Yes, these points are very valid and so true. I certainly remember the hose pipe ban and how so brilliant it was. Like many things, the fervour dies down within days unfortunately. I also read about AIR, which is no less important than water for the perpetuation and preservation of life. After all, nearly all creatures depend on it for breathing. Other functions of air created by The Supreme SWT for definite purposes are less apparent to us. The Glorious Qur'an -e-Furqa'an states for example about the important role of the winds in pollination. “And we send the fertilizing winds...” (Quran 15:22) Also: “Verily in the creation of the heavens and the earth; in the alternation of night and day in the change of the winds, and the clouds compelled between heaven and earth surely there are signs for a people who have sense.” (Quran 2:164) “And He it is Who sends the winds as tidings heralding His grace: until when they have raised a heavy-laden cloud, We drive it to a dead land and cause the rain to descend upon it, and thereby bring forth fruits of every kind.” (Quran 7:57) The atmosphere therefore is performing many functions (biological and social etc), hence its conservation, pure and unpolluted, is an essential aspect of the conservation of life itself which is one of the fundamental objectives of Islamic law. So we must try harder to avoid activities which pollute, ruin or impair its function.
in most masjids, you will see a sign in the wudu area requesting something along the lines of: water is a gift from Allah, don't waste it i can't remember seeing such signs anywhere else.
it was yesterday that i heard on the radio that the government are thinking of putting water meters in every home in the UK. it was said that the average family here - 2 adults and 2 children - use 1000 pints a day. they claim [and rightly so] that people leave taps running unnecessarily and there is too much wastage. this reminded me of an event about sayyidi mufti e a'zam hind, mawlana mustafa raza khan ibn imam ahmad raza khan. he went to a person's house and sat down. he saw water dripping/flowing from a pipe that needed to be fixed. he asked for it to be fixed ASAP but when some time later, it was still wasting water, he got up and left the gathering by saying, i cannot sit at a place where the blessings of Allah are wasted in such a manner. this is how islam views preservation of the environment. the radio show mentioned that if we continue to live like this; there just won't be enough water for everyone. do you remember the hosepipe ban a few years ago? i wander if it's still going...
I am curious to know what Islam says about the protection and preservation of the environment. What are our responsibilities/duties as Muslims, ('vicegerents on Earth') in order to maintain equilibrium on the planet and everything around us, as surely Allah Most High created nature in balance ('al-mizan')? Thoughts welcome..............
