Take, for example, how we eat: Industrial farming methods, which became the norm (particularly in the United States) by the latter half of the 20^th century, contribute to over 35% of global greenhouse gases. These farming practices, which encourage efficiency and volume over resilience, have degraded soils and reduced biodiversity, making already fragile farm ecosystems even more susceptible to the effects of climate change. 

Nasr’s solution to such modern problems was to reestablish a “spiritual sense of nature,” seeking to see the divine in the natural world. In viewing nature from a symbolic perspective we can more clearly understand our place in the cosmos: “Because of the intimate connection between man and nature,” he wrote, “the inner state of man is reflected in the external order (96).” For example, Surah Fussilat uses the imagery of barren land as a reminder to man that just as Allah (swt) brings new life to fields that go fallow in the winter or during times of drought, we too will be brought back from the dead for judgement:

وَمِنْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦٓ أَنَّكَ تَرَى ٱلْأَرْضَ خَـٰشِعَةًۭ فَإِذَآ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْهَا ٱلْمَآءَ ٱهْتَزَّتْ وَرَبَتْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَحْيَاهَا لَمُحْىِ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰٓ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌ ٣٩
And among His signs is that you see the earth devoid of life, but as soon as We send down rain upon it, it begins to stir ˹to life˺ and swell. Indeed, the One Who revives it can easily revive the dead. He is certainly Most Capable of everything.
(Fussilat, 39)

Ramadan, a time when we are focused on reflection and revelation, is an excellent opportunity to consider the spiritual nature of food. Throughout the Quran, we are instructed to contemplate the symbology of what we eat. This applies not only to our understanding of what is Halal, but also—and more to Nasr’s point—the symbols of the divine inherent in the foods we eat and their production:

Let people then consider their food: how We pour down rain in abundance and meticulously split the earth open ˹for sprouts˺, causing grain to grow in it, as well as grapes and greens, and olives and palm trees, and dense orchards, and fruit and fodder— all as ˹a means of˺ sustenance for you and your animals.
(Abasa, 24-32)

For those who work the land and tend to crops and livestock, living by the ebb and flow of the seasons, contemplating the spiritual aspects of food production is likely an easier task. But how can consumers establish a deeper understanding of the food we eat, if we are not the ones on the farm or in the garden ourselves? 

The best approach may be to not only think about what we eat, but when and where we are eating. Seasonal eating is the idea that one should strive to eat mainly what is local and in season. While “seasonal eating” is a recently popularized buzz term, the practice is as old as humanity itself. Prior to widespread and consistent food preservation methods like canning, freezing, and refrigeration that enabled food to be saved and shipped, most produce was eaten as close as possible to the time and place it was harvested. In this way, food directly connected eaters with changes in the natural world throughout the year, as seen in traditional Native and European American harvest songs or the centuries-old seasonal food rhymes (called Baromashi) of Bengal.

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Across much of our modern world, consumers and farmers alike have had to forgo local, seasonal food in exchange for speed, convenience, and corporate greed. While some places have built seasonality into their food culture, for many, eating seasonally requires a concerted effort. This could include looking for local produce displays at supermarkets, shopping at farmers markets, and subscribing to a community supported agriculture (CSA) program directly from a farm. Organizations like the Slow Food Movement offer resources to empower consumers to adapt their food choices, which can also be useful for planning environmentally and socially responsible iftars. 

Proponents of seasonal eating suggest that tracking down local food is worth the effort: In addition to connecting eaters with growers that understand the natural cycles of food production, trying to eat seasonally is beneficial to physical health and can combat climate change by reducing the emissions involved in food shipping (though how much it helps is debated).

In addition to thinking about the food we eat from a spiritual perspective, we must also remain aware of our duty to others: Systematic oppression often makes accessing healthy food at all – let alone purchasing in-season produce direct from a farm or farmers market – an especially difficult task for some. During Ramadan, we should be particularly mindful of supporting the most vulnerable among us. By working to make sure that good food is accessible to all, we are also fulfilling our Islamic obligation to seek justice. 

Nasr concludes Nature and Man with this parting wisdom: “He who is at peace with God is also at peace with His creation, both with nature and with man (136).” As we seek guidance and renewal this Ramadan, we should take a moment to contemplate the spiritual dimensions of our food consumption, how it connects us to the rhythms of nature, and how we can help others enjoy the same. 

The post Exploring the Spiritual Connection Between Food and Ramadan appeared first on Muslim Climate Watch.

Nabiha’s work resonates especially within South Asian and Middle Eastern communities, where cultural celebrations often carry a heavy environmental toll. With a BA in Sustainability Studies from Hofstra University, her expertise is well-rounded—not only shaped by academic training but also by a lifelong commitment to promoting eco-conscious practices in spaces that often lack them.

Her parents, both business owners, provided her with early insight into the entrepreneurial mindset. Her interest in environmentalism also began early when her 8th grade science teacher would show her class nature documentaries. These interests surprisingly worked together when she was thinking of a business venture she could throw herself into. Her endeavors, though varied, all tie back into design and the arts— she did her thesis on the fashion industry, and had a stint as a social media marketing manager at a sustainable fashion company. Besides the outright positive effort from a select few companies, she noticed just how wasteful the fashion industry was as a whole. This same observation applied to the events planning industry.

“It started clicking in my head,” Nabiha says. “I’m South Asian and I noticed people from the east— like South Asians, Middle Easterners and East Asians— their parties are really wasteful… and materialistic. I was like, how do I go about this?” In going about the culmination of her small business, she knew this would be a stumbling block. Educating minorities within the Muslim community on the subject would be one her priorities, as well as addressing her own standards for her business:

Nabiha, who is Bangladeshi and based in New York, would go about this in a varied way. While a lot of event planners will travel for a fee, she rebuffs taking a flight for an event or clients. “I know it might hurt me financially, but… I don’t want to have a high carbon footprint. I also want to give business to other small businesses within that region. So I’ll just direct them to (those).” By referring people far away from her home base of Long Island, she ethically helps other sustainably-minded people.

Supporting other local businesses is the crux of her business standards. “I try not to work with vendors that get flowers shipped all the way from, for example, South America, because they’re grown with pesticides.” Shipping the flowers themselves increases the operational carbon footprint, and the events industry is already responsible for over 10% of global CO2 emissions. Day flowers grown in Colombia and flown to the U.S., for example, produced some 360,000 metric tons of CO2 in a recent estimate. “I try to educate people,” Nabiha says. “(If) you’re getting married, or you have a birthday party, graduation, wedding, whatever it is… focus on more local and seasonal items. That’s gonna cost you so much less, and you’re not gonna get exactly what you want, but it’s gonna be really close, and it’s very possible.”

Despite numerous attempts by others to influence her stance, she remains resolute in upholding her self-imposed principles. Her business is driven by a deep commitment to ethical Islamic values and moral integrity, which serve as the core foundation of her motivations and decisions.“I was doing a lot of research (on Islam) when it comes to sustainability,” she says. “I learned so many things about our religion. That was so shocking to me, in a good way.”

“I was relearning Islam…” she says, referencing her journey to making her business into an LLC. “…and reliving life in a new way, Islamically. I was also trying to find ways to be a better person, trying to help educate others to be more mindful when it comes to lifestyle and sustainability.” Avoiding extravagance as a whole is a crucial aspect of being Muslim, but is oftentimes only remembered outside of special events.

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The best marriage is one that is easiest.”
Reported by ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amir, Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān 4163

An ‘easy’ marriage doesn’t just mean that the bride and groom get along— it applies to all facets of the process, including a dowry. This, and other evidence from our faith, culminate to a singular ethos in terms of how all Muslims should approach the idea of modesty and asceticism within weddings and events.

Nabiha is not hypocritical when it comes to planning her own personal events. Her own wedding’s guest count was just under 30 people total, spurred by COVID-19 restrictions. The pandemic as a whole reduced the average wedding carbon footprint by 93% due to smaller weddings and travel restrictions. “It was the most beautiful experience that I’ve had such a small wedding, especially as a South Asian,” she says. “And I realized how possible it is to have such an intimate wedding.” Years later, after the pandemic, she was able to host a larger event, but still stayed true to her ethical beliefs by doing more research on sustainability, material sourcing and local vendor selection. This would prove that it was—and is—possible to have a larger event with a low carbon footprint.

Getting the message across to people close to her was done by example. Hosting large-scale gatherings, purchasing numerous outfits over consecutive days, and investing heavily in decor were practices that ultimately felt burdensome and unsustainable to her. “But it was really important for me… to maybe inspire the aunts and uncles that you don’t have to drop all that money, and maybe listen to your kids. Listen to what they want. Because it’s really important for them too.”

Read More: A Climate Professional’s Insight on Islam & Climate

Although she works to sway the preconceived notion towards an over-consumption mindset in the older generation, her clientele of younger people also gives pause towards some sustainable habits. “What I start off with is I tell people how much money they can save,” she presses. “It’s actually really good for not only you, but the environment.”

Despite the lucrative cost-saving potential, some people are willing to throw away this factor for their dream wedding— at the cost of the environment. The average wedding event produces 400 tons of waste per event. Nabiha laments on old clients who would insist on out-of-season flowers, plastic bottles and other tiny details that go against her own business practices. In some countries, a single wedding can produce more than 40 pounds of plastic waste. Some of the biggest contributors to trash after weddings are food, single-use decorations and stationery that is often discarded after the party is over. “So with things like that, I just pitch it in baby steps. Then I start to educate them when they ask for it or they seem really interested,” she notes. “That’s the only way to go about it, because sustainability is still so new.”

Nabiha reaches a lot of clients via her instagram, @thenomadsocial. “Being a nomad is pretty much finding home anywhere you go, right? I feel like it ties in well because the Earth is your home anywhere you are. We’re supposed to be taking care of it as our home— the whole (planet,)” she says.

Through trial and error, Nabiha Rahaman-Çam has managed to fit into this particular web of her own passions as a minority and a Muslim in the over-saturated events-planning industry. While she continues to educate people on the world of sustainability, she’s also able to act ethically within her passions for photography, design, fashion and the events space, while hoping more Muslims pick up more positions in these fields. 

Nabiha Rahaman-Çam can be found at her handles below:

Business Instagram: @thenomadsocial
Personal art & sustainability Instagram: @nabsthenomad

This article included edits to clarify Rahaman-Çam’s principles as it pertains to flower usage, as well as an anecdote on the wedding events mentioned.

The post How One Muslim Event Planner Transforms Celebrations with Sustainability appeared first on Muslim Climate Watch.