What is a Green Ramadan?
by Saarah Latif
What is Ramadan?
This year presents a unique situation for all of us with the spread of the Covid-19 virus. For Muslims, this will be a stark contrast as we begin the holy month of Ramadan. Muslims fast in Ramadan from dawn until dusk abstaining from food, water, bad habits and sexual relations. To paint a visual, a typical day of fasting begins with a pre-dawn meal called suhoor and ends with the breaking of the fast, iftaar, which usually takes place at the Masjid. The hours in between are spent doing normal routine, in addition to extra time spent reading the Qur’an and making more prayers with the intentions of becoming closer to God. It’s difficult to describe the emotional feeling of not being at the Masjid surrounded by friends and family gathered in worship and breaking fast together. Although fasting is an individual act, breaking the fast and prayer is usually done in a communal setting. It’s a very special blessed time of the year for Muslims as it’s the month the Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The purpose of fasting can be described from the verse in the Qur’an from chapter 2, verse 183:
“O you who believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous.”
The primary purpose is to obey God and attain righteousness. Feeling a sense of empathy of how others who do not have food is often attributed as well as a secondary purpose.
What is a Green Ramadan?
Recently, I have been spending a lot of time learning about how Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) lived his life. I realized that there has been environmentalism embedded in this religion that was established over 1400 years ago. We cannot forgo the lessons from our history, but we must look to them to gain some insight. With that being said, I automatically thought of the sacred month of Ramadan.
This month is a perfect opportunity to consider making a shift to a more environmentally conscious lifestyle. Often many Muslims, including myself, have used a single use plastic for a few minutes when breaking fast and thrown it away without much thought. However, now is an opportune time to make a change as Ramadan is upon us. Here are a few suggestions of how to achieve a Green Ramadan this year.
1. Make a clear and meaningful intention to have a Green Ramadan
The first step is to have the right intentions and to create goals that are realistic and within your means. Everyone is on their own journey and should do something small and consistently throughout the month.
Level 1: For someone who is just beginning this journey, a starting goal may be to use a reusable utensil for the entirety of the month instead of 30 single use plastic utensils.
Level 2: For someone who is more advanced on this journey, a goal may be to have zero plastic for the month and eating less meat.
Level 3: For someone who is already seasoned on this journey, having a zero waste iftar and Ramadan would be a more reasonable goal.
2. Reduce waste and avoid excessive eating when breaking fast
Ramadan is a time in which we can detox ourselves and create a more healthy diet. This includes more vegetarian options, eating from locally sourced food and avoiding eating in excess. Small portions are important after fasting because we do not want to overcook and waste any food. If there are leftovers, food should be kept in the refrigerator for another day or given to someone else instead of being thrown in the garbage. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught us to eat with 1/3 of our stomachs filled with air, 1/3 filled with food and 1/3 filled with water. Keeping that in mind will help us to not overeat and not overcook for iftaar and suhoor.
Waste reduction can be avoided by having reusable water bottles and utensils, thus reducing the amount of garbage.
3. Spend time in nature
This Ramadan, set aside time to spend in nature. Plant trees or a garden and reflect on the glorious creations from Allah. When we cultivate a love for nature, then we are more inclined to protect it.
4. Read Green Deen by Ibrahim Abdul-Matin
The best way to continue to observe a more environmentally conscious lifestyle is to gain more knowledge. One of my favorite books is entitled Green Deen by Ibrahim Abdul-Matin. In this book, Abdul-Matin is able to show a plethora of ways that American Muslims can contribute to the resolution of the environmental crisis.
Let’s make this Ramadan our most productive and environmentally conscious one yet! This green Ramadan can and will hopefully turn into a green lifestyle which will improve the quality of life. Have a blessed and Green Ramadan!
Photos by Saarah Latif