Dear Muslims!
The universe is presented to us in a magnificent order. It is our Almighty Lord who created this magnificent universe from nothing, gives us life and manages our every moment. It is He who grants us our basic needs such as water, air and soil, and makes forests a source of oxygen. It is Almighty Allah who makes the light of the sun, the coolness of the moon, the beauty of the stars and water resources such as lakes, seas and rivers available to us. As a matter of fact, in the verse I read at the beginning of my sermon, our Almighty Lord says: “Allah is the one who puts everything in the heavens and the earth at your service as a blessing from Himself. “Surely there are signs in this for a people who think.” [Câsiye, 45/13.]
Dear Believers!
Our environment appears as a blessing from Almighty Allah to us. This is an important legacy that we inherited from the past and must carry into the future. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said in one of his hadiths, “The faith of those who do not show due sensitivity to trusts is not mature” [Ibn Hanbel, III, 134.] and reminding us to abide by trusts as a manifestation of faith Therefore, taking care of our environment and protecting it meticulously means preserving this trust.
Dear Muslims!
No deterioration on earth occurs spontaneously. As a matter of fact, our Almighty Lord says, “Order has been disrupted on land and sea because of what people have done with their own hands” [Rum, 30/41.]. Today, human beings, who think of nothing but themselves and seek happiness in unlimited consumption, threaten the natural balance on earth. Many people, who are slaves to ambition and avarice and bow to their insatiable desires, consume natural resources irresponsibly. The oppressors, who make the earth uninhabitable with the chemical weapons and bombs they produce, are the killers of nature as well as innocent people in many parts of the world, especially in Gaza. Our Almighty Lord defines these oppressors as follows: “There are some people who, when they get the chance, try to cause corruption on earth and destroy crops and generations. Allah does not like corruption.” [Baqara, 2/205.]
Dear Believers!
Today, the most obvious environmental problems are drought and drought. Our Prophet (pbuh) forbade wasting even a drop of water and advised us to use water sparingly even when performing ablution from the river [Ibn Mâce, Tahâret, 48.]. However, today, water resources are depleted in many places, including our country, due to unnecessary use and waste. Irresponsible dumping of waste, unplanned water wells and unconscious irrigation methods threaten the future of water, which is our source of life.
Dear Muslims!
We are not the real owners of the world, but only its customers. What we need to do is to avoid waste and extravagance and to protect our environment with the awareness of worship. It means keeping our water resources, forests and picnic areas clean, being careful about forest fires and avoiding any attitude and behavior that will harm our environment. To strive to leave a livable world and a clean environment for future generations. Let’s not forget that; Cleanliness is half of faith [Muslim, Tahâret, 1.], and is the basic condition of worship. It is one of the most important qualities of a Muslim. For this reason, Muslims must keep their workplaces, streets, surroundings and recreational areas clean. One should definitely avoid attitudes and behaviors that would disrupt the divine balance that our Lord has placed in the universe.
I end my sermon with the following hadith of our Prophet (pbuh): “All the good and bad deeds of my ummah were shown to me; “His good deeds included removing things that caused harm to people from the road, and his bad deeds included spitting on the ground and dirtying the ground.” [Muslim, Mesâcid, 57; Ibn Majah, Adab, 7.]
