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For many Muslims , something will be missing: plastics.

The communal experience of iftars鈥攖he after-sunset meal that brings people of the faith together during the holy month starting on March 22, 2023鈥攐ften necessitates the use of utensils designed for mass events, such as plastic knives and forks, along with bottles of water.

But to encourage Muslims to be more mindful of the impact of Ramadan on the environment, mosques are increasingly , with some  altogether.

As a , I see this 鈥済reening鈥� of Ramadan as entirely in keeping with the traditions of the faith and, in particular, the observance of Ramadan.

The month鈥攄uring which observant  from even a sip of water or food from sunup to sundown鈥攊s a time for members of the faith to focus on purifying themselves as individuals against excess and materialism.

But in recent years, Muslim communities around the world have used the period to . And this includes understanding the perils of wastefulness and embracing the link between Ramadan and environmental consciousness.

The ban on plastics鈥攁 move  as a way for Muslims 鈥渢o be mindful of [God鈥檚] creation and care for the environment鈥濃�攊s just one example.

Many other mosques and centers are discouraging large or extravagant evening meals altogether. The fear is that such communal events  and often rely on  for cutlery, plates, and serving platters.

Quranic Environmentalism

While the move toward environmental consciousness has gained traction in Muslim communities in recent years, the links between Islam and sustainability can be found in the faith鈥檚 foundational texts.

Scholars have long emphasized principles outlined in the Quran that highlight , reverence for , and the diversity of living things as . 

The Quran repeatedly emphasizes the idea of 鈥�,鈥� a kind of cosmic and natural balance, and the 鈥攖erms that also carry an environmental interpretation.

Recently, Islamic  the numerous hadith鈥攕ayings of the Prophet Muhammad that provide guidance to followers of the faith鈥攖hat emphasize that Muslims should avoid excess, respect resources and living things, and consume in moderation. 

Although present from the outset of the faith, Islam鈥檚 ties to environmentalism received major visibility with the works of Iranian philosopher Seyyed Hossein Nasr, and a series of lectures he delivered at the University of Chicago in 1966. The , Man and Nature: The Spiritual Crisis in Modern Man, warned that humans had broken their relationship with nature and thus placed themselves in grave ecological danger.

Nasr blamed modern and Western science for being , claiming it had destroyed traditional views of nature. Nasr  that Islamic philosophy, metaphysics, scientific tradition, arts, and literature emphasize the spiritual significance of nature. But he noted that numerous contemporary factors, such as mass rural-to-urban migration and poor and autocratic leadership, had prevented the Muslim world from realizing and implementing the Islamic view of the natural environment.

Scholars and activists expanded on Nasr鈥檚 work through the 1980s and 1990s, among them Fazlun Khalid, one of the world鈥檚 leading voices on Islam and environmentalism. In 1994, Khalid founded the , an organization dedicated to the maintenance of the planet as a healthy habitat for all living beings. Khalid and other Muslim environmentalists suggest that Islam鈥檚 nearly 2 billion adherents can participate in the tasks of environmental sustainability and equity not through Western models and ideologies but from .

Partnering with the United Nations Environment Program, Khalid and other leading scholars crafted , a worldwide project for Muslim leaders interested in Muslims鈥� religious commitments to nature. 鈥淭he ethos of Islam is that it integrates belief with a code of conduct which pays heed to the essence of the natural world,鈥� Khalid wrote in .

Going Beyond an Eco-Ramadan

Environmental crises , and academics have highlighted the particular  around the world, such as the victims of  in 2022.

By highlighting , , and , academics have shown how Islam .

This push for environmental consciousness extends beyond Ramadan. In recent years, Muslims have tried to introduce green practices into the shrine cities in Iraq during pilgrimage seasons in  and .

This has included  encouraging the 20 million pilgrims who visit Arbaeen annually to reduce the tons of trash they leave every year that clog up Iraq鈥檚 waterways. Quoting from  and drawing on  from community leaders, the Green Pilgrim movement suggests carrying cloth bags and reusable water bottles, turning down plastic cutlery, and hosting eco-friendly stalls along the walk.

Muslim-owned businesses and nonprofits are joining these wider efforts. Melanie Elturk, the founder of the successful hijab brand Haute Hijab, regularly ties together faith, fashion, commerce, and environmentalism by highlighting the brand鈥檚 . The Washington, D.C., nonprofit  pioneered 鈥攁 play on the word 鈥渋ftar鈥濃�攗sing leftovers and reusable containers.

These efforts are but a few of the diverse ways Muslim communities are addressing environmental impact. The greening of Ramadan fits into a broader conversation about how often communities can tackle climate change within their own frameworks.

But Islamic environmentalism is more than just the dispensing of plastic forks and water bottles鈥攊t taps into a worldview ingrained in the faith from the outset, and can continue to guide adherents as they navigate environmentalism, a space where they may otherwise be marginalized.

This article was originally published by . It has been published here under a Creative Commons license.