Islam and the Environment
Monday April 2, 2007
There are hundreds of verses of the Quran that call on believers to reflect on the wonders of nature and to consider the perfect balance in which Allah maintains the natural world. In the Quran, men and women are described as God's vicegerents on Earth. God created nature in balance ("al-mizan") and mankind's responsibility is to maintain this fragile equilibrium through wise governance and sound personal conduct.
On April 22nd, Earth Day will be observed around the world. Now more than ever, let us remember and act on our responsibility towards the planet and each other.
Slm alykm w rhmtallah!
Has the oic or ulammah sanctioned fatwas concerning the banning of the use of the following:
…styrofoam food packaging, which material is made of benzene, a known carcinogen, and the process of manufacturing it using cfc or hcfc, the latter 95% less fatal, but still destroys the ozone layer, the earth,s atmosphere?
…the use of non biogradeable diapers which fills up dumpsites, hard to categorized under toxic, non biogredeable waste matter whose spoils leached into ground water?
…the use of non returnable or recycable food containers, or irrecycable packeging?
The killing of people, animals, or anything unjustly is considered a crime and a grave sin, what more of throwing our garbages however small as a candy wrapper indiscriminately and not have it recycled back, isn’t it killing in some extent, therefore a grave sin?
We must segregate the waste materials we come across in our households,industry, communities,etc…
have it recycled, make compost fertilizers out of the biogradeables,reuse the greywater(laundry,bath water) for watering the plants and trees and the cleaner water for the consumable plants.
We, as muslims, have been practicing environmentalism in some extent.We do not cut trees to make coffins,nor cremate our deads nor take days before the burial.We have been admonshed not to throw our waste in any waterways or roadways or places where people group together.The rasul even stated that we should save water even when we are in a river, but are we doing this in our wudu and ghsul?It is stated that in wudu,a liter of water is more than enough, in bathing, 3 liters of water.
we maynot be desert dwellers where water is a luxury, but the tap water we use are run by electric powered generators that are moved by machines using oils or other fuels which are luxuries.We really must save and conserve whatever energy,Allah loved not wastage.In the process, keep our communities clean as cleanliness is nest to Allah.
As Allah swt state in the quran 2:30, we, as humans, are the vicegerents(caretakers) of this earth.masha allay, let us comply.
“Develop Islamic Environmental Framework in Climate Change Control”
It is hope that the organisers of Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen Dec 2009 will take cognisance of these provisions-which is unliely- given the stalemate at the recent Bangkok Climate Proceedings 2009.
The appropriate platform would be for OIC to table it within OIC Region for implementation within Islamic countries realm.
Western Europe and developed bloc will not be able to understand the implication of Islamic environmental protection requirement within the context of the Syariah. However, if properly executed, it may be a viable alternative/solution that may be adopted at the forthcoming Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen Dec 2009.
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Jeong Chun Phuoc
Lecturer-in-Law
Jeongphu@yahoo.com