Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Table 3. Comparing Centers of Value in Relation to Their Utility in Environmental Conservation and Example of Ethic Implication

3.5. The Islamic Ethic of Stewardship

3.5.1. Muslim Stewardship

Ethical authority may be derived from various religions.123 Religions have been considered to be effective in solving problems related to environmental destruction. There is a need to further examine the extent to which various religions have tackled the problem of environmental destruction. Religions are trying to solve this issue through the formulation of ethics and a code of conduct related to environment.124

Ethics with regard to the environment and stewardship is often associated with theocentrism.

It is believed that humans must be the world’s guardians as God prefers it to be done.

Humankind must, therefore, be considerate to all objects with life, including humans. It maintains that humans exist here for a short time, and they are supposed to be taking care of the world for the generations in the future. Regarding Islam, this principle’s equivalent knowledge is

represented by the vicegrerency concept. According to the Islamic view of the world, the human is regarded as Allah’s vicegerent (khalifa/caliph).125 The Holy Qur’an illustrates this in the following terms, “Just think when your Lord said to the angels: “Lo! I am about to place a vicegerent on earth.” (Al-Baqarah 2:30)126

According to the teachings of Islam ethics based on the khalifah (stewardship) ethic, people have a role to play in preserving the natural environment’s resources. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the people to ensure natural resource sustainability by only using the resources when necessary.127 Consequently, the order, harmony, and balance in nature should be maintained.128 The Islamic religion acknowledges order and calls for conservation and discourages damage to the environment. Furthermore, the Islamic religion explains in details the relationship that exists between God, nature, and human beings. Consequently, stewardship has been stressed by the teaching of Khalifa, so Muslims are encouraged to safeguard natural resources.129

According to the global view of the Islamic religion, it is argued that the religion cannot allow human beings to destroy the environment or ruin the ecological stability and the order of systems of environment. People are, therefore, entrusted by God to act as His supporters in taking care of nature. Human beings should not break this trust because they will be considered  undependable deputies.130 In accordance to Amanah (trustworthiness and custodianship), there are some specific principles of the earth and for the creation of the universe. We strongly need to recognize our responsibility and our Creator, and we should try to make the appropriate decisions so that we can make this land a perfect place to live in.131 The order, harmony, and balance in nature should be maintained since God created it that way.132 And whenever it is not maintained, environmental destruction, like deforestation, can be recognized.

3.5.2. Resources management decisions and Islamic ethics

Often times, the decisions of resources management are affected mostly by environment services being abused for business sectors; subsequently, the non-business profits are regularly lost or debased. These non-business profits are frequently high and, in some cases, more significant than the business ones.133 As trustees and custodians, there is a need to recognize our responsibility toward the environment to make appropriate decisions so that the land will be well preserved.134

God says in the Quran, “...And (remember) when your Lord said to the angels: Verily, I am going to place (mankind) generations after generations on Earth.” (Al-Baqarah:30)

The aggregate economic worth connected with sustainably managing the environment is frequently higher than the value connected with the changes of the environment through cultivating, clear-cut logging, or other serious utilization.135 A person who believes there needs to be average in all factors of his lifestyle, such as the way he uses the characteristics. Indeed, the whole globe is depending on purchase and stability.136 Exceeding boundaries in using characteristics or organic sources is considered deluxe, which is regarded as a significantly bad act in the Muslim religion.137 So the

massive loss of forests is due to the extraction of trees without sufficient efforts of reforestation to replace the one that has been cut.138 Middleness in Islam has come with the meanings of perfection, fine quality, and goodness of the things.139

The Quran says, “...But waste not by excess, for God loves not the wasters...” (Al-A’raf: 31).

One should not forget that over use of anything is bad, so if we over use environmental resources, we soon will be losing them. Nature has made a proper balance in everything around us, so we strongly need to save and care for these natural gifts, such as water, air, earth, and natural resources.140

The economic and public health costs related to the environment destructions can be serious.141 Evidence is mounting, although inconclusive, that our ecosystem is undergoing a great change and the possibility of this change is high, and the change would impact man’s well-being adversely. These changes are all now rapid and instant. They are accelerating so fast that they may soon become irreversible.142 Amongst the risks for individual community and the surroundings is luxury. The roots of such an act are avarice and carelessness. This personality is managed by spiritual lessons. In the sources of Muslim religion, two bad acts are recognized.

One is inefficient intake. Another bad act is said to be wasting. These two ideas are introduced into perform to modify individual behavior.143

Deforestation and decreasing forest coverage causes the loss of the earth’s natural habitat, species extinction, flooding, GHGs emissions, and loss of forest products.144 The carbon dioxide atmospheric concentration has increased by about 32% since 1750.145 Misuse of godly blessings or causing harm to them are signs of ungratefulness, which is severely forbidden in Islam, like deforestation that is absolutely condemned in Islam.146 The Muslim religion is contrary to trouble and crime of all types. Any act of trouble is criticized, whether it is in regard to humans or residing people or even non-living people.147

“Corruption doth appear on land and sea because of (the evil) which men’s hands have done, that He may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return.” (30:41)

“Do no mischief on the earth, after it hath been set in order.” (7:56)

Corruption is a significant driver to forest degradation. Different factors, together with corruption, have led to deforestation, such as lack of alternative livelihoods, and economy and poverty for economic interests’ reasons. Bribery of officials is an example of corruption that is widely spread and is a main obstacle in the realization of forest preservation through various measures.148

Alterations in the environment can enhance the risk of disease prevalence, like cholera, as well as the risk of its vectors like mosquitoes.149 According to a well-established concept in Islam, nobody can cause damage or reduction to others. And there is no place in the Muslim religion for inflicting any harm on one’s self or on others.150 The loss of particular ecosystem attributes (sacred species or sacred forests) can weaken the spiritual benefits people obtain from the ecosystems. Today’s environmental

crisis may have begun with the loss of “modern man’s” understanding of nature to be a sacred trust from God.151

So, we will be reusing the natural resources and will try to not waste the gifts of nature.

Not only this, but we can also play a positive role in preserving the forests. We should be familiar with the fact that deforestation can lead us to serious problems, so we should try to pay extra attention to our acts.152

3.5.3. Significance of trees in Islam

Islam covers much of what life entails. Biodiversity is highly regarded as of great importance according to their teachings. The Creator chose man as His vicegerent to take care of both plants and animals on earth. Man has been guided to dominate nature at all times including war time.153 In addition, the Qur’an has a set of plentiful illustrations that direct its followers to take care and maintain nature, encouraging them to make a substantial, positive stance by successfully instilling their daily routine with practices that include biodiversity.154 Moreover, the trees have been cited on different verses in the Holy Quran and also in the golden sayings of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).155

Islamic-based environmental ethics, therefore, emboldens such behavior toward the environment in which the following accomplishments are encouraged:

1) Rebuffing any unreliable control over the universe because a human is both God’s steward (caliph) on earth and takes care of all the creations on earth (Qur’an, 2: 30).156

2) Refrains man from the poor usage of nature since he is being directed to evade damages from the living creatures (Qur’an, 2: 205). People should be accountable to nature because a human is God’s superlative and is responsible for the freedom of the creation. The assurance of the human to thrashing the universe reveals the human obligation toward the characteristic environment. Further, man is not only responsible for conserving God’s creation but also improving the condition of the natural environment. It is, therefore, the general responsibility of the human beings to care for the earth.157

In addition, the ideas of tawhid (unity) and khalifah (stewardship) have been put into practical commandments in the Islamic law, famously known as the Shari’ah law. Islamic law institutions, such as forbidden zones, leave intact the sections in which development is restricted to protect the natural resources. Reserves were purely articulated to take care of the wildlife and the forests, customs which are essential to the environmental legislation of Islam.158 According to the Islamic religion, people have a role to play in preserving the natural environment, according to God’s will.159