British Muslims went green this past Saturday, as Muslims from all over London took part in a 100 km cycle ride from Mosque to Mosque. Muslims pray 5 times a day from dawn until dusk, and each “Salah” prayer constituted a different stop at some of London’s most iconic houses of worship, from the East[.....]
While limiting children, or not having them at all, is a good way to fight global warming and the demise of our poor planet, there is nothing more inhumane in being told how many children you can have.
Religious organisations are working with conservation groups to help end the consumer demand for products supplied by the illegal wildlife trade A major initiative linking religions and conservation groups in opposing the illegal wildlife trade, which is annihilating the world’s rare and endangered species, has been launched. Leaders of 34 religious traditions presented the Alliance[.....]
Today marks the first annual ‘Green Khutbah Day’ which also coincides with Earth Day 2013 Muslims have been asked to encourage their spiritual leaders, imams, to devote this Friday Khutbah or sermon (19th April 2013) to celebrate the blessings, graces and beauty of all of Allah’s creation. Muaz Nasir from Khaleafa who is leading the effort[.....]
I interview Professor Al Jayoussi about Islamic notions of sustainability and whether they could ever be seen as universally applicable In a previous post, I raised concerns over what an Islamic worldview can realistically offer those looking for a new sustainability model. After reading Odeh Al Jayoussi’s book on the topic, I felt that there[.....]
For Green Prophet, I often write about (let’s face it) depressing issues such as climate refugees and environmental conflicts in which everyone pays the price but I do sometimes get to write about some fun stuff too. That’s basically what is going into my top 5 Green Prophet blog stories of the year. These are the odd[.....]
Amateur slaughterers are often injured on the job. Should slaughtering be left to the professionals? The annual Hajj pilgrimage, on which we wrote about efforts to make it more green, has also become an event in which animals are being slaughtered inhumanely for the accompanying Ein al-Adha or the Muslim Feast of the Sacrifice holiday. [.....]
Senad Hadzic walked for 314 days and crossed six countries from his village in Bosnia to get to Mekkah in time for Hajj Last year we covered the amazing story of two South African Muslims who had cycled all the way to Mekkah. Not much more you could do to top that we thought at[.....]
We speak to Muaz Nasir about his faith-focused environmental work in Canada and why the Muslim community can’t afford to sideline climate change “The environment is something everyone should be concerned about as climate change, water scarcity and pollution are issues that do not discriminate based on faith:” That’s Muaz Nasir’s response to what he likes[.....]
Faiza Hussain, who has started a small online business selling halal and organic skincare products, tells us why she ditched the chemical-laden products she used to love Like most women, Faiza Hussain’s fascination with creams, lotions and potions started at a young age. As a teenager she had a collection of skincare products she adored[.....]
Years after it was first announced, the Cambridge eco mosque has finally received planning permission. Back in 2010, we reported that the Cambridge Muslim community was planning to build Europe’s first eco mosque which would minimise carbon emissions and maximise the role faith has to play in environmental protection. Years on and the plans which[.....]
Under a solitary tree in the desert, a young Prophet Muhammed met with the Christian monk Bahira. This documentary charts the importance of this chance meeting. The Blessed Tree is a short and beautifully-filmed documentary which tells the story of a chance encounter between a Christian monk named Bahira and the young Prophet Muhammed (pbuh)[.....]
What can Islam do for the environment? That’s a question I have been asking myself for some years now and, in all honestly, I am nowhere near answering it fully. I have definitely enjoyed looking into the green ethics of Islam in a bid to help Muslims worldwide take up the environmentally-friendly path, but I[.....]
Islamic scholars decree that Muslims athletes participating in the Olympic games are exempted from fasting. Throughout Ramadan, Muslims must refrain from eating or drinking from dawn to sundown. The commitment demand both mental and physical stamina. Fasting challenges sedentary workers in air conditioned offices. Imagine the toll on world-class athletes who, depending on their particular[.....]
While away the long, hot hours of fasting with these fun and festive crafting ideas for Ramadan In times of stress, I turn to sewing and crafting. Colouring in and cutting out shapes, gluing, stitching and sticking things together is just so much fun that I can’t believe entire nations aren’t hooked on it. For[.....]
Green iftars, and sustainable ways Muslims can approach the holy month of Ramadan. The holiest month of the Islamic year, Ramadan, began last Friday, 20 July. This Ramadan, many Muslims are looking at a new dimension of the month: our impact on the earth. This is particularly important as we learn more about the effects[.....]
Muslims will probably throw away more than 40 percent of all food prepared daily during the upcoming Ramadan – read our food saving tips below According to Bahraini environmentalist Mohammed Aman, food waste during the upcoming Ramadan will continue – despite the contradiction it poses to the spirit of Ramadan and a growing global demand for[.....]
A German company has just secured the contract for a mega project in Mekkah which will house around 160,000 inhabitants Despite reassurances that Mekkah would take a more considered approach to construction, a new mega-scheme for the city has just been given the green light. Following the horrendous Mekkah Clocktower and the growing sprawl surrounding[.....]
Princely and purposeful, the pomegranate has heavenly resonance in Islam for being a honeycomb of good health, sent from above.
From edible gardens to green bank accounts, I look at the top 7 things every eco-mosque should have As the days creep into weeks and months, it seems that an entire year has passed and Ramadan has come knocking on our doors again. I say it every year, but every year I literally can’t believe[.....]
Two mosques in London have taken up beekeeping – and there are plans to encourage more to join the quest to save dwindling bee populations When Kingston mosque in London introduced between 10,000 and 15,000 bees onto its premises last summer, the congregation was naturally quite concerned. Would it be safe? Would bee swarms gather[.....]
Can gardens really help promote environmentally friendly behaviour amongst the Muslim community? Mark Bryant says they can There’s nothing like being with nature to help clear your mind and when the weather is as lovely as it has been recently, who can resist spending a couple of hours in the garden? But the humble garden[.....]
Muslim couples in Indonesia are now required to plant two trees before receiving their marriage permit Here at Green Prophet, we are eager to promote all things green in love and marriage. As well as a green guide to Valentine’s Day (not long now!), we have published our top tips for a green Muslim wedding.[.....]
Are Islamic banks anti-war? Islamic banks discourage investment in the arms and military industry as well as speculation and taking excessive risks A couple of weeks ago, I was asked by a fantastic organisation to look into Islamic banking and how ethical it really is. Whilst I learnt that most Islamic banks may not have[.....]
Green Muslims have been nominated as some of the most influential Muslim leaders of 2011 While Green Prophet works on its own top green leaders of 2011, the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre had released a list of the 500 most prominent Muslims of the past year. The annual publication highlights the 500 most influential[.....]
Alcoholism creates addiction and affects health. But for Muslims, not drinking is a command from God. While alcohol has its medicinal uses, the negative outweigh the bad and Islam says 'halal wine' is promised to only those who abstain from the bad.
Wudhu (woo-dhoo) is a Muslim's ritual wash before any act of worship. Wudhu is a control switch, a health check, a reminder of liquid blessings. But how can wudhu make the Islamic faith even greener?
The hideous Mekkah Clocktower may have been the final straw – officials now state that any additions will be more in tune with traditional architecture It seems that the powers that be in Mekkah (Mecca) are finally listening. After widespread complaints that Mekkah was beginning to resemble Las Vegas with its preference for gargantuan and[.....]
We speak to Fazlun Khalid who set up The Islamic Foundation For Ecology And Environmental Sciences about the highs and lows of over two decades of work The link between Islam and the environment is slowly gaining recognition amongst the wider public and The Islamic Foundation For Ecology And Environmental Sciences (IFEES) may have something[.....]
The Alliance of Religions and Conservation has launched a special water conservation guide aimed at Muslim women and families Every year at Hajj, Muslims commemorate the struggle of Hajjar; an Egyptian hand-maid and second wife of the Prophet Ibrahim [pbuh] who was stranded in the desert without water for her child. The hajj pilgrims walk,[.....]
Sheikh Ali Gomaa is the Grand Mufti of Egypt issuing environmental fatwas. Sheikh Ali Gomaa is the Grand Mufti of Egypt since September 2003 and one of the highest ranking and respected religious authorities throughout the Sunni world. He holds the second highest religious position in Egypt, after that of Sheikh al-Azhar. As the Grand[.....]
We speak to Dr Husna Ahmed, the co-author of the newly launched Green Guide to Hajj about the role Muslims can play in protecting nature As part of its work to encourage green religious pilgrimages worldwide, the Alliance of Religions and Conservation have just launched a ‘Green Guide to Hajj’. Co-authored by Dr Husna Ahmed[.....]
British Muslim environment campaign Trees4Life explains why Islam encourages tree planting, with hopes to to reduce carbon emission and reforest Middle Eastern/Asia regions, in an exclusive Green Prophet interview.
With forty days left till the latest climate conference held in Durban, South Africa, faith leaders are preparing to fight for the environment I think we can all agree that Copenhagen was a bit of disaster but rather than giving up on international climate conferences, faith leaders are insisting that we need to double our[.....]
Investigating the profit-motivated push to make genetically modified food ‘halal’ Back in December 2010, a conference held in Penang, Malaysia with biotechnology experts and halal proponents ended with the conclusion that genetically modified food was halal ( ‘permissible’ for Muslims) as long as the sources from which they originate from are halal. This decision –[.....]
As the holy Islamic month of fasting approaches, why not prepare for a greener Ramadan now? There are literally a couple of days left till Ramadan starts, so I want to make a last ditch attempt to encourage Muslims to go green in the holy month of fasting. Whilst Tafline explored the darker side of[.....]
With just over two weeks left till Ramadan the Islamic month of fasting, Muslims are being urged to go fairtrade For the typical Muslim family, the last couple of days before Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, is a mad dash to get everything sorted. Mums and dads will be finding time to do those[.....]
Latin America, once a part of the Spanish Empire, is home to Trees Give Life, the Muslim ran tree planting project. Read more on the tree huggers in Mexico.
Saudi Arabia's Water and Electricity Minister reveals its SR700 million Zam Zam Water Project, a 42 outlet distribution plan to bottle the cleaner Zam Zam water in Madinah.
You don't have to be Muslim, to eat Halal. Green Prophet's eco-Muslim Zaufishan provides ten top tips for a more organic and Islamic diet, leading up to Ramadan.
Competitive and in tune with the Muslim market, ZABIHA.com is the official world guide to halal eating from around the world. Should we live more halal? Should companies invest in halal? Find out for yourself.
The eco-beard. Advocated by all three monotheistic religions, the timeless beard has a comeback with Budweiser's "Grow One. Save A Million" campaign in an annual celebration to save water. Read more on why believers should grow an environmentally friendly beard. And women, recruit your men!
For Muslims who cannot grow celebrated beards, this is for you! A brilliant tongue-in-cheek DIY post for making your own knitted, crocheted and sustainable beard.
Want to attract Muslim readers and help them switch to a green way of life? Well, here’s how. A couple more weeks of blogging will make it a full year since I joined the Green Prophet team writing on Eco-Islam. I’ve enjoyed every moment of it and learnt a lot about writing green blogs for[.....]
The world’s most wanted terrorist, Osama bin Laden, was given the ultimate green burial. Read more on how Muslims bury the deceased at land and sea.
A recent report by the BBC has revealed that holy water from Mecca known as ‘Zam Zam’ is contaminated with high levels of arsenic It seems that these days nothing is holy. First the holy waters of the River Jordan were found to be sewage infested and now the ‘Zamzam’ holy waters of a sacred[.....]
The ‘Green Mosques’ project hopes to help conserve water and electricity at 300 mosques- and save around US$1.5 million every year Water scarcity in the Middle East is nothing new- in fact, the region has been struggling to cope with drought and water shortages for centuries. The only problem is that today, modern urbanisation and[.....]
Green Prophet presents an 10-Step Action Plan to avoid wasting food; follow-up the 3R-Principle: Reduce, Recycle, Reuse. Part of the Green Deeds series.
Take up the green challenge when you go to Hajj by following these four simple steps In the third and final installement of our Green Hajj feature we suggest some practical action reduce the carbon footprint of the average pilgrim. Based on the experiences of past pilgrims to Mecca, we put forward four simple yet[.....]
According to our calculations, a pilgrimage to Mecca from the UK releases more tonnes of carbon than the average French person does in a year In part 1 of our feature on Green Hajj, we worked out that the carbon footprint of the average UK Hajj pilgrim is pretty high. Our guinea pigs, the Hussain[.....]
In part 1 of the Eco-hijabs series Green Prophet reporter Zaufishan interviews HijabTrendz founder Mariam Sobh on why and how Muslim fashion blogs are digging the eco-living. Read more on why 'eco-hijabs' are an integral part of the Islamic faith.
Arwa reviews the book by Richard C. Foltz, Animals in Islamic Tradition and Muslim Culture, Oneworld Publications Following the controversy during Eid Al-adha and allegations of animal mistreatment in Egypt, I found myself questioning how my faith which teaches compassion towards animals could become so inextricably linked to clear animal abuses. Islam, despite what many[.....]
