Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a Super green Muslim here to save the day! He’s our hero and he’s gonna take pollution down to zero…..
What once began as a semi-hippy ULU Isoc* dream transpired into reality with the earnest efforts of SOAS Islamic Society and Barts Muslims. Another Isoc legend was born; Green Week.

The words Muslim and ecology proved highly troublesome at first. To save a tree or not save a tree was indeed a dilemma. For Muslim students it became strikingly clear that following years of oppression, decline in education and Islamic scholarship our youth are plagued by severe tunnel vision syndrome. Our dawah lacks dynamism, our absolute disregard for the rest of creation is alarming and a general zeal for consumerism ravishes through our hearts. Clearly there’s a dire need for us to go back to basics, back to our ABCs and unleash ours minds from the yoke of decadence. Green Week promises to reforest our natural creative faculties that once distinguished Islamic civilisation.

ABCD of Green Week:

1. Appreciation.
Allah swt calls us to reflect in Surah Ar-Rahman “And the stars and the trees both prostrate themselves” (v.5). “And the earth He has put down (laid) for the creatures” (v.10). “Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you both (jinn and men) deny?” (v.13). But from the metropolitan jungles that we inhabit, being captivated by glistening stars will soon be impossible. Reflecting on the most wondrous creatures from the Dugong, which gave raise to the legends of mermaids, to the mesmerising silhouette of peregrine falcons and our very own adorable British Red squirrel will soon be relegated to the pits of mans destructive history. We have surrounded ourselves with an artificial delusion and so distanced our hearts from natural beauty. The modern hollow phenomenon of Atheism is directly linked to excessive indulgence in the manmade. Green week is a chance to reconnect with our natural predisposition (fitrah), a chance to rediscover our true purpose and let the essence of Tawheed vibrate through our souls.

2. Balance
We can’t help but feel overwhelming awe when reading through the ascetic lifestyle of the prophet (SAW). As one poet stated “he (SAW) had the world at his feet but not a dinar to his name”. Green week is a chance to mend our destructive greed and its implications on others. The Western world accounts for just a fraction of the earth’s population yet consume the overwhelming majority of its resources. Green week is an opportunity to reconnect our hearts with the sunnah of the Prophet (SAW) and emancipate ourselves from the shackles of our desires.

3. Change
There was once a time when Muslim environmental inspectors roamed to prevent deforestation that would lead to flooding. The Ottomans understood the principles of biodiversity and so established wild life sanctuaries. Now it’s our chance to make a genuine difference. Our campuses and Muslim areas don’t have to be waste sites. A few student union policy changes could result in the introduction of recycling bins. A pinch of enthusiasm can equate to fair-trade coffee being served at your work place or university such that people in the third world are no longer short changed into poverty. Innovative awareness campaigns can transform the lives of many and the ageing faces of our Isocs for good! No longer do Isoc events have to be swarmed with the exact same few.

4. Dawah
Green week is a chance to portray Islam in a unique manner. It’s the revival of a spirit of dawah long forgotten. It’s the enactment of a way of life that changed the world for good. Our pious predecessors lived Islam and didn’t just pay it vocal homage as we do today. The sahaabah (ra)’s bodies were ultimately scattered in regions far and wide away from their beloved sanctuary of Madinah, away from their beloved families and the cuisines they held dear so that the message of Allah reaches us. They transcended language barriers through living and breathing Islam in its totality. 
I was also dumbfounded to hear of a recent incident where an individual embarked on their journey to Islam simply by observing another Muslim pick up litter on campus. When they enquired, why the Muslim student was performing such actions they received a life changing response i.e. our Prophet (SAW) taught us so. Don’t be surprised by such actions because it’s just the representation of the lowest level of Emaan, as the prophet (SAW) highlighted. A bench mark we all fall short off:
“Faith has over seventy (or said over sixty) branches. The greatest of them is saying Laa ilaaha ill-Allah, and the least of them is removing something harmful from the road. Shyness is a branch of emaan” (Bukhari and Muslim)
So let’s stretch those restless souls and awake those pessimistic minds dear brothers and sisters. Our planet and humanity as a whole is counting on you to raise the (green) banner of Islam once more! Let’s not falter. Let’s think global, yet act local. Let’s unite in a unique piece of activism for Green Week 2010.