I did my Islamic Economics paper last semester and one of the most interesting topics is on Islam and the environment. The topic really hit the right nerve as today, most people are moving towards going green. However, did we do something to really protect the environment or better known as “Mother Earth”? Or are we being a NATO – No Action Talk Only nation?
The topic was an eye opener for me – I have never been introduced to this side of Islam before, even though I am aware that Islam is not just a religion but A WAY OF LIFE (most people tend to forget that most of the time and see each aspect of Islam in isolation rather than admitting that Islam encompasses all things).
Anyway, I remembered of a story of Caliph Omar, one of the most distinguished of the Prophet's (s.a.w) companions demonstrated exceptional compassion towards animals. In fact he would deal strongly with those who overloaded their 'beasts of burden'. He would actually go to the extent of concealing himself from view and check that people were treating animals well. On one occasion he passed his hand over the wound of a camel intending to help heal the beast, saying, "I fear God may seek retributions from me for the pain you suffer”.
Man is a vicegerent on this earth, therefore, the concept of khalifah and amanah (trusteeship) comes into play here. Human stewardship of earth cannot only be about rendering judgement of truth (al-hukm bil-haqq = to judge by the truth) to humans but it is also, by extension, about being just to all inhabitants of earth, for “the earth He has spread out for His creatures (al-anam).” Therefore the earth is not only for man but also for nature, and hence true stewardship means to maintain an equilibrium between the needs of man and the rights of other creatures to live their life on this earth, for “He has set the balance that you exceed not the balance, and therefore observe the balance strictly and do not fall short thereof.”
The rise of ecological psychology in the West is in recognition that the superficial, even hypocritical, market economics and techno-scientific approaches (such as carbon trading) are not going to work. The solution is to be found at a deeper level by rekindling the innate human affinity and respect for nature that has been suppressed by two centuries of consumerist industrial civilization premised on indefinite growth, development and progress. Instead of the present-day dogmatic economic mantra of limited resources chasing after unlimited wants, a new economics of the future will have to be formulated, namely, one that is premised on the unlimited bounties of nature more than fulfilling the very limited needs of man, “for if you count the blessings of Allah, you will not exhaust them.”
