green and highlights the importance of being aware of the environmental consequences of our actions.

1) Briefly share with our readers a little bit about yourself. How did you become interested in the environmental field?

I'm a "military brat" -- in the best sense of the word -- so although I was born in Alabama, I rarely lived in a place for more than 4 years until I got married. I graduated from Spelman College with a B.S. in Computer Science and afterwards was commissioned as an officer in the US Air Force. I worked at the Pentagon for 4 years, during which I got married, went on Hajj, and then transitioned into web development for a DC non-profit. I stopped working after I had our first child. I couldn't bring myself to give her to someone else for 8-10 hours out of the day. I did freelance web work for a while and got my Masters from Johns Hopkins University after having my second child. My husband and I decided to move to Amman, Jordan to study Arabic at Qasid Institute. While there, I had my third child. We came back to the States for a bit, then headed to central Turkey where my husband taught ESL at a private high school while I homeschooled our girls and we enjoyed the amazing hospitality, culture and food of the Turks. You might have guessed that I had our fourth child while in Turkey. We returned to the States and eventually settled down in the DC area. My husband works in Network Security, while I continue to homeschool our gaggle of four girls and blog about it. I'm also a serial small-time entrepreneur and Girl Scout Troop Advisor with Troop 3480 at Prince George's Muslim Association in Lanham, Maryland. My husband and I are also working to create Good Tree Village, the first Muslim cohousing community in the DC-area, inshaAllah.

My interest in environmental issues began to blossom when I had children. No, probably when they were in utero. In trying to provide the best for our children, I think parents start to question everything: Is the hospital the best place to give birth? What is in those vaccines? What was used to grow that food? That meat has WHAT in it? Did we check for lead paint? Can I teach my children better than the local school system? Our children are a trust to us, on loan from Allah. Am I doing my best with this beautiful loan? I'm just my thankful that my husband always supported me or at least heard me out and gave my "crunchy" ideas a go.

2) What is the Green Ramadan Switch? What motivated you to create this campaign and what are the goals?

Last year I became saddened & disgusted by all the trash we Muslims create at community iftars during Ramadan, both at the masjid and in private homes.  The bags of trash didn’t correspond with the blessings of eating in community during this sacred month. So, I decided to try to curb the impact of my own family. I researched reusable dinnerware that would add to the significance of the occasion while being sustainable, stylish and affordable. I always got positive feedback after people questioned why my family was the only one eating off of "prison-style" food trays. In early February of this year, I decided to try to share my version of a Green Ramadan and help others make the Green Ramadan Switch from disposable styrofoam, plastic and paper products to a smart, reusable and sustainable Zero-Trash Iftar Kit.

Sometimes it is challenging and slow to effect change at a masjid, so I see Green Ramadan's Zero-Trash Iftar Kit as a way for individuals to make a positive impact on the sustainability of their Ramadan.  InshaAllah masajids will catch on and, in preparation for Ramadan, make an initial investment in reusable dinnerware instead of wasting money on huge boxes of styrofoam plates, plastic cutlery and paper napkins every year -- in effect, preparing to create a whole lot of trash.

It's my goal to help 1000 Muslims green their Ramadan this year by doing a simple, thoughtful, easy good deed: reducing the amount of waste we create at iftars. No more single-use water bottles. No more non-biodegradable styrofoam plates, bowls & cups. No more plastic cutlery. I'm helping Muslims make the Green Ramadan Switch to a stainless-steel food tray, BPA-free tumbler, bamboo cutlery and cloth napkin: all of which are reusable, sustainable and pretty cool-looking. Plus, there is a reusable bag to carry it all in.

3) Briefly explain what is the Zero-Trash Iftar Kit. How did you come up with this idea and what has been the response?

I have children, so I wanted the Kit to be washable, reusable, durable and cool. Some people bring out special decorations and dish sets for Ramadan. Our tradition is to bring our Zero-Trash Iftar Kits to community iftars.

Every item in a Green Ramadan Zero-Trash Iftar Kit is either reusable, responsibly-made, sustainable, or all of the above. The Kit includes a stainless steel divided food tray (my kids don't like their food to touch); a bamboo fork, knife and spoon (there is so much noise when bamboo comes in contact with stainless steel); a BPA-free tumbler with straw that's pretty close to spill-proof; a cloth napkin (a touch of class); and a reusable bag in which to carry it all.

The environmental benefit of Zero-Trash Iftar Kits is that it replaces disposable (and sometimes even toxic) styrofoam, plastic and paper plates, cups, straws, cutlery, napkins & paper towels, and plastic water bottles with a Kit that we can use over and over again every Ramadan, inshaAllah.

4) During Ramadan there often is a lot of waste and excess. What are some lessons you would like to share with the Muslim community when it comes to making their Ramadan more environmentally-friendly? 

Simple, small deeds can make a huge impact for our local community and for the world. A Green Ramadan is a return to mindfulness in our actions and we can take the habits we cultivate in Ramadan and use them throughout the year. A Green Ramadan is a return to the Sunnah. We can turn the water to a trickle when making wudu. We can eliminate waste by using reusable dinnerware at home and in community. We can eat modest portions of food. We can eat meat only on weekends or eat vegetarian at least once a week. We can carpool. We can plant something.

5) How has the Muslim community responded to this project? How do you plan on building on the campaign in the future?

The response has been amazing, alhamdullilah! Green Muslims are coming out of the bamboo woodworks. I've gotten lots of positive feedback, constructive criticism and requests for customization. Green Ramadan has been on facebook for less than a month and already has over 120 likes. One woman decided she would make a better, greener, longer-lasting impact by investing in Zero-Trash Iftar Kits for her masjid rather than sponsoring an iftar. Right now Green Ramadan's focus is eliminating waste at iftars, however in the future I'd like to focus on other areas including water conservation, recycling, composting, portion control & reducing food waste, gardening & permaculture, and eating less meat.

For more information about the Green Ramadan Switch and to purchase a Zero-Trash Iftar Kit, please visit: http://greenramadan.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/GreenRamadan

Alhamdulillah for Spiders

"The example of those who take allies other than Allah is like that of the spider who takes a home. And indeed, the weakest of homes is the home of the spider, if they only knew." (Quran 29:41)

“This is how Allāh described the idolators in their reverence of gods besides Him, hoping that they would help them and provide for them, and turning to them in times of difficulties. In this regard, they were like the house of a spider, which is so weak and frail, because by clinging to these gods they were like a person who holds on to a spider's web, who does not gain any benefit from that. If they knew this, they would not take any protectors besides Allāh.” - Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Photo Credit: Spider Dog

The “Alhamdulillah Series” was inspired by Ruzky Aliyar who featured a series of nature images with the tagline “Alhamdulillah”. The series was profiled on Muslim Matters during the Winter of 2012 and quickly drew praise for the simplicity of the message. Building upon this effort to remember the many blessings of Allah, Khaleafa.com has picked up the initiative and will continue to highlight the many signs of Allah.

“There truly are signs in this for people who reflect.” (Quran 13:3)