The Preservation
of Trees, Woodland, and Green Areas
Both in his practices and in various of his Hadiths
(sayings), the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) attached
great importance to planting trees, protecting
existent ones, planting forests, as well as to
conserving existent ones.
“If
you have a sapling, if you have the time, be certain
to plant it, even if Doomsday starts to break
forth.”
[al-Munawi, Fayd al-Qadir, iii, 30]
“Whoever reclaims and cultivates dry,
barren land will be rewarded by God for the act.
So long as men and animals benefit from it He
will record it for him as almsgiving.” [al-Munawi, Fayd
al-Qadir, vi, 39; Haythami, Majmau al-Zawaaid,
iv, 67-8.]
“Whoever plants
a tree, reward will be recorded for him so long
as it produces fruit.”[Majma' al-Zawaid,
v, 480]
If a Muslim plants a tree, that part of its produce
consumed by men will be as almsgiving for him.
Any fruit stolen from the tree will also be as
almsgiving for him. That which the birds eat will
also be as almsgiving for him. Any of its produce
which people may eat thus diminishing it, will
be as almsgiving for the Muslims who planted it. [Bukhari, Tajrid
al-Sahih, vii, 122; Muslim, Musaqat, 2 No>
2.]
The reward accruing from seven things continue
to reach the person concerned even if he is in
his grave: knowledge he has taught, water he has
provided for the public benefit, any well he has
dug, any tree he has planted, a mosque he has
built, recitations of the Qur’an bequeathed
to him, and children who pray for him after his
death. [al-Munawi,
Fayd al-Qadir, iv, 87]
On migrating to Medina, God’s Messenger
(PBUH) organized the planting of trees and of
date groves. He made the forests and green spaces
conservation areas, where every sort of living
creature lived. These were called sanctuaries
(hima). For example, a strip of land approximately
twelve miles wide around Medina was proclaimed
a sanctuary and made a conservation area. We know
that he proclaimed other areas, similar to this,
sanctuaries. All these show the paramount importance
—as a religion— Islam gives to nature
conservancy and protection of all nature’s
living creatures.
Following these commands of the Qur’an and
the exemplary practices of God’s Messenger
(PBUH), throughout history Muslims have given
importance to planting trees and protecting existing
one’s. Abu Bakr, the first Caliph, for example,
when sending an expedition for a battle to Muta,
gave some instructions and underlines that: "Do
not cut down trees and do not kill animals
except food (in the enemy territory)."
Green is the colour of Islamic civilization, so
too the dome of Prophet’s tomb is green.
These are not mere coincidence; they should be
seen as reflecting the importance Islam gives
to greenery, nature, and trees.
