Sudanese Share in Earth Day

By the Writer Mekki Elmograbi
Press Freedom & Human Rights Secretary SJU Sudanese Journalists Union
An Environmental Prayer!
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Imagine that Muslims and Christians pray together in one place. The only and prior issue that can unite their prayers is future of their planet (the Earth)
The only prayer that Muslims can share Non-Muslims in Islamic Fiqh (Jurisprudence) is Istisqa; the Prayer of asking God for rains. It has another similar shape; Istisha which is the prayer for sunny day and calm weather!
The common factor in these two prayers is the weather, asking God for good weather. If there is lack for water or there is a plenty of water and fears of floods.
I wrote an essay about this prayer in a Sudanese Arabic daily during the first Islamic Christian Dialogue in Sudan, sponsored by the Ministry of Guidance in Sudan, but I think I can make good summary for Earth Day 22 April 2010.
From: Fiqh-us-Sunnah, Volume 2 (The most famous Islamic book in Jurisprudence)
(It is also preferred, upon seeing the rain, to say: "O God, make it a beneficial rain" and he should – the Imam- uncover part of his body to the rain. On the other hand, if one fears that there is too much rain, one should say: "O God give us mercy and do not give us punishment, calamities, destruction or flooding. O God, make it (the rain) upon the woods, farms and trees. Make it around us and not upon us.")
I can call both Istisqa and Istisha prayers, The Environmental Prayer. Both of them have two ways of performance:
The first one, just like regular Muslim prayers with specific actions lined by Islamic Fiqh. In this case Non-Muslims can witness the prayer and share invocations it.
The second one is a free prayer, just invocations from the beginning to the end. In this performance all people (Muslims and Non-Muslims) in the city or the village can go out side the village or they can gather in an open area. It is preferably to bring children, their domestic animals, farm animals with them in cages or tied with ropes, this to show that all creatures are equal in there needs, all face the same destiny. Just as Nuer people in Sudan say: kondial labne gaat cukni “we are all little ants in the sight of God”
All people may pray to God wearing old clothes, in a humble and lowly manner, and an Imam will repeat narrated invocations about human needs like:
O God, give us saving rain which leads to something good and which is productive - a general heavy rain - now and not later.
Or he can read verses like:
Seek forgiveness of your Lord. He is Ever-Forgiving. He will let loose the sky for you in plenteous rain.’ and: ‘Ask forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him (in repentance): He will send you the skies pouring abundant rain.
In my column I ask the Minister of Guidance In Sudan to gather his guests in the Green Square in Khartoum and perform a prayer of invocation to protect the Earth from the evils of the Climate Change: floods and draught.
I wish I was there, in Copenhagen to perform these prayers with all nations, all religions!
There is a contribution and a share for religion in our lives, thoughts, communities, and even politics! It is not bad at all to make positive role for religion. In the issues of environment and climate change and global warming, we need to minimize the gap of misunderstanding between North and South, the poor and the rich, therefore we have to use the maximum of our human energies. No doubt, religion is one of our greatest sources of human energy.