The example of our Prophet
The hadith collections, in which events from the life of our Prophet are recorded and which serve as practical case studies and teaching examples, contain many examples and statements that can be placed in an environmental and sustainability context. For example, reference is made to the modest lifestyle of our prophet: He is said to have owned not much more in the way of clothing than what he wore on his body and to have been very moderate in his eating habits.
There is a recorded conversation between our Prophet and his companions in which he advises them to use water sparingly, even if it appears to be available in abundance and the purpose of its use is a sacred one such as prayer. According to other traditions, our Prophet encouraged people to plant trees and treat animals with respect. According to one tradition, he praised a man who, after a long search in the desert, finally found a hard-to-reach source of water and went back to it to provide water for a dog dying of thirst. Another is about him reprimanding a woman who kept her cat locked up and did not provide it with food.
Conservation projects from the Prophet's life:
The Harīm system and the Himā system
Finally, the practical level of action as conveyed by the Shari'a (together with local customs and customary law) is a source of practical environmental protection concepts, some of which have already been successfully implemented in recent years.
Among the best known are the Harīm and Himā systems, which form the basis for nature and species conservation areas.
Himā areas, once widespread but displaced in the process of modernization (only on the Arabian Peninsula are there still remnants), refer to communal areas that are withdrawn from private access and serve the general public, i.e. the inhabitants of a village, the members of a clan through regulated access.14 Historically, there are meadows that were used by bees to collect pollen and were only allowed to be grazed at fixed times or areas that were kept as pasture reservoirs for dry periods. Forest areas were also declared himās. One of the best-known examples comes from the early days of Islam. The prophet and ruler of Medina, the first Islamic center, Muhammad, had established a Himā belt around Medina, i.e. a zone in which neither animals could be hunted nor trees cut. Himās already existed in pre-Islamic times, but are said to have only been given unrestricted legal status as common property during the time of the Prophet.
