Islam and the Environment

By Tarek Nosseir
President of the Islamic Society of Greater Salt Lake

As in Judaism and Christianity, Islam clearly entrusts humans with the stewardship of the Earth and all its inhabitants. For Muslims the Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him (pbuh), is considered to be a pioneer in the field of environmental preservation, and protection. As a matter of fact, any student of the life of the Prophet will detect that he was a pioneer in the domain of conservation, sustainable development and resource management. He constantly preached the importance of maintaining a harmonious balance between humans and nature. In addition, the cultivation of land, proper treatment of animals, birds, vegetation, and water purity and conservation were of vital importance in his daily life practices and teachings. Furthermore, the Prophet considered all of God’s creations to be equal in the sight of God and believed that animals, land, forests and watercourses should have rights.

Thus, in Islam the abuse of one of His creations, whether it is a living being or a natural resource, is definitely a sin. The Quran (the Holy Book) and the Hadith (the quotes, parables and examples from the life of theProphet) both teach that kindness to animals is an article of faith for Muslims. Islam goes beyond that and describes in Chapter 6 verse 38 of the Quran: “There is not an animal in the earth, or a creature flying on two wings, but they are nations like you”. The Prophet, pbuh, has said that he who is kind and merciful towards animals, God will be kind and merciful towards him.... We must deal with animals with the utmost compassion and strive to ensure the preservation of the different species.” It is also important to note that it is forbidden in Islam to kill an animal for mere play. This is clearly exemplified in a Hadith, where the Prophet, pbuh, tells of a woman who had locked a cat away until it died of hunger; as a direct result the woman was put in Hell and tortured. While he did not practice vegetarianism, the authenticated Hadiths clearly show that the Prophet was extremely sensitive to the suffering of animals, almost as though he literally shared their pain. As such, he exhibited and ordered his followers to be gentle and sensitive in the slaughter of animals. Consequently, he recommended the use of sharp knives so that the animal would die quickly and with as little pain as possible. He also warned against slaughtering an animal in the presence of other animals, or letting the animal witness the sharpening of blades and to hide the blade by covering the animal’s eyes: to him that was equal to “slaughtering the animal twice” and he emphatically condemned such practices as “abominable”.

Islam does endorse the transformation of wilderness into agricultural lands and pastures. The prophet, pbuh, said: “When doomsday comes, if someone has a palm shoot in their hand, they should plant it”. This truly illustrates the responsibility of humans towards the sustainability and growth of nature even with the eventuality of one’s immediate death. In general, Islam not only encourages the sustainable use of fertile lands, the transformation of unused land into productive parcels by planting trees, sowing seeds of fruits and vegetables, and irrigating dry land but also regards these as perpetual charitable deeds. So, it is safe to say that it is incumbent on every Muslim to contribute his or her share in improving greenery.

The Holy Book proclaims that it is God who “sends down water from the sky, and therewith we bring forth buds of every kind”. So, we as humans must direct our water resources towards plots of land to improve its use. That’s exactly why devout Muslims take an active role in growing more trees and vegetation for the benefit of all people. With the following words the Prophet emphasizes the sacred nature of the earth’s soil as a pure entity and as a purifying agent: “The earth has been created for me as a place of worship and as a means of purification.” As such, and in order to protect land, forests and wildlife, the Prophet created inviolable zones known as hima and haram, in which resources were to be left untouched. In many Muslim countries both are still in use today: haram areas are often drawn up around wells and water sources to protect the groundwater table from over-pumping. Even when water was abundant, he advocated thriftiness; therefore, saving water and safeguarding its purity were two important issues for the Prophet. On the other hand, hima applies particularly to wildlife and forestry and usually designates an area of land where grazing and woodcutting are restricted, or where certain animal species are protected; these have become modern wildlife reserves. It is worthy to note here, that out of the twelve months of the Islamic calendar, during four of those months it is completely forbidden for a Muslim to hunt wildlife throughout them to allow the various species to reproduce and nurture its young.

In conclusion, citing the Quran (17:27): “Lo! The squanderers were forever siblings of the devils and the devil was forever ingrate to his Lord.” Therefore, devout Muslims do their best to keep the order of the world the way God intended it to be used by doing their best to preserve wildlife, water and its sources, and increase green spaces for the benefit of all humans. I pray that all humans agree to preserve the environment and increase greenery on Earth so that we, and future generations, may continue to enjoy this world the way God intended. Peace.