The Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) Charity Smile Is A Remedy For Global Warming 

Published: 25 August 2021

By Shofi Ahmed

It really doesn’t cost one Earth to open a welcome door to the world. The Prophet (PBUH) said: “Smiling in your brother’s face is an act of charity” (At-Tirmidhi; Declared Authentic by Al-Albani). So we can perfectly be generous with the world with our smiles.

Generosity doesn’t require one to dig deep in the pocket. That can be accomplished by being nice and fair. In other words, showing good manners. Extend it further more to reap the rewards. It goes a long way. For instance besides human beings, show the humane side to the animals and the environment likewise.

With the worsening impact of global warming beside us, almost in every country. Now even for the non-believers it’s hard to say that these Islamic values are only ideal. It’s very effective indeed. We can see the evidence everywhere. Heat Waves causing wildfire across Europe. Then what caused the devastating flood in Germany? We know the answer. Our ill treated environment is biting back. And the scientists say it has just only started. It’s not all fiery but can be both wet and cold as well. In other words, awfully miserable.

Unfolding of these disastrous environmental tragedies is nowhere nearing the peak. Scientists have expressed their concerns time and again that these have only started. The worst is yet to come. The question is, obviously, how can this be minimised if it can’t be stopped. There is lots of research and initiatives have been taken for feasible solutions. However, it’s still an unsolved problem even worsening as we speak.

The industrialist nations at large are responsible for it. As human induced emissions (emitted from large industries) of greenhouse gases causing large-scale shifts in weather patterns across the globe. While Germany’s historical emissions total 92 billion metric tons, putting it in fourth place behind Russia and ahead of the UK. Reportedly, China has topped the annual list of being the largest emitters of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2), according to Our World in Data, an online scientific publication that Oxford University contributes to. In 2019, China emitted 10.2 billion metric tons of CO2 — nearly twice as much as the US (5.3 billion metric tons) — representing nearly 28% of global emissions.

However, other factors should also be considered. International shipping and air traffic don’t usually show up in statistics for individual countries, but rather are listed separately. Transportation also has a significant share. In 2018, shipping was responsible for about 2.9% of human-caused CO2 emissions. The share of civil aviation was similar in 2019, at just over 2% (although this is somewhat higher considering atmospheric effects of flying).

We’ve been stabbing our dirty carbon footprint into a pure green environmental scene. It has reached its limit. Endured nature has started throwing it back to us in the form of extreme weather events like tropical storms, wildfires, severe droughts and heat waves. That no one wants to see. Storming environment could be fiery while us human beings still have an appetite for the rosy summer.

So how do we compromise with our soil? We need it, perhaps we also need our laptops too. And it wants to stay green. How do we therefore strike the balance then? It’s tough. Let’s turn to Rahmatul Lil Alamin, The Mercy to the World as the title is ascribed to him the Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) in the Qur’an. We can find the cue from him. And it’s a simple synthesis. The prophet (PBUH) said: give a smile. It’s great. Extend it to other human beings. It’s an act of charity in it’s own right. Keep extending it to the environment as well.

Find in it your best foot, being thin on carbon footprint.  It could save the world from a pending environmental pandemic caused by greenhouse effects.  What’s more we can expect to continue to george our way through seeing dozens of attractive black, white and orange butterflies, as they flit from flower to flower, feeding hungrily on nectar.