Purity and cleanliness is central to Isalmic teachings. From inner or spiritual purity that refers to the purification of the heart from negative traits like envy, pride, and hypocrisy to outer purity that Involves cleanliness of the body, clothing, and environment, Islamic teachings are emphasised right from the childhood. While ablution five times a day ensures outer purity and going to majids for prayers in clean clothes, the beleivers are also required to keep their envirnment clean by ensuring disposal of litter and efforts be made to ensure clean and healthy environemnt.
One of the means to ensure clean and healthy environemnt is to plant trees and flowery palnts so that carbon dioxide is absorbed by the trees to keep everyone from environmental pollution. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has also emphasised on keeping the environment clean by planting trees for every tree becomes a source of charity for the planter for it is helping others to live in clean environment,
To keep the enviroment clean, we share a hadith attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as narrated by Narrated Anas bin Malik, mentioned in Sahi Bokhari as hadith 2320:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "There is none amongst the Muslims who plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person or an animal eats from it, but is regarded as a charitable gift for him."
This hadith underscores the idea that acts of cultivation, such as planting trees or sowing seeds, are not only beneficial for the individual but also serve as ongoing charity (Sadaqah Jariyah). The Prophet (ﷺ) emphasized that even if a bird, person, or animal benefits from the produce, the one who planted it receives continuous reward.
This teaching aligns with the Qur'anic perspective on the blessings of agriculture. In Surah Al-Waqi'ah (56:63-65), Allah questions: "Then tell Me about the seed that you sow in the ground, is it you that make it to grow, or are We the grower? Were it Our Will, We could crumble it to dry pieces..."
This verse reflects on Allah's role in the growth of crops, highlighting the importance of gratitude and recognizing divine blessings.
Furthermore, the Qur'an encourages the cultivation of the earth as a means of sustenance and a way to earn Allah's pleasure. In Surah Al-Baqarah (2:261), Allah likens the example of those who spend in His cause to a grain of corn that sprouts seven ears, each bearing a hundred grains.
In essence, both the hadith and the Qur'an promote the act of planting and cultivation as virtuous deeds that yield continuous rewards, benefiting both the individual and the broader community. In fact this Hadith points twoards the individual as well as collective responsibility of Muslims to help keep the environment clean so that everyone lives in a pollution free environemnt. This would aslo ensure good health of everyone, free from diseases which are generally due to polluted air and unhealthy environemnt.