Preserving Our Environment : Islamic Perspective (2)

"A motorist is making his way down a flooded road after a night of torrential rain.

Suddenly he sees a man’s head sticking out of a large puddle.

He stops his car and asks the man if he needs a lift.

‘No thanks,’ says the man. ‘I’m on my bike,’ while continuing to pedal his bicycle which slowly emerged from the puddle."

"Nothing stands by itself; everything is under the hand and eye of Allah," Wulandari carried on. "This entire universe, and the universes which lie beyond it, are a harmony in which, and to which, each particle of existence is ordained and necessary; nothing can be added and nothing taken away. But all the created universes, and all that they contain, are as nothing before the immutable Bounty and Majesty of their Creator.

The beginning of wisdom is therefore fear of Him Who, were it His Will, could reduce our universe to ashes in an instant. But the end of wisdom is—if one can so put it—to love Allah.

There can be few people in the developed world today who are unaware of environmental problems and none at all who are immune from them: the greenhouse effect and the changing climatic patterns that could raise sea levels, submerge low-lying land and reduce the world’s habitable area; the razing by fire and bulldozer of the tropical rain-forest at a rate which, if it continues, will mean the complete deforestation of the world within forty years; the extermination of wildlife which has led to an unprecedented, and still accelerating, extinction rate of species of birds, insects and mammals; the pollution of the atmosphere and the air we breathe; the bestrewing of land, sea and outer space with rubbish; the creation of urban landscapes of such desolation that they corrupt even the souls of children, who scrawl their demented graffiti in every public place; and pollution of the mind and conscience—the growth of lawlessness, disregard for the neighbour, immoral.

Spirit and form, the inward (al-batin) and the outward (az-zahir) questions regarding the human environment and its significance have to be dealt with from different perspectives. There is the spiritual perspective and there is the practical, earthly one. They do not contradict each other; on the contrary, they are—like everything else in our lives and in accordance with the principle of Unity (Tawhid)—inter-connected. For Muslims, there can be nothing outside the orbit of the Faith.

Today we see man no longer as Khalifah, caring for his sector of the earth, or as contemplator, learning from the earth how to rise above it; instead we have man as predator and exploiter, devouring this earth. His needs grow, they are never satisfied, and the more he consumes the more ravenous he is. There could be no clearer proof that man, when he is not kept within certain bounds, certain limits, becomes the destroyer of the natural environment upon which, none the less, he depends for his existence.

The loss of harmony between man and nature, the opposition set between them, is but an aspect of the loss of harmony between man and his Creator. Those who turn their backs upon their Creator can no longer be at home in creation; they might be compared to bacteria or viruses which ultimately destroy the body which they have invaded. Today man is no longer the custodian of nature. He is inevitably alienated from it because, were he not alienated, he could not feel free to treat it merely as raw material for exploitation. This makes the human creature like a stranger in this world, not in the higher sense which led the Prophet (ﷺ) to command the believer to be ‘as a stranger in this world’, but in the sense of one who comes as an enemy to the earth upon which he is born.

Many writers have drawn attention to the great changes that have taken place in this century, particularly in the science of physics. Matter is no longer considered as something entirely knowable, and the previous absolute faith in mechanical laws has given way to a less rigid view of the physical universe. This is true of certain scientists at the very top of their profession, but their theories are so complex and so far beyond the understanding of the ordinary person that the rest of the scientific profession, including science teachers in schools, continues to think and speak in terms of pure materialism. For them, everything that exists is fully explained by science and 'that's it!', end of the matter.

Allah has informed us concerning the meaning of things by means of signs contained in two books, the Qur’an and the natural world. Words are the vocabulary of any particular language, and although they are our principal tool for communication and although this is the tool employed by Allah in the Qur’an, there are in truth other modes of communication. The ‘signs’ which are found in nature cannot be verbalised. It is impossible, when we are reminded of Allah by a particular natural phenomenon, to explain why this is an effective reminder or to say what precisely it tells us. That does not reduce its efficacy. People take communication between human creatures for granted, yet it is one of the great miracles, comparable on a lower level to the supreme miracle of communication between the transcendent Absolute and created beings who are incapable even of imagining His grandeur.

To neglect our duty towards the natural world is not only to harm ourselves and perhaps, in the long run, imperil human life itself, but it is a betrayal of the Trust which we accepted when we bore witness to the Lordship of Allah in our primordial covenant. And, in being faithful to that Trust, we are also protecting and furthering our own interests during our worldly existence and that of our descendants.

From a Qur’anic point of view, the current environmental crisis must be seen as the direct result of men’s activities. The solution, therefore, is in changing people’s behaviour. What kind of life would you have? In our Deen, our religious path, we have been taught to be present in the world, to plan for this life and for the next. But to be in this world means to understand it, to be diligent, and to be informed. When dealing with waste, for example, the essential question is not, 'What is waste?' The essential question is, 'Where does it come from?' We are all a part of this process, so it makes sense for us to educate ourselves on consumption, overconsumption, and the responses to each.

The connection between faith and the environment begins, of course, through prayer. From there, we can reflect on our relationship with Allah and with the planet and how we live in it.

Overconsuming can blind us to our role as stewards of the Earth—what in Islam we call being the khalifah. Being protectors of the planet means checking our consumption habits.

We consume things every day—by eating, drinking, cleaning, traveling, buying new possessions, and by using the planet’s resources in a multitude of ways. Far too often our constant consumption creates constant waste. Rising mounds of trash result in increased toxicity in the land, the air, the oceans and riverways, and also in our bodies. What we do to the planet is a reflection of what we are doing to ourselves.

Another example is water, the medium of understanding, faith, and wisdom and a key to the practice of Islam. Salat opens the heart, and preparing for prayer, physically and spiritually, requires water. As salat opens our heart, we will be more in tune with the signs of Allah that are all around us. Water is one of these signs. Whether it is in the gentle mist that cools your lips or between your toes as you walk barefoot through long grass tipped with morning dew, water is important to how our path of Islam is a faith in concert with protecting and cherishing the planet.

Water is an integral part of most faith traditions. Most Christian congregations are baptized by being dipped three times in water to signify their birth into a new life in the church. In Judaism, the tradition of the mikvah, or ritual bathing, is used to achieve a state of spiritual purity. For Hindus, the Ganges River is considered sacred and is used for spiritual bathing. Some traditional religions have ceremonies that honor the spirits in oceans or in waterfalls. Before 2 billion Muslims turn to face their Rab in salat, they perform wudu—the ritual cleansing.

Water is necessary for survival and for the spirit. Our beloved Prophet (ﷺ) would take his water in the mornings warm with honey. We sit at the edge of seas, rivers, and ponds and ponder. Water transfixes us with its beauty and frightens us with its awesome powers of destruction.

Water is one of the most constant and reliable signs of Allah. The problems are: if water is so sacred and integral to all the paths of the planet, why is it that almost a billion people go without fresh drinking water every day? If water is so essential for cleanliness, then why is it that the search for water dominates time that could otherwise be spent on education and the pursuit of other livelihoods? If water is needed for life, then why do we keep it from the mouths of those who need it most?

When water is used incorrectly, it becomes a conduit for death instead of life. Lack of water means not only lack of what your body needs to sustain itself but also lack of sanitation. Almost of diarrhea cases worldwide are attributable to unsafe water, inadequate sanitation, or insufficient hygiene as a result of lack of access to clean water. The extraction of water in the developing world also takes a large toll on women, who in many countries have to walk an average of 3.7 miles just to get water. These statistics paint a bleak picture for the world’s water situation.

Committing harm against any living thing is like committing harm against all of humanity. Restricting access to water is akin to inflicting harm. Doing so has dire consequences: death and disease.

Energy, is another instance. We derive the power we use from both renewable and nonrenewable sources. The nonrenewable sources include oil, gas, coal, and nuclear energy—sources we extract from the ground. In contrast, renewable sources, comes from the wind and the sun and from more sustainable consumption practices, including increased efficiency. The call for a green economy and green jobs is about energy from efficiency, creativity, and innovation.

Nonrenewable sources energy is derived from the ground. It is extracted from the Earth, it is dirty, and it is a major cause of pollution and climate change. Nonrenewable energy takes away from the Earth without giving back. It disturbs the balance (mizan) of the universe and is therefore a great injustice (dhulm). Dien Islam calls for maintaining the Earth’s balance and treating it justly. Allah calls all people to justice (adl ), as He says,

يٰٓاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا كُوْنُوْا قَوَّامِيْنَ بِالْقِسْطِ شُهَدَاۤءَ لِلّٰهِ وَلَوْ عَلٰٓى اَنْفُسِكُمْ اَوِ الْوَالِدَيْنِ وَالْاَقْرَبِيْنَ ۚ اِنْ يَّكُنْ غَنِيًّا اَوْ فَقِيْرًا فَاللّٰهُ اَوْلٰى بِهِمَاۗ فَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا الْهَوٰٓى اَنْ تَعْدِلُوْا ۚ وَاِنْ تَلْوٗٓا اَوْ تُعْرِضُوْا فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُوْنَ خَبِيْرًا

'O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allāh, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, Allāh is more worthy of both.1 So follow not [personal] inclination, lest you not be just. And if you distort [your testimony] or refuse [to give it], then indeed Allāh is ever, of what you do, Aware.' [QS. An-Nisa (4):135]

One way we can stand out firmly for justice is by ending, less by less, our reliance on oil and coal. Nonrenewable energies are particularly devastating and unjust to people and the planet. Oil and coal are toxic to water, sky, and ground.

Oil is ubiquitous. Oil companies are some of the most profitable organizations in the world. Most people on the planet use oil in some way. There is almost no one on the planet who does not consume oil in transportation, in heating their home, or in goods that are processed with oil, such as plastics. Since we are all involved in creating the demand for oil, each of us can also be involved in a decision to limit the use of oil.

The places where oil is most prevalent also happen to be where international conflicts occur—for example, Iraq, Iran, and Nigeria. Current examples of the disturbance of the balance in nature and the resulting injustice linked to oil extraction can be seen in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge and in the Gulf of Mexico, where our dependency on oil is threatening and destroying the natural balance of life. In Alaska, the air is clean, the water is clean, and the land is virtually untouched. Underneath this immaculate earth exist. Our dependency on oil threatens human life. For example, the rates of asthma, hyperthyroidism, and breast cancer in Alaska have multiplied exponentially as the quest to extract Alaska’s oil has grown. While there is no proven direct causation, there is certainly a correlation between the appearance of the oil industry, the stress it has caused, and the health of local peoples.

Coal is the main source of the electricity that powers our lives. Think about how many televisions are in your home right now. Perhaps there is one in the living room, one in each bedroom, and maybe another smaller one in the kitchen. Now think about computers and laptops. How many does your household have? What about cell phones? All these devices need to be plugged in and charged up, right? If you live in a region where electricity comes from a coal-fired plant, each time something surges with power, the source is coal.

Living our Deen requires us to know the science behind the many processes that power our lives. The process of burning coal to create electricity begins in a power plant, where coal is ground up into a fine powder. When this powder is burned, it generates steam, which provides power to a turbine engine that powers a generator. The generator uses magnets and metals like copper and aluminum to create a flow of electrons—tiny atomic particles. This is electricity.

There is an interesting thing in Naruto's comic, in the Land called Konoha: if the cute Sinchan buys an electric vehicle, he gets a subsidy. But Sinchan is not interested. Starting from the President to the Prime Minister of Konoha, tried to persuade Elon Musk to build a factory there, but apparently, perhaps, Musk is still thinking about it.

Electricity is measured in watts. The more electricity you use, the more watts you consume. A 60-watt lightbulb uses more electricity than a 45-watt lightbulb. The 60-watt bulb is brighter and creates more light than the 45-watt bulb. Therefore, the 60-watt bulb also requires more coal to create a larger flow of electrons to produce the electricity that creates the light. Think of big cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Think of the amount of electricity they use. Forget watts; city use of electricity is measured in megawatts (millions of watts) or gigawatts—billions of watts!8 Since coal is cheap and readily available, it’s used to power these huge cities. Coal is an impressive source of power but it comes at a catastrophic cost.

The issue is thus one of action and behaviour, and behind every action there is an ethic. The ethical position of Islam as it relates to the environment is simple enough to understand. Allah says,

قُلْ لَّا يَسْتَوِى الْخَبِيْثُ وَالطَّيِّبُ وَلَوْ اَعْجَبَكَ كَثْرَةُ الْخَبِيْثِۚ فَاتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ يٰٓاُولِى الْاَلْبَابِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُوْنَ

'Say, "Not equal are the evil and the good, although the abundance of evil might impress you." So fear Allāh, O you of understanding, that you may be successful.' [QS. Al-Ma'idah (5):100]

Allah has created the earth and everything that is on it ‘for’ man. That is, he may use it as he pleases, but with the understanding that he is responsible for what he does, that he is being watched and tested, and that he will be rewarded or punished accordingly.

However, although everything in creation is ‘for’ man, it is also there as a sign for man to reflect on the power of Allah and to give thanks for His generosity. It is this twin recognition—of the vast power of Allah manifest in His creation, and of His vast generosity towards thatcreation—that leads to, and forms the basis of, man as worshipper, and, according to the Qur’an, worship is the basic function of the human being on this earth. In Islam every act of obedience to Allah is an act of worship. Thus, to worship Allah means to obey Allah in all His commands and prohibitions, which, together with the more detailed judgements derived from them, form the stuff of Islamic law, or fiqh.

From an Islamic legal standpoint, the question of how to use the environment is ultimately one of rights to, and uses of, natural resources. It is therefore primarily an economic issue, although, there is an implicit ethical stance behind it. The correct utilisation of resources according to the shari‘ah is only possible within a functioning political framework.

There are numerous detailed judgements that relate to natural resources in Islam. These can be found in any detailed book of fiqh in the sections dealing with hunting, agriculture, animal husbandry, land and water rights, etc, not to mention the general chapters on business transactions.

Therefore, we need to get educated—and to educate others—on the environmental issues and solutions. The way that people have managed the major systems of water, waste, energy, and food have defined civilizations throughout history. Let’s look at some of the ways that water, waste, energy, and food have been emblematic of their times: The Romans built a famous aqueduct to bring water to cities. The spread of the bubonic plague was due, in large part, to the mismanagement of trash.

The decision to use nuclear power for electricity defined the middle of the last century—for better and for worse. The management of food, for most of known history, has been done on a local scale—village to village, involving families and small local systems.

For better and for worse, we humans have tried our best to manage the resources we have, but we can and must do better. At no time in the history of the world have human beings been in more constant contact than we are now. This connectivity is a challenge and also a blessing. We can harness this people power to hold our institutions accountable and to find better ways to deliver water to the thirsty, food to the hungry, and power to the industrious—those with willingness, creativity and ideas. We have to be the best stewards we can be, and we must find better ways to reduce the impact that our actions have on the planet. Happy doing hijra and happy new Hijri year, my brothers and sisters. And Allah knows best."

"Morning has broken like the first morning, blackbird has spoken like the first bird," Cat Stevens began to sing. It's time to go, Wulandari was about to move as humming, no longer Cat Stevens', but it's Alan Walker's,

We've been chasing our demons down an empty road

Been watching our castle turning into dust

Escaping our shadows just to end up here once more

And we both know that this is not the world we had in mind

but we got time

We are stuck on answers we can't find

but we got time *)

Citations & References:
- Harfiyah Abdel Haleem (ed.), Islam and the Environment, 1998, Ta-Ha
- Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, Green Deen: What Islam Teaches About Protecting the Planet, 2010, Berrett-Koehler Publishers
- Richard C. Foltz, Frederick M. Denny & Azizan Baharuddin (ed.), Islam and Ecology: A Bestowed Trust, 2003, Harvard University Press
- Sayyed Hossein Nasr, Man and Nature: The Spiritual Crisis of Modern Man, 1990, Mandala
*) "Different World" written by Magnus Bertelsen / Gunnar Greve / Alan Olav Walker / Fredrik Borch Olsen / Sara Hjellstrom / Kenneth Nilsen / James Daniel Njie Eriksen / Meng Zhou Hu

[Session 1]

Bahasa