Come Together For Earth Day

The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: "The Earth is green and beautiful, and Allah has appointed you his stewards over it. The whole earth has been created a place of worship, pure and clean. Whoever plants a tree and diligently looks after it until it matures and bears fruit is rewarded. If a Muslim plants a tree or sows a field and humans and beasts and birds eat from it, all of it is love on his part." (Muslim)

Today is world Earth Day! You may be wondering ‘what on earth is Earth Day?!’

Earth Day happens every year on April 22^nd, and people globally show support for the environmental cause on this day. It's all about saving the planet 🌍

Here are 5 things you can do to help protect our planet this Earth Day:

Compost your food waste 🍎

When you send food to a landfill, instead of breaking down harmlessly it releases the greenhouse gas methane, and it can also be a contributor to organic leachate which then pollutes land and water. It is our responsibility to protect our ozone layer from these greenhouse gases, as the Qu’ran states, “we made the sky a protected ceiling, but they, from its signs, are turning away.” (Qur'an 21:32)

Composting at home means your food scraps break down without any of the nastiness and you can use your homemade compost in your garden. You can get your hands on a small garden compost bin for as little as £30 and it’s a really simple way to do your bit for our planet.

Grow some bee friendly plants 🐝

It’s important that we look after our fuzzy little pollinators, and making sure they have plenty of pollen to make enough nectar to live off during winter months is one way we can help them.

 “And there is no creature on [or within] the earth or bird that flies with its wings except [that they are] communities like you. We have not neglected in the Register a thing. Then unto their Lord they will be gathered.” (Quran, 6:38) – We should protect all creatures created by Allah (SWT).

Planting out some lavender, sunflowers or even some mint won’t just make your garden look pretty, it will provide lots of new pollen sources for worker bees. You can even get ‘bee bombs’ which are wildflower seeds embedded in mushed up cardboard that you can just chuck on to some grass or soil, and let the rain do all the hard work for you.

Take a hike, or your bike 🥾 🚲

Here in the UK the sun is shining and it’s the perfect time to dust off your bike and take it for a spin. So next time you pop to the shop, consider walking or riding there instead of driving. For most of us, being conscious of how often we drive journeys we could walk is a simple switch.

Support sustainable food projects 🌱

Our sustainable agricultural projects are good for people and planet! Funding a vegetable garden in one of our Climate Smart Villages will provide food for communities to eat and to sell as well as the training needed to sustain their crops for years to come.

The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) once said, “There is none amongst the Muslims who plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person or an animal eats from it, but is regarded as a charitable gift for him.” (Bukhari)

As the proverb goes ‘Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he’ll feed himself for life.’ Click here to donate now!

Help communities that feel the effects of climate change now 🧡

In Bangladesh, communities are already struggling to deal with the effects of rising sea levels. Rising sea levels results in water sources being contaminated with saline - imagine having to drink sea water every day! It’s not something you’d wish on anyone. Drinking saline water can cause lots of diseases and health problems, particularly for children, pregnant women and cattle. This means not only does contaminated water have an effect on the people that drink it, it also results in food poverty. If cattle are sick and crops won’t grow, how can these communities grow crops to eat, or to earn a living?

The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) once said, “The best charity is giving water to drink.” (Ahmad)

Our Solar Panel Water and Power Centres can provide 2,500 people and livestock with safe, fresh drinking water. It doesn’t just stop at water! Our Solar Centres power homes and schools in an environmentally friendly way. Watch our video below to find out more or click here to donate.