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Islamic Perspective of Nature

And Environment
İbrahim Özdemir
Usküdar University, İstanbul-Turkey

“Paper presented at international conference of the Catholic Academy Stuttgart and the Foundation for

Global Ethics Tübingen on Environmental Ethics in interreligious perspective, October, 7th-9th 2016,

Stuttgart, Germany).

“The movement which is the existence of the universe is the movement

of love”.
Ibn 'Arabi, (1165 –1240) Sufi mystic, poet, and philosopher.

Introduction

Good morning!

I am honored to be here today, to be joining this distinguished group of participants and

speakers. I feel overwhelmed.

I grew up in a small village as a child of a farmer. I enjoyed the beauty of natural

environment with all its richness in 60s. When I saw my first but unfortunately the last wild
wolf in my life, I was almost seven years old. I could still drink the water of creeks as it was
crystal-clear then. Later, I learnt that, Rachel Carson was writing her seminal and
groundbreaking book the Silent Spring in the same years. This humble book sparked and
triggered many creative and sensitive minds to look at the problem in a new way.

Now, I have four children and two grandchildren. I never thought that my descendants
might not enjoy the same kind of life that I had. It seems they live in a different world. They
never saw a wild animal in nature, unless in documentaries and zoo. I have concerns about
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their future and the world they are going to live in. Therefore, environmental problems in
general and Climate Change in particular is a moral issue for me.

Let me also remember and pay tribute and my sincere gratitude to Goethe, one of the
greatest poets of not only Germany but also the world. Goethe’s relationship with Islam is
one of the most amazing phenomena in his life. As he developed a special sympathy for
Islam, he did not only change the perception of the Qur’an, the Prophet Muhammad and
Muslims in Europe, but also Muslims’ perception of the West. You may find in every
educated Muslims’ home his master piece West-Eastern Divan, one of its most important
literary legacies.

The Problems Facing Us

Today, although, the world’s greatest problem is not only environmental, but many of
them in some way a byproduct of environmental problems. We can argu e that
environmental problems are the root cause of deforestation erosion, floods, drought,
hunger, racism, international migration, international and domestic terror, human rights
violations, human trafficking, and even nihilism. Not forgetting, the rush for natural
resources of the Middle East and ensuing conflicts and wars in the region.

Needless to say that, environmental, social, and economic threats are aimed at everyone
without discrimination, whether Christian, Jew, Muslim, and Buddhist. However, the
problem is that if the members of other religions, or with words of Goethe, East and
West, when preserving their differences and appreciating it as richness for humanity, can
work together to respond these challenges or not. This and similar events give me hope
about cooperation and understanding among members of different religions and faith s to
respond the global environmental problems. However, I accept that it is not an easy
challenge to overcome these daunting problems.

Associated Press (AP) ran a story about environmental consciousness and activism in Muslim
societies in 2012. According to the story “at Friday prayers in Qatar's most popular mosque, the
imam discussed the civil war in Syria, the unrest in Egypt and the UN endorsement of an
independent state of Palestine. Not a word about climate change, even though the Middle Eastern
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nation of Qatar was hosting a UN conference where nearly 200 countries tried to forge a joint plan
to fight global warming, which climate activists say is the greatest modern challenge to mankind”
(Casey and Ritter, 2012).

The reaction of a Muslim at the al-Khatab mosque in Doha, when asked what he thought about the
issue at hand was that: “Unfortunately the Arab and Islamic countries have political and economic
problems”. Moreover, he argued, “Islam calls for the protection of the environment, but the Muslim
countries are mostly poor and they didn't cause pollution and aren't affected by climate change”.
The story concluded that although “the Qur’ān is filled with more than 1,500 verses about nature
and the Earth, the voice of Islamic leaders is missing from the global dialogue on warming” (ibid).
Interestingly, AP contacted six mosques in the Qatari capital and “only one included an
environmental message in the Friday prayers, telling those in attendance to plant trees, shun
extravagance and conserve water and electricity”. This was also considered an indication of
Muslim imams’ superficial understanding of environmental issues. To use Norwegian deep eco-
philosopher Arne Naees’ terminology, it was an indication of “shallow environmentalism” of
imams regarding global environmental problems (Naess, 1992).

Unfortunately, many Muslim policy makers and even scientists also defend the same or similar
arguments when discussing environmental protection or climate change. According to them,
environmentalism is a new game of the capitalist West, which aims to prevent the development of
Muslim countries. Therefore, Muslims should also use and exploit natural resources for their
economic and political developments.

The Qur’an and Nature

At the outset, I want to underline that the Qur’an has been a source of inspiration, illumination and
guidance for Muslim philosophers, theologians, Sufi masters, scientists, jurists, and average
Muslims who have accepted it as their sacred revelation, in addition to others of divergent ways
and different paths of thought that may be found in the Islamic tradition. Therefore, it is
unanimously considered by insiders and outsiders alike to be the most fundamental basis both for
the faith of the individual Muslim and for what is called Islamic civilization. Muslims naturally
believe that the Qur’an can and should continue to play such a role today in our quest for conducting
a meaningfully ethical life (Ozdemir, 2003).

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Nature from the Qur’anic perspective can be seen best in the first revelations to the prophet
Muhammad which he received in the cave Hira on the Jabal al-Noor, near to Macca. We know that
the first verse was a command from God: “Read! (or Recite!)” to which Muhammad immediately
responded, “I do not know how.” And the angel Gabriel, the bearer of revelation, insisted, “Read!”
Then Gabriel repeated the command a third time, saying: “Read in the name of your Lord and
Sustainer who created — created man out of a germ-cell. Read — for your Lord is the most
Bountiful One, who has taught the use of the pen, taught man what he did not know (Qur’an 96: 1-
5).

The point is that the Prophet Muhammad was not literate, and there was not yet a text in any form
to be read, so what was the meaning of this first holy command “Read!”? One answer, I think, is
that “reading” here means a completely new way of looking at the world. The key notion is that
this reading should be in the name of our Sustainer. So, at the very beginning it is taught that God,
as the Sustainer and Creator, gives existence and meaning to everything else. God, according to
the Qur’an, is the real Creator, Owner and Sustainer of all reality. Hence, all reality should be seen
and read with this point of view in mind. It may be pointed out that all books written by Muslims
begin with the sentence, “In the name of God Most Gracious, Most Merciful,” a phrase which is
also repeated by Muslims throughout their daily lives as an indication of this Qur’anic outlook.

The impact of these earlier verses should not be underestimated as they were shaping Muslim
worldview as well as identity visa a vis pagan perception of nature. As Qutb comments,“this single
paragraph revealed at the very first moment of the Islamic message states the comprehensive basis
of faith and its concepts”.

 Everything starts, works and moves in His name.

 He is the One who creates, originates and teaches.
 Whatever man learns and whatever experience and knowledge he acquires come originally
from God.
 He has taught man what he did not know (Qutb, ibid).

Naturally, the Prophet was the first who fully recognized “this basic Qur’ānic fact” which
“governed his feelings, teachings and practices for the rest of his life because it is the principal fact
of faith” (Qutb, ibid). Moreover, Qutb argues that “this is an event” has immense significance not
only for Muslims, but also “has an important bearing on the life of humanity”. Therefore, he

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concludes that “it is no exaggeration to describe this event as the greatest in the long history of
human existence” (Qutb, Fi Zilal, Alaq).

According to Qutb, “the true nature of this event is that God, the Great, the Compeller, the
Almighty, the Supreme, the Sovereign of the whole universe, out of His benevolence, has turned
to that creation of His which is called (hu)man, and which takes its abode in a hardly visible corner
of the universe, the name of which is the earth. He has honoured this species of His creation by
choosing one of its number to be the recipient of His divine light and the guardian of His wisdom”
(ibid).

We are told that “these five verses which establish the first revelations were establish in the mind
of the Prophet Muhammad and then he teaches them to the first Muslims around him without any
discrimination among men and women. Then, there were no new revelation about three years. It is
not difficult, at least for our purpose here, these early verses must be read and repeated again and
again by early Muslims to shape their peculiar understanding of universe and also themselves.

To conclude, the Qur’an, presented a new way of life: a way of understanding and marking
time, a way of relating to the environment, to human beings, to family, and, most importantly,
a new way to relate to God. Thus, the Qur’an shaped Muslim perception of nature from its
earliest revelations.
According to this new insight, God created the “heavens and earth and all in between” from ex

nihilo and with a purpose and meaning. Everything has been created with a specific order, duty,

meaning and purpose (Qur’an 38: 27; 3:190-191; 21:16-17; 23:115). God adorns the skies with the

sun, the moon and the stars; the face of the earth with flowers, trees, gardens, orchards and animals.

Moreover, God causes the rivers and streams to flow on the earth; upholds the skies, causes the

rain to fall, and places the boundary between night and day. In short, the universe, together with

all its richness and vitality, is the work and art of God. The Qur’an, therefore, applies the term

islam (submission) to the entire universe and regards all nature as muslim (submissive) insofar as it

(ineluctably) obeys God’s laws. In fact, “there is not a single thing but extols His limitless glory

and praise”. (22:18; 17:44)

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A further consideration is that, as God reveals and manifests Himself through His creation, He

gives humans the impression that He is within them (Qur’an 2: 115). If God reveals Himself ––that

is, His majesty, mercy and all other sacred beautiful names and attributes through the esthetic

dimension of nature, as well as its orderly structure - then it is not difficult to think that wherever

humans look, they can easily feel the presence of God all around and within themselves. In this

way, humans will discover that all the good things they enjoy in this earthly life are, in reality,

God's gifts. (2:115). Surprisingly, many chapters (suras) of the Qur’an are named after natural

phenomena. Thunder (chapter 13), Date Trees (chapter 16), Cave (chapter 18), Light (chapter 24),

Star (chapter 53), Moon (chapter 54), Iron (chapter 57), and Sun (chapter 91).

Therefore, a careful examination of the early verses of the Qur’an reveals an invitation to examine

and investigate the heavens and the earth, and everything that can be seen in the environment: birds,

sheep, clouds, seas, grapes, dates, olives, flies, the moon, the sun, fish, camels, bees, mountains,

rain, wind––in short, all natural phenomena. In its oft-repeated insistence on the investigation of

nature, the Qur’an was aiming at developing an active and dynamic individual. The basic

characteristic of such an individual, as far as we can understand from these verses, is that his mind

is open and keen to new events and he is aware of what is occurring around him in the heavens and

on the earth.

On many occasions the Qur’an emphasizes and re-emphasizes the ultimate principle that lies

beyond nature, why nature exists and what it means. What the Qur’an is trying to explain is simple

and clear: nature is not there just by accident, as a result of the process of evolution or chaotic

configurations without meaning or purpose; it has order and meaning. Therefore, if man ponders

and scrutinizes the very structure of natural phenomena, he can deduce the existence of a Creator

who is All-Powerful, All-Knowing, and All-Merciful.

Thus, the Qur’an challenged the polytheism of the pagan Arabs by referring to nature as an
assembly of orderly, meaningful, and purposeful phenomena. Moreover, nature “having a firm

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and well-knit structure with no gaps, no ruptures, and no dislocations” is regarded as “one of the
grand handiworks of the Almighty” (Rahman, 1980). Like a mirror, nature reflects the power,
beauty, wisdom, and mercy of its Creator. Moreover, nature seen as a balanced, just, peaceful,
unified pattern, created and sustained by God. Moreover, the Qur’an’s insistence on the order,
beauty and harmony of nature implies that there is no demarcation between what the Qur’an
reveals and what nature manifests. (Iqbal, Reconstruction, 14).

Nature is Endowed with Life

The Qur’ān makes it clear from early days that the natural world is alive just like any living
creature. Qutb, a modern interpreter of the Qur’an, comments on the bases of these verses that
although people “often overlook because of long familiarity” at the universe as lifeless and
meaningless, it is full of meaning” (Commentary on al-Muddaththir 74:32-36). Accordingly, “the
sight of the moon, the departing night and shining dawn” are full of message and inspiration for
humans: They say much to the human heart, whispering secrets and arousing deep feelings”
(Ozdemir, 2016).

Thus, the Qur’ān changes its reader’s perception of the universe from the very beginning. “This
change” Qutb said, “makes us ready to receive the light that shines within our hearts just to receive
the light shining over the world around us” (Commentary on al-Muddaththir 74:32-36). It is clear
that Qutb regards nature as a book full of meaning for us. When commenting on the sūrah Al-
An’am, for example, he made similar observations and claimed that the sūrah paints several scenes
of life opening up; there are images of:
 the break of day,
 the approach of night,
 the bright stars,
 the darkness on land and sea,
 the pouring rain,
 growing vegetation, and
 ripening fruits.

Although, Qutb mentiones that “the sūrah is full of different scenes and situations”, they all
share one aspect in common, which is to “bring the listener to the scene to look at it carefully and
to reflect on the situation described”. Moreover, “the sūrah brings the listener before the picture of
ripening fruit in gardens where we see life springing up and manifesting in the colours and fruits

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that could only be produced by God’s hand” (Commentary on al-An’am 6:74-82). So, it is not
difficult for a keen reader of the Qur’ān and the book of nature to see the same message delivered
in both simultaneously.

Nature as Muslim
The very idea that nature has been created by God and is a sign of His existence leads to the
Qur’ānic idea just mentioned; that all nature is ‘Muslim’. For, the whole of nature works according
to divine laws––the so-called “natural laws” ––and according to the way God designed and created
it. The Qur’ān, therefore, applies the term Islam (“submission”) to the entire universe insofar as it
(ineluctably) obeys God’s law. Working according to God’s laws, nature submits itself to God’s
will. As a result of its position, nature does not and cannot disobey God’s commands and cannot
violate its own laws (Commentary on al-Hajj 22:18; See Rahman 1980, pp. 45-47).

The Case of Animals

The first point to be made about animals in the Qur’an, is the fact that six of the Qur'an’s 114
chapters (called suras) are have animal names: The Cow (chapter 2), The Cattle (chapter 6), The
Bee (chapter 16), The Ant (chapter 28), The Spider (chapter 29), and The Elephant (chapter 105).
Among the animal species mentioned by name in the Qur'an are camels, cattle, horses, mules,
donkeys, sheep, monkeys, dogs, pigs, snakes, worms, ants, bees, spiders, mosquitoes, and flies.
(Foltz, 2006). The Qur'an clearly states that all animals were created by God from water, and in
pairs (24:44-45; 36:36, 51:49).

Moreover, one of the striking expressions which the Qur’an uses in reference to animals is that,
like human, they constitute a “community” (umma). It is especially noteworthy that this concept,
which is a highly significant theme in Islamic tradition and literature, should be applied to
animals. (6:38). In addition, there exists a very close relationship between God, as Lord and
Sustainer of all worlds, and animals. (11:6)

Interestingly, the Qur’an portrays animals as works of art displaying the Maker’s skill and
perfection (16:66). Furthermore, we are invited to consider camels and how they are created; the
sky and how it is raised high; the mountains and how they are fixed firm; the Earth and how it is
spread out. (88:17-20) The implication is that all the phenomena around us are “full of meaning,
high design, and the goodness of God to human beings”

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The Qur’an emphasizes that the natural world has not been created solely for human’s use. Even
if human is the vicegerent of God on earth, it does not necessarily mean that the whole of nature
and its resources are designed for human’s benefit only. (55:10-12.) The Qur' an further states
that God meets the needs of all living things: "There is no moving creature on earth, but God
provides for its sustenance”.
Qutb also noted the status of plants in the Qur’ān when commenting on the verses “who brings
forth the pasturage, then turns it to withered grass” (al-A’la 87:4-5). The pasturage, as used here,
refers to all plants. The term then has a much wider sense than the familiar pastures where cattle
feed. God has created this planet and provided enough food to nourish every single living creature
which walks, swims, flies or hides itself underground. In short, the plants and pasturage “serves a
purpose according to the elaborate planning of the One who creates, proportions, determines and
guides” (ibid).

the Prophet Muhammad also insisted on the protection of animals

As with the important place given to animals by the Qur’an, the Prophet Muhammad also insisted
on the protection of animals and the kind treatment of them. His concern that they should be well
treated, protected, and not abused or degraded is truly noteworthy. While at the present time torture
and oppression of every sort are meted out to man, whom God created as the noblest of creatures,
the Prophet prohibited torture and abuse of animals even. Thus, God’s Messenger (PBUH) taught
that Muslims should act kindly not only towards human beings but to all living beings:

The Most Merciful One is merciful towards those who are merciful.
Act kindly to those on the earth so that those in the heavens [the
angels] will be merciful to you ( Tirmidhi, Birr, 16).

And as given above: “Anyone who kills a sparrow without good reason will be called to account

by God at the Last Judgement.” (Abu Dau'd, ii, 11). God’s Messenger (PBUH) also commanded that

birds’ nests should not be disturbed, or the eggs or chicks stolen (Bukhari, al-Adab al-Mufrad, 139).

On one occasion he ordered someone who had filled his bag with fledglings stolen from nests and

brought them to the town to return them to their nests immediately. The young birds were thus able

to grow to maturity in natural surroundings in their mothers’ nests.

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The Prophet Muhammad thus enjoined the protection of animals and birds, that they should not be

ill-treated, but should be well looked after and kept clean, and employed in work suitable to their

natures, and should not be loaded with burdens greater than they can bear. He put a ban on hunting,

forbidding the arbitrary hunting of animals for pleasure.

He one day related the following story to those sitting by him:

“A traveller felt a great thirst as he went on his way, so stopped at well and
drank of its water. As he came up from the well he saw a dog licking the
damp soil with its thirsty, lolling tongue. Saying to himself: ‘This animal
is thirsty like I was,’ he went back down to the well and filled his shoe with
water. Then holding it firm returned and held it for the dog to drink. God
praised that servant of His for his act and forgave all his sins.”
His Companions then asked him:
“So are we rewarded for watering animals?”
God’s Messenger replied: “There is a reward for giving any living creature
to drink.” ( Bukhari, Tajrid al-Sahih, vii, 223, No: 1066).

The Prophet prohibited the ill-treatment of animals, and warned us concerning this

question when he said: “A woman was sent to Hell because she tied up her cat and

neither gave it food nor allowed it free to hunt the cockroaches”( Muslim, Birr, 133;

Musnad, iv, 351).

He stated that like men, animals employed in various tasks had the right to rest, and when stopping

to rest on journeys, in particular insisted that the animals’ needs should be met and that they should

be rested. Anas ibn Malik, one of the Companions, related:

“Whenever we arrived at a stopping-place, we would never start the prayers
until we had removed the loads from the pack-animals [and left them free
to rest]” (Abu Dau'd, Jihaad, 48).
We saw, moreover, from the Prophet’s Hadiths that treating animals well is a means of a person
entering Paradise, while ill-treatment of them may be the cause of a person going to Hell.
It is not difficult to see the fact that the animals are not mentioned here for their instrumental use
as such, and our relationship with them cannot be only based on the principle of utility. Of course,
humanity will make use them and benefit from them, but this is not the only legitimate relationship
with them. It is expected from us that we should see nature and all its inhabitants in a broad and
more holistic perspective, appreciating its metaphysical, esthetical and other aspects as well.

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Water: The Source of Life

The Qur’an regards water as the source of life and gives great importance to water as an essential
and primary element. In fact, “God has created every animal from water” and “water is the source
of life on earth” (24:45; 25:54; 21: 30). We are frequently reminded that God sends down water
from the skies and brings forth fruits of many hues. (35: 27–28). In a poetic style Qutb reminded
us that:
Water pours down from the sky in accordance with laws that God has placed in
nature and set into operation. It is these laws that control the running of such
water and bring about its outcome in accordance with God’s will. Indeed, He
initiates every movement and determines every result by a special act of will
(Commentary on al-Nahl 16:10).
Although we drink water for the sake of our life and civilisation, as masterfully mention by Jared
Diamond in his seminal book, the whole creation also needs water for existence and sustenance of
its life (Diamond, 2005).

When commenting on the verse “We send down water from the skies in accordance with a set
measure, and We cause it to lodge in the earth; and We are most certainly able to take it all away”
(al-Mu’minūn 23:18), he underlined that there is “a direct link between those seven orbits or bodies
and the earth”. He believed that, “water falls from the sky, and has a direct link with those bodies.”
It is not difficult for Qutb to see “the perfect order controlling the universe that allows water to fall
from the sky and settle into the earth” (Commentary on Surah al-Mu’minūn ; v.12, pp. 158-159).

Here, we see in the Qur’ānic usage of water that the whole creation is interconnected and
interdependent. Qutb, commenting on similar verses on water underlined the Qur’ānic perception
of the whole universe as a meaningful book. The outline of his comments are as follows:

 There is certainly a sign in the way God has designed the universe and set its laws,
 they fit human life,
 man would not have been able to survive on this planet had the laws of nature been
unsuitable for his nature and needs,
 man is placed on the earth and this has not come about by blind coincidence,
 nor is it a matter of coincidence that proportions and relationships between our planet and
other planets and stars are as they are, and
 climatic conditions are so suitable to support human life and satisfy man’s needs and
desires.

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According to Qutb, when people look through the world with the Qur’ānic lens they will see and
understand that:

 there is elaborate and wise planning in the universe,

 a natural phenomenon such as rain and its effects of initiating life and helping plants and
trees to grow and yield their fruit links to the higher laws of existence and evidence pointing
to the Creator who has no partners, and
 everything is part of His planning and under His management.

However, “the careless see such phenomena every morning and every evening, winter and
summer, but it stirs nothing in their minds. They do not feel any urge to try to identify the One who
has designed this unique and remarkable system” (Commentary on al-Nahl 16:10).

Not Wasting the Earth’s Resources

A further important Islamic principle related to the environment is the Islamic prohibition

concerning thoughtless consumption; that is, wastefulness and extravagance. Wastefulness is not

only the thoughtless consumption of natural resources, it is at the same time disrespectful towards

God, the Creator and Owner of all the bounties. For this reason, in Islam, eating and drinking of

licit food is lawful, but wastefulness is forbidden. At this time we know better than at any other

that the world’s resources are limited. Extravagance and over-consumption will affect not only

ourselves, but forthcoming generations. We are therefore compelled to be aware and sensitive

concerning this matter. In the Holy Qur’an, God says: “Verily We have created all things in
proportion and measure”( the Qur’an, 54:49).

If we keep this in mind, we see that carefully preserving the balance and measure is a human

obligation. The science of ecology shows us that the universe contains extremely sensitive eco

systems and balances, and that man has therefore to maintain these ecological systems.

Modern man only came to realize the environmental problems with the help of ecology when the

problems became apparent, whereas the Qur’an draws our attention to this balance in particular,

which now everyone is trying to maintain. The obligation of maintaining this balance, which is

God’s work, is man’s, whom God created on “the best of patterns,” and who is His vicegerent or
deputy on earth. No Muslim therefore will spoil the universe’s balance, nor will any Muslim look

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on indifferently while other’s spoil it. For the natural balance is at the same time a mirror

reflecting Almighty God’s Most Beautiful Names. Islam permits utilization of the environment,

but this should not be arbitrary. Wastefulness and extravagance are prohibited by God (Qur’an,

7:31).

The eating and drinking in this verse refer to utilizing the resources necessary for the continuation

of our lives. This should not be uncontrolled. The elements that support life should be conserved

so that they can be utilized continuously. More than this, such conservation should be unselfish.

That is, it should not only have human interests in view.

Thus, while utilizing the world’s bounties, the Muslim should not do so with an unconstrained

and irresponsible approach to consumption. On the contrary, he is obliged to base all such actions

and the measure of his consumption on Islamic economic principles.

There are very good reasons for Islam prohibiting wastefulness and prodigality so forcefully. We

may put it this way: there are between five and six thousand million people living in the world

today. Just think of each individual person cutting down a tree or killing an animal just for the fun

of it. Six thousand million trees or six thousand million animals would perish. Or think of the

water they would waste, or the bread or other foodstuffs they would throw away. The serious

consequences of those apparently insignificant actions are clear. Moreover, for the greater part it

is not possible to reclaim the resources we have polluted, destroyed, or annihilated. It is in this

light that we may understand how meaningful was the point God’s Messenger (PBUH) was

emphasizing when he said: “Even if you take the ablutions in a flowing river, do not waste the

water,” and how important it is for the preservation of the ecological balance (Ozdemir, Talk

given in New York, 1998).

Conclusion
To summarize, Muslims’ perception of the environment has been shaped by the Qur’an. It asserts
that God created the universe and adorns the skies with the sun, the moon and the stars, and the
face of the earth with flowers, trees, gardens, orchards, and the various animal species. God
causes the rivers and streams to flow, upholds the skies (without support), causes the rain to fall,
and places the boundary between night and day. Therefore, the universe, with all its richness and
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vitality, is the work and art of God who creates all plants and animals as pairs, in this way
causing their procreation.

The Qur’anic expression “Sustainer of All the Worlds” (1:2) underlines that God is integral to the
continuation of all life. It refers to God as “The Sustainer of all environments”, “Who embraces
and encompasses all environments”. Therefore, the Qur’an presents a vivid and rich portrayal of
the environment, full of meaning, purpose, order and sacred beauty.

Nature, in the Qur’anic context, is a living, holistic, orderly and perfect environment, populated
by angels, jinn, human beings and animals. Above all, the universe, with all its causal processes,
is the prime sign and proof of its Creator and Maker. Therefore, an environmental ethic is the
logical outcome of a Qur’anic understanding of nature and human. The Qur’anic value system
has the necessary elements for developing and constructing an environmental ethic.

References
I have borrowed freely from a number of my prior publications, all of which
have been thoroughly juggled around and heavily revised and none of
which is simply reprinted here. Among them:

Abdullah, Yusuf Ali, trans., the Holy Qur’an (Maryland: Amana Corp., 1983).
Akkach, Samer. Cosmology and Architecture in Premodern Islam: anAarchitectural Reading of Mystical
Ideas, (SUNY series in Islam), 2005.
Asad, Muhammad, The Message of the Qur’an (Gibraltar: Dar Al-Andalus, 1984).
Diamond, J. (2005) Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, NY: Viking Books.
Foltz, Richard, Animals in Islamic Tradition and Muslim Culture, (Oxford: Oneworld Publications, 2006).
Foltz, Richard c., Frederick M. Denny and Azizan Baharuddin, eds., Islam and Ecology: A Bestowed
Trust (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2003).
Iqbal, Muhammad. The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam (Lahore: The Ashraf Press, 1958).
Izutsu, Toshihiko. God and Man in the Koran: Semantics of the Koranic Weltanschauung (Tokyo: Keio
Institute of Cultural and Linguistic Studies, 1964).
Nasr, Seyyed Hossein, Man and Nature: the Spiritual Crisis in Modern Man (London, 1967).
———. “Islam and Environmental Crisis,” in Spirit and Nature, ed. Steven C. Rockefeller and John C.
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