Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Ask A (Born Again) Muslim

Home
Muslim
Ramadan Kareem: 10 Tips To Go Green This Ramadan

Ramadan Kareem: 10 Tips To Go Green This Ramadan

Last updated on: May 7, 2019 at 6:36 pm by Ejaz Naqvi, MD

Ramadan Kareem: 10 Tips To Go Green This Ramadan 2019-05-07T18:36:00-07:00 Ejaz Naqvi, MD

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

Ramadan Kareem. Ramadan is much more than just avoiding food and water when fasting. It is a time for prayers, seeking God’s forgiveness, attaining spiritual growth and meditation. It is a time to reflect upon God’s blessings and seek nearness to Him in everything we do.

Ramadan is a time to detox and purify our body, mind and soul. It is also a time to avoid polluting planet earth and keeping it clean. Taking good care of our environment is a form of service to God. This month is a good opportunity to:

Reach out to the poor and the needy in your neighborhood, and visit the homeless shelters to feed them.
Reach out to other faiths- a good time to initiate (or strengthen existing) interfaith programs
Initiate Intra-Faith programs. Mention the post on Shia Sunni unity
Go green

I will have more to say in the coming month on other aspects but I will start by a call to go green during this Ramadan.

Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

10 Tips to go Green During This Ramadan

Protecting the environment and maintaining our ecosystem is our civic AND our religious duty.

Those who are kind and considerate to Allah’s creatures, Allah bestows His kindness and affection on them. Show kindness to the creatures on the earth so that Allah may be kind to you. Hadith of Prophet Muhammad

This Hadith urges the believers to be kind to God’s creatures- that includes the animals and the planet earth itself! So how can we be kind and considerate to this creation of Allah?

During Ramadan, we commit ourselves to doing the good by being more humble, kind, helping the needy and the poor and spending time in extra prayers. Let’s also commit ourselves to protecting God’s creations-all of them. Here are some specific tips to go green during this Ramadan that are equally applicable to us as individuals and for the mosque administration.

Eliminate plastic. Avoid using plastic bags, plastic spoons, forks and plates when serving at home or at the mosque. Plastic is considered one of the worst pollutants to the environment. It does not decay! It is a major source of contamination for the oceans and a serious hazard to the wild life. The Church of England had issued a lent plastic challenge last year that I referenced to on my post last year with some great tips.

Avoid using Styrofoam containers. Not only they are bad for the environment, they are also bad for the health.
Support and utilize local produce. Go organic. By using local, organic produce, we are helping reduce the CO2 emission when the delivery trucks don’t have to drive hundreds of miles from the farms to your grocery outlet.
Reduce the water usage. I have seen folks leaving the tap wide open during making wadoo before the Salat. Please close the tap and use just the amount you need to wash your arms, face and feet. Trust me, you don’t need a lot to finish the wadoo.
Reduce our overall energy consumption and carbon footprint. During Ramadan, the attendance at the mosque is high, which is very good. But try to car pool as much as you can.
Use electrical appliances like washing machines, vacuum cleaner and dishwashers only during off peak hours, such as after Iftar
Plant a tree. This is a great example of going green. Planting a tree is considered a charity, and a Sadqa e Jariah (Perpetual charity).

If any Muslim plants any plant and a human being or an animal eats of it, he will be rewarded as if he has given that much in charity. Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (Sahih Bukhari Vol. 8, Book 73, No. 41)

Replace lights bulbs from incandescent to CFLs or LEDs and turning off lights when they are not in use.
At the mosque, keep outside doors closed when the air conditioning is on to conserve energy. If you don’t have the motion sensing light switches, please have them installed.
Avoid over serving. Avoid wasting food. For those living in the San Francisco bay area, one specific recommendation I have is to use services of White Pony Express, an organization that will pick up the unused food and serve it to the needy. You may search for a similar organization in your area. If you can’t find one, see if you can save the food for the next Iftar or deliver it to the local homeless shelter.

One additional recommendation: Once we are at it and get good at it during the whole month of Ramadan, let’s keep it going for the next 11 months until the next Ramadan. After all, the good habits we learn (or re-learn) during this blessed month are meant for us to apply them to rest of the year.

Lent Plastic Challenge

Previous Post

May 2, 2019

Do the Attacks on Places of Worship Unite or Divide Faith Communities?

Next Post

May 12, 2019 Happy Mother’s Day, Dear Ammi

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category #IStandWithIlhan #ISupportRashidaTlaib #JusticeForZainab #MeToo #shithole Countries #Shitholecountries 1001 Inventions 2017 in review 2019 2nd amendment 4th of July 58 Palestinians 99 names of God Afghanistan Afterlife Al Ma'idah Allah Alms America and Islam American mosque American Muslim American Muslims Animals in paradise Annunciation anti-Semitism Aquatic origin Arafat Arkansas Arrogance Ashura Ashura and Karbala atheism atheism and islam Atheism and Muslim atheist Attacks on places of worship Austin Serial Bomber ave a dream Avicenna Benjamin Corey Beyond rituals Bible Bible and science Biden inauguration Big Bang Black Lives Matter Brett Kavanaugh Burcin Mutlu-Pakdil Burma Caliph Donald Trump Cell phones and mobile devices Chanukah Charity Charlottesville Chastity Child murder Child rape Christchurch mosque attacks Christchurch Mosques shootings Christian Christian Fundamentalism Christian Muslim Dialogue Christian Muslim interfaith Christian Taliban Christian-Muslim Dialogue Christians Christine Blaise Ford Christmas Christmas and Gaza Church Church of Ebgland Civil liberty CNN Explosive Device Coexist Conor Lamb Corona virus Covenant of Muhammad Covid-19 Virus Creation Creation in 6 days Creation in Quran and Bible Creation vs evolution Creationism Cross channel Patheos dialogue Crucifisxion Daily Prayer Services Day of Arafah Dayton shooting Dear Mother Devin Kelley Diamond Rule Domestic terrorism Domestic Violence Domestic Violence in Muslim communities Easter Edhi Eid Eid Al Adha Eid Al Fitr Eid Mubarak El Paso shooting Elohim End of Life care Environment Protection Ethnic Cleansing Evolution Evolution theory Explosive Devices in Mail Fact-Checking Faith and civil liberties Faith and justice Faith and religion Faith and suffering Fake news Fasting and ramadan Fasting in Torah and Gospel Fasting on Ashura Fear Inc fear mongers Fear of God Flat Earth Flat Earther Flu Flu prevention Flu tips Flu vaccine Followers of christ forgiveness forms of interfaith dialogue Freedom of expression Freedom of religion Friday at Kaaba Friday prayer Friday prayer at Kaaba Friday prayer during Hajj Gaza General Wesley Clark Genocide George Floyd Glad Tidings God God Fearing God of Abraham God's Mercy Golden Rule Good Friday Gospel Gospels Gratitude Gun control laws gun safety Gun violence Hagia sophia Hajj Hajj 2020 Hajj 2020 Day of Arafah Hajj 2022 Hajj in review Halal Hanukkah Happy Father's day Happy New Hijri Year Happy New Year Hate crime hate speech Hijab Hijabi scientist Holy Land Holy week Hot takes Humility I have a dream I have a dream in the Quran Ihram ilad un Nabi Ilhan Omar Imam Ali Imam hussain In God we trust In God's image infidels Intelligent design Inter religious relations Interfaith Interfaith Dialogue Interfaith Iftar Intra Faith Dialogue Intra-Faith dialogue Islam and Jesus Islam and racism Islam in America Islam Judaism and Christianity Islam One Religion Islam- way of Abraham Islam-Facts Islam-one religion Islamberg Islamic Comamndments Islamic golden age Islamic jesus Islamic Mannerism Islamophobia ISNA Israel's capital Jerusalem Jeruslam Jesus Jesus and end of times Jesus and Gaza Jesus Christ Jewish-Muslim dialogue Jewish-Muslim Relations Jews Jews Christians and Muslims Jihad Joe Biden Joseph son of Jacob Just Muslim Justin Trudeau Kaaba Karbala Kashmir Kavanaugh confirmation Killings of Palestinians Kind and Loving God Kind God and sufferings Kobe Bryant Kosher Labor Day Las vegas shooting Las vegas terror Last Sermon of Prophet Muhammad Last Supper Law of Moses Leaving religion Lent Life lessons Linda Sarsour lllegal immigrants Loving God Make America Great aagain Malala Mannerism lessons Marijuana Mark anthony Conditt Martin Luther King Martin Luther King Day Mary Maryam Masjid Nabawi Mass shooting Mawlid Mawlid un nabi Mecca Medical Marijuana Medina Medina AlQiblatayn mosque Medina Baqih meditation Merciful God Merry Christmas Mike Pompeo mindfulness Miracles of the Qur'an Mitzvah MLK Day Mosque Most Forgiving God mother of Jesus Mother's day Mount Sinai Monastery Muhammad Muharram Muharram and Karbala Muslim Muslim Americans Muslim Christian Dialogue Muslim contribution to Science Muslim gatekeeprs Muslim Jesus Muslim Nobel prize winners Muslim Review Year 2022 Muslim scientists Muslim Unity Muslim Women in Congress Muslim-Atheist dialogue Muslim-Christian relations Muslims-Facts Muzdalifah My Hajj My Jihad Myanmar Myths about Islam Myths about Muslims Nativity Nativity of Jesus New Year New Year resolution New Year Wishes Nobel prize Nones Northern California fires not flu Nuns Occupied Kashmir OJ Simpson One nation under God Onjil Original Sin osque of prphet Muhammad Palestine Parkland school shooting Pew Research center Pilgramage Pilgrims Pillars of Islam Pious Pittsburgh Synagogue shooting Plastic Platinum Rule Police racism Pope Francis meeting with Ayatollah Sistani Pot Prayers Prophet Muhammad Prophets of Islam Protestant Proud American Pulpit Purpose of creation Quba mosque Qur'an Quran Quran and Jesus Quran and Science Quran commandments Quran is easy to understand racism Racism and Diversity Ramadan Ramadan Fasting Ramadan Kareem Rashida Tlaib Rashida Tlaib Cursing Rebuttal to Hemant Mehta Religion and science Religion is the solution Religion vs science Religiosity Religious scientists Removing life support Republicans and Christianity Retirement Riazul Jennah Rick Saccone Righteousness Rohingya Roman Catholic Round Earth Roy Moore defeat Safa and Marwa Salah Salat Saudi exported extremism Saudi Oil filed attack Science and Faith Science and religion scientist and atheism Secretary of state Senate hearing Sermon on the Mount Sexual abuse Sexual harassment Sharia Sharia Law Shia Shia Sunni Unity Social Justice and Islam Sri Lanka Terror Attacks on Easter St. Catherine Monastery Stand with Kashmir Straight Path Submission to God Sunni Sunni-Shia unity Supplications supremacists Supreme court judge Supreme court nomination synagogues and churches Talbiya Taliban Ten Commandments Terror plot against Islamberg Terrorism Texas church shooting Thank God Thankfulness Thanksgiving Thanksgiving celebration Thanksgiving Day the mother of Jesus Torah Tree of Life Tree of Life Synagogue True Christians Trump Trump and misogyny Trump's decision for recognition of Jerusalem Trump's threat to Sanctuary cities Trusting God Tzedekah Uhad Umrah UN resolution Uncategorized Unchristian Republican behavior UnChurched United Ummah UnMosqued US Embassy in Jerusalem US war with seven countries Uyghurs Vatican on Eid Violence in Gaza Wahhabisim War on Christmas wellness What Would Jesus Do? What would Muhammad do? white supermacist White supremacists White Supremacy Why were we created Women's march WWJD Yemen Zakat Zamzam well

Select a Month April 2024 March 2024 December 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 December 2022 August 2022 July 2022 May 2022 April 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 November 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz