From Ramadan to the Rest of the Year: Fasting, Faith, and a Greener Planet

Blog written by Ayesha Abid, Program Coordinator for Georgia Interfaith Power & Light (GIPL). Photo of March 2025 Zero Waste Iftar hosted by the Georgia Tech Muslim Student Association.

When Islam is described, especially for Western audiences, the conversation often begins with the five pillars of Islam—five core faith practices necessary to live out the faith's values and beliefs. Among these is fasting, a religious obligation to abstain from food and drink (yes, even water) from sunrise to sunset. This pillar is especially important during the month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the lunar calendar.

Many people observe this month of fasting on a surface level, thinking it’s a great practice to shed a few pounds and be grateful for having food the rest of the year. But the practice of fasting in Islam goes far beyond that—it carries powerful environmental and social justice dimensions. In fact, some translations of the Quran describe Ramadan and fasting as a “prescription” for the soul.

When someone has difficulties that prevent them from completing a fast, they can instead feed the needy—ideally, the more the better—to make up for a missed fast. Muslims fast to reestablish humility, to empathize with those for whom hunger is a daily reality rather than a temporary condition, and to subdue the desire for more than their fair share. How grateful we can be for a sip of water and a morsel of a date! Why then do we seek such abundance the rest of the year, sometimes to the point of waste, while others go to bed with empty stomachs?

Woman composting as part of a March 2025 Zero-Waste Iftar at the Anhar Institute in Sandy Springs, Georgia.

I’m grateful for the Green Teams who joined me in hosting Zero-Waste Iftars this Ramadan so we could live out our values and create less waste. These weren’t just dinners—they were opportunities to practice environmental stewardship through an Islamic lens.

Hosting these iftars came with both beauty and challenge. For many attendees, it was their first time hearing about composting or the concept of zero-waste living. That surprised me—and reminded me that not everyone has the same understanding of sustainability or the current realities of climate change. But rather than being discouraged, I found hope in their curiosity and openness to learn. Insha’Allah (God willing), this was just the beginning of their environmental journey.

Iftars are not meant to be elaborate feasts. In fact, one of the blessings of Ramadan is learning to simplify. We should, especially during Ramadan—when our eyes can grow bigger than our stomachs—be mindful of the Hadith (a saying of the Prophet that serves as a Sunnah, or an example of how to live in accordance with Islamic values) to fill our stomachs only one-third with food, one-third with water, and one-third with air.

From sunnah.com - https://sunnah.com/ibnmajah:3349

Over the course of the sacred month of Ramadan, I joined more than a dozen Zero-Waste Iftars—each a unique experience. Not everything went perfectly, but that wasn’t the point. What mattered most was the niyyat, the intention, the effort, and the impact.

Together, we diverted more than 1,000 pounds of waste from landfills—Alhamdulillah (praise be to God)! That’s a testament to what’s possible when we live out our faith with care and conviction.

Ramadan teaches us discipline, humility, and reflection. And if we allow it to, it can also be the starting point for a year—and a lifetime—of conscious, values-driven living. Fasting reminds us of what truly matters: not abundance, but intention. Not indulgence, but balance. Not wastefulness, but Amanah—our trust and responsibility to care for this Earth.

So, how can we carry that divine connection Ramadan inspires into the rest of the year?

Let’s build on the momentum of Ramadan together. Form a Green Team—a group of three or more people committed to environmental stewardship in your faith community—and register the group with Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL) to connect with others passionate about turning faith into climate action. As a team, you’ll gain access to resources, potential grant funding, and support.

The Ramadan Zero-Waste Iftar Grant was part of GIPL’s Zero-Waste program, but you can engage with the program year-round by scheduling a sustainability event audit, composting with Goodr or CompostNow, or launching a volunteer-led CHaRM (Center for Hard to Recycle Materials) train to divert more types of waste from landfills.

We also offer Power-Wise, Solar-Wise, Water-Wise, and ReWilding programs to help lower energy use, shift to renewable energy sources, reduce water waste, and plan eco-friendly landscapes. Whatever you're down for, we’re here to help you turn intention into impact.

Together, we can continue this journey—Ramadan may end, but our connection to our faith doesn’t. Let this moment be your reset. Let it be a new beginning.