Allah says in the Qur’an, “It is He who has appointed you vicegerent on the Earth” (Qur’an, 6:165)
To protect their environment, members of the Fort McMurray Islamic Centre, Alberta, planted 100 trees last Saturday as the first phase of the mosque’s plan to plant 1000 trees outside the Muslim worshipping house.
“One of the prophets said that even towards the end of life, before the Day of Resurrection, if you see that it’s coming and you have a small shrub or a tree, you need to plant it,” Mohammed Al-Zabidi, president of Markaz-Ul-Islam, told Fort Mcmurray Today reported.
“This prophet is indicating that it is really crucially important to keep planting trees as much as you can.”
Fostering Community
Sponsored by community members, Al-Zabidi said having trees and greenery on the mosque’s grounds is a part of Islamic culture, fosters community, and is good for the environment.
The mosque, attended by about 2000 worshippers every week, includes a prayer space and a gym. A second phase including the basement and the second floor is ongoing.
“I know a lot of changes happen in this region and a lot of people move or people move to different areas because of jobs,” he said.
“But we’re still thankful that we were able to push through this project. Now, we can utilize it for larger prayers.”
Historically, Muslim scholars coupled their study of nature to their understanding of Allah (God).
The Qur’an articulates how eco-consciousness permeates every aspect of life and explains nature as a complete, complex, interconnected and interdependent system. It highlights the importance of recognizing and preserving the mizan, or balance.
Verily, We have created everything in equal proportion and measure … (Qur’an, 54:49).