What is Citizen Science or Community Science? Do we need to be a citizen or a scientist to participate? Find these answers and more at our interfaith, free, and online event. This event is co-hosted by CMGT, Faith in Place, and AAAS-DoSER (American Association for the Advancement of Science – Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion), in conjunction with the Global Citizen Science Month in April 2021. For additional information, please visit CMGT’s website.
Photo Courtesy of Faith in Place
Faith in Place’s Earth Day Sunset Vigil
4/8/21 from 6-7:30PM
Our CEO, Dr. Rohany Nayan, will be one of the members of faith to offer a prayer at the vigil!
“We want to make circular economy topics approachable, and dare we say FUN! We’re inviting you to join us on the third Thursday of every month via Zoom to discuss topics with specialized guest panelists and other interested folks like you!”
Photo Courtesy of U of I Extension
Community Compost Collection with University of Illinois
“U of I Extension Cook County and Plant Chicago have teamed up for EARTH WEEK to keep compostables out of the landfill. Households are invited to drop off your yard/garden/kitchen waste to be composted and pick up a bucket of finished compost for your garden!”
Edgewater Environmental Coalition’s Town Hall Tuesdays: Transportation
“Please join the Edgewater Environmental Coalition for a series of Town Hall discussions with community experts and innovators to explore Chicago’s most pressing issues to create a sustainable future.”
iNaturalist City Nature Challenge
April 30 – May 3, 2021
Register HERE to join in the 2021 City Nature Challenge! Fun for all ages.
Plarn Mats Distribution
5/2/21, Time: TBD
Contact Rohany Nayan for details: Rohanynayan@chicagomuslimsgreenteam.org
This year, the World Water Day on March 22, 2021 had a theme: “Valuing Water,” which poses a question for us to consider in our daily lives, “What does water mean to me?”
A child performing wudhu (Illustration by Caroline W.)
To the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, water means protection. Unfortunately, he states that, “Today, we are not on track to ensure everyone has access to water and sanitation by 2030, as set out in Sustainable Development Goal 6. While advances are being made, current progress needs to quadruple to achieve universal access.”
The problem in accessing water is not simply a global issue either — it starts locally. In February, 2021, Chicago Tribunereported on the problems northeastern Illinois faces for water accessibility despite being less than 50 miles away from one of the largest freshwater systems in the world.
As reported in the article, since the demand for water is growing in this region, the current dependency on a little over two dozen wells to supply most of the purified water won’t be sustainable for meeting demand in years to come. It was decided recently, in January 2021, that Joliet will partner with Chicago to replace the water supplied currently by their wells with the water from Lake Michigan. While this decision brings a solution that other cities in this region can consider for sustainable water access, the cost for low-income residents will be a burden they will face in the near future. Water access should be a human right, but our current climate crisis has shown us that the problems we face with sustainable water access leads to water being treated as a commodity.
Photo Courtesy of Caroline W.
The most recent approach the CME Group Inc., an American global market company, has taken further exemplifies this issue by proposing that our water access problems could be solved if water became a traded commodity. According to the Economist, it is the “biggest financial exchange you have never heard of.” It owns Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Chicago Board of Trade, New York Mercantile Exchange, and The Commodity Exchange. The Chicago Magazine reported that as of December 2020, water joined gold, oil, wheat, and bitcoin on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange as a traded commodity.
“Proponents see this as a tool to help manage water supply risk, a way of softening the blow to farmers and cities as water gets scarcer. So far, only the Golden State’s (i.e., California) water supply is being traded; it’s sort of a test run” (Chicago Magazine).
This test run has many climate justice and water rights activists concerned about the reality that is being shaped for the future. Water rights activist Pedro Arrojo-Agudo told the UN in December 2020, “You can’t put a value on water as you do with other traded commodities.” Other climate justice activists also see the futures contracts as exacerbating scarcity and inequality by having a select few profit from and control a resource that should be accessible to all.
What does the Muslim community think about this issue?
On World Water Day 2021, Huda Alkaff, Kori Majeed, and Saarah Yasmin Latif from ISNA Green Initiative reminded us of the value of water. Water is sacred. It is used for purification or wudhu, a spiritual cleansing we perform every single day. Water is essential to life as mentioned many times in the holy Qur’an and in hadith, the record of the traditions and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him (PBUH). For example, the Prophet (PBUH) once said, “Do not waste water even if you were at a running stream,” (Sunan Ibn Majah, 425).
Imam Saffet Abid Catovic, a long-time U.S. Muslim Community Activist, a Chaplain and Environmental Leader, echoed the above sentiment in response to water being treated as a commodity by the CME Group Inc. When reached for comment, he responded with “Mni Wiconi”, which in Lakota means “Water is life.” This inspiring and desperate cry was chanted by the Indigenous peoples, tribes, and water protectors at the Standing Rock (and beyond). Mni Wiconi is also a central theme in Islam’s teachings regarding water (al-ma’a). Water is a Divine blessing mentioned in the Holy Quran as the source of all life, “…and We made from water every living creature” (The Qur’an, 21:30).
In addition to reminding us of the Divine blessing that water is to all life, Imam Saffet also stated that, “In principle, the selling of water rights of seas, rivers, and lakes is prohibited as they are all owned by God and granted only as a trust to human beings. They are to be held in common for all, including both present and future generations and only to be used for the public good (maslaha). The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) observed over 1400 years ago, human beings are partners in three resources: water, vegetation (pastures), and fire (energy). In Sunnan Ibn Majah (2473),the Prophet said, “… and none of these shall be denied or prevented from anyone.” Another hadith states, “… their price (charging for them) is prohibited” (Sunan Ibn Majah, 2472).
Spresa Isa and her family moved to rural Florida over twenty years ago and enjoy living a life close to nature. What are the challenges and lessons we can learn from them? Here is their story.
The Motivation
When they first moved, there were only four or five houses in the neighborhood. About 2-3 years later, the 9/11 attack happened. The neighbors were not so friendly at that time. “They were going through my stuff. But that’s fine, I had nothing to hide. But it was difficult,” said Spresa Isa.
It did not deter the family from staying. Spresa Isa and her husband were strongly motivated to provide their four kids freedom of running around and experience of building things with their hands. “Alhamdulillah, Thank God, we made that choice because the kids learned many things in real life,” she said.
The kids built tree houses, climbed trees, made pathways to race, played manhunt, and enjoyed the life of being on the farm. They used to name the animals and gave them fresh water. They were taught kindness, understanding, patience, and to love God’s creation.
The kids also did not have to miss out on a city life. All four including the daughters played soccer and other sports with teams outside of their high school’s groups. They had many activities, but when they came home, they still had freedom to do things that they couldn’t do in a city.
Spresa Isa shared her concern about today’s kids who are too much into TV and video games. “They just sit there day and night, even a grown man. I’ve had people complaining about it, but I thank God that my kids had other experiences, outside of that.”
Now the kids are grown up, married, and have their own families. Their careers range from construction to medicine. They grew up loving the land and they are thinking of buying their own land so their kids can have the same opportunities they had.
Farm Life
Photo Courtesy of Khawla Hammad
The family enjoys fresh eggs, meat, and vegetables from their own organic farm. They’ve raised chickens, goats, and sheep. They don’t use any form of pesticide anywhere around the house. She also makes her own feta cheese, yogurt, breads, noodles, and pasta. “I try to keep as natural as I can and save them for my grandkids and for the people. I want them to learn these important things.”
Spresa Isa shared a story about how her fresh homemade food mended a relationship after experiencing a not-so-friendly encounter with a family who just moved next door. “I made a cake, some fresh bread rolls, and some bean soup or something with lamb in it. I brought the whole thing to the neighbor. Their in-laws were there. They ate it, thank God! So, they started to be friendly with my husband.”
For her, farm life brings tranquility, lots of new knowledge, and a purpose of life.
“When I come home from work, the peace that I would find in this, I think of God’s creation. Here, at the body of water, the fishes jump up and I thank God for giving this opportunity for us to enjoy His creation. This is all from Him. You see the animals when they give birth and raise their young. It’s a process of life.”
Spresa Isa learned many interesting things about the animals, like how their goats know their way back home, how to raise baby chicks, and the unusual color of eggs produced by her chickens. “I have chickens that lay green eggs, blue eggs, pink eggs. Subhanallah, they lay all sorts of colorful eggs and it’s beautiful.”
It taught her and her children to respect the circle of life. Now her goal is to educate her grandkids to not destroy nature simply because they’re able to.
The Wild Animals
Living in rural areas often means living side by side with the wild animals. Aside from foxes, coyotes, badgers, raccoons, and bears, there are deers that come to the farm and eat the vegetation. They also have to keep an eye on bobcats that always try to eat the baby chicks.
The family shows their respect for the wild animals by making sure that their outdoor activities would not harm them. For example, every time they have a party with decoration and bonfire, they always make sure that they don’t leave dangerous waste behind. Spresa Isa explains, “We have all the creatures come to drink water from our pond and lake. We want to make sure they will not be harmed. Even though the kids have a great time with the bonfire and they have the lake water there to douse it out, it’s still hot, because it’s a fire, it still has embers underneath. So, we make sure that the animals are not harmed in the process. We put it into cinder blocks to stop the animals from running over it, and the fire within is contained if it should come up.”
Composting and Recycling
Photo Courtesy of Khawla Hammad
In the home, the family manages their waste by having three bins. Two different bins are for recycling cardboards and plastics. One bin is for regular trash. They compost their food scraps, leftover food, and grass clippings to fertilize the plants.
She recommends a few tips for composting. Get a bucket, put a little bit of dirt and the food scraps. Close the lid of the bucket tightly and let the kids have fun rolling the bucket around. She also doesn’t throw away water she used to wash the rice. “It has different kinds of vitamins. So, instead of throwing that water out, I put it into my plants with the eggshells, coffee grounds, and tea bags.”
For growing vegetables, she has a tip for growing tomatoes and putting plastic bags to good use. “With the plastic bags, I make them into strips, and stretch them, and use them for my tomatoes to hold them up to the post.” She uses the mesh bag to hold clusters of cherry tomatoes. This way, the tomatoes will fall into the mesh instead of the ground.
Water and Energy Conservation
Spresa Isa has an efficient way to wash dishes as she doesn’t wash dishes in running water. She soaks them first with hot water and detergent in the biggest bowl or pans she is going to wash and uses cold water to rinse the dishes. “It’s a good way to learn to conserve our water because we do run low in water. There’s drought in the area. Why waste it?” She also tries to minimize the use of hot water because they pay heater by the gallon, which is very pricey.
To save electricity, they use motion sensor lights in the front area and some in the back door areas, but not outside where the animals are. Spresa Isa explains, “If someone comes late at night to our home, the light will turn on, so this way you can come in. It goes off after a few minutes.”
The Challenge
The downside of maintaining a farm for her is the attachment formed towards the animals. “It’s just hard, you’ve got to be home at certain times. I can’t go outside and enjoy going out late. My responsibilities are my animals. They are big responsibilities and they’re like my kids. I have to supply them with clean water in the morning and evening. When I was working, I had to do it in the dark, put my headlight toward them and got the water going and let them have their water, things like that. Now that I’m not working due to COVID, I’m out there at seven o’clock in the morning. I love it!”
Spresa Isa admits that she cannot enjoy a long vacation without thinking about the animals. She said, “You have to be there for your animals or at least have someone responsible. I can’t really take a long vacation unless I have either my children or someone coming to do these chores for me.” In 2019, she went away for a two weeks vacation. She enjoyed the vacation, but her mind was at the farm at all times.
Spresa Isa and her family’s farm living is no easy feat, but their tenacity and deep compassion for sustainable living can offer us some inspiration for how we can care for nature in our own daily lives.
Congratulations to Farhan Ahmed and Chi-Care Our Green Khalifah for February 2021!
Photos Courtesy of Chi-Care.org
Chi-Care is an inclusive organization with grassroots efforts by volunteers who visit people experiencing homelessness where they live to provide them with warm food and clean water with no strings attached. Farhan Ahmed, the President and Founder of Chi-Care, shared that they believe that people who are homeless deserve to be treated with respect and compassion. Therefore, they aim to be different from any other charitable organization helping unhoused people in the Chicago area. Instead of asking people who need help to come to their organization, Chi-Care’s team of volunteers goes out to homeless encampments throughout Chicago on a weekly basis to feed anyone in need. They cover 400 to 500 meals weekly. During the Giving Tuesday event in December 2020, Chi-Care partnered with several organizations – the Penny Appeal USA, the Downtown Islamic Center, and the Chicago Muslims Green Teamto distribute 400 warm meals in environmentally friendly packaging. The Pita Baba restaurant, a local family-owned business that strives to create Middle Eastern experiences, did a great job in providing delicious warm chicken shawarma (sandwich) with water and cookies for dessert. This winter, Chi-Care started their clothing and basic seasonal survival needs drive to collect jackets, coats, hats, gloves, socks, tents, blankets, and heaters in their efforts to keep the recipients warm along with the meals. Another unique feature of Chi-Care is that they do not require people to sign up for their program or even provide their names in order to be helped. Regardless of religion, race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, citizenship or age, everyone is welcome to receive aid as needed.
In Chicago, there are about 80,000 people who are living in the streets, according to diverse estimations, and this number has grown since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among one of the challenges the Chi-Care is facing is that it depends on its volunteers and donations to help cover the cost of services provided for the population targeted. The work they are doing is vital in serving our neighbors in need. Please help support their organization by donating money, time, or any expertise that you may have. Keep up the great work you’re doing Chi-Care, masha Allah!
When thinking about illustrious and influential black companions of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him (PBUH), many Muslims would probably think of Bilal ibn Rabah, a black African man, and one of the most trusted, prominent, and loyal sahabah (companion) chosen by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to be a mu’ezzin (reciter of the adhan, call to prayer) and use his own voice to call people to prayer. It is important for us to remember Bilal for his strong faith, strength, and contribution to Islam. And in remembering his story, we can also reflect upon the stories of other key black figures in Islamic history. In fact, many of the sahabah who lived during the time of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) are blacks, referring not only to Nubians and Abyssinians, but also to Arabs who had black and brown skin color.
The first black women and men who embraced Islam during the Meccan period after the declaration of the Prophet’s mission in 610 AD include courageous figures such as Sumayyah bint Khabbat, a freed slave; Umm Ayman a.k.a. Barakah, an emancipated Ethiopian slave; Zaid ibn Harithah, Prophet Muhammad’s adopted son; Ammar ibn Yasir, the son of the martyred Sumayyah and Yāsir; and many others, may Allah be pleased with them. Here, we are highlighting Bilal’s deep love for and conviction of Ahadun Ahad (the One God), and his perseverance in facing extreme struggles as a way of connecting a well-known story to that of our own collective story as a human race in the midst of a troubling climate reality.
Bilal ibn Rabah (580-640 AD) was born in the mountainous region of Mecca in Western Arabia. His father, Rabah, was an Arab slave bound to the clan, Banu Jumah. Bilal’s mother, Hamamah, was a native of Abyssinia (now Ethiopia). She was abducted as a child after the events of Amul-Fill when an invading army led by Abraha the Abyssinian, Christian ruler of Yemen, attacked Mecca and tried to destroy the Ka’ba, believed to be the first house of God built by Prophet Abraham and his son, Ismail, peace be on them. Hamamah was captured and sold into slavery by pagan merchants in pre-Islamic Mecca. Born into slavery, Bilal was a favorite slave of Umayyah ibn Khalaf, one of the arch enemies of Islam. Bilal probably heard and learned about Islam and its message not from Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) himself, but through Umayyah’s constant complaints and criticism of the religion when he talked about it in private and in public.
When Umayyah learned that Bilal converted to Islam, he repeatedly tortured Bilal in an effort to force him to abandon his new faith. In many narrations, there are descriptions of Umayyah forcing Bilal who had his hands and feet in chains, to lie on the hot desert sand and pinned him down with a heavy stone on his chest. Despite being crushed by the heavy stone, beaten with iron rods, and being exposed to the sweltering desert heat, Bilal remained steadfast in his faith in Allah and the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. While being tortured, he was heard repeating the word, “Ahad, Ahad” meaning “Allah is One.” When the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) learned about Bilal being tortured by his cruel master, he sent a friend, Abu Bakr, to buy Bilal’s freedom from his oppressor. The process to buy Bilal’s freedom took quite some time. Eventually, due to his love for money and realizing that Bilal would not give up his newly found faith, Umayyah sold Bilal to Abu Bakr. Emancipated, Bilal became one of the closest and most trusted, loyal and distinguished sahabah (companions) of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and was given the honor to be the first mu’ezzin (caller to prayer) in Islam. He spent a lot of time with the Prophet due to his position as the custodian of the treasury. He also showed his loyalty and dedication to Islamic causes on numerous occasions, especially when he participated in most of the Prophet’s expeditions and battles where he put his life on the line in guarding the Prophet’s safety. Bilal served the Prophet (PBUH) for 25 years. The last days of his life were spent in Syria where he died around 640 AD at the age of 64 and was buried in Damascus.
Bilal’s example of love for Ahadun Ahad (the One God) and the concept of Tawheed (unity or oneness of God) is very important for Muslims especially in learning how to worship Allah. The Qur’an says, “And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, (saying) “Worship Allah (One God) and avoid taaghoot” (Qur’an, 16:36). Taaghoot means worshipping other than Allah (e.g., people, money, idols, stones, animals, trees, etc.).
There are many ways to worship God aside from making daily prayers. Taking good care of yourself, your family, friends, and neighbors is part of worship. Being kind to people and animals is part of worship as you are showing love and respect of God’s creations. Sharing resources and knowledge with those in need and taking care of our environment, planet, and resources from destruction are part of what worship looks like. We are all connected in our relationships with each other, with the environment, and the planet. We must find ways to unite as one entity, one family, and one body. When one part is aching, we all feel the pain. To fulfill our duties in worshipping God include fulfilling our given role as a Khalifah (guardian); we must find ways to ensure a steady balance in our lives and with our nature.
Today, Bilal ibn Rabah, is also known as Bilal Al-Habashi, or Bilal the Ethiopian by approximately 1.9 billion Muslims worldwide. His life story reflects the deep love and conviction he had in Allah and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). His story also demonstrates Islam’s respect for human equality, kindness, anti-racism, and social equity. Allah does not measure people by their skin color, nationality, social status nor race, but by the measure of their taqwa (piety) and their actions. It is crucial to acknowledge the evils of slavery be it physically, mentally, or spiritually. The act of freeing a slave from bondage is highly encouraged by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as Islam was sent as a guide to free its believers from their mental, physical, and spiritual chains. Islam provided the means to spiritual enlightenment and personal liberation. The Prophet often emphasized kindness, understanding, tolerance, and flexibility among his companions especially in exercising their moral duties in confronting individual’s spiritual deficiencies as well as confronting the evils that exist in society. May God accept all our forms of worship and grant us Bilal’s unshakeable faith, perseverance, and determination. May he continue to be a source of inspiration for all of us.
