Sidi warned us of actions and practices that harm the earth. He advocated for eating organically-grown foods and fish only from the deep ocean that did not feed on the ocean bottom where pollutants land. He advocated for humane treatment of animals and respect for the lives of all creatures, from the largest to the smallest. “Even the black ant on the black rock in the dark night, Allah, praise be to Him, sees him and cares about him.”
We are stewards of the earth. We have intellect, will and power from our humanity – a great trust and with it comes a great responsibility to care for all of Allah’s creation.
Earth Day is a day that reminds us to reflect on how we care for the home we are given to live upon, to take sustenance from and through which we witness the beauty of Allah.
Following is a quote from the book, The Sufi Realities, from a teaching Sidi gave at Sufi School West (Shadhiliyya Sufi Retreat Center in Pope Valley, CA) back in 2004:
Ar-Rahman [the Compassion] is a noble name that is comprehensive and includes all of the attributes of Allah. Ar-Rahman is a word that gathers everything Allah originated and created, including celestial worlds, terrestrial worlds, humans, jinn, angels, trees, plants, animals and the creatures of the oceans in this [material world] and in the afterworld.
Ar-Rahman envelops all existent things from beginning to end. The name ar-Rahman is the mirror through which all the divine meanings are gathered. This is the name that encircles all existence, seen and unseen.Remember that Allah has one thousand worlds like this world of yours. This world is like a drop from the ocean compared to the size of the ocean. Allah has worlds that number into the millions, and all of these are inhabited by creatures of Allah. This world, the earth world, is like a village adjoining a huge city.
There is no room to walk this earth except in humblenesss, because Allah surrounds everything. Ar-Rahman surrounds all of the creation.
God willing, today and every day we are reminded that everything we see in this world is a reflection and a sign of Allah’s love and compassion, an opportunity to honor and know our Creator in the way we care for all of His creation.
We hope this fills your heart with honor, respect and gratitude for our Mother Earth.
Happy Earth Day! Have a beautiful weekend.
Blessings and gratitude for you!
Mastura Graugnard on behalf of your friends and family at UOS
