Tree Planting Day

Tree is one of the most beautiful and the most productive bounties of God Almighty. They meet the major parts of the vital needs of man and the other living creatures. This is to the extent that human beings always have some spiritual and holy considerations towards the trees.

There had been so many fables about trees and tree planting in the ancient times in Iran which show the Iranians’ special respect toward this task in those early days. There is another historical evidence expressing that the Iranians have been dealing with the tree planting even in the harshest climates, they have planted so many trees as a large-scale phenomenon and has left so many beautiful green areas. Being important from the national and historical point of view, tree planting is bound with the people’s religious beliefs. It is considered as the task which can provide the doer with the rewards and awards and is treated as a holy issue. This is to the extent that planting a tree is considered as a kind of God worshipping and causing any damage is a sin, for it dates back to the time when the trees had an important role in man’s life and he used it in various ways. There are many narratives from the Holy Prophet and the other Imams, which are indicative of the importance of the issue from these great men’s points of view.

Here come the words of Imam Ja’far Sadiq: “There are six things which will be available for a true- believer after his death: the virtuous child, a book written by him, a well dug by him, let the water rich to the needed area, the good tradition and manner established and the tree planted by him.”

It is said that Imam Ali established a very large palm-grove and he himself planted the trees.

Having stressed the necessity of the tree planting wherever possible, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran “Ayatollah Khamenei” has stated: “If every Iranian plants just one tree, it will add millions to the previously existing ones.”

There have been more than 20 Qura'nic verses on how God through His will has put the essence of growing in the seeds which will produce the fruits with different colors, tastes and the other characteristics. All of these are the signs of God given blessings for his creatures and these guide mankind to the knowledge and worship God.

Sa’di, Iranian outstanding poet, has described the foregoing situation so beautifully as follows:

“The green leaves of the trees from an alert person’s point of view, Resemble the pages of the book written about how one can gain knowledge about God.”

Every year 5 to 12 March (15 to 22 Esfand) is called “the recyclable natural resources week”. The first day of this week is called“The tree planting day” for the sake of which there have been celebrations, which would be held. This is the time in which the saplings of the all kinds in terms of different climates of different parts ofIran would be shared among the people. They also are going to be taught the ways of planting trees.

What seems so important in this regard is a harsh climate in Iran. The amount of raining is just 250 to 300 mm. Through planting the suitable trees with the existing climatic conditions one can purify the air and refresh the environment.