Fruitful Living
Sanitation, hygiene, the morality ofpublic space: Reclaiming Ghana’s civicvirtue through faith, policy (Final Part)
A. The role of religious leaders and counsellors
Religious leaders wield immense influence in shaping public values. Every mosque, church, and shrine should integrate environmental stewardship into its doctrine. Islam views the earth as a masjid—a place of prostration (Sahih Bukhari, 335). Polluting it is akin to defiling a sacred space. Monthly khutbahs should focus on amanah and tahārah, connecting spiritual purity to environmental discipline.
As a counsellor, I affirm that behavioural reform requires both moral teaching and psychological reinforcement. When believers internalise that cleaning a drain is an act of ʿibādah (worship), they transform routine labour into sacred service. The Prophet (peace be upon him) taught: “Removing harmful things from the path is a branch of faith.” (Sahih Muslim, 35). This hadith perfectly captures the theology of civic virtue.
B. Individual and community pledge
Moral renewal begins with personal accountability. Every household must adopt responsible waste practices—segregating recyclables, composting, and cooperating with collection services. Citizens must also exercise al-amr bi-l-maʿrūf wan-nahy ʿani-l-munkar (enjoining good and forbidding evil) by correcting neighbours who litter or misuse public spaces, with gentleness and wisdom (Qur’an 16:125).
Communities should establish local sanitation committees under mosque and church leadership, creating faith-driven accountability structures. Supporting local enforcement, rather than resisting it, must be seen as a contribution to maslahah—the public interest that the Sharia seeks to protect.
This collective moral reawakening must integrate faith, governance, and citizenship into one moral project: cleanliness as worship, sanitation as patriotism.
C. Conclusion: Cleanliness, dignity, and the Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah
Ghana’s destiny as a great nation is inseparable from the cleanliness of its environment and the conscience of its citizens. The choked gutters, polluted rivers, and scattered waste are not only environmental failures but spiritual wounds upon our collective soul. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Allah is pure and accepts only what is pure.” (Sahih Muslim, 1015). A nation that aspires to divine favour must first reflect divine purity in its public spaces.
To achieve this, we must view sanitation through the lens of the Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah—the higher objectives of Islamic law—which aim to preserve life (ḥifẓ al-nafs), faith (ḥifẓ al-dīn), intellect (ḥifẓ al-ʿaql), wealth (ḥifẓ al-māl), and posterity (ḥifẓ al-nasl). Clean environments are essential for all five objectives:
• Preservation of Life (ḥifẓ al-nafs): Proper sanitation prevents disease and death. Protecting human health is a divine imperative. Allah says, “And do not throw yourselves with your own hands into destruction.” (Qur’an 2:195).
• Preservation of Faith (ḥifẓ al-dīn): Islam equates purity with faith. An unclean environment obstructs worship and spiritual growth, violating the believer’s covenant of cleanliness.
• Preservation of Intellect (ḥifẓ al-ʿaql): Healthy surroundings promote clarity of thought, while pollution and disease diminish cognitive vitality and learning.
• Preservation of Wealth (ḥifẓ al-māl): Waste management safeguards public funds, prevents costly health crises, and preserves natural resources.
• Preservation of Posterity (ḥifẓ al-nasl): Environmental care ensures a habitable planet for future generations, fulfilling our amanah to the unborn.
By aligning sanitation with these higher objectives, we transform a civic duty into a sacred mission. Achieving the Maqāṣid requires cooperation between policy and piety—laws enforced justly, education grounded in values, and citizens inspired by faith.
Let every believer remember that a clean street is a silent dhikr (remembrance of Allah), a purified drain is a fulfilled amanah, and a healthy neighbour is a protected trust. When our gutters run clear and our air smells fresh, it will signify not merely progress but piety—proof that Ghana has reclaimed its moral and civic virtue under the gaze of the Almighty Allah.
Thank you.
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Preparing for Ramadan through the month of Sha‘ban
THE month of Sha‘ban, which precedes Ramadan, serves as a spiritual training ground. The Prophet (s.a.w.) devoted significant attention to this month, fasting frequently and encouraging heightened acts of worship. ‘Aishah (r.a.) narrated:
“I did not see the Messenger of Allah complete fasting in any month except Ramadan, and I did not see him fast more in any month than in Sha‘ban.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)
During Sha‘ban, Muslims are encouraged to:
• Observe optional fasts,
• Increase Qur’anic recitation,
• Engage in charitable deeds (ṣadaqah),
• Strengthen community bonds and service.
These acts gradually condition both the body and soul for the rigours and blessings of Ramadan.
Scholarly guidance and community sensitisation
Across Muslim communities, scholars and religious leaders organise lectures, workshops, sermons, and media engagements to educate the Ummah about Ramadan. These initiatives address:
• The jurisprudence (fiqh) of fasting,
• The obligation to make up missed fasts from previous years,
• The ethical conduct expected during Ramadan,
• The spiritual, social, and health benefits of fasting.
Modern studies have also affirmed that fasting, when properly observed, contributes to improved self-discipline, metabolic balance, and emotional regulation—findings that align with Islamic teachings on moderation and self-control.
The role of parents and families in Ramadan preparation
Preparation begins at home. Parents play a vital role in nurturing a Ramadan-conscious environment by:
• Encouraging children and young adults to try voluntary fasts,
• Training family members to wake up for Tahajjud (night prayers),
• Establishing regular family supplications and Qur’an reading sessions.
Such practices help instill lifelong spiritual habits and strengthen family unity through shared worship.
By Imam Alhaji Saeed Abdulai
JESUS, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. – Luke 4:1-2a
Introduction
Lent is a period when the Holy Spirit strengthens us to face the day to day testing and temptations. Just like Jesus overcame the temptations of the devil, we also have power and will to overcome any temptation that comes our way. I invite you to give your whole heart to Jesus Christ and enjoy the power to overcome the devil’s schemes.
Tempted by the devil
One aspect of Jesus’ temptation resolved around what kind of Messiah, or Saviour, He would be and how He would use His anointing (His authority and empowerment) from God. (Many Jews would reject Him because He did not fulfill their expectations of a political “Saviour” who would step forward with military might and free them from Roman rule.)
• Satan tempted Jesus to use His power to serve His own self-interest to gain glory and power over the nations instead of accepting the humility and suffering that was ahead for Him. This was an opportunity for Him to satisfy the people’s expectation for a charismatic Messiah.
• Satan still tempts Christian leaders to use their spiritual authority, position and ability for their own self-interest, to establish their own reputation and power and to please people rather than God. Those who selfishly compromise with Satan have actually surrendered to His control.
• Jesus turned away every one of Satan’s temptations by properly referring to God’s Word (“It is written”). If this was the effective strategy for Jesus, we certainly must know and rely on His Word as revealed to us in the Bible.
LUKE 4:4 – MAN DOES NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE.
• Satan tempts Jesus’ “flesh”, or physical desires, of which hunger is perhaps the strongest – particularly after such an extended time without food. While it may have seemed reasonable to perform a miracle to eat, Jesus would not be tempted to use His power for selfish reasons. Jesus meets and resists Satan’s temptation by declaring that He will live by God’s Word above all else.
Jesus is saying that everything truly important in life depends on God and His plans and purposes. To strive for success, happiness or material things apart from God’s way and purpose will lead to disappointment and end in failure.
Jesus emphasized this truth when He taught that we must seek God’s kingdom (God’s authority, activity, purposes and power in our lives) above anything and everything else. If we do, God promises to take care of all our needs and give us all other necessary things just the way He intends.
By Rev. Dr Joyce Aryee
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