Did you know there is an Eco-Islam movement or Green Muslim movement bent on helping the Earth through the teachings of Islam? That’s right Islam talks about helping animals and keeping the planet protecting from things like Global warming. God has entrusted humankind in taking care of our planet. Yet even though we are entrusted with helping maintain our planet, God lets us know that the Universe and Earth are far superior to our own creation, “The creation of the heavens and earth is greater than the creation of mankind, but most of the people do not know.” (40:57). Yet “And it is He [God] who set you as vicegerents on Earth…” (6:165), so it is our duty to protect the Earth.
The planet isn’t ours but is under loan to us to take care of. We are frankly doing a terrible job with that. “Corruption has appeared in land and sea caused by the hands of people so that they may taste the consequences of their actions and turn back.”(30:41) We are given the ability to do so many things……such as terraforming or debating about where a comma goes. Corruption has appeared on our lands because of us…also because of nature but we helped accelerate it.
Fazlun Khalid is considered the father of Eco-Islam, or at least the first to write about it. “The Koran lays down quite basic ethical principles. And these are interpreted by the prophet in the way he behaved. For example, the Koran says quite emphatically in Chapter 6, verse 141: “Allah does not love the wasters.” This verse was exemplified by the Prophet when he chided one of his companions for throwing away water he had leftover in his bowl after he had washed. The Prophet told him to return the surplus water back to the river so that other people who need it further downstream can use it. ” Kahlid managed in the late 90s Zanzanzibar to stop fishermen from using dynamite when fishing. With a two day workshop on the Quran and the environment, the fisherman stopped. When Khalid was asked about other religions, he said, “Take this metaphor: People of different religions are sitting in one room and then the roof falls down on their heads. Would you really leave the room saying: “You are a Catholic, you are a Hindu, and this is not my business, so I leave you behind”? We all share a common planet and there is no escape. So we need to talk to each other and work together. I chaired a conference on Religions, Land and Conservation in Japan in 1995: Nine different traditions were represented and we arrived at ten points that were common to us all. For example we had no problems in agreeing that all our traditions call us to care for the earth. That is perhaps an obvious point but evidence of this is not reflected in our actions.”
Perhaps, Eco-Islam can be brought to the modern world and used to help to find greener means for religious pilgrimages, helping the poor, preventing global warming, and etc.