Environmental Ethics of Islam

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This essay illustrates how the Qur'an, a seventh century scripture, addresses the environment. This case study examines more than seven hundred and fifty verses "āyāt" in the Qur'an which relate to various natural phenomena. This essay proposes a document that highlights the ethical principles which the Qur'an presents regarding humans' relationship with the environment.

Al Dalili

Living in an eon of environmental crises and being followers of Islam; the religion of more than one billion individuals being practiced in essentially every country on earth, the explanation of an Islamic ecological ethic in contemporary terms becomes even more pressing. Beginning in the last part of the 1960s, few Muslim researchers directed their concentration toward how the Islamic sacred writing and scholarly practice may assist Muslims with comprehension and react to environmental change and ecological emergencies. In building this Islamic way to deal with environment, these researchers embraced a nearby investigation of the Qur'an, the Sunnah (the gathered practices of the Prophet Muhammad), hundreds of years of Islamic law, and the works of Sufi spiritualists and researchers to develop Islamic natural philosophies and law. The paper is an exploratory study of the contemporary Islamic discourse on environmental ethics. An attempt is made to highlight the key Muslim scholarship on the subject as well as to highlight the purpose and connotation of environmental themes in light of Quran and Sunnah and the objectives of Shaiah. Further the researchers have tried to underscore the key themes like preservation of the natural resources and Islamic ethical principles involved in any such attempt. Keywords: environmental ethics, explanation, Islamic ecological ethic

Allah created all things with precise measurements. These divine measures guarantee the survival and sustainability of natural resources. This paper discusses some of the environmental aspects in the view of Islam and makes a comparison between the Islamic thought and some scientific theories. Results show that whereas Western theories emphasise environmental protection as a response to external forces and the achievement of special interests, Islam considers environmental protection as the only way of maintaining the balance of life.

Lynn White’s seminal article on the historical roots of the ecological crisis, which inspired radical environmentalism, has cast suspicion upon religion as the source of modern anthropocentrism. To pave the way for a viable Islamic environmental ethics, charges of anthropocentrism need to be faced and rebutted. Therefore, the bulk of this paper will seek to establish the non- anthropocentric credentials of Islamic thought. Islam rejects all forms of anthropocentrism by insisting upon a transcendent God who is utterly unlike His creation. Humans share the attribute of being God’s creations with all other beings, which makes them internally related to every other being, indeed to every single entity in this universe. This solves the problem that radical environmentalism has failed to solve, namely, how to define our relation with nature and other beings without dissolving our specificity. Furthermore, Islamic ethics structures human relations strictly around the idea of limiting desires. The resulting ethico-legal synthesis, made workable by a pragmatic legal framework, can sustain a justifiable use of nature and its resources without exploiting them. The exploitation of nature is inherently linked to the exploitation of one’s self and of fellow human beings. Such exploitation, according to Qur’anic wisdom, is the direct result of ignoring the divine law and the ethics of dealing with self and “other.” Only by reverting to the divine law and ethics can exploitation be overcome. The paper ends by briefly considering possible objections and challenges vis-à-vis developing a philosophically viable yet religiously oriented environmental ethics.

2011

Through the teaching of Islam, the earth is mentioned more than four hundred times in the Qur'an, whereas the sky and beyond are mentioned only about three hundred times. This article intends to explore and share that Islam does understand the earth to be subservient to humankind. Therefore, the earth should not be administered and exploited irresponsibly. Based on the teachings and principles of Islam, one leads to a strong sense of goodness and purity of the earth. In Islam, human and environment interaction is guided by the notion of the person as a vicegerent or steward of the earth. The extensive evidence provided by the Holy Quran is indicative that the earth is an important protected element for future sustenance of the next generation and is to be a safe place to keep. Despite that, the concept of sustainable development on the earth is complex and murky. It lends itself to several interpretations and it is still in the process of evolution. However, an evaluation of different approaches to the concept leads to the same goal. The underlying issue behind the various interpretations is eventually the concern on how the environmental perimeter is sustained. The rapid deterioration of human environment is nothing but a crisis of values. Muslims and mankind at large are being instructed to look after the environment and not to damage it. Therefore, an Islamic way of a sustainable environmental life entails living in "peace and harmony (salam)" at individual, social as well as ecological levels. All human activities have some impact on the environment. And for that this paper will display the reconciliation of Islam and environmental sustainability through the perennial reference of the Holy Quran and the Words of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

Studia Ecologiae et Bioethicae, 2024

This article presents an analysis of ecological ethics in the holy scripture of Islam through the intellectual interpretations of Muslim scholars. The primary focus is on discussing the limitations of human rights in utilizing ecology and the obligation to preserve it according to the perspective of the Qur'an. This discussion is particularly relevant for Indonesia, a country with a majority Muslim population, which is experiencing increasing ecological degradation. The article urges Muslims in Indonesia to refer back to the ecological principles within Islam, avoiding capitalist ideologies that contradict Islamic teachings. The research methodology used is literature analysis, drawing from the texts of the Qur'an and its exegesis, analyzed through thematic and descriptive-analytical interpretative approaches. Two main themes discussed are the limitations of human creativity towards ecology and the relationship between humans and nature. Research findings indicate that the Qur'an explicitly prohibits human behavior that can harm environmental sustainability. Although nature was created to meet human needs, humans are still forbidden to treat the environment carelessly. The Qur'an emphasizes the importance of maintaining ecological balance, forbids isrāf (wastefulness), and warns of punishment in the afterlife for those who damage the environment.

Zygon®, 1995

Mounting global environmental challenges beg for crosscultural discussions that highlight underlying cultural values regarding nature. This paper explores the insights of Islamic scholars as they examine the interaction of Islamic culture and the West. The Western worldview that separates religion and science, value and fact, in particular differs from Islamic tradition, which sees all facets of life and affairs as interconnected by virtue of their common source-the Creator. As traditional Islamic values have been abandoned to adopt modern Western technologies, environmental problems have intensified in the Muslim world. Islamic scholars urge a return to Islamic ideals that reflect a sacramental view of the physical universe, and they champion the revival of an Islamic science that synthesizes empirical study and symbolic cognition.

International Journal of Social Science and Religion, 2021

This research aims to know the relation between religion and environtment in a deep comprehensive understanding. How religion and environtment in some extents they are too related. In Islam for example, concept of shari'a seemingly agreed and supported the idea of nature and animal conservation. But, in some extent they are contradictive. This contradictive discouse could be seen from any kinds of texts of religious scriptures in how they deal with preservation of nature and animal (killing animal). The role of religious text we may say "yes" that it deal and closely related how the ecological views are constructed. How it overcomes the natural degradation, pollutions for instance. But, religion also should be understood as an orientation of the cosmos and how actually our human existence has an important role to the world. In broadest sense, we understand that religion also means of how people know the limits of reality and how humans interact with their own environment. Religion often talk about the cosmological stories, systems and symbols, ritual practices, norms and ethics, the history, and the institutional structure that transmits the view where human beings as an integral part in the worldand has a sense of responsibility towards nature. This article use the analytical approach in analyizing the issue of religion and environtment. Thus, the relation between Islamic law, Quranic verses and Shari'a are compactible in responding the issue of environtment.

The Holy Quran, the sacred Muslim religious book, is also a sum of principles and teachings covering all aspects of human life ‒ religious concepts, ethical and spiritual conduct precepts, and rules and regulations on various aspects of everyday life. Moreover, it comprises numerous rules on nature and environmental protection. About 750 verses (of 6236) refer to various aspects of nature, and to the relationship between man and nature. The aim of this paper is to analyse some of the many ecological verses, i.e. the ones that educate people in the spirit of nature conservation, sustainability and responsibility towards its preservation for future generations. The research question leading to the originality of this study was whether the Quranic verses comprise environmental teachings that address the various aspects of nature, the environment, and the interactions between humans and environmental components. The article highlights the eco-educational dimension of the Holy Quran by means of a qualitative investigation. It addresses the ecological considerations on the rational use of natural resources, ethical interactions between man and nature, and the rights of plants, animals and of the physical elements of the environment. For this study, we have used the Romanian translation of the Holy Quran, the third edition, translated by the Islamic and Cultural League of Romania (2004) and published by the Islam Publishing House, as well as the online translation of the Quran. The Holy Quran shows that nature is a whole, a complete and complex system, in which the components support and protect each other. If one component is affected, the order and functioning of the entire system, i.e. nature, are disturbed. In this respect, the Holy Quran has been promoting a holistic approach to the environment approximately 1300 years before the introduction of the academic concept of holism. The teachings of the Holy Quran support moderation of the human behavior in order to avoid excesses. This moderation can be described through three principles found throughout its pages: the principles of unity, balance and responsibility. The environmental teachings are obvious in the verses of the Holy Quran. In order to ensure a healthy environment, these teachings must be respected and put into practice on every level. As a