成人快手

A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with environmentalist and theologian Martin Palmer.

Islam 鈥� All creatures live in community

Both the climate and biodiversity crises have made us more aware how important the balance of the whole of nature is to the survival of our world. We are so consumed with our own wants and needs that we forget about the importance of mizan 鈥� a word meaning balance, for example simplicity and modesty as against selfishness, greed and recklessness. A balance for the well-being of all life on earth.

This especially applies to consumption and what we take from the natural world entrusted to us by God 鈥� a world of many communities and many species. The Quran says:
鈥淗e raised the heavens and established the balance so that you would not transgress the balance. He laid out the earth for all living creatures.鈥� Surah 55:7 - 10

鈥淎ll living beings roaming the earth and winged birds soaring in the sky are communities like yourselves.鈥� Surah 6:38

Recently attention has been focused within Islam on Greening the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Makkah. This has led to major changes in the way this pilgrimage is undertaken 鈥� for example using proper water bottles made from gourds and bags made from hemp instead of plastic.

It is no accident that the first chapter or Surah in the Quran speaks through prayer directly to this:

In the Name of God, the Merciful Lord of Mercy.
Praise be to God, the Lord of all being,
The merciful Lord of Mercy,
Master of the Day of Judgement.
You alone we serve: to You alone we come for aid.
Guide us in the straight path,
The path of those whom You have blessed,
Not of those against whom there is displeasure
Nor of those who go astray.

The First Surah, The Fatihah

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