It is now the holy month of Ramadan and accompanying this month is an assortment of new activities and experiences that is considered unique to Ramadan and Ramadan only. Fasting and the feeling of lethargy may bound us over but the appeal of Iftar sessions and prayers cannot be dismissed. So, what does an environmentally-aware Muslim person as yourself should do in the month of Ramadan? Should we make way for siesta sessions to preserve our energy until Maghrib or should we double and modify our efforts? Here are a few tips to have a fruitful Ramadan and still remain green:
- Bring your own containers/ eco-friendly bags to shop at Ramadan bazaars.
- Plan your Iftar meals to prevent splurging too much on food.
Yes, you’re hungry and in the state of that hunger, you want the amount of food that could feed the entire ship of Prophet Nuh. Ramadan bazaars, hotel buffets, special deals in your favourite restaurants… But is this excessive food binging necessary to fulfil the need of nourishment? When you are hungry, it is easy to make an irrational decision to gather as much food as necessary. However, after the Iftar have commenced, you’d realise how much of these food go to waste. During the month of Ramadan, don’t bite into this temptation as it might cause serious harm to our environment. Instead of adding more inhabitants in our landfills, prevent splurging on too much food. Plan your Iftar meals the night before so you won’t be influenced by your hunger. Better yet, cook for yourself and your family so you can deduce how much food that is truly needed!
- Sharing is caring, even when it comes to Iftar.
Another tip to keep the food waste to a minimum is to share them! If you feel you have too much food on your dinner table, divide them into smaller containers and pass them on to your neighbours. Who knows, maybe your neighbour couldn’t make that quick dash to the Ramadan bazaar to buy anything? Another way you can share food is having your Iftar at your local mosque. Neighbourhood mosques usually provide a quick munch for Iftar before heading to perform Maghrib prayers. This would be an excellent option if you want to minimize food wastage and unnecessary excessiveness. Furthermore, you get to know the members of your own community!
- Walk, cycle, skate or carpool to your nearest mosque.
Every Muslims loves Tarawikh prayers during the Ramadan as it fulfils the need of the soul to perform Ibadah. However, does this fulfilment include carbon emission as well? The usual scene of a mosque during Ramadan is jam-packed car parks and busy traffic as mosque attendants rush to their spot in the mosque. Instead of hiking up the amount of carbon emission alongside your Tarawikh prayers, opt for a greener option by walking to your mosque. Cycling or skating, if walking is not your preferred method. This will not only reduce carbon emission but give yourself a good exercise after your Iftar. Worse comes to worst, you can carpool among your neighbours and friends in order to reduce carbon emission. At least there’s only one person who has to worry about parking space.
Donating is definitely one of the acts that is encouraged during the fasting month. Hence, why not make your donation a green one? You can lend some financial help to several environmental organizations such as Malaysian Nature Society (MNS), WWF Malaysia, and many more. If you're more interested in a global cause, read more about the Somalia's famine crisis and participate in battling hunger. It is reported that it is the first famine crisis in Somalia in 19 years. Majority of the people affected by the famine crisis have not eaten for days and cases of death from hunger are reported every day. You can make your donations at United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) or Zakat Foundation of America.
During the month of Ramadan, Muslims around the world would wake up before dawn to perform various acts of Ibadah. Whether it is performing Tahajjud prayers or reading the Quran, many would find the dead of the night as the perfect time to find solace in acts of worship for the Almighty. However, this encouraged action should not be accompanied by wastage. Don't switch on all the lights for all your neighbours to witness. A single lightbulb is suffice to accompany you. After all, the dark atmosphere will help you to concentrate more on performing your Ibadah.
As fasting is the act of abstaining from food and drinks, it is very important to observe the state of your health during these conditions. Avoid from dehydration by consuming less caffeinated drinks before the act of fasting. A beverage of choice should be water so you can compensate going without it for the whole day. Fruits and vegetables are also great to battle dehydration as they are rich with nutrients and minerals. Never skip your pre-dawn meals as they would sustain your energy level throughout the day. Eat more fibre-packed food, such as wholemeal bread or oatmeal, to give you that extra boost of energy. Muslims are also advised not to exercise during fasting. Instead, perform exercises after your Iftar as you will have already consumed enough food and water for strenuous physical activity.
Thanks to the Internet, Muslims all around the world has a bevy of resources to choose from on how to be a good environmentalists during Ramadan. You can start by reading "The Ramadan Nutrition Work Out Plan for Success" at Suhaib Webb's website. Or you can read up on the informative article "Ramadan Health and Spirituality Guide" by Communities in Action. You can also delve into an interesting article about gluttony during Ramadan from The Green Bush Blog. Or brace yourself with handy tool-kit on how to tackle the obstacles in Ramadan, using the green way, provided by Green Muslims! You can also interact and share any green tips for Ramadan in our official Green Team Facebook page as we update daily on everything green.
- Donate!
Donating is definitely one of the acts that is encouraged during the fasting month. Hence, why not make your donation a green one? You can lend some financial help to several environmental organizations such as Malaysian Nature Society (MNS), WWF Malaysia, and many more. If you're more interested in a global cause, read more about the Somalia's famine crisis and participate in battling hunger. It is reported that it is the first famine crisis in Somalia in 19 years. Majority of the people affected by the famine crisis have not eaten for days and cases of death from hunger are reported every day. You can make your donations at United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) or Zakat Foundation of America.
- Burn the midnight oil... using a single lightbulb.
During the month of Ramadan, Muslims around the world would wake up before dawn to perform various acts of Ibadah. Whether it is performing Tahajjud prayers or reading the Quran, many would find the dead of the night as the perfect time to find solace in acts of worship for the Almighty. However, this encouraged action should not be accompanied by wastage. Don't switch on all the lights for all your neighbours to witness. A single lightbulb is suffice to accompany you. After all, the dark atmosphere will help you to concentrate more on performing your Ibadah.
- Take care of your health!
As fasting is the act of abstaining from food and drinks, it is very important to observe the state of your health during these conditions. Avoid from dehydration by consuming less caffeinated drinks before the act of fasting. A beverage of choice should be water so you can compensate going without it for the whole day. Fruits and vegetables are also great to battle dehydration as they are rich with nutrients and minerals. Never skip your pre-dawn meals as they would sustain your energy level throughout the day. Eat more fibre-packed food, such as wholemeal bread or oatmeal, to give you that extra boost of energy. Muslims are also advised not to exercise during fasting. Instead, perform exercises after your Iftar as you will have already consumed enough food and water for strenuous physical activity.
- Read on articles from other Muslim environmentalists!
Thanks to the Internet, Muslims all around the world has a bevy of resources to choose from on how to be a good environmentalists during Ramadan. You can start by reading "The Ramadan Nutrition Work Out Plan for Success" at Suhaib Webb's website. Or you can read up on the informative article "Ramadan Health and Spirituality Guide" by Communities in Action. You can also delve into an interesting article about gluttony during Ramadan from The Green Bush Blog. Or brace yourself with handy tool-kit on how to tackle the obstacles in Ramadan, using the green way, provided by Green Muslims! You can also interact and share any green tips for Ramadan in our official Green Team Facebook page as we update daily on everything green.
awesome :)
ReplyDelete