Liberal Arts Forum

continued from the last post…

Islam is a comprehensive way of life. It offers human beings not only a connection to their environment but also to their creator. The human behavior is controlled through hisab, accountability for one’s action before God. “O children of Adam… eat and drink and be not extravagant; surely He does not love the extravagant” (Quran 7:31). The addressee in this verse is humanity – children of Adam, and they are reminded about proper adab or ethics. In another verse, God compares the wasters as “brothers of Satan” with a warning that Satan is ever ungrateful to his Lord.

“Indeed, the squanderers are brothers of the devils, and the devil is ever an

ingrate to his Lord.” (Qur’an 17: 26-27). Islamic paradigm of environmental ethics is based on a purpose driven life and ethics of gratitude, not greed.

Islam is for all places, people, and times, thus the concept of israf – waste prohibits resource depletion/pollution in the modern world. God is speaking not only to humanity 1400 years ago at the time of revelation but He is also addressing people today. It is a safe assumption based on the fact that what God declared to be permissible or impermissible 1400 years ago is still valid today. Hence, the concept of israf is to be reconsidered such as when studies point to world fisheries being depleted and many species either extinct or are on the verge of extinction. Any waste material due to human mismanagement falls in direct conflict with the divine command – wa la tusrifu (do not waste). It is in keeping with the spirit of sharia’ to utilize scientific studies to further the divine command of preserving the environment.

Lastly, the modern philosophies of consumerism and materialism are based on greed not gratitude and are in direct conflict with the teachings of Islam. The environmental ethics in Islam is based on serving humanity and preserving the resources whether animate or inanimate. Once we achieve this balanced approach and “tread on the earth lightly”, then and only then can we could proclaim to achieve the honor of being the vicegerent of God on earth. In conclusion, preserving the environment is a communal obligation based on the Islamic paradigm of living a well-balanced life.