KHUTBAH NOTES for IMAMS Climate Change
25 Khutbah Climate Change في السماء رزقكم وما تعدون و ف ى ٱلس م ا ء ر زق ك م و م ا ت وع د ون ف و ر ب ٱلس م ا ء و ٱ ل ر ض إ ن ه ۥ ل ح ق م ثل م ا أ ن ك م ت نط ق ون On earth there are signs for those with sure faith and in yourselves too, do you not see? in the sky is your sustenance and all that you are promised. 51:20-22 ه و ال ذ ي خ ل ق ل ك م م ا ف ي ا ل ر ض ج م يع ا ث م اس ت و ى إ ل ى الس م اء ف س و اه ن س ب ع س م او ات و ه و ب ك ل ش ي ء ع ل يم It was He [Allah] who created all that is on the earth for you; He turned to the sky and made it into seven heavens; it is He who has knowledge of all things. و ل ق د خ ل ق ن ا ف و ق ك م س ب ع ط ر ائ ق و م ا ك ن ا ع ن ال خ ل ق غ اف ل ين و أ نز ل ن ا م ن الس م اء م اء ب ق د ر ف أ س ك ن اه ف ي ا ل ر ض و إ ن ا ع ل ى ذ ه اب ل ق اد ر ون ف أ نش أ ن ا ل ك م ب ه ج ن ات م ن ن خ يل و أ ع ن اب ل ك م ف يه ا ف و اك ه ك ث ير ة ب ه و م ن ه ا ت أ ك ل ون 2:29 We created seven levels above you We are never unmindful of Our creation We sent water down from the sky in due measure and lodged it in the earth We have the power to take it all away if We so wish with it We produced for you gardens of date palms and vines, with many fruits there for you to eat 23:17-19
ف ق ض اه ن س ب ع س م او ات ف ي ي و م ي ن و أ و ح ى ف ي ك ل س م اء أ م ر ه ا و ز ي ن ا الس م اء الد ن ي ا ب م ص اب يح و ح ف ظ ا ذ ل ك ت ق د ير ال ع ز يز ال ع ل ي م and in two Days He formed seven heavens, and assigned an order to each. We have made the nearest one beautifully illuminated and secure. Such is the design of the Almighty, the All Knowing 41:12 للا ال ذ ي خ ل ق س ب ع س م او ات و م ن ا ل ر ض م ث ل ه ن ي ت ن ز ل ا ل م ر ب ي ن ه ن ق د أ ح اط ب ك ل ش ي ء ع ل م ا ع ل ى ك ل ش ي ء ق د ير و أ ن للا ل ت ع ل م وا أ ن للا It is God who created seven heavens and a similar [number] of earths. His command descends throughout them, so you should realize that He has power over all things and that His knowledge encompasses everything. 65:12 It is by constructing the various levels of the sky that Allah protects and provides for His earthly creatures. The sky (earth's atmosphere) protects the earth from most rocks and meteorites that fall through it from space by burning them, so that we see them as shooting stars, before they can reach the ground. It also protects us from cosmic rays from the sun that fall into its magnetic fields and which sometimes form beautiful light displays at the poles. It protects us from the blazing heat of the sun and shades us like a canopy. It is from the sky is also that Allah sends us our weather: و ه و ال ذ ي ي ر س ل الر ي اح ب ش ر ا ب ي ن ي د ي ر ح م ت ه ح ت ى إ ذ ا أ ق ل ت س ح اب ا ث ق ا ل س ق ن اه ل ب ل د م ي ت ف أ نز ل ن ا ب ه ال م اء ف أ خ ر ج ن ا ب ه م ن ك ل الث م ر ات ك ذ ل ك ن خ ر ال م و ت ى ل ع ل ك م ت ذ ك ر و ن It is God who sends the winds, bearing good news of His coming grace, and when they have gathered up the 26
heavy clouds, We drive them to a dead land where We cause rain to fall, bringing out all kinds of fruit, just as We shall bring out the dead. 27 7:57 إ ن ف ي خ ل ق الس م او ات... و م ا أ نز ل للا م ن الس م اء م ن م اء ف أ ح ي ا ب ه ا ل ر ض ب ع د م و ت ه ا و ب ث ف يه ا م ن ك ل د اب ة و ت ص ر يف الر ي اح و الس ح اب ال م س خ ر ب ي ن الس م اء و ا ل ر ض ل ي ات ل ق و م ي ع ق ل ون in the creation of the heavens... and the water which God sends down from the sky to give life to the earth when it has been barren, scattering all kinds of creatures over it; in the changing of the winds and clouds that run their appointed courses between the sky and earth: there are signs in all these for those who use their minds. 2:164 But Allah can also use the winds and clouds to punish and destroy those people who refuse to believe His warnings and who do mischief in the earth: أ م أ م نت م م ن ف ي الس م اء أ ن ي ر س ل ع ل ي ك م ح اص ب ا Are you sure that He who is in Heaven will not send a whirlwind upon you? 67:17 ك ذ ب ت ع اد ف ك ي ف ك ان ع ذ اب ي و ن ذ ر إ ن ا أ ر س ل ن ا ع ل ي ه م ر يح ا ص ر ص ر ا ف ي ي و م ن ح س م س ت م ر ت نز ع الن اس ك أ ن ه م أ ع ج از ن خ ل م نق ع ر ف ك ي ف ك ان ع ذ اب ي و ن ذ ر و ل ق د ي س ر ن ا ال ق ر آن ل لذ ك ر ف ه ل م ن م د ك ر The people of Ad also rejected the truth. How [terrible] was My punishment and [the fulfilment of] My
28 warnings! We released a howling wind against them on a day of terrible disaster; it swept people away like uprooted palm trunks. How [terrible] was My punishment and [the fulfilment of] My warnings! We have made it easy to learn lessons from the Qur an: will anyone take heed? 54:18-22 Mizan When He raised the sky, Allah set up the mizan - the balance - Qur'an 55:7-9 و الس م اء ر ف ع ه ا و و ض ع ال م يز ان أ ل ت ط غ و ا ف ي ال م يز ان و أ ق يم وا ال و ز ن ب ال ق س ط و ل ت خ س ر وا ال م يز ان He raised up the sky and set the balance so that you should not exceed the balance, but establish weight with justice, and not lose the balance. 'Those who use their minds', all over the world, have been studying the layers of the sky, the atmosphere, including 'signs in the changing of the winds and clouds', trying to see which way they are developing over long periods of time, to help people predict what might happen next and how to prepare for it. This is extremely difficult and weather forecasters have trouble just trying to predict which way the wind will blow for the next few days, let alone what may happen in a decade or a century. Nonetheless reports from all over the world suggest that the weather is becoming more threatening in many ways. Storms, droughts, cold spells and heat-waves are becoming more severe, unpredictable and frequent so that they affect crops. This, along with other factors, raises the price of food.
29 ظ ه ر ال ف س اد ف ي ال ب ر و ال ب ح ر ب م ا ك س ب ت أ ي د ي الن اس ب ع ض ال ذ ي ع م ل وا ل ع ل ه م ي ر ج ع ون ل ي ذ يق ه م Corruption has appeared on land and sea as a result of people s actions and He will make them taste the consequences of some of their own actions so that they may turn back. 30:41 Thousands of scientists are reporting from all over the world that the trend is towards warming, and most of them think it is largely because of people burning fossil fuels taken from under the ground, like coal, gas and oil. These produce Carbon Dioxide and other gases, trapping the heat inside the layers of the atmosphere like a greenhouse. This is called 'The Greenhouse Effect.' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/greenhouse_effect http://www.skepticalscience.com/basics_one.html By burning fossil fuels in great quantities, (amongst other things), human beings have 'exceeded the balance' in their eagerness and greed to create ever more wealth and provide for an ever-expanding world population. If we keep on burning fossil fuels we risk losing the balance in the sky, the weather (climate), and the whole Earth that sustains us as well as the millions of Allah's other creatures. Fossil fuels are getting harder and more dangerous to find and many of the large power stations that use them to produce electricity are getting old. People all over the world are starting to move to renewable energy technologies to supply the energy they need without harming the balance Allah set up.
Renewable energy technologies promise to be better for the climate balance. Now wind, water and biological energy, on which the great Islamic civilization was built in the past, can be converted into electricity to power the more efficient machinery and tools that we use today. What can we do? و إ ذ ا ق يل ل ه م ل ت ف س د وا ف ي ا ل ر ض ق ال وا إ ن م ا ن ح ن م ص ل ح ون أ ل إ ن ه م ه م ال م ف س د ون و ل ك ن ل ي ش ع ر ون When it is said to them, 'Do not cause corruption in the earth,' they say, 'We are only putting things right.' No, it is they who are causing corruption, though they do not realise it. 2:11-12: We may not realise it but our modern lifestyles are contributing to climate change. We all have a responsibility to help and be aware of our own actions: every time we drive our fossil-fuelpowered cars, for example, we are letting exhaust gases into the air, which add to global warming. Our Prophet said, 'There is a reward for every step you take towards the mosque,' 1 so how about walking or cycling or using public transport, or sharing a car with others for at least part of the way, rather than adding to climate change by burning fossil fuels in your car? To reduce our use of fossil fuels, we can also work towards making our mosques and homes more energy efficient, using insulation, draught-proofing, 30 1 Bukhari Volume 1, Book 11, Number 625
31 energy-efficient lighting, air-conditioning etc. switching to green energy companies and tariffs, generating some of our own electricity using renewable energy technologies. Let's all do our part to live in harmony and balance with Allah's creation. More texts and duʻas اد ع وا ر ب ك م ت ض ر ع ا و خ ف ي ة إ ن ه ل ي ح ب ال م ع ت د ين و ل ت ف س د وا ف ي ا ل ر ض ب ع د إ ص ل ح ه ا و اد ع وه خ و ف ا و ط م ع ا إ ن ر ح م ت للا ق ر يب م ن ال م ح س ن ين Call on your Lord humbly and privately He does not like those who transgress His bounds: do not corrupt the earth after it has been set right call on Him fearing and hoping. The mercy of God is close to those who do good. 7:55-56 ف اذ ك ر وا آ ل ء للا و ل ت ع ث و ا ف ي ا ل ر ض م ف س د ين remember God s blessings and do not spread corruption in the land, 7: 74 ق ل م ن ذ ا ٱل ذ ى ي ع ص م ك م م ن ٱ لل إ ن أ ر اد ب ك م س و ء ا أ و أ ر اد ب ك م ير ا م ة ر ح و ل ي ج د ون ل ه م م ن د ون ٱ لل و ل يا و ل ن ص Say, Who will keep you away from God, whether He wishes to harm you or wishes to show you mercy? They will find no one but God to protect or help them. 33:17
32 ر ب ل و ش ئ ت أ ه ل ك ت ه م م ن ق ب ل و إ ي اي أ ت ه ل ك ن ا ب م ا ف ع ل الس ف ه اء م ن ا إ ن ه ي إ ل ف ت ن ت ك ت ض ل ب ه ا م ن ت ش اء و ت ه د ي م ن ت ش اء أ نت و ل ي ن ا ف اغ ف ر ل ن ا و ار ح م ن ا و أ نت خ ي ر ال غ اف ر ين My Lord, if You had chosen to do so, You could have destroyed them long before this, and me too, so will You now destroy us for what the foolish among us have done? This is only a trial from You through it, You cause whoever You will to stray and guide whoever You will and You are our Protector, so forgive us and have mercy on us. You are the best of those who forgive. Grant us good things in this world and in the life to come. We turn to You. 7:155-6 ر ب ن ا ل ت ؤ اخ ذ ن ا إ ن ن س ين ا أ و أ خ ط أ ن ا ر ب ن ا و ل ت ح م ل ع ل ي ن ا إ ص ر ا ك م ا ح م ل ت ه ع ل ى ال ذ ين م ن ق ب ل ن ا ر ب ن ا و ل ت ح م ل ن ا م ا ل ط اق ة ل ن ا ب ه و اع ف ع ن ا و اغ ف ر ل ن ا و ار ح م ن ا 'Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or make mistakes. Lord, do not burden us as You burdened those before us. Lord, do not burden us with more than we have strength to bear. Pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy on us.... 2:286 Allah, you are one who pardons, and who loves pardon, so pardon me. سبحان للا وبحمده عدد خلقه, ورضاء نفسه, وزنة عرشه, ومداد كلماته Glory be to Allah and praise is due to Him, according to the number of His creation and according to His pleasure and corresponding to the weight of His Throne and as much as the ink [used in recording] His words). (M)
33 More Information Climate Week www.climateweek.com Introduction: Climate Change http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn9903-instant-expert-climate-change.html DEFRA Climate Change Risk Assessment Report (UK) http://randd.defra.gov.uk/document.aspx?document=theukccra2012evidencer eport.pdf The Muslim Green Guide to Reducing Climate Change see www.ifees.org.uk Stop Climate Chaos Coalition www.stopclimatechaos.org Islamic and other information supplied by IFEES Email: info@ifees.org.uk Web site: www.ifees.org.uk Registered Charity No. 1041198