The environment is in man's custody. He must care for it and refrain from causing any mischief or spoilage for the simple reason that he is its main beneficiary. If he causes harm to one or more of the environment's components, he will be the one who suffers.
To clarify the above idea and the relation of Islam to some of the current environmental issues, I choose the following verse from the Quran: ‘Mischief has appeared on land and sea because of that the hands of men have earned. That [Allah] may give them a taste of some of their deeds: in order that they may turn back' (Al Rum 30:41).
There is no doubt that the planet today is suffering from the negative impact of the different development activities on land and, in the past 50 years, in the sea as well.
Offshore oil and gas exploration, production and transportation, as well as the building of resorts and so on is a big strain on the ocean. It is amazing that the word ‘earn' in the above Surah means that man undertakes development activities for the welfare of mankind, but this has both negative and positive outcomes.
Man should not undertake a project or activity, which can have a negative impact unless he can mitigate the impact; this is also the idea behind environmental impact assessments.
Also, in the above Surah, one can see that the words ‘turn back' lead us to the recent debate related to climate change. It is not surprising to note that the Kyoto Protocol related to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has called for and is now trying to ensure that out of the 166 countries that have ratified the protocol, 40 industrialised countries should turn back to the level of emissions in 1990 and reduce the Green House Gases (GHG) emissions by 5 per cent (from the 1990 level).
Spoiling something is a sin as it is a misuse of resources created by Allah for man's benefit. Why is that? Because the result of spoilage is that things can no longer achieve their intended objective. This is valid for everything starting from the human body to natural resources.
Islam forbids spoilage and destruction of biodiversity unless there is a real need and benefit. One Quranic verse to clarify the idea: ‘And do not do mischief on the earth after it has been set in order, that will be better for you, if you are believers'. (Al Aaraf 7:85)
Also, the Quran says: ‘And when he turns away from you, O Mohammad [PBUH], his effort in the land is to make mischief therein and to destroy the crops and the cattle, and Allah likes not mischief'. (Al Baqarah 2:205)
It is said that the above verses was mentioned because a man called Al Akhnas Bin Shuraik came to Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) claiming that he wanted to accept Islam. Immediately after he left he passed by a farm belonging to some Muslims where he destroyed the crops and killed the cattle.
In Ramadan especially, environmental stewardship should be a priority. Ramadan fasting does not mean only abstaining from food, liquids, and sex, and avoidance of harmful emotions such as anger or greed; care for the environment is an integral part of Islam.
As Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said in the Hadith, "Maybe one fasting does not get from his fast nothing except hunger and maybe one praying but just gets sleepless night."
So, if fasting does not go hand in hand with good behaviour towards people and nature, the fasting and praying are incomplete.
It is important to avoid wastefulness during fast-breaking meals. Besides, it is important to conserve water and electricity, for instance. The teachings of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) tell us not to waste water during wudu (ablution) even if we are sitting near a river.
Ramadan is an excellent opportunity to educate one's family and colleagues about environmental-friendly behaviour and instill in the children's minds the importance of environmental preservation.
Islamic laws govern all deeds of Muslims in a way that every tiny little action of these deeds such as littering for instance, he is accountable for. It governs all aspects of life. Thus, Muslims must try their best to be more committed to Islamic rules in the month of Ramadan. They must also show environmental stewardship in Ramadan as it is an integral part of Islamic rules.
Dr Mohammad Abdel Raouf is in charge of environment research at the Gulf Research Centre, Dubai.
