Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Studies – Green Mosques: Educate the Congregation

Muslim Green Guide
The Muslim Green Guide to Reducing Climate Change is a 20-page guide explaining the impact of climate change using Islamic references and encourages Muslims conserve water, heating, electricity, and consider public transport. The guide also promotes recycling and offers tips on the environmental impact of food products. The guide can also be downloaded Download Green Guide
Khutbahs
Give khutbahs using khutbah notes on sustainable living, reducing waste etc. in a Toolkit for Imams showing what was done in Tower Hamlets. [Link to download this document] Listen to Khutbahs by Hisham al-Awadi and others at JIMAS: Healing the Fragile EarthA khutba from the US on Islam & Environment by Dr. Awadh Binhazim
Traffic	Links to documents, powerpoint presentations and other IFEES publications Leaflets in English, Somali and Bengali: The Balance of Creation Do not be wasteful 199 Ways to Please God – Book by Rianne Ten Veen 5 Reasons why Muslims should Care (PP) Why Should Muslims Recycle? Islam and the Environment Islam, the Environment and Climate Change Report on Eco-Workshops for Muslim Scouts at Living Islam 2005 Sustainable Living Islam package for Living Islam event 2008
Organize traffic reduction measures by: Promoting public transport: pin up a large bus map Facilitating car-sharing: mark routes people take using wool and pins on map and a list of who uses which. Organize pick-up points. [Mini]bus to collect madrasa children and take them home – end the school run! Subsidised local and accessible parking. Staggering mosque prayer times to avoid rush hour traffic. Providing refreshments between Zuhr, the midday prayers, and Asr, the afternoon prayers – in winter. Lifestyle seminars and walk to the Mosque days, where walking is actively encouraged. ‘There is a reward for every step you take towards the mosque’   (Hadith) Working with local authorities on traffic calming measures. Instigating a one-way traffic flow system near mosque.
Waste	Useful Links Audit Training Clothes Banks Save energy – Save money Energy Reduction Pages Page 1: Is your mosque an eco-mosque? Page 2: Educate the Congregation Page 3: How we used to live Page 4: The Prophets (pbuh) Eco-mosque
Organize waste reduction measures by: Arranging lectures by the Imam on waste Get a sustainability audit done on the mosque and train young people to do Sustainability Audits. Ask the local Council to provide recycling banks at the mosque. Recycle clothes in banks provided by charities like Islamic Relief Turn down the water taps – at the mains if possible. The Prophet (pbuh) forbade wastefulness in the use of water and used only half a litre to do wudu (ablution). A trickle from a tap is enough. God’s Messenger, Muhammad (pbuh)appeared while Saad was taking the ablutions. When he saw that Saad was using a lot of water, he intervened saying: ‘What is this? You are wasting water.’ Saad replied asking: ‘Can there be wastefulness while making the ablutions?’ To which God’s Messenger replied: ‘Yes, even if you make them on the bank of a rushing river.’ Extravagance is to use water without any benefit, like washing the parts more than three times. (Hadith: Ibn Majah) Install renewable energy or switch to a renewable energy tariff.

This piece is taken from the website of the Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Studies.

See on-line at: http://ifees.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=59&Itemid=56

Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Studies – Green Mosques: Is Your Mosque An Eco Mosque?

Singapore

In Singapore, the country’s first eco friendly mosque was constructed in May 2009. Green perks include energy-saving solar tubes that are also skylights, a garden rooftop, motion sensor lights, and low-flow fixtures. It also has a ‘greenwall’ – injecting a sense of serenity and calm into the prayer halls. Other features include motion sensor lights and taps fitted with water-flow-regulating devices.

For these efforts, the mosque received the Green Mark certification from Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority. The mosque also features family-oriented spaces – including child-friendly toilets, a reading and play area as well as a function hall.

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Manchester

In June 2008, Levenshulme in Manchester UK built an eco-mosque fitted out with solar panels, under-floor heating, low-energy light bulbs, wood from renewable sources, and reclaimed stone.

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Abu Dhabi

In Abu Dhabi, students have designed a sustainable template for “mosques of the future in the UAE.” According to Khaleej Times Online, 38 students of the School of Architecture at the American University of Sharjah have designed a mosque that taps no electricity from the grid. Instead, it uses solar panels, wind towers, geothermal cooling, shading devices, wind turbines, and natural ventilation.

“We decided to focus on mosques because of the number of mosques that are in the UAE, the cultural significance associated with it, and the fact that it is pedagogically reasonable to design a green mosque,”
says Dr Ahmed Mokhtar, Associate Professor of Architecture at the school.

To read more about Abu Dhabi’s green mosque visit: www.huffingtonpost.com

These are inspirational big-money projects but…

What can WE do in our own mosques to make them more eco-friendly and do our bit to save the Earth Allah created?

This piece is taken from the website of the Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Studies.

See on-line at: http://ifees.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=58&Itemid=56