Islam and Environment

Human-induced environmental problems are cascading and increasingly affecting the ecosystem, human health and well-being. Human activities, awareness and habits are of paramount importance in remedying the current state of environment. The shaping of attitude, values, perception, commitment and practice of human beings necessary to preserve and protect the environment is closely associated with their belief, worldview, tradition and culture. Hence, religion plays an influential role in developing new patterns of behavior toward the environment. In the context of Malaysia, it is evident that the condition of the environment in Malaysia is worsening as the country continues to industrialize dramatically. As a country with over 60% Muslims, it is necessary to look at environmental preservation from an Islamic perspective. Therefore, this study aims to determine how knowledge and understanding of Islamic teachings of the environment is important. The subjects were 400 Muslim individuals across Malaysia who were randomly selected from different organizations, universities and companies. A web -based survey was conducted using an online collection method. The data analysis illustrated that Islamic environmental awareness has strong association or significant influence with environmental awareness and environmental protection. It specifies that the more Muslim communities in Malaysia are aware about Islamic environmentalism, the more they are aware of their own environment, and consequently, the more they are willing to protect it. Furthermore, the findings also indicate that environmental awareness is positively related to environmental protection. It stipulates that the greater the level of environmental awareness, they greater the level of environmental protection.

This paper seeks to understand why vicegerency implies stewardship in Islamic metaphysics and Islamic environmental ethics. In doing so it investigates the opening chapter of Ibn 'Arabī's Fuṣūṣ al-ḥikam. First published in Critical Muslim 19, July–September 2016. For the revised version: Voices of Three Generations: Essays in Honor of Seyyed Hossein Nasr, edited by Mohammad H. Faghfoory and Katherine O'Brien (Chicago: Kazi Publications, 2019), 299-314.

Iako je u posljednje vrijeme kod nas i u svijetu snažno izražen i tretiran problem okolice, autor u ovom radu tom pitanju pristupa na skoro jedinstven način, s polaznom tačkom da je Bog taj Koji okružuje svo postojanje, da je On naša krajnja okolica te da je svaka druga okolica povezana s tom činjenicom. Autorov pristup ovom pitanju je nov, inovativan i predstavlja značajan doprinos u iznošenju islamskog stava o čovjekovoj životnoj sredini u svim etapama čovjekova bitisanja.

Özet Günümüzde artan çevre sorunları, insan-doğa ilişkilerini yeniden ele almayı gerektirmektir. Bu konuda karşımıza çıkan temel bir hata, dünyanın mevcut nüfusunu ve nüfus artışını, çevre sorunlarının temel bir nedeni olarak tanımlamaktır. Oysa azınlık nüfusun tüketimi çoğunluğun tüketiminden kat kat fazladır. Bu makale insanlar arasındaki bu orantısız tüketim ilişkisi üzerine değerlendirmelerde bulunmaktadır. Abstract Environment problems that are increased recently necessitate studying relation between human and nature. In this issue, the illustrating of the present population and population growth as a major factor of environment problems is a misconception. Whereas, consumption of minority group of the world has been exceeding multiplex the volume of the consumption of others people. This study examines the consumption inequalities between different social strata.

The present paper focuses on Seyyed Hossein Nasr’s eco-philosophical understanding in connection to the present ecological crisis. By correlating Nasr’s eco-spiritual discussion with the environment, the paper investigates how deeply the human spiritual mind is connected in the ecological equilibrium. It tries to expose why Nasr’s ideas and suggestions in relation to the sustainability of environment seem significant. Here, a critical analysis of Nasr’s eco-philosophical and eco-spiritual understanding is also offered from a real-life perspective of the present world. In so doing, the paper will contribute to the ongoing debates on the spiritual crisis of modern humans and ecological disequilibrium.

It is interesting to look at people and environment and to present
them as we understand them. Though we understand that we
are part and parcel of the existence, as human beings we assume
ourselves to be of a superior stock and look at all others, be they are
living or not, with a disdain. We presume all that are around us exist
only to be used by us. We do not know whether other lives may also
be thinking in the same way. Nevertheless it is a fact that we think,
write and speak and none other existence with life around us does.
Whatever I have written in the 9 topics I have presented here is with
this thinking at the background of my mind.
I have also presented an essay here titled ‘Vision of Environment
in Islam’. Actually in this I have compiled lot of information authored
by many eminent writers along with my own writings. I have done
this in the background of our Book Al Qur’an. It is quite amazing to
know how much orientation Allah gives to mankind through His
Book which we use only for recitation to solicit His Grace to us and
to shower His Mercy on our dead.
If you have time and mind to travel with me to peep into my
thoughts you may do so. That will make me happy. There is an Islamic
bias in my writing here. That is not without reason. The first reason
is that I claim myself to be a Muslim. The second is that the whole
existence exists in Islam. In surrendering to the rules regulations of
the Creator vis a vis the Creation. The third is that I feel Islam has not
been understood in proper perspective by us. That is my personal
thinking and I do not hold anybody responsible for that.

The theme of “Islamic Environmentalism” has become common in the discourse of contemporary American Muslim community leaders and religious authorities, but changing dynamics in how this theme is presented are leading to new social connections and community identities among networks of American Muslims.

In this article, I consider lectures such as the Zaytuna College workshop's “Planting Seeds for a Greener Tomorrow”, publications such as Ibrahim Abdul-Matin's Green Deen, and events like the February 2014 “Prayer for Rain” led by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf but performed simultaneously in cities throughout California. In each, I outline the consistent relationship between themes of social justice, economic ethics, and environmentalism as essential aspects of a modern Islamic lifestyle.

I also highlight the deployment of multimedia and social networking to promote and coordinate religious messages, events and initiatives related to environmental stewardship and the role of networking in forming vibrant, non-localized subculture identities among American Muslims.

En vue du sommet mondial sur le climat de Paris en décembre 2015 (COP 21), une soixante de leaders religieux musulmans ont promulgué en août 2015 une intéressante « Déclaration islamique sur le changement climatique global ». En tension entre références coraniques diverses et considérations sur la dégradation de notre environnement, les leaders religieux en appellent aux responsables politiques et aux capitaines d’industrie à repenser les modes de productions, à se passer des énergies carbonées et à mettre en place une véritable économie circulaire.

Faith-based teachings on the environment have been identified as a potentially effective form of conservation outreach but one that remains largely untested. Indonesia contains 10% of the world's tropical rainforests and is the most populous Muslim country. A faith-based approach to conservation could therefore yield significant conservation benefits here. Within Islam several key principles in the Qur'an underpin and outline the role of humans in nature conservation. Here, we report on a Darwin Initiative project component that sought to assess the applicability of Islamic teachings to conservation action in West Sumatra. We developed water-conservation-themed sermons that were delivered by project-trained religious leaders in 10 mosques and nine Islamic boarding schools during the holy month of Ramadan. We conducted entry–exit questionnaire surveys to assess levels of concern, awareness and intent to act amongst male (n = 389) and female (n = 479) worshippers. The results revealed that greater attention should be paid to raising awareness of the linkages between Islam and conservation rather than on conservation principles alone, which were already adequately understood. This study provides the first insights into the important role that women could play within a faith-based project. Female respondents demonstrated greater knowledge and understanding of Islamic teachings about the environment and the services provided by watershed forests. They were also more likely to contribute to conservation activities, suggesting that future projects should seek to involve this often marginalized stakeholder group fully, as well as provide practical ways for men and women to transform words into action.