What is Islam’s Stance on Global Warming Q&A #20

Bismillah Alhamdulillah wa salatu salam ala Rasulillah who Allah Allah, He will be here on Wella Hammerberg. Our question for today is from Brother Sajid from California. And I'm assuming by the email that you wrote his younger brother may be in high school. And the language is very nice and simple and beautiful. And he says, What is Islam stance on global warming? What is Islam stance on global warming? This is the question as it is phrased to me. So we answer this question today, by as usual, dissecting the question. Firstly, before we get to the quote, unquote, traditional answer,

we need to be very, very careful about assuming Islam always says something specifically. This is a phrasing that we need to think very carefully about, the only time that we can definitively say, Islam says something is that if the Quran is explicit, and the OMA has agreed, then we can say, Islam says Allah is the Creator, no problem. Islam says the Quran is the bucola. No problem. So a brother is asking What is Islam stance on global warming, as if all of Islam has agreed on one stance, and then as if I am the spokesperson, officially designated by Islam with a capital I, that whatever I say, and the reason I say this is because what happens is this, this is good, simplistic

assumption that whatever problem I'm facing, there is going to be one answer one definitive answer, and the person in front of me will answer it and solve it because he has studied the Quran. And we have to be very, very careful in this regard. Imagine if somebody said, What does Islam say about the factors that break we'll do and this is something the Quran talks about and the Sunnah talks about Can anyone definitively answer Islam says these factors break will do or will have to say what? There's difference of opinion. And by the way, all format hubs have a different list. Can you believe all format hubs have a different list? So Muslims Hamdulillah, Allah has allowed this to

live there are narrations from the Sahaba the the love within Islam as a mercy. So Muslims have differed over even things, the Quran and Sunnah is explicit about like the account of wudu and taharah. What do you think about an issue that doesn't even exist when the Quran came down global warming? And then you want to say What is Islam stance? And I remember last month, somebody asked me, texted me and I'm not exaggerating, it's exactly what it is. They texted, it was a group of students of knowledge and Michelle Obama, What is Islam stance on the right to bear arms? The second amendment as if all of us have to have the exact same opinion. And Islam is going to tell us whether

we should be pro Second Amendment or anti Second Amendment, you understand this question is problematic. And before I even try to attempt, I need to make sure we understand because and by the way, this is a joke here. If you really want to effect change in the pro Second Amendment lobby, all you need to do is wear our traditional Desi garb, thobes, turbans, and big T shirts, Muslims for the Second Amendment, all of a sudden checks and balances and background checks and everything will come. That is the most effective way to actually get some gun reform. We should start a group called Muslims for the Second Amendment. And then we appear like Muslims have other lines appearing and

then we we go and petition with our guns but Muslims are second amendment, we want the Second Amendment and you will see mashallah Tabata color, the NRA will complain anyway, that's besides the point. Okay. That was the complete joke. By the way, that was a complete joke, just just just so that you're aware.

But my point is that we need to remove this understanding that Islam has a concrete answer on any question that comes to your mind. And it reminds me of something that we find in the books of history that happened to the heart of giants, the first sector broke away, they kept on criticizing it to the Allah who won by saying, we want the judgment of the Quran in an ECMO Illa de la one, Allah's judgment. We don't want yours. We want Allah's hokum. We don't want your Helcom we want the Quran is verdict, not your verdict. And it is narrated in the books of history that wants it to call their leaders in Kufa and the main masjid and he called for a big copy of the Quran to be brought

out. And in those days the most half was not this convenient little booklet, The most half was bigger than this desk because it's written on Campbell parchment right, the most half full most have no exaggeration, it is almost as large as this desk three, four

With high massive people had to bring it out, they brought it out and they put it in front of it God Allah Who and and the leaders of the hotter giants and what was their slogan, we want the Quran. We want the Quran. So Ali said Quran speak.

Silence. Quran judge between us. Silence Quran We want your verdict. Silence. I didn't say anything about the Aloha, one of the Hutterites said, oh Ali Rhodiola one. The Quran is not going to speak back to like what's wrong with you? So Ali said, if the Quran is not going to speak back, how do you want me to judge by the Quran? What do you mean by the Quran? The Quran has to be interpreted by men.

I have to interpret now I'm the leader and I'm giving you the laws. You see the slogan was a simplistic attempt to negate it to the Allah one. It sounds so good. We want the Quran we want the Quran what do you mean? Who's going to decide what is the verdict about whatever issues taking place? We want the Quran is a slogan that doesn't translate into actual laws and Allah the Alana saying you are just a bunch of sloganeering people who don't have a comma you're causing fitna and facade slogan sounds good doesn't mean anything. Anyway, that's a separate tangent here. Point is that when we say what does the Quran say? What does Islam say? It's a bit of a trick question. And

unless the Quran is explicit, yes, Allah created us, okay, we can say the Quran says No prob. Now you're asking you about global warming. What does the Quran say about this? What does Islam say? We have to be very careful about this. Rather, the way the question should be phrased is, is there anything in the Quran and Sunnah that modern scholars can use to discuss this topic that changes the whole paradigm, now you're bringing in the HD herd of human beings, you know, this goes back to a hadith of the process, and that he sought told to ideal the Allah one when he was going on war and expedition, he said, When you go to this enemy tribe, and they say, they want you to judge them by

the judgment of ALLAH, do not agree to that because you do not know the judgment of Allah. But if they say they're willing for your judgment, then give them your judgment and seek Allah's help. Notice the difference between this okay, no human being other than the process of speaks on behalf of

Allah subhanho wa taala, not even the sahaba. That's why the hadith is clear. The process of is saying to this companion, that if you go to this tribe, and they agree to reconciliation, and they say we want Allah's verdict, don't say you will give them Allah's verdict, how do you know Allah's verdict? Rather, say, No, I will try my best to be fair, and just and then ask Allah for help is there in Billa? So similarly, when somebody has a modern question about this issue, you know, what does Islam say about, you know, carrying weapons? What does Islam say about this? And that, then it's a bit of a broad question, you have to rephrase it. Is there anything in our Quran and Sunnah?

Is there anything with classical drama have said about this issue? And so that needs to be phrased also, by the way, another point and again, the reason I chose this question, frankly, was not to get to the answer. But to answer the question, firstly, because we need to get over this simplistic mindset. Why am I concerned about this? Because once again, I want to teach ourselves tolerance. What happens is sometimes an island will give you an opinion, and so good opinion, but it's the opinion of an Harlem, it's not the Quran, it is not Allah subhanho wa taala. And we take that opinion, and we consider anybody who dares disagree to be upon misguidance evil even worse, all you

need to do is look at sectarianism across the globe. Once we understand that, yes, there's something sometimes the Quran and Sunnah its experts have no problem. Most of the time in the intra legal disputes, sometimes even in advanced theological issues. It's not clear cut. And that's why there's a difference of opinion. It's not clear cut. And I've given examples about this. So another point, you are asking me and my training is in Islamic sciences, about an issue that deals with modern sciences, global warming is not a subject that is taught in any madrasa across the globe. So this also explains another issue we need to think about, as our profit system said, Give everyone their

due, right. Do not ask a chef or an alum, a speciality beyond Islamic sciences, or else you will get into a problem. And usually the sheikh or Adam might not even know he'll give you the response and he will also fall into a problem. And I've given many examples about this. And when there is an area of expertise, go to the expert, don't ask me about investment advice. Don't ask me about modern theories of science, even though me personally I actually have a degree in engineering. I have a minor in Chemistry. I am Alhamdulillah trained in sciences still, it's not my area that I'm reading

I'm not a professor of science, I'm a professor of Islamic studies. So also give give everybody their due and learn from the mistakes of what happened in the western world when their preachers and theologians became their scientists. Let's not in our OMA Alhamdulillah we never had what happened in medieval Europe. Why? Because our older man knew their place and our immediate Hey, thumbs and roses knew their places. Well, the scientists knew their place, they didn't get fit and fatwas and our folk Kahan ruler ma did not tell us what to believe of ology and medicine. We never had the inquisitions of medieval Europe, we never had, you know, the pope tell Galileo, the sun is

stationary and the Earth goes around, sorry, the, the sun is stationary, sorry, the Earth is stationary, and the sun goes around the Earth. That's what the Pope said to Galileo. The Christian clerics said to Galileo, the Galileo was saying the opposite right, Galileo saying the Earth goes around the sun. And the Christian churches saying no, we believe theologically, that the earth is stationary. And if you say otherwise, we're going to burn you at the stake. And they literally had a stake and they were going to burn him over there. And so Galileo, obviously, we don't want to do that, do we? So don't go to mache, and Obama and ask them questions. We just gave a lecture a few

months ago, about what the process some said unto IMO, the Ohmori dunya come he said this, you know, your dunya better than I do. And this is about what happened in his time. Now, what if there is a clash? In this case, hula of the Sharia, and modern scientists need to come together and discuss amongst themselves. And the biggest example is a theory of evolution, which maybe one day I'll discuss. But if you listen to my talks online, you know, it's it is something that needs to be discussed. It is a clash. You know what some Muslims believe and what some scientists believe there seems to be a clash. There's no real clash. By the way, there is no real clash, the clash is in our

understanding, there cannot be an actual contradiction between what is provable by science, and what the Quran explicitly says We firmly believe this, but there might be a clash because we haven't either understood science or understood the Quran. So in this case, we need to get the experts in, in in evolutionary biology, we need to get the experts to understand what the Quran and Sunnah might imply with this wordings, and then come together, which believe it or not, still hasn't happened, you would think it would have happened by now, it still hasn't happened, you know. So each side needs to discuss with each other so that they can formulate what can and cannot be said. Now, when

it comes to this issue. Now, after all of these disclaimers, which was more important than the actual response, actually, that's why I chose this question. Now, we say, in my humble opinion, we can find some generic verses and a hadith that can be applied for topics in this regard. This is my opinion and opinion of some of the rhythm of our times. And as an educated person in this world as well. Me personally, I'm not speaking as a person of knowledge or speaking as a person who studied science. I think it is quite convincing that global warming is something that is proven by modern science, it's something that is pretty much the standard understanding of what is going on. And then

I don't find anything in the Quran and Sunnah that would be problematic for that. There's nothing in the Quran and Sunnah that problematizes the perception or the theory or even the fact that what we are doing is causing an ecological disaster of the highest magnitude. And that having been said, it is very easy to make a case don't say the Quran says say it is possible for our modern aroma to say, which is what I'm doing okay. It's possible for modern aroma to make a claim to be ecologically conscious to tell Muslims that a part of their worship of Allah is to take care of the environment. This is something that we can make a case for from the Quran and the Sunnah, why and how the Quran

describes a general role of stewardship of taking care of other creatures and species to mankind and this is explicit in the Quran. Allah subhanaw taala mentions in the Quran was Sahara calm. Murphy Samoa will order the Jamia or min Allah has put you in charge Allah has given you authority over that which is in the heavens and earth whatever you have power over to do. Allah subhanho wa Taala has put you in charge of it. And Allah mentions in the Quran that we are Mustafa love and was stuck love one of the primary meanings of Mr. McCullough, you are the Guardian and you will be asked about what you are in charge of. And the term Khalifa in Niger is known for the Khalifa. There are two

main interpretations of this term. The one of the one that we will mention now there's another one that maybe one day we'll mention the one that we will mention it is it is found in early Islamic tafsir Khalifa means Allah has put us in charge, just like the term khalifa to Rasul Allah that He has been put in charge. So we will be asked to

about our environment and this is something that is very explicit that taking care of the environment taking care of the plants and animals around us. This is something that is an act of worship. Our Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam mentioned that whoever plants a tree, this hadith is in body, whoever plants a tree, and the tree that grows up any human or creature or animal that eats of that tree, it will be an act of sadaqa for this person. So this hadith clearly shows us that being green or taking care of the environment, as well, the famous Hadith of the man or some versions, the lady, an evil lady who lived a lifetime of sin, and she saw a dog that was thirsty,

and she went down, she gave the water dog and the problem said beak she entered Jana, the Sahaba said, O Messenger of Allah, Allah will reward us for taking care of an animal. This is a Hadith and Behati, Allah will reward us for taking care of an animal and our Prophet solo sallam said, in every living creature, there is reward in every living creature, whether it's bird, whether it's animal, whether it's human being, taking care of any living creature, there is a reward. This is Hadith in Behati, and the famous Hadith and Muslim Imam Muhammad that our Prophet so I said, I've said, if one of you has a sapling, a small little plant in what you buy in Home Depot with the saplings there,

when you put it in your backyard, that's called a sapling. If any of you had a sapling, and the trumpet is blown, if you're able to plant the sapling, before the trumpet reaches you go ahead and do that meaning, think of the future try even though there is no future after judgment day but the concept here, think of the future. Make sure you are doing you no good in this earth. And Allah criticizes, destroying nature. This is explicit in the Quran. Allah criticizes for example, way that Phil already leaves it so after all, the UFC the fee ha while you Holika al how to tell when Nestle Allahu Allah your herbal facade, when he turns away from the Quran. He then his main effort is to

cause facade in the cultivation and the animals he wants to destroy. Nature we will call it right, Allah is calling an evil person as if he's destroying nature. And Allah subhanho wa Taala mentions in the Quran law to sue Phil out of the bad that is law here do not cause facade in the earth after everything is in good order. Now of course, the primary meaning of facade is to you know, corn people kill people, but destroying nature is a type of facade is very explicit in the Quran harming nature is a type of facade. Also we have in the spirit of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, the famous incident of the Battle of her name, when our Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam had had

surrounded the people of thought if, and they were being stubborn, and the people of thought have lived in a walled fortress, and their cultivation was outside the fortress, all of the crops was outside the fortress, the date palms was outside the fortress, one of the Muslims got the idea. Let's burn their crops, which is outside the fortress. And so one tree was burned, or maybe more than one was burnt. But when you burn a tree, will it only affect the people inside? Who else will it affect?

Animals? Who else will that affect?

Nature, who else?

Think about it when you destroy the whole plantation

environment, but also future generations, other people that are eating from the tree, destroying nature is very different. And it's the beauty here Subhanallah, and he will let me finish the narration, then we'll come back to this beautiful point here. When the people have thought if we saw that some Muslims are destroying the trees, they began begging, that don't destroy the trees. I mean, we're having war, we're killing one another, don't destroy the trees, we beg you for our blood and kinship for our common cause. We are all human beings here. We beg you Don't destroy the trees. And our profit system gave a commandment to not destroy the trees. Interestingly enough, in this

case, nature was more important than human life. Because destroying the trees would have meant for two generations, they don't have food. It's not just this group that's trapped there. When you're gonna burn the trees down, you're gonna it takes 40 years for the tree to grow. For that whole crop that you're gonna ruin the ground you're gonna have we see what's happening in Australia is these people cannot plant now for another Allah knows how long that forest tree is gone, that soil is gone. So it's not just harming the living people. You're going to harm other people. You're going to harm innocence. You're going to harm future generations. When the people have thought if begged, I

will process them had mercy and He forbade the Muslims don't burn the trees. And you know what? They weren't sick.

cessful back then they left the people that went back to Medina. They didn't harm the trees, think about that. So we can extrapolate from the Quran and Sunnah that we are told to take care of nature and think about our ecology and whatnot. And so for those who are interested in this field, it is definitely something that we can say, can be an action of worship, that we take care of the environment we are environmentally conscious we quote unquote, go green, we advocate causes that will diminish global warming. If we do this with the proper intention insha Allah Allah, there is no problem in saying the general text of the Quran and Sunnah would facilitate this before I finish

this question, a very important disclaimer, we have to avoid the two extremes. What are the two extremes? The first extreme, which is common in one segment, is to take these modern politically correct causes, and to make them the end all and be all of the religion of Islam

to make these causes, the most important, because you see, first thing we got to do is check does the Quran and Sunnah forbid this or neutral or encouraging? In my humble opinion, I give you we can find encouragement, right? Once we find encouragement, the next thing we got to do, okay, encouraged but where is it on the list? Is it on the most important list? Is it on? Very important? Is it on? So where is it on the list, and what we see is that some people prioritize these issues to the point of it eclipses eemaan in Allah subhanho wa Taala it eclipses a Badatz it becomes more important than Quran and vicar. And that's a mistake. That is a big mistake. Because you will not enter Jannah

simply by being equally ecologically conscious and you don't do your homework with Allah subhanaw taala that is more important. I'm not saying it's either or, but I'm simply saying the one who wants to get involved here should prioritize it. The way that Allah has prioritized make sure they themselves are prey, make sure they themselves have the connection with Allah. And yes, now that they have enough energy, they can go and do something else. No problem. This is one extreme. And by the way we see this I think most obviously in the issue of meat. You know, I still haven't answered the meat question. I've gotten like 15 questions, I'm delaying the juicy meat to the even longer

Okay, still behind on zebra, I still haven't answered academically one day I'll do that inshallah. But we see this in the meat issue where segments of Muslims are more concerned about how the animal was treated than how the animal was slaughtered.

And halal and haram goes over how the farmer used to treat the animal more so then, the procedure for the slaughtering of the animal and how the farmer treated the animal is important, but much more important to pronounce the verdict is what is how the animal was slaughtered. So you see what happens when you don't prioritize properly. So you have this movement that says if the animal was treated unethically, it is haram, regardless of how it was slaughtered. And if the item was slaughtered properly, but it was in a cage and the chicken was in a cage, we will pronounce the verdict of haram regardless of how the animal was slaughtered. So Fick for them changes because of

political correctness. And that's not right. We don't have to have either or we can encourage ethical treatment of animals, which we should do. And I've done this multiple times. And we can say, but it is obligatory, to slaughter the animal properly. Great. You have a whole package deal here. But when you don't have your priorities straight, then something which is not the most important, it's important, nobody's denying, it's not important, but it's not the most important the most important is slaughtering and feeding the animals should be pure. That is more important. If the farmer mistreats the animal that's wrong, it's a sin. The animal will be able to complain on

Judgement Day Believe it or not, the farmer might be punished for what he has done. But the meat is still halal for us now you don't want to buy it, that's fine, but don't say It's haram. But we'll get to that issue. Now. That's one extreme what is the opposite extreme? When it comes to these issues? Who can tell me?

No, no.

Definitely.

Their modern liberalism and exactly

our brothers well aware of these debates, because he's intrinsically involved online.

Sometimes on both sides I wonder that's why anyway, that's here's my T's to go person you should all know this.

Our brother correctly points out the other extreme, which is typically from under educated, overzealous fundamentalist types of gum tree. I'm sorry to be so stereotypical, but this is what it really it is. It boils down to people who think they're defending the tradition.

And so any time anybody comes and says, Yeah, okay, you can be good

mean in Islam? A star for Allah imam in no way did he say anything like this it been how God talk like this Imam Abu Hanifa. Did you mentioned about shutting the light off when you leave the room? This is all you liberal because people, all of you soul sell yourselves to the progressive modernists, okay? And these people, they want to defend the traditional, they've never studied it critically.

They just are so sensitive. And we understand so many changes have gone. Anytime somebody comes in wants to push the boundary a little bit, that just knee jerk reaction that Oh, that's it. What's next? Now? Everything is halal. Okay, you're gonna say LGBT health, we're talking about being green. Next step is automatically LGBT halal. Like, that's the way their minds worked. Any change is like, going to change everything. And so if you dare come and say, You know what, it's not an Islamic to be green on the contrary, if you do it properly, inshallah you will be rewarded. I mean, I quoted you 10 evidences from the Quran and Sunnah. Just because there was no global warming at the time of

him on nowhere, and he didn't talk about it, does it make it wrong to advocate being ecologically conscious? Well, according to this group, it is because again, they're so they're so cautious about any change, that they are not willing to have any type of different discourse and we see them all the time. You know, just as you know, they're they're very well common and whatnot. And this is another problem point is we're on within Washington. So to conclude, and inshallah we'll finish with one question today because it was a long question, to conclude. The Quran and Sunnah

does not have something explicit about global warming, but we can make an argument from the Quran and Sunnah, that Allah subhana wa Tada will reward us for being conscious of every living beings around us. That includes animals, and that includes plants. We can also make an argument from the Quran and Sunnah, that it is nice to be ecologically conscious that we should think about the plants just like our prophets Islam did that he prays people who planting plants we praise people heed himself took care of the plants outside of quinine, even in case of war. It is a very easy argument to make. And given the fact that science is now pretty much definitive that we have caused damage to

the environment. Then we can say and I'll conclude with Windows verse, pseudo room verse 41. Valhalla first out of the room vara for Southborough Buhari be microservice at NASA, they will do combat Ebola they will do it is not implausible to derive that mankind can cause disasters in nature from a verse in the Quran. Has anybody in the past done it? Not necessarily, but the wording allows for it? What is the wording translators? For sad has spread facade means any type of chaos, any type of harm and global warming is a type of facade Vahagn facade Oh, Phil burry will Bahar facade has spread in the heavens and in the earth. Why, how be my cursor but aiding us because of the results

of what men have done. We have caused the facade we have harmed now obviously the primary meaning is civil war is because men are stupid they're fighting one another. The primary meaning is you're killing one another because of what you are doing this the but the Quranic wording allows that you can say that one type of facade is ruining nature. This is a type it's literally in the Quran. Right Way Dr. Wallace I probably you've seen the fee here where you local health awareness and this is explicit facade is destroying the crops. So one type of facade is global warming, and Allah is saying facade is the result of what you yourselves have done.

And this is something that we can apply to what we see around us may Allah Subhana Allah Allah grant us wisdom, grant us the last grant of southern May Allah Strathern to make us stewards of this earth that will be able to answer to Allah subhana wa Tada for the responsibilities He's given us in sha Allah Tala will continue tomorrow with our seminar saw Kamala Harris and I'm wondering what happens