Imam Jamil Al-Amin
Environmental Struggle
In Revolution By The Book (published 1994), Imam Jamil Al-Amin put forth an Islamic argument for the importance of environmental struggle - especially against ignorance - to prevent ecological disaster:
"Those people with an understanding of what Allah has commanded must begin to propel their ideas through struggle, using the knowledge that Allah has given them. We must restrain those people who are bringing about the destruction of this world Allah has put us in, or we shall all perish. To do so is an act of Zakaat.
When they talk about acid rain, when they talk about the destruction of the ozone layer, and they talk about the fact that the level of drinking water will be reduced to a point where one-fourth of the known drinking water will be no good for us by the year 2000 because of industrial waste and pollution, when we see these things occurring it is compulsory upon the Muslim to act. When we see that, in California as well as other parts of the country, there is an imminent danger concerning drought and after drought there is famine, then we begin to understand that these are the things that come as a result of what men's hands have wrought.
So how do we, with the understanding of this, begin to restrain the hands of those who are breaking a hole in the bottom of the boat?[1] We do it by striving for enlightenment, by struggling in opposition to ignorance, by fighting against self-oppression. We must attain a level of consciousness that reminds us and those in error of the True Reality, of the purpose for existence, and the laws of the Creator."[2]
Food & Fasting
Chapter Four of Revolution By The Book, "God's Diet," examines the environmental health/food crisis through the lens of the Islamic Pillar of Sawm, fasting, as a tool and program for learning self-restraint and understanding what is of real benefit.
Citing the report by US Surgeon General Koop that "the greatest cause of disease in this country is gluttony, is overeating," Imam Jamil argues that we have to "examine the food chain and see the poisons that have been introduced into our diet."
Therefore, the whole sense of being aware of God's creation, of having taqwa, includes knowing what you eat, because you are what you eat. This awareness begins with an increased consciousness of the Creator, of His laws, and of the obligations placed on humanity.
His analysis ranges from considering the harms of consuming preservatives, toxic chemical additives, pesticides, refined sugars, and junk food, to the benefits of fasting as a tool "so that you can begin to break that cycle" which happens "when you are unmindful... (and) allow people to control you by your appetite" by helping you "begin to break that cycle, so that you can begin to gain control over your appetite."[3]
Sources
- ↑ This is a reference to the Parable of the Limits of Allah: https://www.abuaminaelias.com/dailyhadithonline/2013/04/29/hudud-limits-parable-ship/
- ↑ Revolution By The Book, 1994, p. 40-41, by Imam Jamil Al-Amin
- ↑ Revolution By The Book, 1994, p. 46-63, by Imam Jamil Al-Amin