Google is celebrating Earth Day.
On this day day events are held to create awareness and responsiveness among the people. This is also now coordinated globally by the Earth day network.
It is celebrated in more than 175 countries every year. In 2009, the United Nations designated April 22 International Mother Earth Day. Earth Day is planned for April 22 in all years at least through 2015.
The name and concept of Earth Day was allegedly pioneered by John McConnell in 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco. Earth Day was first observed on March 21, 1970, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. This day of nature's equipoise was later sanctioned in a Proclamation signed by Secretary General U Thant at the United Nations where it is observed each year. About the same time a separate Earth Day was founded by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in first held on April 22, 1970. While this April 22 Earth Day was focused on the United States, an organization launched by Denis Hayes, who was the original national coordinator in 1970, took it international in 1990 and organized events in 141 nations. Numerous communities celebrate Earth Week, an entire week of activities focused on environmental issues.
History
Gaylord Nelson an environmental and conservationist activist, tried for the celebration of this day. He was shocked by the ravages of the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. He was also inspired by the student anti-war movement; he called for an environmental teach-in, or Earth Day, to be held on April 22, 1970. Over 20 million people participated that year, and this Earth Day is now observed on April 22 each year by more than 500 million people and several national governments in 175 countries] Numerous communities celebrate Earth Week, an entire week of activities focused on environmental issues.
Nelson took a leading role in organizing the celebration, hoping to demonstrate popular political support for an environmental agenda. He modeled it on the highly effective Vietnam War teach-ins of the time. Earth Day was first proposed in a prospectus to JFK written by Fred Dutton. However, Nelson decided against much of Dutton's top-down approach, favoring a decentralized, and grassroots effort in which each community shaped its action around local concerns.
Nelson had conceived the idea for his environmental teach-in following a trip he took to Santa Barbara right after the horrific oil spill off the coast in 1969. Outraged by the devastation and Washington political inertia, Nelson proposed a national teach-in on the environment to be observed by every university campus in the U.S
“I am convinced that all we need to do to bring an overwhelming insistence of the new generation that we stem the tide of environmental disaster is to present the facts clearly and dramatically. To marshal such an effort, I am proposing a national teach-in on the crisis of the environment to be held next spring on every university campus across the Nation. The crisis is so imminent, in my opinion that every university should set aside 1 day in the school year-the same day across the Nation-for the teach-in”.
One of the organizers of the event said:
"We're going to be focusing an enormous amount of public interest on a whole, wide range of environmental events, hopefully in such a manner that it's going to be drawing the interrelationships between them and, getting people to look at the whole thing as one consistent kind of picture, a picture of a society that's rapidly going in the wrong direction that has to be stopped and turned around.
"It's going to be an enormous affair, I think. We have groups operating now in about 12,000 high schools, 2,000 colleges and universities and a couple of thousand other community groups. It's safe to say I think that the number of people who will be participating in one way or another is going to be ranging in the millions."
Earth is also celebrated from 6 April to 22 April
Qur'an and Earth day
The Quran is filled with ayats and the Sunnah is filled with actions, on how to be stewards of the Earth.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “The Earth is a Mosque.” You can pray anywhere. The entire planet is meant to be a place for worship of its Creator. You can kneel down in awe and gratitude of Allah on grass, on sand, on a mountain, in a cornfield. Therefore, the planet and its people deserve to be protected.
To demonstrate the connection between Islam and the environment, let’s talk about waste, water, watts, and food. These four topics are especially important because civilizations have been built and destroyed on their ability or inability to manage them. Think about it – a society that cannot remove its trash, preserve its water, create energy, and distribute food – will not flourish. As Muslim-Americans who live in this country, we create waste, drink water, use energy, and eat food. We need to start thinking responsibly about our actions and how they impact the environment. Knowing what our religion says about being Green is the perfect place to start.
America leads the world in waste production. We are less than 5% of the world’s population and create over 25% of the entire world’s waste.
In the Quran, Allah says, “Corruption has appeared on the land and in the sea because of what the hands of humans have wrought. This is in order that We give them a taste of the consequences of their misdeeds that perhaps they will turn to the path of right guidance.” (30:41) Scholars have cited “corruption” in this ayat to be synonymous with “pollution” or “waste”. “The path of right guidance,” likely means the path of justice and righteousness towards the planet.
We have become a society that takes water for granted. The average American uses 150 gallons of water PER DAY. Those in developing countries barely use 5 gallons per day. Still 1.1 billion people on the planet do not have access to safe and clean drinking water.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) urged moderation and thriftiness in the use of water. He warned against wasting water when doing wudu, even if one lives near a river. Water is from God and should therefore be freely available to all. There is a stipulation in the Sha’riah that prohibits the sale of water. If one is selling water, for example, the bottled water vendors at Hajj, they cannot charge for the fluid. They can only charge for the cost of the packaging.
The United States consumes 5 times more watts of energy than China and renewable energy only accounts for 7% of our energy use.
Non-renewable sources are extracted from the ground. They are taken from the Earth. Renewable sources are gifts that come from above. Allah reminds us repeatedly in the Quran of the power of the sun and wind. “Among His Signs is this, that He sends the winds, as heralds of glad tidings, giving you a taste of His Mercy – that the ships may sail by his command and that you may seek of His Bounty…”(30:46) Allah reminds us that wind is a useful blessing!
As the worlds super power and richest country on the planet, still millions of Americans do not have access to healthy food. In New York City alone, 3 million people live in “food deserts,” neighborhoods without grocery stores or access to fresh fruits and vegetables.
Allah allows us to eat heartily, but warns us against excessiveness. “O Children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer: eat and drink; But waste not by excess, For Allah loveth not the wasters.” (7:31) it’s amazing how much food is wasted each day while millions around the globe are starving.
There is also a Sunnah of Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) that while eating, take the food out from the side and not the middle. Eat from the food, which is closest to you. While this Sunnah is about serving oneself food, I thought, could it also mean to buy local?
April 22, 2010 is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. As Muslims, how will we protect the planet, not just on this one day, but every day? Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, author of the new book,”Green Deen: What Islam Teaches About Protecting the Planet,” is preparing to launch a nationwide movement for Muslims called “Green Ramadan.” This movement is about three things: 1) getting Muslims and mosques across the country to adopt Green principles for the holy month; 2) showing the power of the Muslim community and how great our contribution to the environmental movement can be; 3) inspiring Muslims to look to their religion for guidance on how to be stewards of the Earth. (by Fatima ashraf)
The Quran also describes the believing men and women as those who "walk on the Earth in humility." (25:63) Scholars have interpreted this verse, and others like it, to mean that Muslims are to protect nature's many bounties given to them by the Almighty. Preservation is therefore more than a good policy recommendation - it is a commandment from God.
There are more than 700 verses in the Quran that exhort believers to reflect on nature.
For example, the Quran states: "And it is He who spread out the earth, and set thereon mountains standing firm and (flowing) rivers; and fruit of every kind He made in pairs, two and two; He draweth the night as a veil over the Day. Behold, verily in these things there are signs for those who consider." (13:3)
According to Islamic beliefs, the Earth is a sanctuary in which mankind was made to dwell in comfort. The vast oceans, forests and mountains that make up this bountiful planet have been subdued by God for our enjoyment and productive use.
Further, God compels Muslims in the Quran to respect and revere the environment when He says, "Greater indeed than the creation of man is the creation of the heavens and the earth." (40:57)
The Prophet Muhammad told his followers they would be rewarded by God for taking care of the Earth. He said: "If any Muslim plants any plant and a human being or an animal eats of it, he will be rewarded as if he had given that much in charity." (Sahih Al-Bukhari, 8:41) He also compared Muslims to a "fresh tender plant" that bends, but does not break, when afflicted with life's inevitable calamities. (Sahih Al-Bukhari, 7:547)
Another tradition of the Prophet Muhammad, or hadith, quotes him as saying: "If the Hour (Judgment Day) is about to be established and one of you is holding a palm shoot, let him take advantage of even one second before the Hour is established to plant it."
An example of Muslims taking ownership of their divine obligation to protect the environment was seen recently when the people of Tanzania reversed a growing trend toward ecological destruction through a policy of sustainable fishing and environmental preservation based on the principles of the Quran.
Qur’anic verses regarding the importance of earth day
وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلاَئِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً قَالُواْ
Quran 2:30 - -
الأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً قَالُواْ أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَن يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاء وَنَحْنُ وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلاَئِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي
لَكَ سُ وَنُقَدِّ
نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ
تَعْلَمُونَ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لاَ قَالَ (2:30)
(Waith qala rabbuka lilmalaikati innee jaAAilun fee alardi khaleefatan qaloo atajAAalu feeha man yufsidu feeha wayasfiku alddimaa wanahnu nusabbihu bihamdika wanuqaddisu laka qala innee aAAlamu ma la taAAlamoona)
Translation:
And lo! Your Sustainer said to the angels: Behold,
I am about to establish upon earth a khalifa.
They said: Will you place on it such as will spread corruption and shed blood whereas it is we who extol Your limitless glory,
and praise You, and hallow Your name?
Allah answered: Verily,
I know that which you do not know (Qur’an 2:30).
Quran 33:72 - -
إِنَّا عَرَضْنَا الْأَمَانَةَ عَلَى السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَالْجِبَالِ فَأَبَيْنَ أَن يَحْمِلْنَهَا وَأَشْفَقْنَ مِنْهَا وَحَمَلَهَا الْإِنسَانُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ ظَلُومًا جَهُولًا (33:72)
(Inna AAaradna alamanata AAala alssamawati waalardi waaljibali faabayna an yahmilnaha waashfaqna minha wahamalaha alinsanu innahu kana thalooman jahoolan)
Translation:
Verily, We did offer the amana to the heavens, and the earth, and the mountains; but they refused to bear it Yet man took it - for, verily, he has always been prone to tyranny and foolishness (Qur’an 33:72).
Qur’an 6:165
For He it is Who has made you khalifa on earth,
and has raised some of you by degrees above others,
so that He might try you by means of what He has bestowed on you.
And thereupon We made you their khalifa on earth,
so that We might behold how you act (Qur’an 6:165).
The All-Merciful has taught the Qur’an
He created man and He taught him the explanation.
The sun and the moon to a reckoning,
and the stars and trees bow themselves;
and heaven - He raised it up and set the balance.
Transgress not in the balance,
and weight with justice, and skimp not in the balance.
And earth - He set it down for all beings,
therein fruits and palm trees with sheaths,
and grain in the blade, and fragrant herbs.
Of which your Lord’s bounties will you and you deny? (Qur’an 55:1-12).
