The Earth is an Amanah: Live Like It Matters

Breaking the Culture of Excess

Yesterday we discussed that we are khalifah – stewards of the earth. Today we get practical. We open our fridges, our shopping bags, and our bin lids. Because the place where most environmental harm starts is not in factories or oil rigs – it starts right in our own homes.

Let me ask you a direct question. When was the last time you threw away food? Not scraps – but perfectly good bread, rice, vegetables, or leftovers that sat too long in the fridge? When was the last time you bought something you didn’t need, simply because it was on sale? When was the last time you filled a plate more than you could eat?

If you’re like most of us, the answer is: recently. Possibly today. And that, dear listeners, is not a small matter. It is a spiritual crisis.

Allah ﷻ gives us a command so clear, so direct, that there is no room for interpretation. He says in Surah Al-A’raf:

يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ خُذُوا۟ زِينَتَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ وَكُلُوا۟ وَٱشْرَبُوا۟ وَلَا تُسْرِفُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُسْرِفِينَ

“O children of Adam! Take your adornment at every masjid, and eat and drink, but do not waste. Indeed, He does not like the wasteful.” (Surah Al-A’raf, 7: 31)

Pause here. Allah does not say He dislikes waste. He says He does not love the wasteful. And in the Qur’an, when Allah says He does not love a certain type of person – the arrogant, the treacherous, the wasteful – it is a severe warning.

But we live in a culture of excess, don’t we? We are surrounded by ifraat – going beyond the limit. Supermarkets pile food high. Restaurants serve portions that could feed three people. Advertisements tell us we need more, bigger, newer, better. Sales convince us to buy what we never intended to buy. And before we know it, we have normalised excess.

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ lived the opposite way. His life was a masterclass in simplicity. Aisha radhiAllahu anha said: “The family of Muhammad never ate their fill of wheat bread for three consecutive days from the time he came to Madinah until he passed away.” (Bukhari). Not because they were poor – but because they chose simplicity. They ate what they needed, not what they wanted.

Compare that to our homes today. We fill our trolleys without thinking. We cook enough for an army when we are only a few people. We leave lights on in empty rooms. We run our air conditioners with windows open. And then we wonder why the earth is groaning under our weight.

Let me focus on one area specifically, dear listeners: food waste.

Globally, one third of all food produced is thrown away. One third. Imagine a plate of biryani. Now imagine throwing one third of it directly into the bin. That is what we do as a human family – every single day. And here is the most painful part: The food we waste could feed every hungry person on earth nearly twice over.

The Prophet ﷺ taught us specific manners of eating that directly fight waste. He said: “The son of Adam does not fill a vessel worse than his stomach. A few bites are enough to keep his back straight. But if he must eat more, then one third for food, one third for drink, and one third for air.” (Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah).

One third for food. Not half. Not a mountain. Just enough.

He ﷺ also never criticised food. If he liked it, he ate it. If he didn’t, he simply left it – without complaint or waste. And he taught us to lick our plates clean – not out of desperation, but out of gratitude and the understanding that every crumb is a blessing from Allah.

So what can we do, starting today?

Number one: Plan your meals before you shop. Buy what you need, not what catches your eye.

Number two: Serve smaller portions. People can always take more. They cannot return half-eaten food to the pot.

Number three: Save leftovers intentionally. One of the great forgotten Sunnahs is respecting yesterday’s food.

Number four: Compost what you cannot eat. Even peels and scraps can return to the earth as goodness rather than landfill gas.

Number five: Before you throw anything away, ask yourself: Did I need this in the first place? Could I have bought less? Could I have finished it?

Dear listeners, the culture of excess is not neutral. It is a direct contradiction of the Qur’anic command. Allah gave us permission to eat and drink – enjoy His blessings, yes. But He drew a clear line. Do not waste. Not “try not to waste.” Not “waste a little.” Do not waste.

Today, make a small promise to Allah. One meal. One portion. One less thing in the bin. Because every grain of rice we save is a thank you to the One who provided it. And every plate we empty is a step back toward the balance – the mizan – that Allah loves.