Environmental Awareness in the Qur’an: A Maqāṣid-Based Study of Stewardship, the Cultivation of the Earth, and Sustainability
Abstract
This study examines the Qur’anic conception of the environment in light of Qur’anic objectives (maqāṣid) and the Islamic civilizational worldview. It combines an inductive reading of Qur’anic verses on the natural world with semantic and quantitative analysis of key terms, including heaven, earth, rain, winds, and mountains. It also compares the Qur’anic conception with definitions of the environment used in environmental science, law, geography, and sustainable development studies.
The analysis identifies balance (mīzān), human stewardship (istikhlāf), the prohibition of corruption (fasād), and the ethical use of natural resources as central principles. The Qur’anic conception shares with contemporary environmental perspectives an emphasis on ecological interconnectedness and sustainability. It situates these concerns within a monotheistic worldview in which natural phenomena are signs that invite reflection on divine unity, resurrection, and accountability. The verses thus connect observation of the natural world with moral responsibility for how people use and protect its resources.
The study concludes that the Qur’an frames environmental responsibility as a divine trust (amānah). From this perspective, cultivating the earth entails balancing the use of natural resources with their preservation. The study argues that this balance provides an ethical foundation for sustainable development within the framework of the objectives of Islamic law.
Keywords — Qur’anic environmental discourse, maqāṣid, stewardship, cultivation of the earth, ecological balance, sustainability.
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References
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