islam & environment

8/7/2019 Islam & Environment

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Islam and Environment

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Faculty of LawPHD Program in Law

P58462

Musbri Mohamed

DIL; ADIL ( ITM )

MBL ( UKM )

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The concept of environment is broad

and is used in many different ways.The environment is the medium in

which Man lives; the mother's womb

is a man's first environment; home is

an environment; school is an

environment; the place where we live

is an environment; the earth is an

environment and the whole universeis an environment.

Environmentalists arrived at a precise

definition of the environment when

they met in Stockholm in 1972 under

the auspices of the United Nations :

"The environment is the sum of the

material and social resources

available at a given time and place to

satisfy the needs and aspirations of

Man".

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According to this definition, the environment includes natural resources such

as water, air and soil, energy resources, minerals, plants and animals.

Moreover any pollution of these resources will have an effect beyond the

borders of the country in which the pollution occurred.

Perhaps it was the Chernobyl disaster in Russia - a nuclear reactor explosion

which alarmed the countries of Europe and other neighbouring countries

affected by the fallout - or perhaps it was the oil spills and leakages in the

waters of the Gulf threatening all the countries of the region with pollution

which gave impetus to international cooperation through the United Nations

and various scientific bodies in countering the problem of pollution.

We live on a single planet and Mankind has a shared future, particularly at the

present stage in which the interests of the inhabitants of this Earth are

becoming evermore interlinked with advances in communications to theextent that the world has become like a global village.

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Land constitutes less than one third of the surface area of the

earth and of that, the part suitable for human habitation is

relatively small. This becomes even more significant when we

take into account the increase in population which we see

around us. As the earth is the source of our food, water and

clothing, it is imperative that Man fully appreciates the true

nature and value of the earth and protects it from all harm.

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An important consideration in the ecological discussion is how theEarth and its life forms are perceived. If nature is understood as havingbeen created only to serve human beings, its unlimited exploitation maybe justified.

However, most Muslims believe that this is not so.

Allah s.w.t is seen as having created humans to be His rulers on Hisbehalf -- to look after the planet and manage it in the best possible way.

Surah 6:165, in a modern (loose) translation, states:

"It is He who has appointed you viceroys in the earth that He may try

you in what He has given you. (Arbery)

Evidently, unlimited exploitation is not acceptable.

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According to one Hadith, the

Prophet Muhammad saw described

the entire creation (including

humans, animals, and trees and

plants) as the family of Allah. He

declared that all should be treated

with compassion and sensitivity.

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There is a story of a woman of disrepute who came to the

Prophet saw and said that she saved a thirsty cat from dying by

fetching water from a pit with the help of her socks. The

Prophet saw told her that because of what she has done Allah

swt will pardon all her sins, and that she will go to paradise.

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Muslims are encouraged to follow green principles in manyways, mainly by being aware of what they are doing, and byavoiding waste and pollution.

Everyday products should be used and recycled as much aspossible. Energy use should be minimized. Products such as

ivory, which are obtained by killing of rare or endangeredspecies of animals, should not be purchased. Products that havebeen tested on animals captured or bred for this purpose shouldnot be used.

Muslims should use biodegradable products as far as possible,prefer unleaded gasoline and detergents that do not pollute thewater supply.

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The word earth (ard) is mentioned 485 times in the Qur'an.Shariah, the word usually translated to mean "Islamic law"literally means "source of water." The Shariah is the sourceof life in that it contains both ethical and legal rules.

In Islam, the conservation of the environment is based on theprinciple that all individual components of the environmentwere created by God, and that all living things were createdby the Almighty Creator.

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Islamic ecological ethics are derived from the belief that all

of creation belongs to God, and not to man, and to assume

that non-human animals and plants exist to benefit man leads

to environmental destruction and misuse. If, as in Islamic

belief, the component parts of nature are in continuous praise

to God, human destruction of these parts prevents the earth'snatural and subtle means for praising God. The Qu'ran

acknowledges that humans are not the only creature to walk

the earth. Muhammad s.a.w was once asked whether there

would be a reward for those who show charity to nature and

animals. He replied, "for charity shown to each creature with

a wet heart, there is a reward."

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Since the time of the prophet Muhammad, Islamic ethics have included the

concept of hima, protection of certain zones. The government requires

protection of certain plots of land which may not be built upon, orcultivated in any way. This concept is still practiced in many Islamic

countries for the protection of wildlife.

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Even if the Messiah has come, plant the sapling you have in your hand,

the prophet Muhammad said, "when doomsday comes, if someone hasa palm shoot in his hands, he should plant it." This suggests that even

when hope is lost, planting should continue with us or without us, for

planting is good in itself.

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We are on the brink of a frightening ecological disaster. The earth is

being destroyed at an alarming speed. It can no longer sustain the rate of

our use of its resources. So our relationship with the rest of creation is

seriously out of balance. The manifestations of this situation include air,

water and soil pollution through toxic, chemical and radioactive waste,

soil erosion and salinizaton, desertification, deforestation, extinction of

plant and animal species, global warming, exorbitant energy

consumption and nuclear obliteration. If this process is not controlled

effectively, the next generation of living beings will have no livable

earth to inherit. Also, as there is an organic link between destruction of

environment and socio-economic and political injustice, even though all

are affected by the ecological crisis, the life of the poor and

marginalized is further impoverished by it. Thus there has been agrowing concern, expressed globally, to address the issues of

environmental degradation.

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In the Quranic perspective there is a definite relationshipbetween God and His creation. The doctrine oftawhid, the beliefin the oneness of God, is a cardinal principal in theQuran. Tawhidaffirms and acknowledges that God is one and

the only Reality. Then creation is part of the Essence of God andit manifests Him. It "teaches that all life is essentially a unity asthe creation which proceeds from the Divine oneness".Thisaffirms the wholeness and holiness of the creation and thus itbrings value to creation. It also rejects all forms of dualism,which separates human beings from nature, so nature isconsidered as evil and to be subjugated, that have contributed tothe ecological crisis.

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According to the Quran, God made provisions for the sustenance and

growth of countless varieties of creatures from microorganisms to the largest

animals. These provisions are made available to meet their needs in every

situation and stages of life. As we have seen earlier, God created everything

for a specific purpose. So there is nothing that exists which does not serve

some purpose or other. It means that everything fits into one supreme scheme

of life. Everything is put together in wisdom and unity. It emphasizes that

everything has its value to life. Existence of each and every thing, whether it

is small or big, is important for the continuation of life. So each species is

unique and makes its own specific contribution to the totality of life. This

negates the superiority or importance of one species over against the other.

Thus in the holistic perspective human being is "not a supreme being but a

part of the web of nature coexisting with other denizens of the cosmos

.

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The developed countries have taken a position to defend the

environment : conferences have been held and theories and

research have advanced in every field to halt the damage to it,

calling upon people to stop acting with regard to the environment

as if Man were its absolute lord and master. In the past the earth

was able to absorb irresponsible behaviour which harmed the

environment because the number of people was small. But with an

increasing number of inhabitants, the earth is no longer able to

bear or compensate for, without permanent effects or sufficiently

rapidly, the accumulated consequences of activities which are

harmful to the environment.

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One of the most important distinctive features of any environment,whether large or small, is that it is in a state of flexible equilibriumdespite the multitude of internal and external factors and elementsacting upon it. Let us give an example. If for some reason the tallplants were cut down or died in a given environment, theprevailing balance in that environment would change : when bright

light shone on places where there was once shade, the small plantsgrowing there would be affected and die and other kinds of light-loving plants would grow in their place. Animals which had livedthere seeking shelter in the shade would flee or die and otheranimals which were not troubled by the light, or preferred it,would move into that environment. Many a time environmentaldisasters have destroyed the balance in the constituents of anenvironment. The balance in any environment is governed byfactors which define the environment and prevent one element in itpredominating over the others. Here the English proverb isappropriate : A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

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The changes in the environment are periodic, and at times

disorderly. However, most of the time these changes do notbring about a disturbance in the dynamic equilibrium of the

environment. Radical change takes place only in disasters and,

depending on the scale of the disaster, it is not long before the

environment has repaired the damage and returned to its

original equilibrium.

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Islam cares for the environment in every sense ofthe word and in all its aspects whether in relationto the earth and the laws dealing with it or withman's relation to it as its owner, custodian andprotector from the harmful consequences of his

vanity. As a consequence, Islam has encouragedscientific environmental research. In addition, thejurists of Islam have devoted much research andefforts to the laws of collective and individualownership to arrive at the best use of theenvironment and sustained interaction therewith.The jurists have been concerned to defineownership and how one may legally benefit and

profit therefrom. In the case of land, they stressthat both the land owner and the land itself arecovered by legal provisions.

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Islam forbids the amassing of basic commodities and resources whichlead to the accumulation of capital. Islam forbids cheating people andmonopolizing basic resources to control their prices or to monopolizecommercial or industrial goods if this monopoly causes harm toMuslims. In addition, Islam forbids the charging of interest, bribery

and the misuse of influence. Islam permits the seizure of propertyamassed illegally. It is clear that all these provisions are to achievebalance and equality and to eradicate major differences betweenindividuals. Some jurists go as far as saying that the Shari'a permitsforcing a property owner to sell goods at prices fixed by the Shari'a;his failure to do so would be considered a crime punishable bychastisement. The reasoning here is that to do otherwise would be ofgreat detriment to the public interest and could lead to speculation inthe people's food in times of crisis.

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Pollution of the land by constantly accumulating mineral, chemical

and radioactive waste has begun to affect the perfectly balanced

chemical composition of the soil. Botanical research has shown that

some plants are storing poisonous chemicals in their cells and tissues

which they have absorbed from polluted soil. These are thentransferred to animals and man where they collect and cause a series

of diseases which are transmitted to man through the consumption of

meats from animals and birds.

It is Allah s.w.t 's mercy that mankind is not totally infected, as God

gave man's immune system the ability to counter the poisons caused

by his negligence of his environment, health, food and drink,unaware that he is destroying himself and the coming generations.

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The Sunna of The Prophet, Peace and Blessings be upon him, urge Manto keep the environment clean and to avoid all acts of pollution. In ahadith on the authority of Abu Hurayra : "The Messenger of God, Peaceand Blessings be upon Him, said : 'Avoid two things which areabominable'. They asked : 'What are these two abominable things, OMessenger of God ?' He replied : 'Relieving oneself on the publichighway or in a shady place.'"

The Prophet's warning, Peace and Blessings be upon him, to the peopledespite their simple bedouin lifestyle which lacked any civilizationalbasics in this field, was to show that such acts would deprive otherpeople from benefits.

The Prophet, Peace and Blessings be upon him, also warned againstrelieving oneself in sources of water such as the Nile, waterways andcanals. In a hadith on the authority of Abu Hurayra : "The Prophet,Peace and Blessings be upon him, said : 'Let not one of you relieve

himself in stagnant water and then wash himself with that water.'"

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The Prophet, Peace and Blessings be upon him, wasequally vehement against those who cut down treesfor no good reason or caused harm to the naturalenvironment. In a tradition on the authority ofAbdallah b. Halehi : "The Messenger of God, Peace

and Blessings be upon him, said : 'Whosoever cutsdown a Lotus tree will have his head put into theFires of Hell by God.'"

Abu Dawud was asked about the meaning of thishadith. He said : "If there is a tree in an open spacewhich provides shade for wayfarers and animals,and someone cuts it down, then God will put thatperson's head in the Fires of Hell". (Abu Dawud :

Vol. IV; p361.)

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In addition, there is a hadith on the authority of Anas b. Malik, May God bePleased with him, which says that The Prophet, Peace and Blessings be uponhim, said encouraging people to plant trees and cultivate : "Every Muslim whoplants a tree or plants a crop from which birds, people or animals eat shall havea reward for a beneficent act" (In the collections of Al-Bukhari, Muslim andAl-Tirmidhi.)

There is another hadith in which The Prophet, Peace and Blessings be uponhim, says : "If the Final Hour is come, and one of you has a palm seedling inhis hand and it is within his power to plant it, then let him do so".

In the same vein, removing harm from people's way, even by simply removinga stone from the road, has its reward with God, to Whom be ascribed allPerfection and Majesty.

Another sound hadith says : "Every step taken on the way to prayer is abeneficent act just as removing harm from the people's way is a beneficientact". (Al-Bukhari)

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One of the most serious environmental problems is that of desertification.According to some scientists, the area of partially or totally arid landmakes up thirty-six percent of the total land surface area of the earth.This proportion is already high and desertification continues to increase.It is considered one of the greatest causes of the famine affecting thepeople in Africa and other parts of the world.

Desertification was the subject of a UN conference which was held in

Nairobi in September 1977. Scientific reports presented at the conferenceshow that in the last fifty years the Sahara desert has swallowed up650,000 km.sq. of the land and pasture land at its southern borders.

Similarly, satellite photographs show that the desert is spreading towardsthe fertile Nile Delta at a rate of 13 kilometres per annum. Bearing inmind that the total agricultural land is only 4% of the total area of Egypt,the extent of the disaster threatening us is clear, particularly when we addthe serious increase in population.

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In the Sudan, once seen as the potential bread-basket of the Arabcountries, there is a shortage of food. And in Algeria theagricultural land is threatened by desertification.

In the Indian province of Rajastan, the desert has grown by 8% ineighteen years.

In Chile, formerly good grazing land has been turned to desert inwhich all that grows are cacti and a few plants which are onlygood for feeding goats. These are but a few examples of many ofthe greatest problems threatening to kill and destroy theenvironment. Countries must combat this problem by stoppingdesertification by all scientific means.

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The problem of water is one of the most complex issues about whichstates are currently in dispute. Water is extremely limited as most of it issaline and unfit for use by man, for drinking, industry or irrigation.

It is, therefore, imperative, that individual countries return to the basicprinciples for the proper use of this resource on which all living thingsdepend.

Islam's approach to interaction with all kinds of life condemns profligacyand waste. God, to Whom be ascribed all Perfection and Majesty, likens

those who are wasteful to the brothers of devils. In a hadith collected by Al-Darami on the authority of Safina : "The

Prophet, Peace and Blessings be upon Him, was doing his ritual ablutionsand washing himself with only the least amount of water necessary".Many ayats in the Holy Qur'an talk of the creation of water, itsimportance in the life of the earth and in bringing forth vegetation andhow all living things were created from it. God, to Whom be ascribed allPerfection and Majesty, says :

We made from water for every living thing

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Islam links faith and belief (iman) to cleanliness. Some ofthe pillars of Islam, such as prayer (salat) and thepilgrimage (Hajj) can only be performed in a state ofpurity and washing in pure, clean water, free of anycontamination. This article of faith and others teach us toprotect sources of water from pollution and to keep themclean. Islam's concern with science and scientists is the

clearest evidence of Islam's encouragement of progress inscientific research into all environmental resources,including water purification and desalination and thescientific means involved so that water may be fit forman's consumption - Man, whom God made Hisvicegerent, whom He has honoured on land and at sea, towhom He has given everything necessary for life so thathis journey may continue until God, to Whom be ascribedall Perfection and Majesty, inherits the earth and everyone

thereon.

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There is a great bond between man and his environment, whether at thethe individual, the collective or the state levels. Cleanliness, as inwashing and ritual ablution either with clean water or sand, is of vitalimportance and a requisite of Islamic belief and faith without whichworship is invalid. Islam enjoins washing for the Friday Prayer, washingfor the Prayers of the Two Holy Festivals and cleanliness of body andattire. Everything which could cause offense to other people and theAngels is to be shunned.

Muslim and Al-Tirmidhi relate a hadith of the Prophet on the authorityof Abu Malik al-Ash'ari : "The Prophet, Peace and Blessings be uponHim, said : 'Cleanliness is half of faith, saying 'Praise be to God' fills thebalance (of good deeds), saying 'May God be Glorified' and 'May Godbe Praised' fills what is between the heavens and the earth, prayer isillumination, giving alms is proof (of your good intent), patience is alight and the Qur'an serves as an argument for you and against you (onthe Day of Judgement)'".

In another hadith reported by Al-Tabarani, on the importance of washingand faith, The Prophet, Peace and Blessings be upon Him, said : "Besure to keep your teeth clean, for cleanliness invites to faith (iman) andfaith will lead you to Paradise".

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Protection of the environment does not have its rationale in still-bornconference resolutions or in the strident voices of scientists, which mayor may not be heard. Rather, it is the Divine Law which demands thatMan protect the environment and God, to Whom be ascribed allPerfection and Majesty, will punish all who neglect its provisions. For,above all, the environment, with all its various signs of God was made

by the Creator Who created all things in Perfect Measure.

Thank You Musbri Mohamed

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