Islamic Center in India Calls for Environmental Preservation to Combat Heatwave

In response to the severe heatwave affecting northern India, with temperatures soaring above 45° Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit), one of the country’s leading Islamic centers has issued a call to Muslims to refrain from cutting down trees or burning fields post-harvest.
This initiative aims to mitigate the effects of climate change and the escalating temperatures that have already claimed numerous lives due to heatstroke.
Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahal, the chairperson of the Islamic Centre of India, emphasized the importance of environmental conservation, stating, “Every Muslim must ensure no green trees and crops are set on fire.”
Mahal, a prominent scholar from Lucknow, declared the non-binding fatwa on Sunday, highlightin
the Quranic directive for Muslims to preserve greenery and water resources, AFP reported on Monday.
The fatwa, which was released in Urdu and Hindi, explicitly states, “Burning trees and crops is forbidden in Islam and is considered a grave sin.”
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Mahal also called upon Islamic clerics to promote environmental stewardship in their sermons, encouraging the community to nurture existing vegetation rather than just symbolically planting new saplings.
Furthermore, Mahal advocated for the protection of water bodies from pollution, including rivers and oceans. This message comes at a critical time as an Indian court recently pressed the government to declare a national emergency due to the ongoing heatwave.
The court criticized the authorities for their inadequate measures to safeguard the populace from the extreme temperatures.
The High Court of Rajasthan, a state that has experienced some of the most intense heat, expressed its concern over the government’s failure to respond effectively to the crisis.
India, accustomed to high summer temperatures, is now facing heatwaves that are becoming more prolonged, frequent, and severe due to climate change.
Researchers warn that the catastrophic effects of these heatwaves, exacerbated by human activities, should serve as a dire warning.
 
Source: Agencies