Environment in Islam : Awareness and Ethics

Abstract

This modest study aims at shedding light on one of the issues that has emerged from the contemporary movement of scientific and technical progress , namely the issue of man and environment and the deterioration inflicted upon it as a result of an instrumental dominant thought despite its inability to manage the culture which it has produced. This means that Islamic thought should promote its mechanism to copy with the reality through a complete and comprehensive theory which is able to study environment and passing judgment regarding it , thus confronting the negative aspects caused by its materialistic culture and rectifying the direction of human culture according to constructive Islamic values. Environment from the viewpoint of Islam relates exclusively to the endurance of man who is charged with the trust of being a caliph on earth. Man, therefore, has deserved bearing this trust without abusing the blessings constituting the elements of environment or behaving towards it in an illegal or incorrect way in order to achieve a narrow personal interest. Man has to take care of earth and construct it through spreading welfare and peace and working on showing the greatness and omnipotence of the creator by making positive use of all creatures which God has subjected for man as plainly manifested in His Holy saying " He has originated you from earth and made you husband it '' (Hud: verse 61) This can not be realized except through two things: the first of which is to preserve the goodness of that which is good and not to make mischief on it while the second is to rehabilitate that which was damaged and increase in that rehabilitation. There is no doubt that both things are good for the protection and safety of environment. This is an invitation for us all to contribute towards a peaceful and healthy environment in line with His Holy saying '' Eat and drink out of the provision of God and don't go through earth making mischief'' (The cow: verse 60)