By Dr. Samsul Hidayat, MA
(Dean, Faculty of Islamic Economics and Business, IAIN Pontianak)
From January to March this year, I have been participating in a series of international conferences and workshops under the Preparing Religious Environmental Plans (PREP) program, initiated by the Loka Initiative in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin–Madison, United States. The forum brings together scholars, environmental activists, and interfaith community leaders from around the world.
For me, these gatherings are not merely academic discussions. They are spaces of reflection. A range of global concerns has been examined—energy justice, water crises, waste management, food security, and the role of houses of worship in cultivating cultures of sustainability. Among these themes, one idea feels especially relevant to the everyday realities of Muslim communities in Indonesia: Green Ramadan.
This concept reframes Ramadan not only as a month of intensified personal devotion, but also as a critical opportunity to nurture collective ecological ethics. In my view, this shift in meaning has become increasingly urgent.
Ramadan and the Paradox of Consumption
Ramadan is widely understood as a month of self-restraint. Muslims abstain from food, drink, and excessive desires from dawn until sunset. Ideally, fasting shapes individuals who live more simply and mindfully.
Yet in social practice, I often witness a different phenomenon. Ramadan frequently becomes a season of heightened consumption. Takjil markets flourish. Communal iftar gatherings are held almost nightly. Around mosques and public spaces, piles of plastic bottles, disposable cups, plastic bags, and leftover food have become familiar sights.
This paradox deserves honest reflection. On one hand, Ramadan teaches simplicity and empathy for those who struggle. On the other, prevailing social practices sometimes reveal patterns of excess.
It is here that Green Ramadan finds its relevance. It is not merely a seasonal environmental campaign, but an effort to reinterpret the meaning of fasting in the context of the global ecological crisis.
From Individual Piety to Ecological Piety
In Islamic tradition, the ultimate aim of fasting is the cultivation of taqwa—a deep awareness of God in every dimension of life. If this awareness is truly internalized, then humanity’s relationship with the Earth must become an integral part of religious practice.
The Qur’an repeatedly warns against israf (excess) (Qur’an 7:31) and against causing fasad (corruption or destruction) on Earth (Qur’an 2:60). These teachings are not symbolic abstractions. They speak directly to how humans produce, consume, and dispose of resources.
Green Ramadan invites us to broaden our understanding of piety. Devotion does not end with personal rituals; it extends into social and ecological responsibility.
Reducing waste is worship.
Conserving water is worship.
Avoiding excess is worship.
These simple affirmations deserve to be echoed in our religious spaces.
Takjil and a New Ethics of Consumption
Takjil—the light snacks or drinks consumed to break the fast—are a cherished part of Ramadan culture in Indonesia. They symbolize hospitality, togetherness, and generosity.
At the same time, the takjil ecosystem has become one of the largest contributors to plastic waste during Ramadan. Every afternoon, thousands of single-use packages are discarded after only minutes of use.
Discussions within the PREP program emphasize beginning with small, realistic steps. For instance, working with three to five takjil vendors or mosques as pilot projects during the first two weeks of Ramadan.
Success indicators can remain straightforward:
How much plastic use is reduced?
How many bottles are avoided?
How does the community respond?
This data-based approach is crucial. It demonstrates that change is not merely moral rhetoric, but something measurable and achievable.
Mosques as Centers of Transformation
Mosques occupy a strategic position in shaping collective culture. They are not only places of prayer, but also hubs of education and social interaction.
Within a Green Ramadan framework, mosques can serve as living laboratories of sustainability. The steps need not be complex:
Provide separated waste bins.
Install water refill stations.
Encourage worshippers to bring reusable bottles.
Compost leftover food.
In conversations I have had with mosque administrators in Pontianak, many express agreement with these ideas. The challenge is rarely outright rejection. Rather, it lies in long-standing habits that have become normalized. For this reason, transformation must proceed gradually.
Faith-Based Education
The most important dimension of Green Ramadan is not technology, but narrative. Behavioral change lasts when it is rooted in meaning.
Sermons, religious study circles, and educational programs can integrate messages about stewardship of the Earth as a divine trust.
Reducing waste as an expression of gratitude.
Saving water as part of the ethics of ablution.
Avoiding excess as obedience to the Qur’anic prohibition of israf.
Through this approach, environmental concern no longer appears external to religion. It becomes an intrinsic expression of Islamic spirituality.
Challenges of Implementation
Implementing Green Ramadan in Indonesia presents real challenges. Recycling infrastructure remains limited. Eco-friendly packaging is often perceived as more expensive. Changing habits takes time.
Yet many communities have shown that cultural transformation is possible when pursued consistently and collectively.
Indonesia possesses strong social capital. Its mosque network is vast. Traditions of mutual assistance remain vibrant. These are powerful assets.
Toward a New Ramadan Tradition
Ultimately, Green Ramadan invites us to imagine a different future for Ramadan.
Iftar gatherings without mountains of plastic.
Mosques as hubs of environmental education.
Children growing up with the awareness that caring for the Earth is part of worship.
Such transformation does not occur overnight. It requires commitment, example, and the courage to begin.
Ramadan has always been described as a month of change. The question is simple: what kind of change do we wish to pass on?
Green Ramadan offers a clear direction—integrating spiritual devotion with ecological ethics. In doing so, fasting discovers its deepest meaning: shaping human beings who are devoted to God while remaining just toward the Earth and future generations.
God knows best.
