Efforts to Protect the Earth and its Resources are Islamic
by Imam Earl Abdulmalik Mohammed
Muslim voices must be heard on this day that many are calling ‘Earth Day.’ It saddens me that we do not hear our Muslims leaders make this call to respect the earth. Muslim societies should be at the front of this, leading this concern. We ask Allah to help us see more clearly the obligation.
The One G’d with Whom we place our faith and trust, and with Whom we seek aid and assistance and forgiveness is the Creator of Everything, and Lord of that Creation. He has created everything as a benefit and resource to his human creation. The natural world (creation) feeds our physical life, our moral life, our intellect. We do not and cannot exist without it, except in heaven. It is our created destiny. It is our natural mate. I am speaking specifically of the earth.
I know of no other religion that pays a higher tribute to the earth, its atmosphere, its characteristics and circumstances, and the diversity of life it supports. If we will reflect for just a moment, we will see the earth itself as a Sign of our humanity. If we honor it we honor our Lord. When we honor it we are also honoring His creation of our first father Adam and the entire human cultural existence. If we disrespect it, we shame and trivialize our humanity.
We Muslims have revelation that says clearly that we are from the earth. Our humanity is the earth. The earth is Adam and his mate. Every natural right we will claim from governments and every respect we will demand from others to acknowledge our humanity is derived from our common human heritage situated naturally and ‘squarely’ upon the earth and its resources.
If it is understood properly the moral argument can be made that it is the earth that is at the center, with more legitimacy than the sun. The ancients understood this even while they were discovering the scientific reality of the Sun and the system of planets it feeds. (I am speaking in the moral language that defines human purpose. This language has been nearly lost, except for the most vigilant. I will continue to speak it and lead with it in spite of detractors and criticizers. The learned in Islam will verify its authenticity.)
Those who say other than this think they are speaking with the support of science. But their science comes from the earthly perspective on the universe. Without the earth they have no basis for the intellectual development necessary to derive and evolve their science.
The natural sciences and even the high sciences are the common language spoken by the earth. Science itself is the language of this natural world. And further as a symbol, the earth is the purest human morality sensitivity. It is the heart.
Our Lord says in His Book that “He formed us from the earth growing as a plant and He will return us to the earth.”
وَاللَّهُ أَنْبَتَكُمْ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ نَبَاتً
ثُمَّ يُعِيۡدُكُمۡ فِيۡهَا وَيُخۡرِجُكُمۡ اِخۡرَاجًا
And again He says: “Have We not made it to draw you together?”
أَلَمْ نَجْعَلِ الْأَرْضَ كِفَاتً
And again He says: “Have We not made it as a cradle?”
أَلَمْ نَجْعَلِ الْأَرْضَ مِهَادً
As Allah has Ordered His Creation, it is the earth’s environment that produced us, nurtures us and ultimately provides circumstances that gather us to our purpose. Who will dishonor the earth but an arrogant, selfish fool or scheming oppressor?
This is the month of Ramadan and in no other month does the international community of Muslims pay more attention to the sighting of the new moon to mark the beginning and ending of the month of fasting and the celebration of our human nature But, it is the earth that gives us perspective. It is our station upon the earth that gives us supports and incentives to read our purpose in the heavens.
I am aiming to make two points here. Firstly, the efforts and movements by Peoples all over this earth to respect the earth is to me a conscious act of devotion worthy of the attention and cooperation of enlightened Muslims.
If those movements respect the general and peaceful exchange of ideas and the rights of citizens and just authorities and do not seek to disrupt the peace and order in just society, then they are Islamic movements in their nature, if not by name. In other words, my Islamic sentiments are not cheapened by these movements. I am motivated to join and support them because the likeness of what Allah has said about the earth and its importance is reflected in these movements.
To ignore the work of the climate scientists is sinful. It is no less than an act of disgracing the truth that the earth is the mosque of G’d. If we think of Adam as the one taught the names of things, then it is in our nature to bring into our care and concern all that the earth produces that requires a name.
Secondly, world Muslim leadership must do more to acquaint their publics with the obligation that Muslims have to take care of our shared human physical home. Humanity may plan to colonize the planets beyond this earth, but even so those planets then become for us in surrogate what the earth is for us originally.
Allah says that the earth will one day behave as though it is receiving revelation. And that the people will say “What is wrong with her?”
Muslims must be reminded that to care for the earth is worship. It is obedience to Allah. It is gratitude to Allah.
On this ‘Earth Day’ we Muslim-Americans, and especially those associated with my leadership in succession of Imam W. Deen Mohammed join all others who work in their commitments from themes as wide-ranging as renewable energy technology, to reducing carbon footprints to saving honey bees to recycling newspaper. Preserving our home, the blessed Earth, is a moral demand that we cannot ignore in sound Islamic conscience.