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“With Him are the keys (to the treasures) of the
Unseen that no one knows but He. He knows whatever there is on the earth and
in the sea. Not a leaf falls but with His knowledge: there is not a grain in
the earth’s shadows, not a thing, freshly green or withered, but it is
(inscribed) in a clear record.” (Quran 6:59)
The Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and
blessings of God be upon him, once said:
“The world is green and beautiful, and God
has appointed you his guardian over it.”(Saheeh Muslim)
Keeping the earth green, productive and of
benefit to man and beast is a most noble concern according to Islam. We learn
from the Prophet that:
“There is none amongst the believers who
plants a tree, or sows a seed, and then a bird, or a person, or an animal eats from
it, except that it is regarded as having given a charitable gift (for which he
can expect God’s Pleasure and Reward).” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)
The planting of vegetation is such a virtuous
endeavour in the Sight of God that it is encouraged even if it be a person’s
final act on Earth. The Prophet said:
“Even when the Day of Judgement comes (upon
you), if any one has a palm-shoot in hand, he should plant it.” (Ahmad)
As for the question of who has rights over
herbage and the other resources that are vital to the survival and well-being
of humankind, the Prophet explicitly stated:
“The people are partners in three things: water,
herbage and (fuel for) fire.” (ibn Maajah)
It is a given in Islam that if the vital
resources of the earth are not shared equitably, societies will be polarized
between the haves and the have-nots. Hence, those Muslims who find themselves
in control of provisions beyond their means are encouraged to be charitable and
compassionate towards the less fortunate one on the one hand, and censured for
hoarding and wastefulness on the other. In any event, the obligatory Islamic
institution of zakah (alms-giving to the poor), the prohibition of riba
(usury in all its wicked forms), and the ethical economic system of Islam in general,
all ensure that the gap between rich and poor does not remain insurmountable or,
in any case, is highly porous.
“It is He Who produced gardens with and without trellises;
and date-palms and crops with produce of all kinds; and olives and pomegranates
of similar and different variety: eat of their fruit in their season but render
the dues (i.e. pay the zakah) that are proper on the day that the
harvest is gathered. And waste not by excess: for God does not love the wasteful.”
(Quran 6:141)
The cause of sustainable development - the
ability of current generations to develop without compromising the needs of
future generations - is itself in complete harmony with the teachings of Islam.
Today, less than 25 percent of the world’s population are consuming over 75
percent of the world’s resources. It is this misappropriation, misuse, abuse and
overuse of the world’s resources that makes for unsustainable resource consumption.
As for those guilty of such abuse, for them will be a severe comeuppance in the
Hereafter, as was alluded to by the Prophet when he said:
“(Among the)... three types of people with
whom God, on the Day of Resurrection, will neither exchange words, nor look at
... is the one who possesses an excess of water but withholds it from others. God
will say to him: ‘Today I shall withhold from you my grace as you withheld from
others the excess of what you had not yourself created.’” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)
“And it is He Who has made you successive
(generations) in the earth. And He has raised you in ranks, some above others,
so that He may try you in that which He has bestowed on you. Surely your Lord
is Swift in retribution, and certainly He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Quran
6:165)
In reality, the accelerated loss of
biodiversity, the destruction of natural habitats, the pollution of and damage to
eco-systems, and the general environmental erosion, damage and degradation, not
to speak of the wide scale oppression suffered by many of the world’s
inhabitants, are all from the manifest signs of corruption and villainy in the
earth.
“If only there had been among the generations before
you, persons having wisdom, prohibiting (others) from corruption and villainy
in the earth, except a few of those whom We saved from among them.” (Quran
11:116)
If man fails in his duty and responsibility
towards the One (God) greater than he, how can he be expected to be dutiful and
responsible to that which he deems lesser than himself? If there is
ingratitude to the Creator, how can man show gratitude towards his fellow man –
let alone for the dumb beasts of the earth? If man cares little for the
balance of his good deeds before His Lord, why should he be expected to care
for the balance of the world around him?
“Truly, he (the wrong-doer, will have) thought that he
would never return (to His lord for reckoning)! By no means! His Lord has
been ever watchful over him!” (Quran 84:14-5)
Therefore let all humanity take heed! For it is
certainly true that we reap what we sew. Everything we do in life will revisit
us after our death; we, the human beings who have had the whole earth and its
creatures subdued for a just cause. That fact alone should make us responsible
in our preparation for that one fateful day, the Day of Judgement.
“When the Earth is shaken with a violent shaking, and
the Earth throws out her burdens, and man says: ‘What has befallen her?’ - on
that Day she shall tell her story!” (Quran 99:1-4)
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