Islamic Concept of Environment
By
Agha Muhammad Ajmal
Media & Event Management Advisor
Cell # +92-301-4499578
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 universe is 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".
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 neighboring 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 ever more interlinked with advances in communications to the extent that the world has become like a global village. Perhaps further impetus has been given by what we are currently hearing about with regard to a hole in the ozone layer as a result of the use of certain industrial gases - a problem which has become international and has led to climate changes throughout the world, thus threatening both Mankind and all other living beings. The environment, with its interacting elements forms the universe which is the environment of Man - the universe with its galaxies, nebulae, constellations, stars, planets, moons, comets, meteors and shooting stars, etc. All of these constitute an interlinked and integrated system - a dynamic system governed by specific and precise relations and forces. If one part of the system is affected, then the whole is disturbed. A constellation breaking free of the forces guiding its movement would be loosed into space with its constituent parts colliding or merging with one another. Life anywhere in such a system would be endangered.
Allah, to Whom be ascribed all Perfection and Majesty, says: He withholds the sky (rain) from falling on the earth Except by His leave; for Allah is Most Kind and Most Merciful to man. (The Pilgrimage: 65) It is Allah who sustains the heavens and the earth, lest they cease (to function): And if they should fail, There is none - not one - Can sustain them thereafter: Verily He is Most Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving.
The Man is the most exalted and precious of created beings in this universe as Allah; the Creator made him His vicegerent. Regrettably, however, Man rarely acts in the light of this truth or in an appropriate way, whether with regard to himself or the people or environment around him. Man was created by the Creator and the Creator perfected His creation with the environment which surrounds him on the surface of the earth. The greatest example of precision in the creation of Man and his exact compatibility with his environment is the perfect relationship between Man's form and the earth's gravity. What happened to the astronauts demonstrated the incompatibility of the lunar environment, where gravity is one sixth that of the earth, with man's gravity. This precise and perfect compatibility between Man and his environment means that, as an article of faith and ethics, Man has a responsibility towards this environment to protect it for his own interest and for future generations so that it remains suitable for the sons of Adam to live in the way Allah intended. Man must never forget that any destruction of the environment whether of the soil, the atmosphere, the vegetation, or the water means the destruction of Mankind. Allah, to whom be ascribed all Perfection and Majesty, says:
Travel through the earth and see how Allah did Originate creation (The Spider: 20) 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 (The Heifer : 164) And contemplate The (wonders of ) creation In the heavens and the earth, (With the thought) : "Our Lord! Not for naught Hast Thou created (all) this! (The Family of 'Imran: 191)
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 behavior 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.
We can derive from the above some important facts about the relationship between man and universe, in the light of the Shari'a, which are necessary for the life of Man as vicegerent on this earth:
1. The relationship between the Muslim and the environment is a religious and moral relationship of which tens of verses (ayat) from the Holy Qur'an and sayings (hadith) of the Prophet speak, examples of which will be presented herewith. They determine the basis for dealing with the environment surrounding us.
2. Islam's care for the environment stands on the basis of faith, the most important evidence of which is that any violation or corruption on earth - any kind of corruption whatsoever - whether in the natural or social environment is considered a violation of Allah's law and shall be punished by Allah, the True Owner and Master of Creation.
3. The moral dimension in dealing with the environment is necessary for life to be righteous and for the correct progress of the order of existence. Man must fully understand that the True Owner of this universe is Allah, to whom be ascribed all Perfection and Majesty, and that He made us His vicegerents on the earth. Man must observe the laws particular to the preservation of this universe - laws which were made by its True Owner. If Man realized this fact which Islam has established in the relationship of Man with his environment, many of the immoral disasters which have afflicted the environment would have been avoided, such as the use of atomic and chemical weapons in various wars. History bears witness to a large number of such wars which have caused immoral disasters for Man and his environment.
4. The linkage of reward and punishment in Islam's concern for the environment and the infliction of punishment on those who spread corruption in the earth. Allah, to whom be ascribed all Perfection and Majesty, says:
Then, is it to be expected of you, If you were put in authority, That ye will do mischief In the land, and break Your ties of kith and kin? (Muhammad: 22)
5. Islam stresses and affirms the high position of the man of knowledge who, through his knowledge, arrives at an understanding of Allah's signs in the universe and the earth, astronomy and medicine, etc and uses this knowledge to appreciate the value of the blessings which Allah has bestowed on Man. Allah, to Whom be ascribed all Perfection and Majesty, says:
Travel through the earth and see how Allah did Originate creation (The Spider: 20) Now let man but think from what he is created! (The Night-Visitant: 5) Then let man look at his food (And how we provide it) (He Frowned: 24) Do they not travel through the land, so that their hearts (and minds) May thus learn wisdom and their ears may Thus learn to hear? (The Pilgrimage: 46) Do they not look at the sky above them? How we have made it and adorned it, and there are no flaws in it? (Qâf: 6) Do they not look at the earth, - how many Noble things of all kinds we have produced therein? (The Poets: 7)
6. In the light of this belief, it is necessary to truly understand the environment - its elements, constituents and reciprocal relations, together with the need to make a serious collective effort to protect this environment and to guarantee its continuation as an acceptable habitat for life in the present and the future. This is the environment which Allah has created! - An environment in which everything has been created in perfect balance and proportion. This fact is confirmed by modern science: the greatest scientists have seen in the perfection of creation and the fact that life would disappear if the forces regulating creation were at variance with one another proof of a single creator of this magnificent system. As the Holy Qur'an says:
If there were, in the heavens and the earth, other Allah besides Allah, there would have been confusion in both! But glory to Allah the Lord of the Throne: (High is He) above what they attribute to Him. (The Prophets: 22)
Islam cares for the environment in every sense of the word and in all its aspects whether in relation to the earth and the laws dealing with it or with man's relation to it as its owner, custodian and protector from the harmful consequences of his vanity. As a consequence, Islam has encouraged scientific environmental research. In addition, the jurists of Islam have devoted much research and efforts to the laws of collective and individual ownership to arrive at the best use of the environment and sustained interaction therewith. The jurists have been concerned to define ownership and how one may legally benefit and profit there from. In the case of land, they stress that both the land owner and the land itself are covered by legal provisions.
Keeping in mind the view from above, The Environ Monitor and National Foundation of Environmental Education & Research is planning to organize the National Conference on Islam and Environment on 15 March 2011 at Lahore (Detail attached) to provide a professional platform for dissemination of the latest researches about the Islamic Concept of Environment through the state-of-the-art presentations and special lectures. The main thrust of the conference is to develop the knowledge based forum for exchange of respective experiences to suggest measures for improvement of environment at national, regional and global levels, create public awareness among stakeholders for developing cleaner & greener Mother Earth. Enhance participation of rural people, particularly women and the under privileged strata, in decisions and events impacting their environments.
For further detail and enquiry please contact:
Engineer Mumtaz Hussain
Environment Consultant and
Editor, The Environ Monitor
Environment House
W-715, Defence Housing Authority
Lahore. 54792, Pakistan
Phone/Fax 92-42-35733283 & 35749182
Mobile: 0333-4319936
Email: environmonitor@yahoo.com
Engineer Mumtaz Hussain is an environmentalist having MSc Environmental Engineering, MSc (Hons) Soil Science, BSc (Hons) Agriculture and BSc Civil Engineering. He has special interest in undertaking Environmental Assessment assignments. He completed environmental assessment of 150 developmental projects in Pakistan. He has worked with leading environmental consultancy companies of Pakistan. Being a Chairman of two NGOs namely Environment Media Forum and Society for Conservation of Environment & Sustainable Development he has participated in a large number of courses, workshops, seminars, conferences and symposia on the environmental issues both at home and abroad. Mr. Hussain is a member of a number of technical government and non-governmental bodies.
He visited USA, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Korea, Holland, Belgium, India, China, Dublin and Australia in connection with environmental and engineering events and studying environmental establishments/projects. Mr. Hussain is an editor of "The Environ Monitor" a monthly striving for "Environmental Excellence".
I. If you want to receive individual emails
II. Receive one mail with all activity in it
III. Do not want to receive any mail at all
Regards,
Tariq Khattak, Group Manager,
GSM = 0300-9599007 and 0333-9599007
+92-300-9599007 and +92-333-9599007
Tariqgulkhattak@gmail.com
Tariqgulkhattak@hotmail.com
REQUESTS:
1)Please directly contact sender for personal/individual correspondence.
2)Try to discuss issues that will catch attention of many readers.
3)Please avoid sending messages in any language other than English
4)Avoid sending messages addressed to many recipients.
5)Do not send messages aimed at personal publicity.
6)Please do not send personal/other links unless necessary.
7)The Group is not obliged to publish printed news,
very short/long comments and objectionable material.
8)Every mail cannot be published; it will overload Mailboxes
of our valued members.
9)Try to Disagree Without Being Disagreeable, Unsympathetic and/or Unpleasant.
x==x==x==x==x==x
Please note that,
It is a common platform for journalists and all others who are interested in knowing about the issues that are sometimes not reported. This group favours philosophy of progress, reform and the protection of civil liberties. Please share and educate others. The owners and managers of this site do not necessarily agree with any of the information. It is an open forum; everyone is allowed to share anything. Mails sent by members and non-members are subject to approval. However, we are not responsible in any way for the contents of mails / opinion sent by members. We do not guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. (Nor can print and electronic media). If you find content on this site which you feel is inappropriate or inaccurate, incomplete, or useless you are most welcome to report it or contradict it.
Thanks a lot.
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Gujranwalafun@Aol.com
Gujranwala@windiowslive.com