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Keep Away From Mutual Enmity

When a quarrel intensifies and its roots go deeper, its thorns become branches that only increase in number. Faith is adversely affected. Softness, sympathy, satisfaction, and peace, which are encouraged by Islamic teachings, receive a setback. Worship loses its righteousness and one may get no benefit out of it.

Many a time mutual quarrels perturb the persons who claim to be wise. When this happens, they take recourse to lowly and superficial things and sometimes indulge in dangerous acts which only increase difficulties. When a man is displeased, his eyes become prejudiced. Such eyes do not appreciate the beauty of the peacock, for they only see its ugly feet and claws.

If a slight defect is present, he makes a mountain out of a molehill. And sometimes the internal rancor and jealousy affect him so badly that he does not hesitate in inventing imaginary stories. Islam disapproves of all these manifestations of ill-feeling. In fact, avoiding them has been declared as the most virtuous form of worship.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Listen, may I not tell you something more important than Salah, fasting, and charity?” The people requested him to do so. He said:
“To keep the mutual relationship on the right footing, because a defect in a mutual relationship is a thing which shaves a thing clean. I do not mean that it shaves the hair, but that it shaves (removes) the religion.” (Al-Tirmidhi)

Satan may not be able to persuade wise men to worship idols, but since he is very keen to misguide and ruin men, he manages to succeed in driving them away from Allah, so much so that these wise men become more indifferent in respecting the rights of Allah than the idolaters themselves! The method the devil uses best for this purpose is that he sows seeds of enmity in the hearts of people. When this enmity develops into a fire that results in open hostility, he enjoys the scene. This fire burns man’s present and future into ashes and totally destroys his relationship and virtues.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Satan has been disappointed that he would not be worshipped in the Arabian Peninsula, but he has not been disappointed from kindling the fire of fighting among the people.” (Sahih Muslim)

This happens when wickedness takes roots in the hearts, so people start hating love and brotherhood. When such virtues are destroyed, people revert to cruelty and enmity. They break all relations and ties that Allah has commanded to be upheld and end up spreading corruption on earth.

– Adapted from The Muslim Character
– By Sheikh Muhammad Al-Ghazali

A Most Beautiful Character

Those who suppress their anger, and forgive other people assuredly, Allah loves those who do good.? (3:134)

Bukhaaree and Muslim relate that Abdullaah ibn Amr (radee Allaahu anhu – may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah, (sall-Allaahu alayhi wa sallam may the peace & blessings of Allah be upon him) was never immoderate or obscene. He used to say, ‘Among those who are most beloved to me are those who have the best character’.

They also narrate that Aa’ishah (radee Allaahu anhaa – may Allah be pleased with her) said: ‘Never was the Messenger of Allah (sall-Allaahu alayhi wa sallam) given the choice between two things without choosing the easier of them, as long as it entailed no sin. If it did entail sin, he was of all people the most remote from it. Never did he seek revenge for something done against himself; but when the sanctity of Allah was challenged, he would take vengeance for His sake alone.’

The meaning of a good character is the inclination of the soul towards gentle and praiseworthy acts. This may take place in one’s personal actions for Allah Most High, or in actions that involve other people. In the former case, the slave of Allah has an open and welcoming heart for His commandments and prohibitions and does what He has imposed on him happily and easily, and abstains from the things which He has forbidden him with full contentment, and without the least dissatisfaction. He likes to perform optional good acts and abstains from many permitted things for the sake of Allah Most High whenever he decides that to abstain in that way he would be closer to perfect slavehood to Him. This he does with a contented heart, and without feeling any resentment or hardship.

When he deals with other people, he is tolerant when claiming what is his right, and does not ask for anything which is not; but he discharges all the duties which he has towards others. When he falls ill or returns from a trip, and no-one visits him, or when he gives a greeting which is not returned, or when he is a guest but is not honoured, or intercedes but is not responded to, or does a good turn for which he is not thanked, or joins a group of people who do not make room for him to sit, or speaks and is not listened to, or asks permission of a friend to enter, and is not granted it, or proposes to a woman, and is not allowed to marry her, or ask for more time to repay a debt, but is not given more time, or asks for it to be reduced, but is not permitted this, and all similar cases, he does not grow angry, or seek to punish people, or feel within himself that he has been snubbed, or ignored; neither does he try to retaliate with the same treatment when able to do so, but instead tells himself that he does not mind any of these things, and responds to each one of them with something which is better, and closer to goodness and piety, and is more praiseworthy and pleasing. He remembers to carry out his duties to others just as he remembers their duties towards himself so that when one of his Muslim brethren falls ill he visits him if he is asked to intercede, he does so, if he is asked for a respite in repaying a debt he agrees, and if someone needs assistance he gives it, and if someone asks for favourable terms in a sale, he consents, all without looking to see how the other person had dealt with him in the past, and to find out how other people behave. Instead, he makes “what is better” the imam (leader) of his soul, and obeys it completely.

Good character may be something which a man is born with, or it may be acquired. However, it may only be acquired from someone who has it more firmly rooted in his nature than his own. It is well known that a man of sensible opinion can become even more sensible by keeping the company of intelligent and sensible people and that a learned or a righteous man can learn even more by sitting with other people or learning or righteousness; therefore it cannot be denied that a man of beautiful character may acquire an even more beautiful character by being with people whose characters are superior to his own.

And Allah gives success!

By: Imaam al-Bayhaqi

Let Us ‘Renew’ Ourselves And Become Strong

The important part of a building is the foundation, if the foundation is strong, the building will be strong too. In Islam it is exactly the same: if your pillars (Shahadah, Salah, Zakah, Sawm, and Haj) are strong then your other fundamentals will also be sound.

The two angels who are charged with questioning the dead come to him and ask him what he used to believe in his earthly life, who was his Lord, what was his religion, and who was his Prophet. If he gives a good answer, that is good, but if he does not answer them they inflict a severe and painful beating on him. (Tirmidhi) These are the three basic principles that every Muslim should know: knowledge about his creator (Allah), knowledge about his religion (Islam), knowledge about his Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). These are the answers to the questions which will be asked by everyone in the grave.

Allah, the Merciful has made the final test easy for us by telling us the questions. We just have to work hard toward it so that we can remember and answer them because our final test can be any time. We have to seek knowledge about these questions without associating any partners with Allah. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Allah has promised that anyone who says this three times every morning or evening will be happy on the Day of Resurrection.” “I am pleased with Allah as my Lord, with Islam as my religion, and with Muhammad (peace be upon him) as my Prophet.”

Are we pleased with Allah as our Lord? If yes, then why do we complain about His decree, His commands, and indulge ourselves in pleasing others by disobeying Him. ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated, I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)saying,” If anyone seeks Allah’s pleasure at the expense of people’s anger, Allah will be pleased with him and will cause people to be pleased with him. However, if anyone seeks people’s satisfaction at the expense of Allah’s anger, Allah will be angry with him and will cause people to be angry with him.” (by Ibn Hibban)

Are we pleased with His religion and His Messenger? We say it but we don’t act upon it. We follow what satisfies us and pleases others. Islam means to surrender our will to Allah, so why don’t we obey the commands of Allah and submit to His teachings willingly.

We know that it can give us great rewards in the Hereafter and that this world is only our transit period, yet we act on our own will.

Let us begin now by pondering upon our life and renew our faith in Allah and strive to learn the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and inculcate his sayings and actions in our lives so we can reap its fruits in the Hereafter and if Allah wills then in this world too. And most importantly, to answer the questions in our grave!

– by Lubna Ali

When Ants Sense Danger

WADEA Omrany notes a new scientific miracle in Surah Al-Naml (“Ants”), Verse number 18. This new miracle is about the scientific discovery that ants communicate with each other, especially when informing of impending danger.
God says what means in Surah Al-Naml: “At length, when they came to a (lowly) valley of ants, one of the ants said: ‘O ye ants, get into your habitations, lest Solomon and his hosts should crush you (under foot without knowing it).” (27:18)
The ant reported the imminent danger facing them in four successive stages as follow:
“O ye ants” – this is the first alarm given by the ant to draw the attention of the other ants quickly. On receiving this alarm, the other ants stand alert to receive the other signals given by the same speaker ant.
“Get into your habitations” – here the speaker ant follows up with another signal, ordering the ants to take the next step.
“Lest Solomon and his hosts should crush you” – in these words, the speaker ant shows the reason for this danger to her fellow ants.
“Without knowing it” – the ants, as a reaction to the previous alarms, will make a certain kind of defense, with these last few words. The ant shows its fellow ants that they don’t have to attack the source of danger because it is not from a real enemy; the danger doesn’t aim to attack the kingdom of ants since Solomon and his soldiers don’t know of the ants in their way.

Here’s what science says in this context.
Ants use chemical communication in situations of alarm and defense, when the fast exchange of information is necessary, and when they face expected danger. This alarm is generally expressed by the emission of chemical signals. The protective glands are responsible for the roles of alarm and defense.

The Australian ant is a case in point. When these ants face danger, they secrete some droplets from their protective gland – so that their fellow ants run and make a vibration with their antennas showing that they are in a state of alert.
The first substance detected by the ants is an aldehyde hexanal. This draws their attention. As a result, they agitate and raise their antennae to search for other odors.

When they detect hexanol (the first message was in the form of alcohol), the ants go into a state of alert and run in all directions in search of the source of the problem. When undecanone is emitted, it attracts the ants toward the source of danger and makes them bite all foreign objects in the anthill. Finally, when they come closer to the target, they discern the butyloctenal, which increases their aggression and their readiness to sacrifice themselves.

Chemical communication is the most important method of communication for ants. They give out different kinds of substances, each having a different code denoting a certain message.

These messages are the same as those of the ant in Surah Al-Naml Verse 18.
The substances that an ant gives out of its body in a situation like this are divided into four, with each substance having a certain language and code.
The successive scientific stages of the reaction of the ants are as follows:

* aldéhyde hexanal is the first chemical substance that an ant emits if it senses danger. It is like a siren. On receiving this substance, ants begin to gather at one point where they remain alert and ready to receive the rest of the signals. This identifies with the first phrase uttered by the ant in the holy verse “O ye ants.”

* Then the ant emits the second chemical substance, hexanol. On receiving this substance, the ants begin to run in all directions to determine the source of this substance. The ant that emits the chemical substance should determine the way lest the rest of the ants stray elsewhere. And this is what the ant of Prophet Solomon did when it asked the other ants to enter their habitations by saying ” get into your habitations.” This is an instruction from the speaker ant to its fellows to go in the direction of the habitations. So, it must have determined the way and this is the same as directing the movement of ants in general.

* Undécanone is the third substance that the ant emits.

This substance shows the cause of the danger, and that was what the ant did when it said in the third phrase “lest Solomon and his hosts should crush you (under foot).” In this stage, the ants that receive this substance get ready to face the impending danger.

* In the fourth stage, the speaker ant emits butylocténal. This substance gives an order of defense and determines the kind of defense. And so it was said in the last phrase “without knowing it.” By doing so, the ant prevented the other ants from entering the stage of an attack that would lead to death.

So Prophet Solomon smiled tenderly and mercifully as if saying they needn’t worry as he had seen them and would not allow any harm to befall them.

These scientific facts were mentioned in the Holy Qur’an more than 1,400 years ago.

Oaths And Their Atonement

Pledging oaths carries a great significance in Islam. Keeping one’s word is a fundamental part of Islamic ethics. Oaths emphasize an assertion to the ultimate extent. When a person swears by the Almighty on an intention or a plan that he wishes to carry out, it is as if he has called the Creator of the heavens and the earth to be a witness over his word. In a society, oaths have always remained the real means of stability regarding various contracts as well as various social, political, and cultural affairs. Owing to this very reason, the Israelites were reminded by the Almighty in the Qur’an of the covenant they had made with Him through an oath they had pledged. They were warned that they must not break this oath — something over which they have made the Almighty as witness:

Fulfill the covenant of Allah when you have entered into it, and break not your oaths after you have confirmed them: indeed you have made Allah your witness over yourselves; for Allah knows all that you do. (16:91)

In spite of this importance that oaths and covenants occupy, many a time it becomes impossible for a person to honor his word or may feel that fulfilling a certain oath might be instrumental in infringing the rights of the Almighty or of his own self or even of others. In such cases, one can break one’s oath. In fact, in some cases, breaking an oath becomes a moral necessity. In the Islamic Shari’ah, an atonement (Kaffarah) has been fixed for a broken oath. In the following paragraphs, this writer will attempt to explain the Qur’anic law regarding oaths and their atonement.

Allah will not hold you accountable for your inadvertent oaths, but He will definitely hold you accountable for oaths you swear with solemn intention. If such an oath is broken, its atonement is the feeding of ten needy persons, of a standard with which you normally feed your own families or the clothing of ten needy people, or the freeing of one slave. But whosoever cannot afford these should fast for three days. That is the atonement for the oaths when you have sworn. And be true to that which you have sworn. Thus Allah explains to you His verses that you may be grateful. (5:89)

Following is a summary of the directives upon which this verse sheds light:

1. At times, an oath is totally absurd, nonsensical, and meaningless. No doubt, a believer should refrain from pledging such oaths; however, it is a great favor and blessing of the Almighty that He will not hold people accountable for the fulfillment of such oaths, neither in this world nor in the Hereafter.

2. On the other hand, if an oath is pledged with a solemn will and intention or if some contract has been made on its basis or it has an effect on the rights and obligations of the parties involved or infringes upon the injunctions of the Shari’ah, the Almighty would definitely hold a person responsible for it. So a person must not be careless and indiscreet in this matter. On the contrary, he should act in a very responsible manner in this regard.

3. If owing to some reason, a person is forced to break such an oath, then he must atone for it. For this, he is required to feed ten poor people with the standard of food he normally feeds his own family or to give them clothes to wear or to liberate a slave. If he is unable to do either of these, he must fast for three days.

Showcasing The Shyness Of A Shepherdess

Allah mentions good people in the Qur’an and highlights their good points when He is pleased with them so that we indirectly identify the stamp of approval He has given in order to incorporate that behavior in our own actions.

In the following incident from the life of Prophet Musa, Allah describes a shy young woman’s praiseworthy demeanor. The verses quoted are from Surah Al-Qasas (28: 23-28) and the explanation is from Ibn Kathir’s Tafsir.

“And when he arrived at the water (a well) of Madyan,” which means when he reached Madyan and went to drink from its water, “for it had a well where shepherds used to water their flocks,” meaning he found there a group of men watering, “and besides them, he found two women who were keeping back,” which means, they were stopping their sheep from drinking with the sheep of those shepherds, lest some harm comes to them. When Musa saw them, he felt sorry for them and took pity on them.

“He said: “What is the matter with you?” meaning, ‘why do you not water your flocks with these people?’

“They both said: “We cannot water until the shepherds take…” meaning, `we cannot water our flocks until they finish.’

“And our father is a very old man,” which means, “this is what has driven us to what you see.”

“So he watered (their flocks) for them, then he turned back to shade, and said: ‘My Lord! Truly, I am in need of whatever good that You bestow on me!”’

“Towards the shade,” Ibn Abbas, Ibn Mas`ud, and As-Suddi said: “He sat beneath a tree.”
Ata’ Bin As-Sa’ib said: “When Musa said: ‘My Lord! Truly, I am in need of whatever good that You bestow on me!’ the women heard him.”

When the two women came back quickly with the sheep, their father was surprised that they returned so soon. He asked them what had happened, and they told him what Musa had done. So he sent one of them to call him to meet her father. Allah says:

“Then there came to him one of them, walking shyly” – meaning, she was walking like a free woman, as it was narrated from Umar Bin Al-Khattab: “She was covering herself from him with the folds of her garment.”

Umar said: “She came walking shyly, putting her garment over her face. She was not one of those audacious women who come and go as they please.” This chain of narrators is Sahih.

“She said: ‘Verily, my father calls you that he may reward you for having watered (our flocks) for us.’”

This is an example of good manners: She did not invite him directly lest he has some suspicious thoughts about her. Rather she said: “My father is inviting you so that he may reward you for watering our sheep,” i.e., give you some payment for that.

Imam Sa’di says in his Tafsir, “This (description) points to her proper upbringing and her good character, for indeed Haya is from the most honorable of manners, and is a special trait in women. It also shows that Musa did not assist them to receive payment; but rather, it was because of the honorable and strong nature of his soul and his upright manners.”

“So when he came to him (the father) and narrated the story,” means, he told (the father) about his story and why he had to leave his country.

“He said: ‘Fear you not. You have escaped from the people who are wrongdoers.’”

“And said one of them: ‘O my father! Hire him! Verily, the best of men for you to hire is the strong, the trustworthy.’” One of the two daughters of the man said this, and it was said that she was the one who had walked behind Musa.

Umar, Ibn Abbas, Shurayh Al-Qadi, Abu Malik, Qatadah, Muhammad Bin Ishaq, and others narrated that her father asked her, “What do you know about that?” She replied, “He lifted a rock which could only be lifted by 10 men, and when I came back with him, I walked ahead of him, but he said to me, walk behind me, and if I get confused about the route, throw a pebble so that I will know which way to go.”

Ahadith Qudsi – Superiority Of Monotheism

1: Narrated Abu Dhar (R.A) Allah’s Messenger Sallallahu ‘alayihi wasallam said that Allah Assawajall said: He who comes with a good deed, its reward will be ten like that or even more. And he who comes with vice, his reward will be only one like that, or I can forgive him. He who draws close to Me a hand’s span, I will draw close to him an arm’s length. And whoever draws near Me an arm’s length, I will draw near him a fathom’s length. And whoever comes to Me walking, I will go to him running. And whoever faces Me with sins nearly as great as the earth, I will meet him with forgiveness nearly as great as that, provided he does not worship something with me.
This Hadith is sound and reported by Muslim, Ibn Majah and Ahmad in his Musnad

Another prophetic tradition says: (He who met Allah associating anything with Him, will enter Hell) (Muslim)

2. Narrated Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (r.a.): Allah’s Messenger (s.a.w.s.) said: None of you will have argued for his right in the world more vehemently than the believers who will do with their Lord about their brethren who were admitted into Hell. The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) added: they will say: O Lord! Our brethren used to offer prayers with us observe fast with us and perform pilgrimage (Hajj) with us. But You cast them into the fire. The Prophet (s.a.w.s) further said: Allah will say: Go and bring out whoever you know from among them. The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: The believers will come to them and recognize them by face. Some of them will be those the fire would have seized up to half of their shanks and some of them up to their ankles. They will bring them and say: O Lord! We have taken out those for whom you gave us order. Then the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: Allah will say: Bring out whoever has in his heart any belief weighing a Dinar (a coin). Then He will say: Take out whoever has in his heart the belief weighing half a Dinar until He will say: Take out whoever has in his heart the belief that equals the weight of an atom. (This Hadith is sound and reported by Nasa’i and Ibn Majah). After narrating this Hadith, Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (r.a.): He who does not accept it as true should read this verse:

“Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him in worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He please, and whoever sets up partners with Allah in worship, he has indeed invented a tremendous sin”. (4:48)

Allah With The Patient

[ALLAH’S Quran – 2:153] “O you who believe! seek assistance through patience and prayer; surely Allah
is with the patient.”

The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) has said :
[Bukhari, Book #70, Hadith #547] “Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said, “The example of a believer is that of a fresh tender plant; from whatever direction the wind comes, it bends it, but when the wind becomes quiet, it becomes straight again. Similarly, a believer is afflicted with calamities (but he remains patient till Allah removes his difficulties.) And an impious wicked person is like a pine tree which keeps hard and straight till Allah cuts (breaks) it down when He wishes.”

A Beautiful Piece Of Advice

A beautiful piece of advice:
It is narrated that Imam Hussain (as), grandson of the Holy Prophet (saw), said to a man who was backbiting another before him,
‘O you, stop backbiting, for it is the daily meal of the dogs of Hell.’

A person asked Allah’s Messenger (may peace and blessings be upon him) who among Muslims were better. Upon this (the Holy Prophet) remarked: One from whose hand and tongue, Muslims are safe.

Commentary
Are others safe from your words (back-biting, comments, sarcasm, hurtful jokes, fitnah, etc) and your deeds (retaliation, plotting, etc)?

Angels stand by your side, recording your words. It is better to be silent than to comment. “Speak good, or else be silent,” says Rasulullah (saw). Busy yourself with finding your own faults, and you shall have little time to comment on others.

Angels stand by your side, recording your deeds. It is better to forgive than to retaliate. Busy yourself with seeking forgiveness for your own soul, and you shall have little time to plot revenge or to ponder about the deeds of others.

When others are safe from your words and deeds, it means that YOU are now safe from words and deeds that will destroy YOURSELF on Judgement Day. On that Day, Man will regret what evil he has said and done. He will be filled with relief, for all the evil which was NOT said and done. So restrain yourself, for your own good.

Will you not then take heed?

Ponder and practice.
Rasulullah S.A.W said, “An intelligent person is one who is constantly thinking about and preparing for death.”
Think about it. How does one prepare for death?
1) By seeking knowledge of Islam. So study about Allah, his Prophet, of good deeds and evil deeds. But knowledge itself is useless without…
2) Practising it. Perform good deeds, small or big, and avoid all evil deeds. But all performance is useless unless you are…..
3) Sincere (Ikhlas). To do lillahi ta’ala. But you will never achieve sincerity, as long as you do not have…
4) True Faith (Iman). You must
truly believe in Allah,
truly be in awe of Allah,
truly depend and ask only from Allah,
truly hope from Allah,
truly fear Allah,
truly put your trust in Allah.
But such faith does not come from reading books or talking about Islam or listening to fiery speeches about Islam; it comes from…
5) Striving hard in Allah’s path (Jihad). This does not mean going around trying to convert the world to Islam; it does not mean waving a sword at disbelievers showing them the ‘terror’ that Islam can inflict. It means fighting hard to cleanse the evil in yourselves –
the jealousy,
the greed,
the stinginess,
the arrogance,
the pride,
the laziness,
the hatred,
the lack of faith,
the stupidity,
the blindness of the heart,
the backbiting and
all the terrible sins that we do day after day, year after year until death comes a calling.
That is jihad. As you can see, this is a full-time job, that will take all your life to complete. But you will never start to strive for all this until you begin to…
6) Realize …
Realize that you will die soon.
Realize that you will be shown all your deeds (good and bad) on Judgement Day.
Realize that Allah watches you all your life and that no deed escapes His repayment.
Realize that money, and fame, and property cannot buy your way out of Hell.
Realize that only iman and good deeds can.
Realize that you live only once.
Realize that you are responsible for yourself.
Realize that in the end, you are the one who will gain or lose.
So many people have realized, and have studied Islam, and yet have gone astray – becoming terrorists, extremists, and fundamentalists. Why?
They have forgotten the most important thing in Islam. Which is that…….
7) Islam is about YOURSELF. Correcting YOURSELF. Cleansing YOURSELF. Not about fighting with people or proving other people wrong.
In the grave, you will be asked about YOURSELF.
What YOU did.
What YOU said.
What was YOUR intention?
Then Allah will tell YOU, what is YOUR final destination is.
“And do not be as those who forget Allah, then Allah makes them forget about themselves….”Al-Qur’an.
Have you thought of yourself lately? For every man who forgets about himself lands in Hell.
Ponder…and practice.

Man And Pollution

Evil (sins and disobedience to Allah) has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned (by oppression and evil deeds), that He (Allah) may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return (by repenting to Allah and begging His Pardon). (Ar-Rum; 30 – 41)

Man has been paying the cost of the damage he has inflicted on his surroundings and nature for centuries. Passion for more money, sloth, and irresponsibility have made the man blind to the fact that he is part of his natural environment and that the damage he causes will inevitably affect him. The development of environmental consciousness in man, as a result of damage of his own doing, is a recent phenomenon, after 1970.

The reference made in the Qur’an to the corruption caused by man in land and sea, which was revealed at a time when environmental awareness cannot be said to have existed, offers a lesson.

We translate the Arabic word “bahr” as “sea” (However, it may also designate a large lake, reservoir, inland sea, waterway, etc.). We are advised not to dispose of nature’s bounties as we like, otherwise, we shall have to pay for it. We are also informed that the damage caused by man to his environment will also affect the land and sea beyond his reach.

Therefore, nobody is allowed to say, “I am on my own. No one can meddle with what I do.” Nature is our common heritage and it is everybody’s duty to contribute to checking its transgression.

The industrial revolution in the 19th century greatly contributed to the growth of pollution. It is, however, incorrect to say that this was the beginning of environmental pollution, which has been going on since ancient times. What is new, however, is the development of ecology and ecological consciousness. To begin with, the burning down of forests has been going on for ages. The forest fire was the principal cause of such diseases as anthracosis that man often suffered. These pyromaniacs had certainly no inkling of what they were perpetrating with their own hands.
During the Middle Ages, environmental pollution seems to have been an important problem. In the England of 1345, people who tossed feces out of their windows were fined two shillings. In the 12th century, Philippe Auguste of France was the first king to ordain the collection of abominable waste littering the streets of the city. The public who disposed of their waste by channeling it into waterways polluted the springs they drank from. The first law on pollution that we know about was passed in 1388 by the British parliament; this law prohibited the throwing of waste into the streets and waterways. Transgressors were to be reported by the people residing in the precincts to the private secretary to the king. Only after it reached extraordinary proportions was the pollution made the subject of the law.
The situation became even graver during the industrialization period in the 19th century. Metallurgy and iron and steel works polluted the land, water, and air. This is reflected in the novels of Charles Dickens and the writings of Friedrich Engels that describe the pollution in London. In 1930, 63 people died of pollution in the Mosa Valley in Belgium. The situation in London, in 1952, was even more serious. Four thousand died of upper respiratory tract diseases because of man’s ravages of nature.

The situation at present is hardly any rosier. There may not be such mass mortality, but according to the World Health Organization, more than one billion people are under threat from pollution. It is impossible to evaluate the degree of damage the public has suffered from throwing garbage and waste into the sea. This habit is still going on. Sea pollution that threatens marine fauna and flora, and the settlement in their tissues of noxious substances, is thought to be the cause of many illnesses, including cancer. Carbon dioxide emissions from cars and factories also contribute to the so-called “greenhouse” effect, and it is feared that drastic changes in global climate are causing catastrophic disasters.

Environmental pollution is one of the greatest dangers for humankind. This reference to pollution in the Qur’an at a time when there was no environmental awareness is remarkably interesting. The Qur’an was not penned like books that are products of the human mind under the influence of social and sociological realities in due consideration of the current issues. It was sent by God, Lord of all times and beings. Knowledge unavailable at the time of its revelation, problems of the past and of the future, are all present in the Qur’an.

Man is the author of his own destruction. The verse serves as a warning to redress his wrongdoings. The more we expand efforts to counteract our past shortcomings, the better we can protect ourselves against catastrophes. Ecology must be our common concern.