Friday Sermon: The importance of planting trees in Islam, By Murtadha Gusau

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all the worlds. May His blessings and benedictions be upon the Messenger, his household and companions.

Dear brothers and sisters! Allah The Almighty has made the life of people on earth dependent on plants. Plants draw nourishment from the earth, while humans and animals depend on plants for their sustenance. In turn, humans also derive nourishment from certain animals. However, humans cannot directly derive nourishment from the earth itself. Where there is a lack of cultivation and trees, life ceases to exist.

Therefore, out of His mercy, Allah The Almighty caused plants and trees to grow, making this earth suitable for human life. Allah The Most High says in the Qur’an:

“It is He who sends down water from the sky for you, from it comes your drink, and from it comes foliage where you pasture your animals. With it, He grows for you crops, olives, date palms, vines, and every kind of fruit. Indeed, in that is a sign for people who reflect.” [Surah An-Nahl, 10-11]

Moreover, it is not limited to sustenance alone; Allah has also placed beauty and diversity in plants to enhance the lives of people. Allah The Almighty says:

“And a sign for them is the dead earth. We gave it life and brought forth from it grain, and from it, they eat. And We placed therein gardens of date palms and grapevines and caused springs to gush forth therein, that they may eat of its fruit. And their hands did not make it. Will they not then be grateful? Glory be to Him who created all the pairs, from what the earth grows and from themselves and from that which they do not know.” [Surah Yasin, 33-36]

In addition, in the noble Qur’an, there are numerous reminders of the blessing of plant and tree growth, drawing people’s attention to the importance of this blessing. This is to encourage them to thank Allah for it on the one hand, and to make them realise that their life on earth is not by chance or chaos but by a wise arrangement from Allah The Almighty. He is the one who has prepared the earth to be suitable for human life. Allah The Most High says:

“And We have spread out the earth, and how excellent We are in spreading it out! And of everything We have created pairs that you may remember.” [Surah Az-Zariyat, 48-49]

Just as Allah The Almighty has prepared the earth, He has also outlined the path to happiness for mankind upon it. Whoever obeys Him will find happiness, and whoever disobeys Him will suffer. Allah The Almighty says:

“Then whoever follows My guidance will neither go astray [in the world] nor suffer [in the Hereafter]. But whoever turns away from My Reminder will certainly have a miserable life, then We will raise them up blind on the Day of Judgment.” [Surah Taha, 123-124]

Thus, true happiness lies in benefiting from what Allah has created on earth and in obeying Him in how we conduct ourselves upon it.

On another note, Allah teaches people to preserve the plant resources because their lives depend on them. If they allow the desert to consume the greenery, they will have doomed their existence on earth.

Therefore, the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) encouraged farming and planting in numerous Hadiths. Among them is his saying:

“There is no Muslim who plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, a person, or an animal eats from it, but it is regarded as charity for him.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) also said:

“If the Hour (the Day of Judgment) is about to be established and one of you has a sapling in his hand, if he can plant it before it is established, then let him do so.” [Imam Ahmad and others]

This means that planting trees is a righteous deed that reflects the application of Allah’s wisdom on earth. It is not merely a commercial endeavour focused on profit and its extent.

It goes without saying that attention to agriculture is a sign of civilisation, reflecting a society’s understanding of Allah’s laws in His creation and its advancement in the ladder of human civilisation. We have seen Muslims in their prosperous eras take care of trees, even those that do not bear fruit, as their shade alone is valuable during the summer days, and the birds that perch on them glorify Allah and pray for those who provided them with this comforting shade. Our Islamic poets have often sing the praises of trees, their shade, and the birds and their melodies, weaving these themes into their poetry and songs.

The hallmark of a refined person is their selflessness rather than selfishness. Thus, they plant because Allah has commanded them to, to benefit His servants, and to represent the civilisation of their nation and people. They plant because greenery symbolises life and to benefit future generations, whether or not they themselves will directly benefit from that planting. This is why our righteous ancestors said:

“They planted, and we ate; we plant, and they will eat. Through this, life on Earth continues.”

Imam Ahmad and others narrated that Salman Al-Farisi (may Allah be pleased with him) embraced Islam while he was a slave. His master agreed to grant him freedom if he planted five hundred palm trees, and if they survived, he would be set free. When Salman consulted the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), he approved of the condition and instructed Salman to prepare the seedlings and dig the necessary holes. When everything was ready, the Prophet himself planted the trees. The palms thrived, Salman was freed, and he joined the esteemed companions in spreading Islam and serving the Muslim Ummah. You see, the initial act of planting those palm trees led to his freedom and a pivotal role in the Islamic mission. We should follow the example of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and fill our lands with blessed trees that bring joy to the hearts, provide shade, and nourish future generations.

In Surah Al-Waqi’ah, Allah Describes four key elements that contribute to life on Earth: the increase of human beings, the growth of plants, the falling of fresh water, and the existence of fire. All of this is due to Allah’s grace, mercy, and power, and its continuation also depends on His will and power.

Regarding the growth of plants, Allah The Most High says:

“Have you seen what you sow? Is it you who make it grow, or are We the Grower? If We willed, We could certainly make it crushed debris, and you would still be wondering, ‘Indeed, we are laden with debt. Rather, we have been deprived.” [Surah Al-Waqi’ah, 63-67]

Therefore, Dear brothers and sisters! Observe how the Qur’an guides us to the essentials of human civilisation: humanity, plants, water, and fire. This guidance directs us to be thankful to Allah and to preserve these essentials so that human life may continue by His will. It is as if Allah is telling us that just as you take various measures to preserve your own life, you should also preserve the life of plants through agriculture, for you cannot live on earth without them.

Indeed, the silent plant speaks to those who are wise, declaring:

“Nothing creates me except the All-Wise, All-Knowing.”

This reflects the essence of our Muslim poet’s contemplative verse on the creation of Allah:

“In every thing, there is a sign *** That points to the One, the Unique.”

The believer harmonises with the wisdom and power of Allah in this universe, recognising the beauty and majesty of Allah in all things. They build rather than destroy, plant rather than cut down, and glorify Allah with their words while listening to the glorification of His creation. In contrast, the disbeliever and ingrate, as described by Allah:

“And when he goes away, he strives throughout the land to cause corruption therein and destroy crops and animals. And Allah does not like corruption.” [Surah Al-Baqarah, 205]

When Allah The Almighty entices the believers towards Paradise, He describes its gardens, orchards, trees, plants, rivers, and fruits. He emphasizes that the path to such a reward is through righteous deeds, fulfilling the rights of Allah through obedience, and the rights of others through compassion, mercy, and efforts to save them from the fire of this world and the Hereafter.

Indeed, this is the season for planting trees. Let each of us contribute by planting trees of all kinds and taking care to protect them from damage. This will ensure that our land remains green and our gardens flourish. Our land is blessed by its location, its people, its climate, and its environment. It is where righteous people lives. Thus, it deserves to be lush and vibrant, providing sustenance and beauty for future generations.

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May the peace, blessings and salutations of Allah be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad (Peace be upon him), and upon his family, his Companions and his true followers.

Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of: Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah Mosque; and Late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene Mosque, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: gusauimam@gmail.com; or +2348038289761.

This Friday sermon (Jumu’ah Khutbah) was prepared for delivery today Friday, 22 Rabi’ul Thani, 1446 AH (25 October, 2024).