A Bestowed Trust:

An Islamic Perception on the Environment

and Sustainable Development

27 March 2019,

Prof. Dr. İbrahim Özdemir

Abo Akademi University, Turku- Finland
ib60dmr@gmail.com
 “In the name of Allah, the most gracious, the merciful” occurred 114 times in the Quran.
 The Prophet (pbuh): “All that is contained in the revealed books is to be found in the Qur’an
and all that is contained in the Qur’an is summed up in the surat al-fatihah”.
 The phrase “In the name of” (Bismi) is an idiom having the connotation of with:
 the blessings of,
 under the governance of,
 as an instrument of,
 as a representative of,
 on behalf of,
 with the support of, or for the glory of.
 In each of these cases, the expression “In the name of” indicates that one is submitting to,
honoring or glorifying that which is referred to.
“All creatures act in the name of Almighty Allah”.
 All trees say: “In the Name of Allah,” fill their hands from the
treasury of mercy, and offer them to us.
 All gardens say: “In the Name of Allah” and become cauldrons
from the kitchens of Divine power in which are cooked numerous
varieties of different foods.
 All blessed animals like cows, camels, sheep, and goats, say: “In
the Name of Allah,” and produce springs of milk from the
abundance of mercy, offering us a most delicate and pure food like
the water of life in the name of the Provider.
 Briefly, this blessed phrase is a mark of Islam and Muslims.
 It forms and shapes our perception of Allah, the universe, and
ourselves.
 So, we have to start everything in our daily life with Bismillah (Nursi,
S. The Words, First Word).
 The Problems Facing Us
Environmental and climate change: the world’s greatest
problems.
 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.
 The Problems Facing Us/2
 Environmental, social, and economic threats are
aimed at everyone without discrimination,
whether Christian, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist, and
Muslim.
 The teachings of the Qur’an and its embodiment
in the life of the Prophet Muhammad may help
Muslims to understand their environment in a
wider context
 Develop a spirit of care, compassion, and
responsibility towards environmental problems.
 The Qur’an: The Fountain and the Reference
Point for Muslims
It gives meaning to the world we live in and our journey in this life.
It has been a source of inspiration, illumination, and guidance for ;
 Muslim philosophers,
 Theologians,
 Sufi masters,
 Scientists,
 Jurists,
 Average Muslims who have accepted it as their sacred revelation from the
first revelation to present day.
 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 and solving
our daunting problems.
 Read in The Name of Creator!

 “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).
 “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 Lord, who is the
Creator and Sustainer of the universe.
 Therefore, from the very beginning the Qur’an, declares that Allah 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.
 The impact of these earlier verses should not be underestimated as they
were shaping Muslims’ worldview as well as identity visa a vis pagan
perception of nature.
 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 Allah.
 He has taught man what he did not know.
 Al-Fātihah/ The Opening
 Every Muslim recites this short sūrah of seven verses at
least seventeen times a day.
 This short sūrah contains a great deal of the central basic
ideas of Islam, its beliefs and concepts.
 It outlines many of its essential perceptions and attitudes.
 All this makes it clear why it was chosen for frequent
recitation and why it is essential for the validity of prayer.
 Reading it, again and again, imprint and register the
meaning and message of this blessed verses in our minds
and hearts.
 Let’s look at this chapter with an environmental mindset
and see how it presents the world to us.
 It starts with praising Allah: “All praise be to Allah, the
Sustainer of all the worlds”. (Qur’an, 1:1-2).
 A Sacred Environment
 We should not forget that the Sustainer, the Lord, and Owner of all
environments, at the same time, is our Creator.
 Heavens, the planets, the stars, the galaxies, the earth, oceans, seas, lakes,
rivers, lofty mountains, forests all living creatures, that is all-natural
phenomenon created and sustained by Allah, constitutes our
environment.
 Thus, when we say “environment,” we understand all these natural
phenomena as a whole.
 Moreover, we can add to the natural environment our social environment,
too.
 The latter include poverty, homelessness, migration problems, racism,
abandoned children, drug abuse, alcohol addiction, neighbors, and other
problems.
 Social Environment and Responsibilities
Let me just remind you a saying of the Prophet regarding our very
social environment.
He reminded his friends “he is not a believer whose stomach is
filled while the neighbor to his side goes hungry.”
He also, I think, is the first human being who remind his
community regarding the neighbor’s right of wind, when saying
“when building a house, you must not prevent your neighbor to
have wind”.
In short, the Prophet urges kind and considerate treatment and
relationship towards our neighbors, which is our very social
environment.
They deserve our respect and good treatment regardless of their
religion, race or color.
 Poverty as social problem
 Poverty is one of the most crucial and biggest social
problem of the modern age. Unfortunately, the
number of people living below poverty line is
increasing day by day at an alarming rate.
 Poverty is a social problem that further gives rise to
more distressing problems, like, unemployment,
migration, crime, depression, drug use etc.
 Poverty persists in both rural and urban areas alike;
and in both developed and developing economies.
 Therefore, OECD argues that “failure to tackle the
poverty and exclusion facing millions of families and
their children is not only socially reprehensible, but it
will also weigh heavily on our country's capacity to
sustain economic growth in years to come.”
 The Purpose and Meaning
The pre-Islamic Arabs regarded nature: lifeless, meaningless, and purposeless.
the Qur’an from the first day declared at top of Mount Noor that the “heavens
and earth and all in between” created with a purpose and meaning.
Therefore, “everything has been created with a specific order, duty, meaning,
and purpose” (Qur’an 38: 27; 3:190-191; 21:16-17; 23:115).
 Nature is not out there just
 By accident,
 As a result of the process of blind and random evolution
 Or chaotic configurations without meaning or purpose;
 Nature has and order, meaning, and purpose.
 Therefore, if human 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.
 Divine Book!

 Nature “having a firm and well-knit structure

with no gaps, no ruptures, and no dislocations”
is regarded as “one of the grand handiworks of
the Almighty”.
 Like a mirror, nature reflects the power, beauty,
wisdom, and mercy of its Creator.
 Nature, in the light of the Qur’an, seen as a
balanced, just, peaceful, unified pattern,
created and sustained by Allah.
 Allah adorns the skies with the sun, the moon,
and the stars; the face of the earth with flowers,
trees, gardens, orchards and animals.
 Allah and Creation
Allah 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 Allah.
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 Allah’s laws.
In fact, the Qur’an declares that “there is not a single thing but extols His
limitless glory and praise”. (22:18; 17:44).
 Like a seal, everything ascribes all things to
its own Creator
 After this notion of the seal, the following thought occurred to me:
 just as a seal stamped on a letter denotes the letter’s author, in the
same way, this flower is a seal signifying the Most Merciful One.
 And this hillock which is inscribed with the impresses of these species
and written with the lines of these plants so full of meaning, is the
missive of the flower’s Maker.
 This hill too is a seal.
 This plateau and plain have taken on the form of a missive of the Most
Merciful One.
 After this thought, the following fact came to mind:
 like a seal, everything ascribes all things to its own Creator; it proves
each is the letter of its own Scribe.
 Thus, all things are windows onto Divine unity in such a way that each
ascribes all things to a Single One of Unity” (Nursi,ibid).
 Allah is al-Muhit!
If Allah reveals His majesty, mercy and all other sacred beautiful names and
attributes through the esthetic dimension of nature, as well as its orderly
structure –
In this way, humans will discover that all the good things they enjoy in this
earthly life are, in reality, Allah's gifts (2:115).
Allah is al-Muhit: “all encompassing, all pervading, and that which surrounds
all” (4:108).
As muhit "God Himself is the ultimate environment which surrounds and
encompasses man.”
 So, Nasr believes that since the environment is not an ontologically
independent order of reality, which is divorced from the Divine
Environment, the environmental crisis "has been caused by man’s refusal to
see God as the real Environment."
 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:
 the sun, the moon, stars, clouds, seas, mountains, rain, wind

 grapes, dates, olives,

 flies, birds, fish, camels, sheep, bees,––

 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.
In the poetic and eloquent words of Rumi:

“Do you know what you are?

You are a manuscript of a divine
letter.
You are a mirror reflecting a
noble face.
This universe is not outside of
you.
Look inside yourself;
everything that you want, you
are already that.”
 al-Nablusi (d.1731)
a Sufi poet of 18th century of Damascus

invites us to see and read the whole

universe as a book:
 Reflect upon the lines of the [Book of the]
Universe,
 for they are letters to you from the
highest realm.(al-Nablusi, Diwan).

 “the Book of creation displays orderliness as

clearly as the midday sun
 exhibits the power’s miracle in every word or
letter”.
 A Sacred book and Piece of Art

the Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo da

Vinci that has been described as
• "the best known,
• the most visited,
• the most written about,
• the most sung about,
• the most parodied work of art in the world".

The Mona Lisa:

• the most valuable paintings in the world.
• the highest known insurance valuation in
From art to artist!
history at $100 million in 1962.
• nearly $800 million in 2017
 Nature as Miracle and Signs of Allah
Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth;
 in the alternation of the Night and the Day;
 in the sailing of the ships through the Ocean for the
profit of mankind;
 in the rain which Allah sends down from the skies,
 and the life which He gives therewith to an earth that
is dead;
 in the beasts of all kinds that He scatters through the
earth;
 in the change of the winds, and the clouds which
they trail like their slaves between the sky and the
earth;
 (here) indeed are Signs for a people that are wise.
(al-Baqarah 2:164).
 The Prophet (pbuh):
a Role Model for Muslim Environmentalists
 We Muslims regard the Prophet Muhammad as the
perfect man & the complete person (insan-i kamil),
 representing in his life and person an example all
Muslims should aspire to follow.
 The Qur’an, addressing the Prophet, declares, “indeed
you have been endowed with a noble character”
(Qur’an 68:4).
 Then reminds us “in the Messenger of Allah you have
a beautiful pattern of conduct” (Qur’an 33:21).
 ’A’isha, the Prophet’s wife, describes her husband, as
having a character that mirrors the Qur’an.
 The Prophet insisted on the protection of
animals and the kind treatment of them
They should be well treated, protected, and not abused or degraded
The Prophet prohibited torture and abuse of animals even.
 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).
 “Anyone who kills a sparrow without good reason will be called to
account by Allah at the Last Judgement.” (Abu Dau'd, ii, 11).
 Birds’ nests should not be disturbed, or the eggs or chicks stolen
(Bukhari, al-Adab al-Mufrad, 139).
 They should not be ill-treated, but should be well looked after
 kept clean, and employed in work suitable to their natures,
 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.
 “There is a reward for giving any living
creature to drink.”
 “A traveler 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.
Allah 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?”
 Allah’s Messenger replied: “There is a reward for giving any
living creature to drink.” (Bukhari, Tajrid al-Sahih, vii, 223, No:
1066).
Hima: “inviolable zones,” which are called sanctuaries
The Prophet was aware of the integrity of eco-system and the importance of water,
greenery, and forests.
 On migrating to Medina, he organized the planting of trees and date groves. He
made forests and green spaces conservation areas, where every sort of living
creature could live unmolested.
 Within these “inviolable zones,” which are called sanctuaries (hima), neither trees,
nor shrubs, nor vegetation could be cut, nor could any wild animal be hunted or
even disturbed.
 Around Medina, a strip of land approximately twelve miles wide was proclaimed a
sanctuary and made a conservation area by the Prophet.
 Likewise, he declared other areas, similar to the one in this example, as
sanctuaries.
 In short, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was very conscious of his environment.
 developed a spirit of love and care toward the creatures of Allah.
 If Muslims examine the life of the Prophet with a “green” eye, they may discover
new insights for developing an environmental ethics.
 “Human beings are not outsiders and strangers
in a hostile and brute natural environment”
 If everything is alive and created by a compassionate, creative, and
loving Allah,
 Then «human beings are not outsiders and strangers in a hostile
and brute natural environment».
 «The whole world is a majestic garden, in which every flower has
its function and represents various states and aspects of human
life,
 Every leaf on a tree and every bird in a bush offers praise and
thanksgiving for Allah’s greatness and sustenance.
 Every leaf and tree is a messenger from non-existence, proclaiming
the creative power of Allah, talking with long hands and green
fresh tongues”.
 Conclusion
 Allah 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.
 Allah 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 vitality, is the work and art
of Allah who creates and sustains all plants and animals as pairs, in this way
causing their procreation.
 Nature as a balanced, just, peaceful, unified pattern, created by and
functioning according to Allah’s design, each part having its own purpose,
its role within the interlocking whole.
 everything is interdependent with everything.
 Therefore, humans should/must consider this interconnectedness when
dealing and interacting with the natural environment.