Fruitful Living
Sanitation, Hygiene, and the Morality of Public Space: Reclaiming Ghana’s Civic Virtue through Faith and Policy (Part 2)
Classical scholars like Al-Qaradawi (1990) emphasized that tahārah extends beyond the body and home to include the collective environment. Polluting rivers or littering public spaces constitutes a moral transgression against Allah’s creation.
The Qur’an warns:
“Do not cause corruption on the earth after it has been set in order.” (Qur’an 7:56)
Environmental neglect is a form of fasād (corruption), and every citizen who litters or dumps waste unlawfully becomes a participant in social and spiritual corruption. When Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) prohibited urinating in stagnant water (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 236), he set a timeless precedent for environmental hygiene and ecological awareness.
Faith and sanitation are thus inseparable. Islam’s concept of ʿibādah (worship) encompasses every act done in obedience to Allah and for public benefit. Sweeping one’s compound, cleaning a drain, or preserving public water sources can be acts of worship if done with sincerity. The believer’s environment is a reflection of their inner purity, for as the Prophet said:
“Allah is beautiful and loves beauty.” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 91)
Clean surroundings, therefore, are an aesthetic expression of divine beauty and an essential pillar of social morality.
III. The Erosion of Shared Responsibility: The Moral Decay of the Commons
Public space in African societies once symbolized collective dignity. The village compound, the communal well, and the shared road reflected moral unity. Today, however, Ghana’s public spaces have become neglected, reflecting an erosion of shared moral responsibility.
This decline is rooted in what Garrett Hardin (1968) called the “Tragedy of the Commons”—when individuals act for personal convenience while imposing costs on the community.
A. Violation of Huqūq al-Jīrān (Rights of Neighbours) – Best Environmental Practices
Islam places extraordinary emphasis on the rights of neighbours. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“Gabriel kept advising me concerning the neighbour until I thought he would make him my heir.” (Sahih Bukhari, 6014)
When a person dumps refuse near a neighbour’s home or blocks drainage systems, they violate this sacred right. Such acts not only spread disease but represent injustice (zulm), which the Qur’an unequivocally forbids:
“And do not wrong one another.” (Qur’an 2:279)
By harming others through unhygienic practices, one sins against both humanity and Allah. Cleanliness thus becomes a moral expression of ihsān (excellence) toward neighbours and society.
B. The Deficit of Amanah (Trust and Stewardship)
The Qur’an teaches that stewardship of the earth is a divine trust:
“Indeed, we offered the trust (amanah) to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they declined to bear it… yet man undertook it.” (Qur’an 33:72)
To pollute air, soil, and water is to betray this amanah. As custodians of Allah’s creation, humans are accountable for how they treat the environment. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“The world is sweet and green, and verily Allah is going to install you as vicegerents in it to see how you act.” (Sahih Muslim, 2742)
Each overflowing gutter or choked waterway is thus evidence of collective betrayal of that sacred trust. As Ofori-Atta (2019) notes, environmental ethics in Africa are inherently communal and intergenerational—pollution today mortgages the moral and physical health of tomorrow’s generation.
By Imam Alhaji Saeed Abdulai, the Author
Saying no to sin becomes easier when love leads the way
Though each of us faces temptations periodically, saying no to sin should not always be a long internal debate. Saying no becomes easier when we remember that saying yes hurts someone whose love we cannot live without.
Love is a powerful motivator. When you deeply love someone, you do not want to disappoint them or break their trust. In the same way, when we truly understand God’s love for us, obedience becomes a response of love, not merely a religious duty.
Jesus did not die for us because we were perfect. He died for us while we were still sinners. His sacrifice at Calvary was the ultimate demonstration of personal, sacrificial, and unconditional love. Every drop of blood, every wound, and every moment of suffering was endured so that we could be forgiven, restored, and given eternal life.
When we keep the cross before our eyes, sin begins to lose its attractiveness. How can we casually embrace what nailed our Saviour to the cross? How can we take lightly what cost Him everything? This realisation does not produce fear—it produces devotion.
Living with eternal accountability
Romans 14:7–12 reminds us that we do not live to ourselves and we do not die to ourselves. Each of us belongs to God, and each of us will give an account of our lives before Him. This truth is not meant to terrify us, but to sober us.
Our choices matter. Our words matter. Our actions matter. Not because we are trying to earn salvation, but because our lives are meant to reflect the One who saved us. Christianity is not a casual commitment; it is a lifelong surrender.
Living with eternal accountability helps us make wiser decisions. It teaches us to think beyond the moment and consider eternity. It helps us resist temporary pleasures that can cause lasting damage to our spiritual lives and our witness.
Conclusion
No one is too wicked, too broken, too unlovable, or too far gone for Jesus to love. His grace reaches deeper than our failures, and His mercy is greater than our mistakes. The way to life is always open, and the invitation of grace still stands.
Walking in the way of life does not mean we will never stumble, but it does mean we will never walk alone. Christ walks with us, strengthens us, forgives us, and leads us forward. And as we keep our eyes on the cross, may our hearts remain anchored in the love that saved us and continues to transform us.
By Rev. Dr Joyce Aryee
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Responsibility extends beyond our homes to our environment and communities.
Allah says: “It is He who has made you successors upon the earth.” (Qur’an 6:165)
As khalīfah (stewards), we are entrusted to protect and preserve the earth. Unfortunately, activities like illegal mining (galamsey), poor sanitation, and deforestation have become threats to our land and water bodies.
Dr Julian Agyeman and Bob Evans (2004) in Just Sustainability argue that environmental justice is deeply tied to social equity we cannot claim moral uprightness while destroying the environment that sustains others.
Every responsible man must see the environment as an amānah (trust). Picking up litter, planting trees, conserving water, and speaking against galamsey are all acts of faith. As the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
“If a Muslim plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person, or an animal eats from it, it is regarded as a charitable gift.” (Bukhari, Hadith 2320)
True responsibility therefore includes ecological consciousness for to destroy the environmentis to destroy the future we claim to build.
5.1 Environmental stewardship under the 1992 Constitution of Ghana
The 1992 Constitution of Ghana establishes environmental stewardship not merely as a governmental obligation but as a moral and civic duty of all citizens. It integrates environmental protection into the nation’s vision for sustainable development, justice, and intergenerational equity. Three key articles Article 36 (9), Article 41(k), and Article 269 outline this framework of responsibility.
1. Article 36 (9): Directive principles of state policy
“The State shall take appropriate measures needed to protect and safeguard the national environment for posterity; and shall seek cooperation with other states and bodies for the purpose of protecting the wider international environment for mankind.”
This article establishes that environmental protection is both a national and global responsibility.
It commits Ghana to sustainable use of natural resources including land, forests, water, and minerals for the benefit of future generations.
In essence, it means that every Ghanaian must act with intergenerational consciousness, ensuring that today’s development does not destroy tomorrow’s heritage. This principle directly condemns harmful practices such as illegal mining (galamsey), deforestation, and pollution.
By Imam Alhaji Saeed Abdulai
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