Voice of British Muslim Women

Maria Anwar, Bradford South 

“Allah created the heavens and the earth with truth. In that surely is a Sign for the believers.”ⁱ  

God created our earth with the most perfect planning and if we ponder on this, we see the imprint of God wherever we turn. Today is World Earth Day 2026, so let us zoom in on one small but important part of the ecosystem: the bee.  

“And thy Lord has inspired the bee, saying, ‘Make thou houses in the hills and in the trees and in the trellises which they build. Then eat of every kind of  fruit and then pursue submissively the paths prescribed by your Lord.’ There comes forth from their bellies a drink of varying hues. Therein is cure for men. Surely, in that is a Sign for a people who reflect.”ⁱⁱ 

One third of the world’s food supply relies on bees, in other words, a hugely significant amount. Several factors contribute to the decline of bees around the world, such as climate change, colony collapse disorder, pesticides and habitat fragmentationⁱⁱⁱ.  

His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad (may Allah be his Helper), fifth Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, explained in a Friday Sermon, “Research on honey has provided many benefits to the world. These days, however, the honeybee is being afflicted by a certain disease-causing germ which is causing their wide-spread death and the researchers are concerned that if they cannot find a cure soon, honeybees may become extinct worldwide or in certain parts of the world in a matter of few years.”^iv  

The responsibility of protecting the earth and species like the bee, falls to humans. Reckless pursuit of money and power is leaving the planet fractured and wounded, with some scientists saying we are almost at a point of no return as far as global warming is concerned. Only through recognising our Creator can we begin to understand and appreciate how complex and amazing the earth’s various ecosystems are and how dependent we are on them. God has given sustenance equally to the believers and to those who do not believe; He has not discriminated. He is Ar-Rahmaan, the Most Gracious^v . We all have access to the sea and the forests; those restricting access are people – governments, big corporations. It is when we start respecting God and His creation, and as His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad (May Allah be his Helper) has said, implement “absolute justice” in all our dealings, that we can show real gratitude and can reap the benefit of equal access. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (May Allah be his Helper) has said that “since honey has been mentioned in the Holy Quran, which is a book for all times, it will never perish; however it may disappear from certain areas as form of punishment. Since the system of revelation is also linked to the honeybee, God will certainly make it a sign for those who believe in His Unity.”^vi  

So, what about you and me? We are not the people in power, nor do we have influence with any of the big corporations. In addition many say humans are enslaved to the big corporations, powerless against those with money. But as believers we should not subscribe to such pessimism and fear only God as He is the Sustainer and Provider, not people. And as God says in the Holy Quran, the bee is a Sign for a people who reflect. We should ponder on the creation of Allah and show gratitude to Him by doing our bit for the planet. 

We cannot all keep beehives in our gardens, but according to the British Beekeepers Association, you can “help the bees, all the bees, honey bees, bumblebees and solitary bees, by planting more flowers for them to feed on. It doesn’t matter if your garden is a balcony, allotment, window box, pots and tubs or a swathe of green open space; with a bit of thought pollinators can benefit from a banquet of pollen and nectar right throughout the year.”^vii  For every problem, there is a solution. All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds.^viii  

References:

ⁱ Surah Al- Ankabut, 29:45 
ⁱⁱ Surah An-Nahl, 16:69-70 
ⁱⁱⁱ https://www.earthday.org/factsheets/ 
^iv https://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/2008-12-19.html 
^v Surah Al- Fatiha, 1:3 
^vi https://www.alislam.org/friday-sermon/2008-12-19.html 
^vii https://www.bbka.org.uk/gardening-for-bees 
^viii Surah Al- Fatiha, 1: 2