Saad Tasleem – Does Islam Care About the Environment
AI: Summary ©
The speaker discusses the use of the word Islam in relation to the environment, stating that Islam affirms that all individuals are agents and protect the environment. The speaker also discusses specific examples of Islam's actions to protect the environment, including regulations on land use, the construction of trees, and the disposal of toxic materials.
AI: Summary ©
Why
does Islam care about the environment? This may seem like an odd question because caring about the environment seems like a recent issue, and Islam appeared more than 1400 years ago. So did Islam really legislate laws to protect the environment from all that time ago? Well, when God sent the father of humankind, Adam peace be upon him to earth, He sent him to be successor. So according to Islamic principles, this means that we as human beings are agents and guardians on Earth. And it is our responsibility to use the Earth's resources with care and humility to preserve and protect the environment. And this is exactly what was stated in the Islamic Declaration on climate change. Islam
affirms that the use of the resources is the right and privilege of all people and therefore instructs us as human beings to take the utmost precaution to ensure the interests and rights of everyone because we are all equal partners on Earth. Human beings must not misuse and ruin natural resources as every generation has the right to benefit from them. No one person or even generation owns them in the absolute sense. And this is how the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him live. He showed a great deal of care and concern for the environment and gave guidelines for taking care of it. For example, He said, If any Muslim plants, trees or seeds, and then a person, bird or animal
eats from it, it is considered charity. Here are some specific examples of what is found in Islam to protect the environment. Laws to combat land waste by desertification by encouraging the reconstruction of land reclamation and afforestation. The prohibition of cutting down trees, the removal of corruptive and toxic materials from land so that it remains clean, keeping one's own living environment clean the preservation of water. So in Islam, it's forbidden to waste water and hunting is prohibited at certain times and in specific places in order to allow for animals to reproduce and prosper.