By Badria Awad Omar
Trees play an important role in maintaining and balancing the ecosystem of the world. Trees contribute to the environment by giving oxygen, improving air quality, improving the atmosphere, preserving water, protecting soil and supporting wildlife.
During the cycle of photosynthesis, trees take in carbon dioxide and produce the oxygen that we take. Trees control climate by directing the impacts of the sun, wind and so on. Leaves adjust and sieve the sun’s radiant vigour, during summer time it makes the environment cool, trees likewise preserve warmth by giving a shade from harsh wind.
Notwithstanding impacting wind speed and heading, they shield us from the ruin of downpour, slush and hail. Trees likewise bring down the air temperature and lessen the warmth force of the nursery impact by keeping up low degrees of carbon dioxide. Trees give conceal that shields all living things from hurtful sun powered radiation and cools the climate. Trees have a critical cooling impact on ground temperatures.
Further, it is curial in soil steadiness and erosion control, particularly in rugged and sloping districts; they likewise ensure and save water supplies and forestall floods. Little gatherings of trees and even single trees have a comparable job locally in forestalling wastes, and in holding stream banks. Trees retain and store water which diminish overflow and residue store after tempests. This enables the ground water to gracefully revive, forestalls the vehicle of synthetics into streams, and forestalls flooding.
Fallen leaves make incredible fertiliser that enhances soil.
Moreover, trees give our planet calm through processes called transpiration; they release vapour water into the atmosphere which falls on the earth, either in the form of snow or stream to cool our globe. Trees are in our streets, roads etc. to promote a peaceful and pleasing environment.
Studies have found that trees maintain the well-being of human beings because they reduce stress and anxiety. Wolf et al (2014) found that educational places and hospitals have discovered that natural setting and trees result in significantly positive effects on students and patients, besides exposure to nature and healing environment raises maintained attentional capacity. Simple access to green outside environments from working settings has been found to altogether lessen employee stress.
Plants are one of the two significant realms of living things. They are the main life shapes that can deliver their own food utilising energy from daylight. Plants have green colour called chlorophyll essentially in the leaves. This shade permits plants to make food from daylight, water and carbon dioxide in a cycle called photosynthesis.
Additionally, plants give us food, strength, shelter, medication, and petroleum. The fundamental nourishment for all life forms is delivered by green plants. During the time spent food formation, oxygen is released. (SC, Aba, et al, 2017). This oxygen, which we acquire from the air we inhale, is basic to our life. The main wellspring of food and oxygen are plants and trees, animals alone cannot supply these.
Shelter, as wood for houses; and dress, as cotton strands, are clear employments of plant materials. Yet, we should not fail to remember fuel, furniture, paper items, certain drugs like anti-inflammatory medicine, and numerous different items like aroma and biting gum. To these substantial parts of the plant world we should likewise add the significance of magnificence and unwinding got from plants.
Since creatures are encircled by and subordinate upon plants, the elements that impact plant development, structure and dispersion, also influence the creature world. The climate change can be improved with the expanding number of plants and trees being planted. Higher plants will in general be a trademark which varies as indicated by the biome and intently screens temperature and the accessibility of water. Trees and plantation crops can possibly sequester air carbon and alleviate worldwide climate change.
In short, we get from trees different kind of fruits such as mango, orange, coconut, guava and pear, among others, which grow naturally in the forest. We make timber from trees, however, it is the major cause of deforestation, yet it is useful for human in building and construction sector. Wood products are the main products from forest which are globally traded.
Islamic Perspective on Trees
In Islam, planting a tree is considered an act of charity and the person who plants trees gets blessings from those who have eaten from that tree, even though if it is by animals such birds and so on.
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.” (Sahih al-Bukhari).
And it is also supported by one hadith that Abu Hurairah narrated from the Prophet, “when a man dies all his good deeds come to an end except three things, beneficial knowledge, ongoing charity and a righteous son who prays for him” (Sahih al-Bukhari)
Moreover, Jabir narrated that, the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Whoever says: ‘Glory is to Allah, the Magnificent, and with His Praise (Subḥān Allāhil-Aẓīm, wa biḥamdih)’ a date-palm tree is planted for him in Paradise.”
“Do you not see that to Allah prostrates whoever is in the heaven and whoever is on the earth and the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountain, the trees, the moving creatures and many of the people?” (Quran surah Al-Hajj 22:18).
Allah mentioned in the ayah above that all creatures worshiping him including trees, and this shows the importance of trees because it is one of the signs of Allah and his existence and that is why Allah mentioned them in the Quran.
In the Quran and sunnah, trees have been mentioned 11 times, a few herbal terms identified with trees additionally occur in the Quran, for example, organic products, leaves, branches and roots.
Numerous plants and trees are referenced by name in the Quran, for example, figs, olives, pomegranates, grapes, date palms, bottle gourds, Christ’s thistles, tamarisk, ginger, camphor, and others. Also, the Holy Quran additionally utilises numerous herbal terms in various settings. For instance, such terms are in some cases used to explain the significance of a particular stanza.
The Quran consistently welcomes individuals to consider the wisdom behind Allah’s creation, including plants and trees, Allah says, “Indeed, in the creation of the heaven and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding. Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying]. Our Lord, you did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire” (Al-Imran: 191-192).
Nonetheless, ayah from Quran noticed plants, trees and natural products that are there to urge individuals to consider Allah’s creation and to assist them with arriving at a degree of religious on conviction. These refrains likewise help individuals to remember Allah’s favours and the need to express gratitude towards Him for what He has offered them.
“Then let mankind look at his food. How We poured down water in torrents, Then We broke open the earth, splitting [it with sprouts], And caused to grow within it grain and grapes and herbage, And olive and palm trees, And gardens of dense shrubbery, And fruit and grass [As] enjoyment for you and your grazing livestock” (Abasa: 25-32).
Forests of trees, in any case, are significant in country zones, over the Islamic world, where they may fill in as graveyard grounds, as spots where male circumcision happens, as destinations that can give favouring, and where different strict services are attempted. The cedar of Lebanon in such manner, is viewed as an especially significant tree, just like the cypress “Cupressus sempervirens” olive (Olea europaea var. oleaster), date palm and fig which highlight conspicuously inside Muslim cemeteries and it is said that Allah himself favoured the olive and fig trees.
With that, we should respect plants and trees because they form curial role in our life as Allah knows the potential of them and what roles are playing in our daily life, we need to preserve them and create awareness among other community to encourage them to plant trees and serve our environment, to see people taking responsibilities that Allah bestowed on them.
Every act of good deeds in Islam counts. “Whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, while being a believer – those will enter Paradise and will not be wronged, [even as much as] the speck on a date seed” (Al-Nisaa:124). ***