ISLAM: ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The natural environment has suffered from human activity, which requires human beings to improve its conditions. There is a growing realization the increasing deterioration of the environmental crisis that calls for serious examination. This is due to the power acquired by humankind through science and technology, which is a major area to be examined. The paper adopts an Ethico-Religious method. The Islamic environmental worldview is based on five aims of Islamic legal system, called the Shari’ah, which aims to protect not only religion but also life, the mind, offspring, and property. All of these are threatened by our lack of proper appreciation and protection of the environment. Islam is rich in environmental ethics that differ from other conventional environmental approaches, which imply that there is intrinsic value in God, which is the integration of the universe. This view helps to deliver a more comprehensive and holistic approach of environment that is just as damaged to universe and God’s verses. Therefore, this approach enables humans to work toward conserving the natural environment for present-day. This paper therefore seeks to address what Islam hin order for environment as to sustain it. The starting point will be to examine the concept of environment and its sustainability, goes further to explore Islamic views on the concept of environment. Some of the spiritual and physical problems to be addressed include obedience to God in preserving all He created, such water; pollution of air; refuse dumps into rivers; the use of firewood; and general cleanliness, as enshrined in the Qur’an and Hadith of the Prophet. The paper concludes that the human nature relationship should be redefined to establish a more well-intentioned and harmonious one. The paper recommends that the involvement of humankind in any of these acts be considered as tyranny against nature and a transgression of those rights.