Assalam Alaikium
"And the heavens has He raised high, and He has set up the
(Justice) balance (of nature) in order that you may not transgress the balance."
Qur'an: Surat Al Rahman
This article is only for those who realize Islam is not merely a religion for worshiping Allah but complete guidance to entire life of human beings. Those who are trying to shrink Islam within their mosques, please avoid reading this article because it will surely make you bore.(because surely they will say, Abdul Khadarukkum Ammavaasaikkum enna sampantham?). In reality Islam is very broader and wider than what an average pallapattian conceives as Islam is saying InshAllah, SubahAllah, etc…..
Most Muslims know that Islam is a universal religion, meant for all mankind. Allah (swt) is the Lord of the entire Universe. Some of us think, Islam is the religion only teaching us ritual of worships. But It is not so. It is teaching us science, mathematics, history, sociology ecology and so on. Islam is perfect and complete religion guiding entire human race in every field to live in peace and success in this world and here after.
Today I have perfected your religion for you and completed My blessing upon you and I am pleased with Islam as a religion for you. But if anyone is forced by hunger, not intending any wrongdoing, Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. – Holy Qur’an(5:3)
Today, we often hear threatening words such as “Global Warming” “Green House Effect” “Air Pollution” and “Water Pollution” etc… What are these all? Is there any connection or solution for correcting these threatening factors in Islam? Is Islam so useless like all other religions?
No, unlike all other religions, Islam is universal religion giving solution to every problem that encountered by human race. Ecology is a science of environment, studying nature cycles and pollution of environment. Qur’an handles study of ecological balance very carefully.
The Qur’an tells us many things about water cycles, food chains, ecosystems, air, soil
protection as well as wildlife protection. Sometimes the Qur’an even educates us about natural cycles that only recent scientific discoveries verified.
The Qur’an also warns us against wasting and destroying the earth. What is interesting to know is that pollution problems were not crucial or even important at the time of Rasulullah (PBUH); they have really become crucial since the 19th C, proving to us that the Qur'an was revealed to all mankind and for all ages, not just for the time of its revelation.
Allah Ta’alah has foreseen the future and warned all the Muslims about the importance of respecting our planet, and the great sins linked to the idea of wasting: wasting our time, our youth, our money, our health and all types of waste. For all that we waste, we will be accountable one day, a day called Judgment day.
The Prophet said, "There are two blessings which many people lose: (They are) Health and free time for doing good" [Bukhari: Volume 8, Book 76, number 421. Narrated Ibn 'Abbas]
Muslims have to be active as far the Earth and its protection are concerned. It is our duty; it is not a question of choice!
Let us analyze types of pollution corrupting the world. First we define what is pollution?
Pollution can be defined as a contamination of the earth's environment with materials that interfere with human health, the quality of life, or the natural functioning
There are different kinds of pollution:
Water Pollution
Air Pollution
Garbage, waste
Chemical
Noise
Intellectual
Moral
Let me say general aspects of followings and later how Qur’an handles each topics.
POLLUTANTS AND WASTE:
Air pollution already existed hundred of years ago.
Many historians speculate that the overuse of lead plumbing for drinking water in Rome caused chronic lead poisoning among rich people.The mining and smelting of ores that accompanied the transition from the Stone Age to the Metal Age resulted in piles of mining wastes that spread potentially toxic elements such as mercury,copper, lead, and nickel into the environment.
By the 19th century, chimney sweeps contracted cancer from hydrocarbons in chimney soot;hatters became disoriented, or "mad," from nerve-destroying mercury salts used to treat felt fabric; and bootblacks suffered liver damage from boot polish solvents.
During the 20th century, pollution became so widespread that pollutants not only persisted in the environment, but changed atmospheric and climatic conditions.
In the United States, the Clean Air Act (1970) reduced certain types of air pollution.
The Clean Water Act (1977) and Safe Drinking Water Act (1974) set water quality standards.
Followed laws to control toxic wastes, such as the Toxic Substances Control Act (1976) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (1976).
The Liability Act (CERCLA) provides funds to clean up the most severely contaminated
hazardous waste sites.
International agreements have also played a role in reducing global pollution, such as the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (1987) or the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal (1989).
But to avoid ecological disaster and increased poverty, developing countries will require aid and technology from outside nations and corporations, community participation in development initiatives, and strong environmental regulations.
Non-governmental organizations are also very active; they form at the local, national,and international level to combat pollution problems worldwide.
Greenpeace International is one of them!
But what is pollution?
Pollution can be defined as a contamination of the earth's environment with materials that interfere with human health, the quality of life, or the natural functioning of ecosystems.
However, pollution can also have natural causes like volcanic eruptions, cyclones, and so on.
There are two main categories of polluting materials made and used by humans; they are biodegradable and non-degradable materials; these materials are called pollutants.
The first category, biodegradable pollutants (sewage, feces, vegetables, fruits, etc), rapidly decompose by natural processes. However, these pollutants become a problem when they cannot decompose rapidly enough and people continue adding more and more everyday, so they accumulate.
The second category are non-degradable pollutants that cannot decompose or decompose slowly in the natural environment. Once they are launched into the environment, it is almost impossible to remove them.
DDT, dioxins, pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and radioactive materials can be utterly dangerous when they pass through our bodies when we consume plants or animals.
Because, us humans are at the top of the food chain, we accumulate a lot of toxins
coming from what we eat. In the 60’s, at Minamata Bay, Japan, people developed nervous disorders, tremors, and paralysis in a mysterious epidemic. Over 400 people died. Why?
Because a local industry was releasing mercury into the Bay, and people were eating the fish infected by it! All of a sudden, people began to notice that pollution was fatal, and someone had to do something about it! The fight against environmental pollution was born.Expenditures to reduce pollution in the United States in 1993 totaled $109 billion,including $105.4 billion on reduction, $1.9 billion on regulation, and $1.7 billion on research and development. Twenty-nine percent of the total cost went toward air pollution, 36 percent to water pollution, and 36 percent to solid waste management. Nonetheless, the reforms do not profit everybody: low-income populations and minorities are lodged near toxic waste incinerators,chemical plants, and solid waste dumps, therefore they do not receive the same protection against hazardous wastes.
Solid waste are solid materials we do not want anymore, such as garbage, paper, plastics,metals, etc. It constitutes the major source of waste in industrialized countries.Billions of tons of solid waste are thrown out annually.
A typical American generates an average of 4 pounds of solid waste each day.
How much does that make in one year?
Developed countries produce much more solid wastes than in developing countries, and they waste more of synthetic materials, which take longer to decompose than biodegradable waste materials of developing countries.
Solid waste are usually buried in landfills, but landfills quickly become overfilled and usually contaminate air, soil, and water because of leakage.Incineration, or burning, of waste reduces the volume of solid waste, but produces dense ashen wastes full of dangerous, hazardous materials such as heavy metals and toxic compounds.
Another way of getting rid of waste is composting. Composting is the act of using
natural processes such as making a pile of organic materials in your garden and airing it now and then. When decomposed, the product can be used as natural fertilizer.
Recycling, reducing and reusing materials that take longer to decompose has become
an important task of community life in many developed countries where people are sensitive to landfill and incineration problems and become more conscious of pollution around them.
Over one-fifth of the municipal solid waste produced in the United States would be now recycled. But developing countries are becoming more and more sensitive to the problems because of epidemics and sanity concerns. Moreover, people in these countries are very poor and try to make a living by recycling materials. For instance, many Asian countries have organized waste-pickers that comb streets and dumps for items such as plastics they can use or resell.
Nowadays the challenge is not to stop the waste since it has become almost impossible to educate people and industries in that sense, but to make products easier to reuse in order to reduce the high costs of environmental pollution.
Hazardous Waste are products non-degradable; they are toxic chemicals and flammable
or radioactive substances, including industrial wastes from chemical plants or nuclear reactors,agricultural wastes such as pesticides and fertilizers, medical wastes, and household hazardous
wastes such as toxic paints and solvents. The United States generates 240 million metric tons of hazardous wastes each year.During many years, most hazardous wastes were legally dumped in solid waste landfills, buried,or dumped into lakes, rivers, and oceans. Legal regulations now restrict them.
Cleaning the 10,000 abandoned hazardous waste dumps in the US could take 50 years and cost $100 billion.
As the towns grow more numerous and bigger, and more people use more machines,
noise pollution has become a major problem in urban areas.
Noise, such as that produced by airplanes, traffic, or industrial machinery, is considered a form of pollution. Noise pollution is at its worst in densely populated areas. It can cause hearing loss,stress, high blood pressure, sleep loss, distraction, and lost productivity.
Most humans can hear sounds between 20 and 20,000 hertz, while dogs can hear high-pitched sounds up to 50,000 hertz.
High-frequency sounds are really annoying to humans, even dangerous.Measured in decibels, noise intensity can range from zero, the quietest sound the human ear can
detect, to over 160 decibels. A conversation reaches 40 decibels; a rock concert, 100decibels; a jet, 110 decibels. The threshold for pain, tissue damage, and potential hearing loss in humans is 120 decibels. A person who is affected by hearing problems can loose his/her balance and spoil his/ her life greatly. Modern music, especially heavy metal music, and modern appliances such as car audio or walkman make the problem very hard to solve. As Muslims, we should restrain from music as music is not recommended in Islam and walk away from the setting where music takes place since these settings are often linked with sinful acts. Not only the ear is in danger, but the promiscuity in concerts between men and women is not desirable; half-naked bodies dancing immodestly on videos, seducing are even more dangerous for the imagination of young adolescents, and so on and so forth.
All in all, the effects of pollutants over the environment may be immediate or delayed.Primary effects of pollution occur immediately after contamination occurs, such as the death of marine plants and wildlife after an oil spill at sea. Secondary effects may be delayed or may persist in the environment into the future. For instance, birds eat grains that have been contaminated by pesticides. The more they eat of that grain, the more they accumulate poison in their body. Birds with high concentration of pesticide lay thin-shelled eggs that fail to hatch or produce deformed offspring, such as the bald eagle and peregrine falcon, species now in danger
The same cycle is to be found in us. The more we are indifferent to our natural
environment, the more the environment get polluted, the greatest our sins for not doing anything!
We have all a part to play in the protection of the Earth. We are all involved because Allah
Ta’alah has chosen human beings to be watchers over the Earth!
Muslims should feel obligated to mind these warnings and do things at their own levels, with their own means. And protecting the environment begins by protection oneself, doesn’t it?
Water and Islam
Water is the natural resource maybe the most present in the sacred texts of Islam. Not only it is constantly evoked, but it also evokes several meanings.
And He sends down hail from mountains (clouds) in the sky, and He strikes with it whomever He wills, and turns it from whoever He wills. The vivid flash of its lightning nearly blinds the sight. [Qur'aan 24:43]
Scientists have studied clouds and noticed that they can predict the weather by looking at
them. The shapes of clouds depend on winds. One kind of rain cloud is the cumulonimbus cloud associated with thunderstorms. Scientists have found that cumulonimbus clouds go through the following steps to produce rain: clouds are pushed by the wind; then they join together forming a larger cloud. When the small clouds join together, updrafts within the larger cloud increase. The updrafts near the center of the cloud are stronger than those near the edges. These updrafts cause the cloud’s body to grow vertically, so the cloud is stacked up. This vertical growth causes the cloud body to stretch into cooler regions of the atmosphere where drops of water and hail formulate and begin to grow larger and larger. When these drops of water and hail become too heavy for the updrafts to support them, they begin to fall from the clouds as rain, hail, etc. Meteorologists have found that these cumulonimbus clouds, showering hail, reach a height of
25,000 to 30,000 feet (4.7 to 5.7 miles), like mountains, as the Qur'an says.
So the Qur’an really describes the water cycles in the sky as well as the nature of the waters in the oceans. These examples are but a few in the Qur’an. Most of the time the Qur’an speaks about how the rain falls on the earth and revives it; it tells that there is much wisdom by looking at all forms the water takes, and those who are wise enough to think about it receive a great Benediction.
Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth; in the alternation of the night and the day; in the sailing of the ships through the ocean for the profit of mankind; in the rain which Allah Sends down from the skies, and the life which He gives therewith to an earth that is dead; in the beasts of all kinds that He scatters through the earth; in the change of the winds, and the clouds which they Trail like their slaves between the sky and the earth;- (Here) indeed are Signs for a people that are wise. [Qur’an 2:164]
The miraculous and most interesting feature about the sea water is described in detail in the Qur’an itself.
(The unbelievers state) is like the depths of darkness in a vast deep ocean, overwhelmed with billow topped by billow, topped by (dark) clouds: Depths of darkness, one above another: If a man stretches out his hand, he can hardly see it! For any to whom Allah does not give light, there is no light. [Qur’an 24:40].
This verse about the state of people who are not Muslims is a miracle in itself. One should read it
over and over again to feel how deep it is. The verse is a miracle in two ways: because of its scientific accuracy and because of the accuracy of the parable (the image that comes up into one’s mind while reading it).
Allah Ta’alah could have chosen the darkness of the night in order to explain how lost
unbelievers are, but the comparison with the depth of the sea is even stronger than it is unexpected, especially at the time of the Prophet (PBUH) when nobody was able to dive deep enough into the sea to tell if the sea depths had layers of darkness or not.
Scientists now have explored the sea’s darkness by means of submarines. Human beings can only dive unaided for twenty to thirty meters deep. This darkness is caused by water waves, and also by the absorption of colors at the different levels that are layered one over the other.
The fact to compare the unbelievers moving about the darkness of the sea is a very effective description. There are many different layers or depths in everybody as far as sins are concerned and also the awareness: some people are completely in the dark about the revelations of life, some other have almost understood what life really is and that only Islam is the way. For those who are completely lost, it seems that there is almost no hope for them like a person stretching his hand in the dark in a middle of the ocean, reaching for nothing and only concerned about his present desires and safety.
A great Benediction that was given to Musa (Moses)(PBUH), Ajar (RA) and Muhammad(PBUH) and us by our duas, is respectively the splitting of the sea, the creation of springs like the Zamzam spring, and the coming of the rain:
And remember Moses prayed for water for his people; We said: "Strike the rock with thy staff." Then gushed forth there from twelve springs. Each group knew its own place for water. So eat and drink of the sustenance provided by Allah, and do neither evil nor mischief on the (face of the) earth. [Qur’an 2:60]
The water in Islam is often linked to miracles, physical miracles or the miracle of the Faith.
The Prophet said, "The example of guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me is
like abundant rain falling on the earth, some of which was fertile soil that absorbed rain
water and brought forth vegetation and grass in abundance. (And) another portion of it was
hard and held the rain water and Allah benefited the people with it and they utilized it for
drinking, making their animals drink from it and for irrigation of the land for cultivation.
(And) a portion of it was barren which could neither hold the water nor bring forth
vegetation (then that land gave no benefits). The first is the example of the person who
comprehends Allah's religion and gets benefit (from the knowledge) which Allah has revealed
through me (the Prophets and learns and then teaches others. The last example is that of a
person who does not care for it and does not take Allah's guidance revealed through me (He
is like that barren land.)"
[Haadith, Imam Malik: 001.003.079 - Knowledge - Narrated Abu Musa]
From the water (actually the male semen) comes everything that lives. This have been verified
by modern scientists.
Water has really something of a miracle because it is the heart of life. Consider how many
gallons of water our body is made of?
About 65% of our body contains water and we constantly drink and use water to clean our body
from inside out.
We drink an average of 2 ½ quarts (2.4L) of water per day. Our body is 2/3rd water by weight;
our blood is 92% water; our brain is 75% water; our bones are 20% water.
We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?
[Qur’an 21:30]
And Allah has created every animal from water: of them there are some that creep on
their bellies; some that walk on two legs; and some that walk on four. Allah creates what
He wills for verily Allah has power over all things.
[Qur’an 24:45]
It is He Who has created man from a drop of water (semen): then has He established
relationships of lineage and marriage: for thy Lord has power (over all things).
[Qur’an 25:54]
Water revives us when we are sick. Our Beloved Prophet (PBUH) asked to be basked into water
when he was on his deathbed, so he could meet with his people fresh and revived.
Water is so essential to sustain life that one needs a strong faith in order to resist the urge
of drinking when he is very thirsty. Allah Ta’alah has put to the test several of his armies like the
one of Muhammad (PBUH) and the one of Talut’s battle:
When Talut set forth with the armies, he said: "(Allah) will test you at the stream: if any
drinks of its water, He goes not with my army: Only those who taste not of it go with me:
A mere sip out of the hand is excused." but they all drank of it, except a few. When they
crossed the river,- He and the faithful ones with him,- they said: "This day We cannot
cope with Goliath and his forces." but those who were convinced that they must meet
Allah, said: "How oft, by Allah’s will, Hath a small force vanquished a big one? Allah is
with those who steadfastly persevere."
[Qur’an 2:249]
In Islam, a person who refuses water to a thirsty person or an animal can become the
dweller of Hell in the Hereafter. On the contrary, a person who gives water can be granted
Paradise just on account of that, even if the person has committed many sins before. So, refusing
water to a living creature, in Islam, is considered really cruel and unworthy of a believer; it is one
of the greatest sins.
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The Prophet said, "A man saw a dog eating mud from (the severity of) thirst. So, that man
took a shoe (and filled it) with water and kept on pouring the water for the dog till it
quenched its thirst.
So Allah approved of his deed and made him to enter Paradise.”
[Haadith Bukhari: 001.004.174 - Ablutions (Wudu') - Narrated Abu Huraira]
Water is closely related to Paradise.
One of the bounties of Paradise are gushing waters and springs that taste like honey.
The righteous (will be) amid gardens and fountains (of clear-flowing water).
[Qur’an 15:45]
Another bounty of the Paradise is that the people who were thrown into Hell because of their sins
but who were Muslims are revived with the water of Paradise, then they are reborn.
The Prophet said, "When the people of Paradise will enter Paradise and the people of
Hell will go to Hell, Allah will order those who have had faith equal to the weight of a
grain of mustard seed to be taken out from Hell. So they will be taken out but (by then)
they will be blackened (charred). Then they will be put in the river of Haya' (rain) or
Hayat (life) (the Narrator is in doubt as to which is the right term), and they will revive
like a grain that grows near the bank of a flood channel.
Don't you see that it comes out yellow and twisted"
[Haadith Bukhari: 001.002.021 - Belief - Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri]
Finally, what is the practical lessons we, Muslims, can learn from the following story:
Explain:
I heard Anas bin Malik saying, "On a Friday a person entered the main Mosque through
the gate facing the pulpit while Allah's Apostle was delivering the Khutba. The man stood
in front of Allah's Apostle and said, 'O Allah's Apostle! The livestock are dying and the
roads are cut off; so please pray to Allah for rain.' " Anas added, "Allah's Apostle
(p.b.u.h) raised both his hands and said, 'O Allah! Bless us with rain! O Allah! Bless us
with rain! O Allah! Bless us with rain!' " Anas added, "By Allah, we could not see any
trace of cloud in the sky and there was no building or a house between us and (the
mountains of) Sila." Anas added, "A heavy cloud like a shield appeared from behind it
(i.e. Sila' Mountain). When it came in the middle of the sky, it spread and then rained."
Anas further said, "By Allah! We could not see the sun for a week. Next Friday a person
entered through the same gate and at that time Allah's Apostle was delivering the
Friday's Khutba. The man stood in front of him and said, 'O Allah's Apostle! The
livestock are dying and the roads are cut off, please pray to Allah to with-hold rain.' "
Anas added, "Allah's Apostle I raised both his hands and said, 'O Allah! Round about us
and not on us. O Allah! On the plateaus, on the mountains, on the hills, in the valleys and
on the places where trees grow.' So the rain stopped and we came out walking in the
sun." Sharik asked Anas whether it was the same person who had asked for the rain (the
last Friday). Anas replied that he did not know.
[Haadith Bukhari: 002.017.126 - Invoking Allah for Rain (Istisqaa) - Narrated Sharik
bin 'Abdullah bin Abi Namir]
WATER CYCLES: facts and pollution:
The Earth’s surface contains 70% water and 97% of this water is not available for
drinking. Nowadays, we need more freshwater because we are more numerous on earth and our
seas are polluted. We are more numerous because less people die and we are fed better and we
are well protected against many natural hazards. So, we need water for our family, not only for
drinking, but also for eating, agriculture, bakeries, restaurants, schools that need more water as
they have to satisfy more customers.
Of the water consumed each year, 73% is used for agriculture, 21 % for industry, and only 6% for
domestic uses.
Sewage, industrial wastes, and agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides are
the main cause of water pollution.
In 1995, about 37% of the US's lakes and estuaries, and 36% of its rivers, were too polluted for
people to fish or swim in them!
what can you conclude?
Imagine you were bathed in sewage, what would probably happen to you?
Two things show how important water is on earth. First, water is essential to life
survival. Second, the total amount of water in the world is constant and can neither be increased
or diminished, as it is true for wood or for coal, oil, etc.
The total volume of water on earth is about 1,400 million cubic kilometers (1018 tones).
Actually, of these 0.6% of surface water, 3% are found inside living creatures, 7% in the
atmosphere, 33% in soil moisture, 57% in rivers and lakes.
Even though, there is plenty of water for all our needs.
But surface water is unevenly distributed: some areas of the world are desertic or semi-arid while
others suffer from torrential rains and seasonal flooding. In fact, 15% of world’s largest rivers
carry one-third of the global runoff (roughly rivers of the Americas and Russia).
Problems:
Most of the surface water is used for agriculture, but 70 to 80% never reach the crops, so
there is much waste. Furthermore, the soil can become waterlogged and salinized in the process
because of men’s ignorance of the nature of their soil.
Even if industry does not use much water, it pollutes much more since water is needed for cooling
and cleaning. Actually 80% of the water is being returned to its source, if not polluted, at least
hot (in the case of nuclear power pants) which can disturb significantly the natural environment
of rivers and lakes
Domestic usage can however spare more water since 10 L. of water is required to flush a
toilet and 100 L. for a shower and a lot more is used by washing machines.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) used to do the ritual ablutions with a bucket of water (a
sa’), while he used to bath with 5 buckets (Sa’) only! And at this time a small bucket of water
was still enough to wash private parts.
Consider putting a bottle full of water inside the tank of your toilet in order to reduce the amount
of water you use daily, and use the shower only to rinse the soap from your body!
Other problems:
Developing countries do not have sanitary facilities the western world possesses. In fact,
human waste is simply deversed into rivers without treatment, and 4 out of 5 common diseases in
these countries (thyphoid, cholera, etc) are caused by dirty water or lack of sanitation.
The problem is major since 20,000 people die everyday of these diseases!
To complicate the matter, only one-fifth of city dwellers in these countries have access to safe
water, but one half is wasted already though leaks in pipes and taps!
Oceans & Rivers:
Since most streams of water end up naturally in the oceans, the pollution started in the
rivers finally pollutes the seawater as well. But 90% of the pollution stays around the shore,
never reaching deep sea and making local fishery and swimming unsafe. The Mediterranean sea
is a good example; it is the most polluted of all seas in the world. WHY?
Think about the Mediterranean Sea. What are its characteristics? Do you think the pollution can
reach the Atlantic easily, so the sea can be cleaned more easily?
This situation is important to know if we keep in mind that two-thirds of the world’s
population lives within 80Km of a coast, and 90% of the fish worldwide is caught around the
coasts!
This situation is important to know if we keep in mind that two-thirds of the world’s
population lives within 80Km of a coast, and 90% of the fish worldwide is caught around the
coasts!
Now, what about that?
Water runoff carries fertilizers from the fields into lakes, streams and rivers. These fertilizers are
called phosphates and nitrates. When combined with the phosphates and nitrates from sewage,
they speed the growth of algae and water plants. It is probably interesting to look, but this causes
an ecological unbalance, and much more than that… Try to find the main danger of this
phenomenon
The air cycles and Islam:
Not many references in Islam talk about he air. In one instance, the Qur’an describes
how the birds are using the air, its warm currents in order to fly.
Do they not look at the birds, held poised in the midst of (the air and) the sky? Nothing
holds them up but (the power of) Allah. Verily in this are signs for those who believe.
[Qur’an 16:79]
Usually the air is referred as the ability to breathe into something to give it shape and life. Allah
Ta’lah breathed into His hands to give life to the first man and the first woman. And it is true that
the Oxygen we breathe from the air makes us live and helps purify our body. We do not make
any effort to make our lungs go; it is a natural gift!
And (remember) her (Mary) who guarded her chastity: We breathed into her of Our
spirit, and We made her and her son a sign for all peoples.
[Qur’an 21:91]
Prophets Iesa (Jesus) (PBUH) was given the miracle of life, after the permission of Allah was
given.
"And (appoint him) an apostle to the Children of Israel, (with this message): "'I have
come to you, with a Sign from your Lord, in that I make for you out of clay, as it were, the
figure of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Allah’s leave: And I heal
those born blind, and the lepers, and I quicken the dead, by Allah’s leave; and I declare
to you what you eat, and what you store in your houses. Surely therein is a Sign for you if
you did believe.
[Qur’an 3:49]
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Then will Allah say: "O Jesus the son of Mary! Recount My favour to thee and to thy
mother. Behold! I strengthened thee with the holy spirit, so that thou did speak to the
people in childhood and in maturity. Behold! I taught thee the Book and Wisdom, the
Law and the Gospel and behold! thou makest out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird,
by My leave, and thou breathed into it and it becomed a bird by My leave, and you healed
those born blind, and the lepers, by My leave. And behold! You brought forth the dead by
My leave. And behold! I did restrain the Children of Israel from (violence to) thee when
you did show them the clear Signs, and the unbelievers among them said: 'This is nothing
but evident magic.'
[Qur’an 5:110]
The air cycles: pollution and facts:
THE SMOG:
The earth's atmosphere has been polluted since long, in fact, since humans first began to
use fire for agriculture, heating, and cooking. But, during the Industrial Revolution, people began
to build cars and plastic products, cameras, etc. These new inventions made life more enjoyable,
and it was affordable for many, but they were produced by industries which rejected toxic wastes
directly into the water and the air. Therefore, since the 18th century, air pollution became a major
problem in industrialized countries because nature could not handle that amount of pollutants
released into its air.
Urban air pollution is nowadays commonly known as smog.
Smog is a mixture of carbon monoxide and organic compounds from incomplete
combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, and sulfur dioxide from impurities in the fuels. As the
smog ages and reacts with oxygen, organic and sulfuric acids condense as droplets, increasing the
haze.
Another type of smog, called photochemical smog alters the air quality over large cities
like those of California. The sky is charged with dark clouds and gives an impression of stormy
weather. This latter smog is caused by combustion in cars, trucks, and airplane engines, which
produce nitrogen oxides and release hydrocarbons from unburned fuels.
Sunlight causes the nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons to combine and turn oxygen into ozone, a
chemical agent that attacks rubber, injures plants, and irritates lungs. The hydrocarbons are
oxidized into materials that condense and form a visible, pungent haze. This haze is also called
acid rain!
In 1952, 2000 Londoners died of its effects.
Another imp ortant fact: Most pollutants are washed out of the air by rain, snow, fog, or
mist, but only after traveling large distances, sometimes across continents
Industrial pollution comes from the burning of coal, oil, etc.
The black smoke you see reaching into the air from the chimneys of most industries is made of
two basic chemical compounds known as sulphur dioxide (So2) and nitrogen oxides (NO).
These two compounds are transformed into other compounds when they are in contact with the
sun rays and the water in the air (water in the air takes the form of clouds or the evaporation of
water coming from seas and plants).
This is called a Chemical Reaction.
What is a Chemical Reaction?
Imagine you want to bake a bread. You will need separate and very different elements such as
water, maybe eggs, flour and yeast. As you mix the elements together, you cannot recognize
anymore the eggs from the flour, and the water makes the mixture become like a smooth ball to
form the dough. Add some yeast and a chemical reaction happens. How do you know it is a
chemical reaction? You know it because the dough rises; some kind of magic happens,
something you could not obtain without the yeast!
In the pollution process, a very different chemical reaction occurs.
SO2 and NOx become something else when mixed with the sun rays and the water present in the
clouds or the atmosphere.
Oxidation means that some parts of the product will be detached and recomposed differently.
Have you ever seen a metal rusting? This is an oxidation; the oxidation is caused by a chemical
reaction. The bright metal becomes red in contact for a certain time with water and the air.
See, in the figure below, SO2 and NO oxide. The elements obtained by oxidation are dissolved.
Do you know what the word dissolution means?
Put a lump of sugar in a glass of water, then watch. What happens? The sugar disappears and the
water tastes of sugar, right? This is called a dissolution.
It is pointless at this stage to explain all these chemical reactions. The most important thing to
remember is that some dangerous chemical elements are dissolved into the atmosphere and fall
into the earth. This is called the Acid Rain because SO and NO are transformed into acids. We60-70 % of the acid deposition coming from emissions of sulphur dioxide (So2) is from
human origin.
The sulphur dioxide is obtained from coal burning, by smelting metals, volcanic eruptions adding
to a local problems, and organic decay.
In Europe, emissions of SO2 have been well reduced, about 40% in 20 years.
In Western Europe, emissions are almost 50% lower now than in 1980.
The reasons are the economic decline followed by the closure of factories, and the introduction of
new technology to clean up emissions.
When in the air, sulphur dioxide can land on the Earth's surface in the form of dry dust, or it can
be turned into acid by a chemical reaction in contact with the moist air (H2O).
What do the transcriptions So and NO mean?
They are the symbols of two basic elements in our natural world.
For example, plants release Oxygen that we breathe in order to ventilate our lungs and stay alive.
Oxygen’s symbol is O. We release Carbon Dioxide from our lungs into the air; this Carbon
Dioxide is inhaled by plants who need it to live. The Carbon’ symbol is CO2. The symbol of
Carbon is C. CO2 is only one form that can take the carbon knowing that our bones are made of
Carbon, pencils are made of Carbon called Graphite, and many things around us are made of
Carbon.
CO2 means that an atom of Carbon bonds with 2 atoms of Oxygen. The equation could also be
written that way: COO = CO2.
This meeting of two basic elements is called a Chemical Reaction.
What is acid?
What happens when acid falls on something: an object, an animal or food? If you do not know,
try to look at the exhaust pipe of old cars, and you will have a good hint:
Acid occurs naturally in nature.
If you want to remember what acid is in food, remember that ACID = SOUR taste.
Of course, other acids that do not come from food are very dangerous!
Cite a few dangerous acids; usually they are products parents try to hide in the cabinets for the
safety of their children:
Acid rain affects the life in the rivers:
The acidification of lakes begins whenever the precipitation (acid rain) falls on the earth,
then infiltrates in the ground. Then chemicals move into lake soil and bedrock where they can
react with limestone and aluminum-containing silicate minerals and give toxic elements such as
heavy metals. Then, they flow down to the lakes. This flow is called leachate.
The good news is if the soil and bedrock is rich in limestone, the acidity of water can be reduced.
Acidic lakes show a rapid decline in fish numbers. Lake life cannot reproduce or they die
of cancer like illnesses. The important reduction in plant nutrients (potassium, magnesium, etc)
and the difficulty to absorb these nutrients due to root damage causes the decline in plant growth
rates.
Many important soil organisms die below a pH of about 6.0 which upsets the decomposition and
nutrient cycles.
In humans, this process causes respiratory problems and other illnesses due to the food chain
cycle.
There are several things that can be done in order to alleviate the problems of acid deposition.
The pH of lakes can be increased by a technique called liming (deposition of hydrated lime or
soda in the lake).
Environmental regulations can limit the amount of sulphuric pollution released in the atmosphere
from industrial sources.
It would help to reduce the number of motor vehicles and to return to walking and biking or
generalize the usage of community buses. New cars mst be more adapted to prevent pollution,
and many companies are working on this.
There have been some progress so far, but everyone has to participate in order to make the Earth
more livable.
The GREENHOUSE effect:
The global warming is another effect of the smog.
What is it?
It is an increase in the earth's temperature due to the buildup of gases such as carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide and other gases, known as greenhouse gases, reduce the escape
of heat from the planet, but they block radiation coming from the sun. Because of this, the
temperatures will be rising 1° to 3.5° C (1.8° to 6.3° F) by the year 2100.
Thus, this global warming would affect climate, crop production, it would disrupt
wildlife, and raise the sea level because more glaciers would melt into the ocean.
However, some people are against a negative interpretation of changes in weather. They say that
if you look far back in the world history, this is not unusual
OZONE:
Excessive production of chlorine-containing compounds (CFCs) (compounds used in
refrigerators, air conditioners, and in the polystyrene production) has depleted the ozone layer,
creating a hole above Antarctica. This lasts for several weeks each year. Consequently, as the
earth is not protected, during this time, against the negative rays of the sun, aquatic and terrestrial
wildlife, human health in high-latitude are threatened.
Air quality:
However, air quality is improving because of national laws setting air quality standards.
It is estimated that new cars of the 21st century will emit 99% less hydrocarbons and carbon
monoxide than in the 1970’s.
Greater use of electricity replacing other sources of energy in manufacturing, services and
household appliances. New technologies allow businesses to recycle gases and particules before
their release into the air.
Indoor air:
If we are doing something nationally, the effort must continue inside our own homes!
What is indoor air quality?
ETS is a mixture of the smoke given off by the burning end of a cigarette, pipe, or cigar and the
smoke exhaled from the lungs of smokers.
The health effects can start after few years; they are eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches;
lung cancer; may contribute to heart diseases. Specifically for children, increased risk of lower
respiratory tract infections, such as bronchitis and pneumonia, and ear infections; build-up of
fluid in the middle ear; increased severity and frequency of asthma episodes; decreased lung
function.
Particle levels in homes without smokers or other strong particle sources are the same as, or lower
than, those outdoors. Homes with one or more smokers may have particle levels several times
higher than outdoor levels.
The steps to reduce indoor pollution are simple.
Do not smoke in your home or permit others to do so. Do not smoke if children are present,
particularly infants and toddlers. If smoking indoors cannot be avoided, increase ventilation in
the area where smoking takes place. Open windows or use exhaust fans. Do not smoke in the car.
The high concentration of smoke in a small, closed compartment substantially increases the
exposure to other passengers. Respect yourself, respect those who live with you.
Even though smoking is not a great problem among Muslims, still some families re exposed to
this problem, and we must be aware that the practice is not recommended in Islam because it
endangers our health and the health of our families, of our neighbors too!
Another problem we might consider as far as indoor air is concerned is that the usage of
chemicals inside the house can be dangerous, especially the use of pesticides and sprays. Reduce
their usage as much as possible and replace them by natural products like repellents or natural
detergents.
Dust also can provoke or worsen asthma and conditions inside the house. Make sure you
clean the house thoroughly to get rid of the dust; some machines or filters help as well. Ask
around!
THE SOIL,THE GROUND, THE EARTH
How is the earth or soil viewed in Islam?
First of all, Allah Ta’alah created human beings from clay. Contrary to the angels made
of a delicate fire, humans were made out of a common piece of earth. Not only was Prophet
Adam (PBUH) created from the Earth, but also Allah Ta’alah built the Earth for him and his
offsprings, so that they may enjoy it and be tested on it. The Earth was made for us so that we
could prove ourselves as human beings and be selected among the best men and women to go to
Paradise.
In order to be selected as “honor students” of the teachings of Allah Ta’alah, humans were made
the guardians of the Earth. Men will be judged considering what they have done to protect it and
to make it a more enjoyable place for every living creature. Those who fail to protect the Earth
and Islam on Earth consequently will be the dwellers of Hell in the Hereafter.
Many times the Qur’an tells about men who are not grateful for the gift of the Earth, and how
they will be punished for that.
Many times it is revealed that nothing can be done or grown without the permission of
Allah. When we plant trees or vegetables, anything, we should say Insha Allah, “In the name of
Allah” because we cannot make these plants grow unless Allah ears our duas and help them
grow.
Many times it is mentioned that the earth could not live without water, that water is sent by Allah
in order to revive what was dead.
Verily! We made that which is on earth as an adornment for it, in order that We test
them (mankind)- as to which is best in deeds.
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Verily what is on earth we shall make but as dust and dry soil (without growth or
herbage)
[Qur’an 18:7-8]
Who has made the earth your couch, and the heavens your canopy; and sent down rain
from the heavens; and brought forth therewith Fruits for your sustenance; then set not up
rivals unto Allah when ye know (the truth).
[Qur’an 2:22]
But the earth, the possession of land, can be a reward for those who show piety and obedience to
Allah:
And We made a people, considered weak (and of no account), inheritors of lands in both
east and west, - lands whereon We sent down Our blessings. The fair promise of thy Lord
was fulfilled for the Children of Israel, because they had patience and constancy, and We
leveled to the ground the great works and fine buildings which Pharaoh and his people
erected (with such pride).
[Qur’an 7:137]
The earth in Islam is therefore a witness of our actions. This idea is confirmed in the following
verses. When the son of Adam saw that he could not cancel into the earth his brother that he had
killed, the earth was the witness of his exaction.
Then Allah sent a raven, who scratched the ground, to show him how to hide the shame
of his brother. "Woe is me!" said he; "Was I not even able to be as this raven, and to hide
the shame of my brother?" then he became full of regrets.
[Qur’an 5:31]
The earth reveals also the truth about the soul of some people who have deeply provoked the
wrath of Allah Ta’alah. When the earth rejects the bodies of some people, it means the person
did not deserve to be buried there; even the earth does not want of it.
There was a Christian who embraced Islam and read Surat-al-Baqara and Al-Imran, and
he used to write (the revelations) for the Prophet. Later on he returned to Christianity
again and he used to say: "Muhammad knows nothing but what I have written for him."
Then Allah caused him to die, and the people buried him, but in the morning they saw
that the earth had thrown his body out.
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They said, "This is the act of Muhammad and his companions. They dug the grave of our
companion and took his body out of it because he had run away from them." They again
dug the grave deeply for him, but in the morning they again saw that the earth had
thrown his body out.
They said, "This is an act of Muhammad and his companions. They dug the grave of our
companion and threw his body outside it, for he had run away from them." They dug the
grave for him as deep as they could, but in the morning they again saw that the earth had
thrown his body out. So they believed that what had befallen him was not done by human
beings and had to leave him thrown (on the ground).
[Hadith (Sahih Bukhari) (English Translation by M. Muhsin Khan) 004.056.814 -
Virtues and Merits of the Prophet (PBUH) and his Companions - Narrated Anas]
The Qur’an reveals that bad people would destroy plants and trees on Earth; it is a sign of a bad
heart and a soiled soul. On the contrary, Muslims were always forbidden to cut trees or kill
anything living on earth, except in dear emergency or out of necessity.
When he turns his back, His aim everywhere is to spread mischief through the earth and
destroy crops and cattle. But Allah loves not mischief.
[Qur’an 2:205]
Everything coming from the earth must be pure for the Muslims. Muslims do not pollute their
bodies with food that is forbidden like pig, and Muslims do not pollute their souls by eating of
foods that have been stolen or taken unjustly.
Not only the products of the earth must be shared with the poor and those who ask from it like the
birds or animals, but also the soil itself does not belong to the peasant. Actually, the one who can
revive the land possesses the land. Private property does not exist in Islam, so the earth belongs
to everyone who can take care of it!
O you people! Eat of what is on earth, Lawful and good; and do not follow the footsteps
of the evil one, for he is to you an avowed enemy.
[Qur’an 2:168]
O you who believe! Give of the good things which you have (honourably) earned, and of
the fruits of the earth
[Qur’an 2:267]
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The earth is diversity, diversity of its people, its geography, its fauna and flora; it has been spread
out for us to explore it and meet with different people so we might learn to respect each other and
help each other:
"He Who has, made for you the earth like a carpet spread out; has enabled you to go
about therein by roads (and channels); and has sent down water from the sky." With it
have We produced diverse pairs of plants each separate from the others.
[Qur’an 20:53]
THE SOIL: POLLUTANTS AND FACTS:
The soil is a mixture of mineral, plant, and animal materials that accumulate during
thousands of years. The soil is essential for most plant growth because it contains the plant food!
Soil pollution is an accumulation of toxic chemical compounds, salts, pathogens (diseasecausing
organisms), or radioactive materials that have a negative effect on the environment.
Pollution was often due, in the past, to ignorance: people did not know good soil management
methods, so they have contributed to the degradation of soil quality by sheer ignorance.
Pollution and erosion are the main consequences of this ignorance.
Peasants overused chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and fungicides that upset the natural way of
things, and destroyed useful organisms such as bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms along
with the pests.
Bad irrigation practices in areas with poorly drained soil have caused salt deposits that inhibit
plant growth.
Problems of soil erosion existed since the Middle Ages. People had noticed that crop
rotation was the best way to let the earth take a rest as people go to sleep. Earth is alive; it needs
to regenerate itself after harvest. Now, we know a great deal about how to take care of the soil.
Some people in the world have already implemented natural ways of getting rid of pests and
cultivating crops without destroying the soil.
My experience
Nankaanchi river and soil robbery
A lot of beautiful houses, multi-storey shopping complexes, marriage mahaals, modern hospitals, cell phone sales points, computer shops, internet cafes etc.. etc.. etc.. ……. Immm pallapatti changed modern and modern. Let us think, where have you got sands & soils for building your houses and all such above? Without more thinking, we can simply say its all brought from Nankaanchi river. Once upon a time (its right word I think), Nankaanchi river was flowing abundance of water, quenching and bathing pallapatti with her sweet water and cooling with her gentle breeze. You know? when we were small boys, two things were always in the water of Nankaanchi river, one is fish and another is WE, small boys always swimming and fishing in the river. Its all the days gone as dreams, now the river lost all her beauty, the ugly scars on her sand beds expose ruthless greed of Pallapattians on crazy of building everything except their graves.
When I was studying seventh standard, we, boys were playing in the river. Every day, we could see a rally of bullock carts loading sands at the river for building houses inside the pallapatti, a panchyat union member collected (corrupted) money from each carts, thus he permitted them to steal sand from river and later we came to know this corrupted money would be shared among all members, president and officers of panchyat union. And thus they were empting beautiful sand bed left scars as deep valleys and day by day all the sands exhausted and exposed barren rocks as ugly as Pallapattians ’greedy vatti minds. Just imagine what happen if river sand layer is completely eroded? There can be no water absorption into the ground, consequently ground water level goes down and down and thus all the bore wells are dried away!!!. Just a decade back, pallapatti faced such dilemma and water scarcity was so terrible, people happened to go miles to bring a pot of water. Even in such dilemma, some greedy vatti men sold water and harvested money from thirsty poor people. After all sands exhausted in pallapatti river, they went to nearby village like velampaadi, Annanagar for stealing sands in the river bed but these rural people were aware well enough importance of soil erosion. So they never permitted any one stealing sand on the river.
In pallapatti, every house has its own bore well, there are thousand and thousands of bore wells sucking ground water like a giant monster everyday. Density (number) of bore wells per square kilometer compared any city with pallapatti is very high. Just imagine, if you suck all ground water, then empty hollow space will be formed between layer of earth crest and bottom rocks, this will cause earth quake.
I am very happy to know even some of the good Pallapattians still working welfare of pallapatti, they are very anxious about future of pallapatti and interested in caring of its natural resources. I can guess, they really know importance of ground water and that is why, they built a reservoir across the Nankaanchi river to improve ground water level. It’s a very good job, may Allah shower His mercy upon such good people and also we must thank them.
Most of the Pallapattians are not interested in public welfare; they are very selfish caring only their benefits. The people are not aware of hygiene and pollution. They simply throw garbage waste on the road and thus spread bad smell throughout pallapatti. If you happen to pass through Kaalis (slaughter place of goats and sheeps), your hand will cup your nose automatically to avoid inhaling nasty smell of blood & waste flesh. Another such place is Kuppa Kaadu where all the garbage wastes are disposed in large heaps but not processed to avoid polluting ground water or air. Now you know well, this kuppa kaadu is plotted and crowded with a lot newly built houses, we can guess the ground water below this kuppa kaadu surely be polluted due to disposal of waste for long years.
When I was studying in college, one of my friends visited my house very next day to Bakrit festival. On entering my house, his first question was “how are you living in this nasty town with this intolerable bad smell?
His question was very right. You all know well, how would be pallapatti smelling at the time of bakrit festival with blood & waste flesh of slaughtered sheeps. If a new comer comes to pallapatti at bakrit time, surely he would be vomiting due to such awful smell. Our panchyat union is not effective in cleaning pallapatti. No social organization ( any mandram) is not ready to clean up pallapatti at the time of Bakrit. Cleanliness is very importance in Islam. There is no place for any Nagis or ugly life in Islam.
Muslims are people who are physically very clean. The cleanliness and tidiness of their bodies, of the food they eat, of the clothes they wear, and of the environments they live in always attract the attention of others. They try to make the places they are in similar to the elegant environment of Paradise described in the Qur’an. Allah has stressed in a number of verses what a believer’s idea of cleanliness should be:
Purify your clothes. Shun all filth. (Surat al-Muddaththir: 4-5)
You who believe! Eat of the good things we have provided for you... (Surat al-Baqara: 172)
… Do not associate anything with Me and purify My House for those who circle it, and those who stand and bow and prostrate. (Surat al-Hajj: 26)
I hope, every Pallapattians know well importance of drinking water, we all know well intensity of thirsty of water on fasting in the Ramzan. A single tumbler of drinking water seems in our eyes as a vital fluid of our life. So, don’t waste water, don’t pollute air, and don’t pollute earth. Earth is a gift created and given by Allah as the HOME, not only for human beings but also for all creatures.
Finally, the earth is a place to learn and discover. Muslims are encouraged to travel and ponder
about how the natural environment works and has been created by Allah, so they may be grateful.
Many were the Ways of Life that have passed away before you: travel through the earth,
and see what was the end of those who rejected Truth.
[Qur’an 3:137]
Finally I can remember a poem that ends as
Earth….
Earth has not anything to show more fair:
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty:
This City now doth like a garment wear
The beauty of the morning: silent, bare,
Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie
Open unto the fields, and to the sky,-
All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.
Never did sun more beautifully steep
In his first splendour valley, rock or hill;
Ne'er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!
The river glideth at his own sweet will:
Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;
And all that mighty heart is lying still!
-------- William Wordsworth
