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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Environment & Climate

Environmental Efforts Like Sparrows' Efforts: Buya Anwar Abbas's Message

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

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  • Buya Anwar Abbas, Chairman of Muhammadiyah's Central Leadership, urged the public not to underestimate environmental conservation efforts, regardless of their perceived scale.
  • He likened environmental preservation initiatives to the story of the sparrow carrying water to extinguish the fire of Prophet Ibrahim, emphasizing moral and spiritual significance.
  • Abbas stated that caring for the environment is a religious responsibility and an investment in future generations, delivered at a training event in Bandar Lampung.

Buya Anwar Abbas, Chairman of Muhammadiyah's Central Leadership, has called on the public to recognize the importance of every effort made towards environmental conservation, no matter how small it may seem. He stressed that caring for the Earth's sustainability is not only a religious duty but also a crucial investment for the future of upcoming generations.

Abbas delivered this message during the closing of a training session for environmental cadres and a socialization event on environmentally friendly Hajj practices. The event, organized by the Environmental Council of Muhammadiyah's Central Leadership in collaboration with the Muhammadiyah Regional Leadership of Lampung and the Hajj Financial Management Agency (BPKH), took place in Bandar Lampung on Sunday, July 5, 2026.

During his address, Anwar Abbas drew a parallel between Muhammadiyah's environmental preservation movements and the story of the sparrow in the event of Prophet Ibrahim's (Abraham's) near-burning by King Namrud. He acknowledged that the efforts of the Environmental Council might be perceived as minor or even insignificant by some. However, he asserted that these actions are undertaken out of a deep concern for the future of their descendants and the planet itself.

What the Environmental Council of Muhammadiyah does may be considered small, and perhaps some even consider it useless. But we do this because we care about the future of our children and grandchildren and we care about the future of this earth.

— Buya Anwar AbbasExplaining the significance of environmental efforts at a training event.

He recounted the tale of a sparrow flying with a single drop of water to help extinguish the massive fire intended for Prophet Ibrahim. Other animals reportedly mocked the sparrow, deeming its effort futile against the inferno. Despite this, the sparrow persisted, driven by its desire to aid Prophet Ibrahim and earn divine favor. Abbas explained that the sparrow understood its limited capacity but wished to demonstrate its allegiance to truth and seek merit from Allah SWT.

Anwar Abbas concluded that this philosophy holds significant relevance for contemporary environmental conservation efforts. He emphasized that even if the immediate impact is not substantial, every good deed carries profound moral and spiritual weight, underscoring the value of consistent, principled action in protecting the environment for posterity.

The sparrow knew that the water it carried would not be able to extinguish the fire. But it wanted to show that it sided with the truth and wanted to earn merit in the sight of Allah.

— Buya Anwar AbbasIllustrating the moral and spiritual significance of small actions.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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