Action-Alerts

MuslimMatters Joins CAIR in Urging Muslims to Pray for End to US Gulf Oil Spill

Published

June 11, 2010

Abu Reem

We have all seen the heart-breaking images of the effects of the oil-spill on nature and livelihood.

As true friends of earth, and vindicating Prince Charles’s words that “man’s destruction of the world was contrary to the scriptures of all religions – but particularly those of Islam”, let’s pray for an end to the spill. Today is Jumuah, the holy day for all Muslims. Use your khutbas, and your dua’s, in congregation and in your prostrations, to pray for an end to the leak, and for the health and safety of all those effected by it (from plants to animals to humans).

CAIR: U.S. Muslims to Pray for End to Gulf Oil Spill

Americans of all faiths asked to join nationwide spiritual effort

Keep supporting MuslimMatters for the sake of Allah

Alhamdulillah, we're at over 850 supporters. Help us get to 900 supporters this month. All it takes is a small gift from a reader like you to keep us going, for just $2 / month.

The Prophet (SAW) has taught us the best of deeds are those that done consistently, even if they are small. Click here to support MuslimMatters with a monthly donation of $2 per month. Set it and collect blessings from Allah (swt) for the khayr you're supporting without thinking about it.

WASHINGTON, June 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — A prominent national Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization today called on mosques and other houses of worship across the nation to offer prayers for an end to the Gulf oil spill and the environmental disaster it is causing.

The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is urging prayer leaders (imams) in the nation’s more than 2,000 mosques to use sermons at congregational prayers this Friday to offer special supplications for a speedy end to the oil spill crisis.

Mosque officials are also being asked to encourage community members to volunteer to assist in Gulf Coast relief efforts as part of CAIR’s ongoing “Muslims Care” volunteerism initiative.

SEE: Muslims Care

http://www.muslims-care.org/

CAIR is requesting that religious leaders of other faiths offer similar prayers and supplications based on their own traditions.

“Engineers, officials and residents of the Gulf Coast are doing their best to mitigate this environmental disaster and people of faith must also do what they can to seek divine intervention when human efforts fall short,” said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. “Along with the prayers, we ask American Muslims to volunteer their time and talents to assist in the massive clean up effort.”

He cited the Quran, Islam’s revealed text, which states: “O you who have attained to faith! Seek aid in steadfast patience and prayer: for, behold, God is with those who are patient in adversity.” (2:153)

Awad said CAIR chapters around the nation will encourage interfaith partners to join the spiritual effort along with local mosques.

“This nationwide spiritual effort could have the added benefit of strengthening bonds between Americans of all faiths,” said Awad.

SEE: Calif. Muslim, Jewish Leaders Discuss Shared Values

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20100607/pl_usnw/DC16923_1

CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

Become a Fan of CAIR on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/CAIR/42590232694

Subscribe to CAIR’s E-Mail List

http://tinyurl.com/cairsubscribe

CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787, 202-341-4171, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com

SOURCE Council on American-Islamic Relations

0 Shares

Keep supporting MuslimMatters for the sake of Allah

Alhamdulillah, we're at over 850 supporters. Help us get to 900 supporters this month. All it takes is a small gift from a reader like you to keep us going, for just $2 / month.

Up Next

A Tremendous Opportunity for Ajr: A Call for Donations for Shaykh Ibrahim Dremali

Don't Miss

The True Friends of the Earth

Abu Reem

Abu Reem is one of the founders of MuslimMatters, Inc. His identity is shaped by his religion (Islam), place of birth (Pakistan), and nationality (American). By education, he is a ChemE, topped off with an MBA from Wharton. He has been involved with Texas Dawah, Clear Lake Islamic Center and MSA. His interests include politics, cricket, and media interactions. Career-wise, Abu Reem is in management in the oil & gas industry (but one who still appreciates the "green revolution").

22 Comments

another white brother

June 11, 2010 at 10:06 AM

How about praying for the people in Afghanistan? Iraq? Palestine? Chechnya/Degestan? Somalia? The list goes on…

Reply
- Ikhlas
  
  June 11, 2010 at 10:53 AM
  
  One thing we can not be stingy about is Duaa so we can include them all inshaAllah.
  
  Reply
- Amad
  
  June 11, 2010 at 11:16 AM
  
  How about praying for the people in Afghanistan? Iraq? Palestine? Chechnya/Degestan? Somalia? The list goes onâ€¦
  
  How about it? Are you working against some dua quota?
  
  Reply
- Sayf
  
  June 11, 2010 at 12:11 PM
  
  I thought we already knew that was on the list.
  
  Reply
- Hassan
  
  June 11, 2010 at 12:52 PM
  
  Perhaps each individual is doing so, but I think people are not getting a straight forward point. which is
  
  A prominent national Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization today called on mosques and other houses of worship across the nation to offer prayers for an end to the Gulf oil spill and the environmental disaster it is causing
  
  He is perhaps thinking why CAIR has not called mosques etc to pray for the list he mentioned?
  
  Reply
  - unknown
    
    June 11, 2010 at 5:56 PM
    
    That is what I also think.
    
    Reply
  - Amad
    
    June 11, 2010 at 6:52 PM
    
    Who cares? You know how bad this sounds?
    
    Each cause is separate. And if you have an issue with CAIR not doing something on another concern, contact them. Don’t conflate everything.
    
    Reply
elham

June 11, 2010 at 12:34 PM

First time I’d heard and seen this destruction of Allah’s creation on the news,I felt sorry for those helpless creatures that have to suffer because of man’s greed.

People’s livelihoods can be brought back to life, after this,but that would be near impossible for the dying marine life.

Seriously when will this fasad, whether its air,land or water on earth end? If we cannot respect our environment, how can we respect each other.

May Allah(swt) make us realise the importance of taking care of what he has given us for an appointed term, after which everything will return to Him.Ameen

Reply
FormerSufi

June 11, 2010 at 5:36 PM

While making dua for the end of all harmful, destructive things going around the world is good, the CAIR call seems so manufactured and PR oriented. Was there a national call from Christian groups to have pastors pray for a resolution to the oil spill? The Muslim community shouldn’t feel or look like we are actors on a stage, playing to an audience, trying oh so hard to get good reviews. We are what we are. If there are Muslim oil industry engineers who can help out, they should. If you can help in anyway, you should. But to make these public calls, issue press releases, invite the press when masajid have “prayers for the oil spill” … it doesn’t feel genuine. And on the other hand, CAIR doesn’t ask us to hold candle light vigils for a three-generation deep family burned alive by “errant” strikes from US “smart bombs”, but we are supposed to come out for candle light vigils when US soldiers get killed. etc. PR is one thing, dawa is one thing … but I think these types of “pray for the oil spill” calls are signs that our “leaders” are losing focus.

Reply
- Sayf
  
  June 11, 2010 at 6:03 PM
  
  but we are supposed to come out for candle light vigils when US soldiers get killed
  
  Did CAIR actually call for that?
  
  Reply
sabirah

June 11, 2010 at 5:59 PM

salam
this is an awful thing and a lot of creatures suffering. How can we even think about bickering? Make dua please!
I have come across sisters here on the other side of the planet who shrugged it off and said “ugh it’s always america, whatever bad happens there is good. I don’t worry and don’t watch the news.”

Reply
- Amad
  
  June 11, 2010 at 6:50 PM
  
  Agree. It’s the same sickness that the Islamophobes have when they see Muslim suffering, “It’s just Muslims, they brought it upon themselves”.
  
  We aren’t even talking about wars or controversial issues here. It’s an OIL SPILL that is hurting marine life and the livelihood of average people! Sometimes we bicker for the sake of bickering.
  
  Reply
Amad

June 11, 2010 at 6:48 PM

For God’s sake, these are animals and wildlife that are in the first line of the spill’s effects. What fault did these creatures have?

Is it so difficult for us to keep issues separate and at least not be negative in something that is generally good?

Who cares if CAIR didn’t do this or that, or its a PR thing or whatever. Muslims need to show that they care about OTHER issues of national interest beyond those foreign policy and national security. And the only way to show that is to voice it… there is NOTHING wrong with making positive calls to counter the tons of negativity out there.

If you don’t want to make dua’ for this cause, don’t. But please spare us your tortured justifications.

This is really a shame and I can only wonder what a non-Muslim might think when he sees this kind of attitude towards a “neutral” issue that is causing so much suffering. Honestly, our own people provide sufficient excuses for the islamophobes sometimes!

P.S. No more wrangling or bickering. if you can’t say a good word, then stay silent otherwise we’ll have to. We don’t want to help contribute towards more distrust of Muslim attitudes.

Reply
- Ify Okoye
  
  June 12, 2010 at 12:48 AM
  
  Is it so difficult for us to keep issues separate and at least not be negative in something that is generally good?
  
  Apparently, the answer is yes it is rather difficult as with the Pray In issue, even if people support it they can’t help but oppose it due to side issue distractions :) I’m a big fan of wildlife, human and animal alike, may Allah azza wa jal have mercy on us and allow us to be merciful to each other, and help protect the environment from our destructive hands be it oil spills, nuclear waste, carbon emissions, war, ego, arrogance or anything else.
  
  Reply
  - sabirah
    
    June 12, 2010 at 3:43 AM
    
    ameen
    
    Reply
  - BintKhalil
    
    June 13, 2010 at 8:41 PM
    
    Assalamu alaikum
    
    Iâ€™m a big fan of wildlife, human and animal alike
    
    What do you consider human wildlife ? :)
    
    Reply
sister

June 13, 2010 at 8:13 AM

Why people are making this simple post complicated? Muslims need to quit arguing about every little things and unite together in prayer. If the topic is now about Oil spill and praying for those creatures of Allah who are not able to protect themselves from man made disaster leave it to just that and pray. Keep your conflicting thoughts to yourselves and don’t publicize in a thread where a beautiful action such as dua is asked….decorate your dua however way you must and add whoever you want….

ma salaama

Reply
Ibn Al-rawandi

June 13, 2010 at 11:35 PM

Prayers are ineffectual. If prayers work, then we would see severed limps growing back. CAIR’s call for prayers is by far the most affected and useless gimmick of all.

Reply
Amatul Wadood

June 14, 2010 at 12:50 AM

In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
Peace and blessings be on our beloved Prophet, his family, his companions and all the righteous believers.

Salam wart wabrt

@ ibn al rawandi : i will not agree to ur statement “prayers are ineffectual” ….it will be ineffectual if we pray half heartedly…. or maybe we wont get the answer because of something that is known to Him and is hidden to us…
And there is something called “Sunnat Allah” the laws or ways that AllahSWT does things, they are fixed ie, sun rises from east and sets in the west …. Moreover, u cant pray for day of judgement not to happen or pray for Prophet SAW to return back to dunya.. but yes we do find exceptional cases in some of the laws that takes place…

Ofcourse we shud do more than just pray…..but NEVER EVER underestimate the power of prayer…. the more we trust in Allah SWT the chances of getting our prayers answered are higher!

may Allah SWT forgive us all and provide a solution for the oil spill and rescue the poor little creatures.ameen!

Reply
huda saleem

June 14, 2010 at 2:46 PM

Dua is good when made in sincerity so here is my Dua:

May Allah guide BP to realise the error of its ways and in future to put environment before its huge profit otherwise let every person directly responsible for this environmental catastrophe carry the burden of the oil spill disaster.

Reply
Yakubu usman

June 15, 2010 at 5:02 AM

Quetion to the christianity. what is the religion of prophet Ibrahim (Abraham)?

Reply
Pingback: Gulf Oil Spill: It’s Time to Stop the Blame-Game, and Start Fixing the Problem! | MuslimMatters.org