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When a Christian reads the Qur’an or the Sacred Scriptures of another religion, our primary goal must be to understand.  We approach such a study to be enriched by the wisdom that God has generously planted, at all times and places, in all religions and cultures.  The early Fathers of the Christian community were well aware that the divine wisdom that God had so bountifully distributed among men and women should be understood as the effect of the work of God’s own Spirit.  In a beautiful observation attributed to St. Ambrose, it is said: “Every truth, by whomever it is expressed, comes from the Holy Spirit” [omne verum, a quocumque dicatur, a Spiritu Sancto est].

In our own times, Pope John Paul II has encouraged Christians to study and learn from the wisdom that has been granted to others.  Already in 1979, in the first year after he became Pope, he said, “The Christian ought to have great interest to observe truly religious peoples and to read and learn the testimonies of their wisdom, to confront the direct proofs of their faith, to the point of recalling the words of Jesus, ‘Not even in Israel have I found such faith.’”  If this principle is valid in general, how much more is it applicable to the followers of Islam, our fellow believers who trace their origins in faith to Abraham, who like us adore the one God, and whose commitment to conform themselves to God’s supreme will is so similar to our own.

For this reason, when Christians encounter passages of the Qur’an which speak of the relationship of humans to the natural world, we must ask ourselves: “What is the truth that God can teach to me and to my Christian community through these passages?”  Sometimes the answer will be a reaffirmation of what we have already learned by way of our own Christian tradition.  At other times, we will find expressions which, while not denied by our own Scriptures, have not been so explicitly stated or so thoroughly developed as they have been in the Qur’an.  On still other occasions, we will discover new visions and approaches to the natural world in which we can discern the movement of the Spirit of Truth and which we can profitably integrate into our own ways of thinking and acting.  In this brief article, I would like to offer insights from the Qur’an which can serve as theological bases for an Islamic approach to questions of ecology.

The underlying principle which underlies the approach of the Qur’an to the natural world is the serious nature of the divine project.  The Qur’an states: “We have not created the heaven and the earth and all that is in them in jest.  If we had wanted to look for a pastime, we would have been able to find it in Ourself” (21: 16-17).  Similarly, “And we have not created the heavens and the earths and all that is in them as a game. We have created them for no other purpose but the truth; but most people do not know this” (44:38-39).

The earth, sea, atmosphere and all the creatures that they contain are not the result of some divine sport, nor are they the casual result of processes begun and left to follow their own destiny by an irresponsible creator.  The approach of the Qur’an to nature is always theological.  God has carried out all this creative activity and continues to act in this world for a reason.  God’s way of acting in nature is purposeful, part of a great, eternal design.  Therefore, nature must never be treated lightly, for it possesses a seriousness that derives from the end to which God has destined it at the beginning and which will continue on until the Day of Judgment.

This purpose can be expressed as “to give glory to God,” an attitude well known by the Psalmist.  As the Qur’an puts it: “The seven heavens and the earth and all that is in them praise Him and nothing exists which does not celebrate His glory.  But you do not understand their praise” (17: 44).  And again, “Haven’t you seen that God is glorified by everything that is in the heavens and on earth, and by the birds in their flight?  He knows the prayer of each and their glorification, and God is aware of all that they do” (24: 41; see also 57: 1; 59: 1; 61: 1).

Nature is “muslim” because it carries out the will of God, it submits to God’s commands, it acts within the limits that God has set for it.  The birds, for example, give glory to God simply by being what they are, in this way they fulfill the purpose for which they were created.  In the whole universe, it is only humankind that can choose freely either to obey and submit itself to the commands of God or to refuse to believe, to be ungrateful and to act corruptly.

In an enigmatic verse, the Qur’an states: “Look, We offered the trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they refused to carry it and were afraid of it.  But man accepted [the challenge].  He has indeed been unjust and ignorant” (33:72).  The Qur’anic scholars offer various interpretations concerning the “trust” which the heavens, earth and mountain were afraid to bear, but that humankind accepted.  Some say that the trust refused by the natural world consisted in accepting the challenge to give a free response of submission and service to God.  Others hold that the trust was the responsibility to establish a moral social order on earth.  Still others claim that the trust implies a commitment to guide and administer the universe in the manner of a responsible steward.  The Qur’an recognizes that even if humankind has often failed to perform properly this difficult task, the commitment to respond freely to the challenge of obeying God’s commands constitutes the true greatness of humanity.

Whatever the proper interpretation of the above-mentioned verse, the relation between humanity and nature is clearly stated.  The natural world must perforce be muslim.  It must submit to God’s designs.  It must give glory to the Creator.  Only humankind is able to accept or to refuse the commands of God, to care for or to destroy nature, to act in a responsible and moral manner or else to “pollute the earth.”  In this way, humans give glory to God not because they are forced to do so, but through wisdom and by the use of free will to show their privileged place in nature by taking up the trust that has been granted them by God.  This very freedom of response also means that man is also capable of misusing this trust, of dissipating his primacy through greed and injustice.

It is clear from the Qur’an that humankind will one day have to answer for its sins against the natural world.  In a powerful poetic passage the Qur’an invokes the Day of Judgment and presents the image of the natural universe rising up to accuse humankind of its crimes:

“When the earth shall quake violently,

and the earth shall bring forth its burdens,

and man shall say: ‘What is happening to it,’

on that day, it shall tell its stories” (99: 1-4).

How many tales, how many complaints covering so many centuries, will the earth will be able to tell, of contaminated seas, of polluted air, of lands made desolate through overproduction and wartime destruction, of forests stripped, of animals killed unnecessarily for sport or for their furs, hides and tusks, of whole races of animals and plants wiped out through the indiscriminate use of pesticides and the dumping of industrial wastes, of its beauties disfigured and its treasures sacked, all in the name of greed masquerading as progress?  The point is that humans will not go unpunished for the sins and misdeeds which they have committed against the earth.  The Qur’an views nature as a creature of God and as such it has an inalienable dignity which should be respected.  Nature is not a neutral field for those who possess the greatest power, capabilities and resources to exploit it according to the principle of “first come first served.”  It is a possession entrusted by God to be used, as a good administrator ought to do, for the good of all.

While the Qur’an affirms the duty of man to treat nature with care and respect, it does not propose a romantic nostalgia that would prohibit the proper use and development of natural resources.  Nature is seen as a blessing of God for humankind and as such ought to be utilized for the needs and happiness of the human family.  In the Surat al-Nahl, the Chapter of the Bee (16), which could be called the Sura of Nature, humankind is taught that nature is a gift which the loving Creator has given to us for our benefit and pleasure:

And God has created domestic animals for you.

From them you get warm clothes, you can find many uses for them,

and you can eat them.

And what a beautiful thing it is to bring them home in the evening

and to drive them out to pasture in the morning.

They carry your merchandise to lands which

otherwise you could not reach except with great difficulty.

Your Lord is really Gentle and Merciful.

And God has made for you horses, mules, and donkeys

so that you can ride them and decorate them,

and God is creating other things you don’t know about. (16: 5-8).

It is God who sends down rain from heaven,

which you can drink

and which causes the plants to grow, where your animals can pasture.

With rain, God causes grain, olives, date palms, and grapes to grow

and all kinds of fruits for you.

There are truly signs in this

for those who think about them. (16: 10-11)

And God has subjected to you the night and the day.

The sun and the moon and the stars

are also subject to you by God’s command.

In this there are signs

for those who can use their minds.

Think of the various colors that God has spread over the earth for you.    

Here too are signs

for those who remember to think about them.

And God has subjected the sea to you,

so that you can eat fresh fish,

and gather shells and other ornaments to wear.

You  can see ships plowing across its waves,

so that you can go seek God’s bounties

and so that you give thanks.

And God has set up firm mountains on earth

so that it does not slip away underneath you,

and rivers, paths, and landmarks so you do not get lost;

also by the stars you can find your way (16: 12-16).

This Qur’anic passage outlines some of the many blessings which God bestows on humankind in the natural world: animals, rain, night and day, the sun, moon and stars, the sea and all it contains, mountains, rivers and landmarks.  The passage emphasizes repeatedly that God has created all these things for you (16: 5, 8, 11, 13).  They are gifts of the beneficent God intended not only for mankind’s survival (food, drink, shelter, clothing) and convenience (ships and landmarks for travel and commerce), but also simply to give humans aesthetic pleasure and admiration of God’s greatness.  “What a beautiful thing it is to bring them [cattle and flocks] home in the evening, and to drive them out to pasture in the morning.”  Or, “Think of the various colors that God has spread over the earth for you.”  In nature, God has provided much of what makes life good and pleasurable and beautiful, something to be truly grateful for.

Moreover, there is a message for humans in all God’s gifts.  The passage constantly underlines that nature’s gifts all contain “signs” for those who are willing to take the time to think about them, for those who are ready to reflect on what this magnificent world is for.  Nature is not simply something “given,” raw material to be selfishly used any way one wants.  Nature is rather a textbook by which men and women can come to know God better and to know their own relationship to the Creator of all things.

The theme of nature as teacher runs through the Qur’an.  Humans are taught not to take for granted the wonders of the natural universe, but rather to become aware of them, to reflect upon them, and to come to know God through them.

“Have you thought about your agriculture?

Do you produce it yourselves, or are We the sower?

Had we wished, we could have reduced it all to rubble,

and then you would have been wondering” (56: 63-65).

“Have you seen the water you drink?

Were you the ones who brought it down from the clouds, or did We send it down?

Had We wished, We could have made it bitter.  If only you would give thanks” (56: 68-70).

Elsewhere the Qur’an invites humans to reflect on fire, trees, on the alternation of day and night, on the stability of river beds, on landmarks in the desert, on the fixed stars, on bees and the mystery of honey, on the rebirth of the earth after rains and on the movement of winds.  The list could be extended indefinitely, but these few examples must suffice to show that nature is full of lessons for those who are ready to learn from it.

The first lesson we can learn from nature is the unlimited creative power and the Lordship of God who can accomplish wonders impossible for humans.  The progress of scientific knowledge in modern times merely underlines the insignificance and weakness of humans before the great processes of nature.  In an assertion reminiscent of God’s message to Job in the Bible, the Qur’an states that “God is creating other things you don’t know about” (16: 8.)  

A second lesson is the mercy and love of God for humankind.  The good things brought by nature ought to bring people to an awareness of the goodness and generosity of God.  The proper response to God for the things revealed in nature is that of faith and gratitude.

A third lesson sought by nature to those who reflect on it is that the recurrent cycle of nature and its order should lead us to be conscious of God as a proficient governor who “measures” the capacities and the limits of everything and governs the universe in an orderly fashion.  The order of nature is not haphazard, but an order that reflects the wise reliability of its Creator.  The Qur’an explains this as follows:

“The sun moves to its proper place -

this is the decree of the Almighty, the All-Knowing.

And the moon, We have determined its phases, until it returns like a curved staff.

The sun is not going to overtake the moon,

nor the night outstrip the day, for each is floating in its own orbit” (36: 38-40).

According to the Qur’an, nature indicates a wise, good, powerful, stable God, and these indications are evident to anyone who seeks to understand them.  However, many people, because of a short-sighted preoccupation with immediate causes and temporary phenomena, ignore the message of nature and live as if they themselves were the ultimate goal, or as if there were no ultimate purpose in life.  So long as life proceeds smoothly and nature acts as an obedient servant, they lose interest in seeking the Lord of nature and His will.  In times of crisis they return to God, but when the crisis situation is resolved, then fall back into their egocentric indifference.  The Qur’an describes this human phenomenon as follows:

“It is He who enables your journey on land and on sea.  When you are in ships which sail forward driven by a fair wind, they rejoice, but when a stormy wind comes upon them and waves surge over them from every side, they think that they are being overwhelmed.  At that time, they call upon God, sincerely professing submission to Him: ‘If you save us from this, we shall be truly thankful.’ But when He saves them, they resort to acting rebelliously on earth” (10: 22-23).

For humans, true wisdom is awareness and gratitude to the Lord of nature in times of safety and prosperity, before calamity occurs.

The Qur’an teaches that nature is itself is one of the great miracles of God.  Some people tend to define a miracle as “that which goes beyond the bonds of nature.  The Qur’an teaches that God is well capable of breaking the bonds of nature and states that God’s suspensions of natural laws are a proof of God’s power.  However, the real miracle of nature is not found in the interruption of the natural order but rather in the regularity which God has imposed upon it.  The predictability of natural laws (sunrise and sunset, the movements of the stars, the recurrence of rainy seasons, the birth of animals, the very fact that the earth does not explode, sink, go spinning off into space, or that the whole universe does not self-destruct) are all miracles that point to a continual sovereign order established by God.  The progress of natural sciences such as geology, meteorology, astronomy, physics, oceanography, agriculture, zoology, and botany ought to lead humanity to a deeper awareness of the miraculous regularity and logic of nature.

Rather than guiding people to a delusion of self-sufficiency, science ought to lead the believer to think about how much of the miraculous is surrounding him.  This demands that people study the natural sciences non only to learn about quantitative and spacial relationships, but to strive for true discernment and understanding a profound perception that it is the divine hand that guides the processes of nature in accord with the purposes that God has established for it.

It is only God, the source and governor of the marvelous regularity of nature, who is able to suppress or suspend natural laws.  In fact, it is God’s subversion of the natural order that will be the dramatic sign of the imminent Day of Judgment.   The Qur’an foresees the eschatological Day of Chaos, when the laws of nature will be suspended and humankind will be called upon to answer for how they have lived.  The Qur’an announces:

When the sun will be overturned,

and when the stars fall,

and when the mountains will be set in motion,

and when the great camels with their young will be abandoned,

and when the wild animals will all take refuge together,

and when the sea rises...

and when heaven will be torn away,

and when the Fire will be lit

and when the Garden will be brought near,

at that time, every soul will know what has been prepared for it (81: 1-6, 11-14).

This and similar descriptions of the final chaos serve as an important warning concerning the way in which we live on this earth.  A day is coming when we will all have to give an account of our stewardship over the natural world.  We can return with profit to the telling passage in the Qur’an:

“On that day, [the earth] will tell its stories, because your Lord will inspire it.

On that day, humankind will come forth in small groups to show its deeds.

Whoever has committed even a gram of goodness will see it then,

and whoever has done even a gram of evil will see it at that time” (99: 4-8.).

These elements of a Qur’anic approach to ecology arouse many echoes in the Christian reader.  When a Christian reads the Qur’anic teaching on nature, it is like going to one’s storehouse and finding things old and new.  Some images are new and vivid and invite the reader to a renewed examination of our indifference or irreverence toward the divine message found n nature.  Other emphases can awaken in the heart of the Christian reader a sense of respect due to God’s creation and a greater awareness of the seriousness of our sins against the natural world.

The Qur’anic message reinforces the awareness that, in many important aspects, Christians and Muslims are united in the conviction that only God ought to be worshiped and that God’s will ought to reign sovereign in our lives.  The central element of the teaching of Jesus in the Gospel, the Reign of God, that God reigns and is the supreme ruler of the universe - is not a concept foreign to the spirit and the teaching of the Qur’an.