RELIGION, SCIENCE AND THE ENVIRONMENT-
Symposium VI: “Amazon, Source of Life”
13th – 20th July, 2006

Environmental Ethics In Light of Koranic Verses

By Nariman Gasimoglu
ngasimoglu@yahoo.com
http://ddm.iatp.az

As long as the noble reason for us to gather here is about expressing our concerns regarding environmental challenges and ethics relating to the protection of nature I would also stress that the discussions on these issues from the religious point of view contain a very good potential for initiatives about inter-religious understanding or inter-religious dialogue measures which are getting more and more essential for time-being. By potential in question I mean a good common ground for eco-theologies we all need to develop, the thing that along with serving environmental purposes could also bring the religions together rather than alienate them from one another. In other words, environmental concerns emanating from religious considerations could be chosen as basic priorities for set-up of interfaith dialogue initiatives. This may help introduce novelties even into theologies to improve upon the religious views in favour of environmental concerns and to put religions into the service of mankind and the globe. My belief is that it can prove quite real if we mainly focus on Holy texts themselves.

I am the author of Koranic translation in Azeri and I have to note that Koranic verses addressing environmental issues outnumber verses dealing with many other things. In fact, of more than 6,000 verses in this Holy Book, one eighth of the Book, call on believers to reflect on nature, to study the relationship between living creatures and their environment and to maintain the balance and proportion God has built into His creation. The Koranic philosophy at this point is linked to the notion of so called fitra describing the religion of monotheism as a Religion of Fitra. This term according to Koran is used to emphasize the original state in which humans are created by God and also to mean the religion of nature that may claim the absolute truth.

Divine service with obeying and worshipping God-being is not only the case only human-being is called upon to be engaged in. According to Koranic verses, whatever creatures ranging from the smallest invisible ones to biggest invisible ones the universe includes are in a position to obey and praise God-being in their own way. One of the reasons to explain this is that the High Conscience who is the Creator of system which all the material and spiritual creatures belong to is the Most High, God himself. As far as the God is the high manager of system regulating everything that happen in the universe and activities held by creatures the act of observing the rules and laws put by Him however it might seem instinctive or deliberate is disclosed as act of obeying and worshipping God-being. Our Lord says: “Do you not see that God is He, Whom obeys whoever is in the heavens and whoever is in the earth, and the sun and the moon and the stars, and the mountains and the trees, and the animals and many of the people…” (22.18).

The nature itself also being a source confirming that God has no partner in creating the universe actually presents a state bearing the divinity of Holy Writ and thus needs to be read and learnt to help understand the greatness of God-being. At this very point the nature gets accorded the divine status as God-built guiding system on the path of divine perception. So it should be accepted that producing respect towards the issues of protection and study of nature is to be considered as an activity human-being has to hold as part of his divine services or religious duties.

It is the level of faith that indicates how well human-being’s attitude is manifested towards the environment. The reason why everything we contemplate in the environmental beauties - forests, meadows, mountain heights covered with snow, murmurous rivers, blue seas, picturesque flora and fauna, dome of heaven, stars and so on look so beautiful is conditioned by God’s seal and paint they all bear as His creatures.

“Do you not observe that God sends down rain from the sky, so that in the morning the earth becomes green?” (22:63) – says our Lord The colour green is the most blessed of all colours for Muslims and provides a profound sense of the value of nature as God’s perfect and most fruitful plan.

“Get painted with the paint of God, and who is better than God in painting? and Him do we serve” (2,138) – reads Koranic verse. God suggests that we take into consideration beauty, harmony and equilibrium He has set for the life of both human-being and universe as a whole.

So how damaging and destroying it appeared to be when we human-beings tried to subdue nature treating it in a rather hostile way. By draining rivers and lakes, polluting seas, cutting down forests the human being indifferent to divine instructions as a matter of fact gets inevitably doomed to be hostile to his own generation’s fate not to mention how it may prove undermining for generations to come.

Aggressions carried out against flora and fauna particularly recent times cost one dear for humanity harmed its physical existence and morality. It should be understood that any attempts aiming at upsetting environmental balance set by God, corrupting harmony established by God and erasing paint put by God are due to be regarded as of blasphemy signs. Koran repeatedly cautions against the depraved destiny blasphemers are expected to gain in heavenly kingdom.

It is well known that the environment at the time when Koran was sent upon the prophet Muhammed was not as much harmed as it is nowadays. However, Koran applying to all times wants to restrain us from violence towards environment by reminding us in a miraculous way of what happens at present time: “Corruption has appeared in the land and the sea on account of what the hands of men have wrought, that He may make them taste a part of that which they have done, so that they may return” (30, 41). The talk here is about returning back to repentance that might be awakened or felt by perception of damage infringed upon nature.

Soil, water, rivers, air, reaches of soil, forests, sunlight, moonlight and so on are common wealth for all. Nevertheless, we should not forget it is the very God who has the unshared right of property over these all. As He says: “His is whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth; and most surely God is the Self-sufficient, the Praised” (22, 64). So the moral and ethic content of benefiting from the property belonging to God provides for respectful treatment of nature as human being should never see environment as source for his selfish satisfaction but rather should avoid squandering its resources for his natural increasing needs to be met. God cautions against squander also because there are some limits preset for restoration processes regulated by divine rules to be applied to losses the environment can undergo.

Human being with the status of God’s successor should not transgress the limits set for him in regard with managing environment but be guided by divine instructions because he is supposed to take into account that there are others who like human being were created by God as examples of animate communities: “There is not an animal in the earth, nor a flying creature flying with two wings, but they are nations like you” (6, 38);

Our Lord says: “And God has created from water every living creature: so of them is that which walks upon its belly, and of them is that which walks upon two feet, and of them is that which walks upon four; God creates what He pleases; surely God has power over all things” (24, 45).

Throughout the centuries Muslims treated environment as affected by Koranic instructions. For example, warnings against the wastefulness in using water which was regarded as a source of life and purity were conditioned by the ritual of ablution Muslims are supposed to perform before prayers. They tried to avoid wasting water when performing ablutions. In case when there was no water to use for ablutions they were allowed to perform it by soil, following this Koranic verse: “ …if you cannot find water, betake yourselves to pure earth and wipe your faces and your hands therewith (5, 6). Koranic permit to use pure soil for lack of water to perform the mentioned ritual meant for believers that they were obliged to treat soil as much respectfully as they were to do with water.

And finally as long as we are now on Amazon River I can’t help referring to Koranic verses which certainly grant the notion of river kind of divine status as the rivers appear to be one the main attributes of paradise described in Koran in a figurative way with the purpose to instil the idea of importance of the rivers as the main source of life into the religious conscience of believers. Our Lord teaches us not to forget as He says that “It is He who spread out the earth, and set thereon mountains standing firm and rivers” (13, 3) and “Who has made the earth firm to live in; made rivers in its midst; set thereon mountains immovable; and made a separating bar between the two bodies of flowing water? Can there be another god besides Him. Nay, most of them know not” (27, 61).

The river is also should be seen as a tool of salvation in the eyes of believers and moreover what gives it a sense of tool for great salvation is that the messenger Moses while being infant escaped the expected death due to being cast into the river by his mother. Koran reads at this point: “We sent this inspiration to the mother of Moses: "Suckle him, but when your heart fears about him, cast him into the river, but fear not nor grieve: for We shall restore him to thee, and We shall make him one of Our apostles" (27, 7).

In light of this verse I would say I believe that our great salvation both in this life and hereafter is certainly depending on how wisely we will treat the Great Amazon River. God bless you all. Amen!

P.S. Samples of Koranic verses addressing the environmental ethics

"And the earth We have spread out like a carpet; set thereon mountains firm and immobile; and produced therein all kinds of things in due balance" (15:19).
"In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of night and day, and the ships which run upon the sea with that which is of use to people, and the water which God sends down from the sky, thereby reviving the earth after its death, and dispersing all kinds of beasts therein, and the ordinance of the winds, are signs for people who have sense" (2:164).

“Do you not see that God is He, Whom obeys whoever is in the heavens and whoever is in the earth, and the sun and the moon and the stars, and the mountains and the trees, and the animals and many of the people…” (22:18).
"The seven heavens and the earth and all therein praise him and there is not a thing but hymns his praise. Lo! He is ever Clement, Forgiving." (ch 17;v 44).
"Have they not seen the earth, how we have planted therein of every fruitful pair" (26:7).
"Glory be to Him who created all sexual pairs, of that which the earth grows, and of themselves, and of that which they know not." (36:36).
"There is not an animal in the earth, nor a flying creature flying with two wings, but they are nations like you. We have neglected nothing in the book. Then unto their Lord they will be gathered." (6:38).
"God has created every animal of water. Of them is that which moves upon its belly and that which walks on two legs and that which walks upon four. God creates what He will. Lo! God is able to do all things." (24:45).
"Have they not seen the birds obedient in mid air? None holds them save God. Lo! herein, verily, are signs for a people who believe." (16:79).
"... and We made every living thing of water ... " (21:30).
"Have you observed the water which you drink? Is it you who shed it from the raincloud or are We the shedder." (56:68-69).

“…if you cannot find water, betake yourselves to pure earth and wipe your faces and your hands therewith (5, 6)

"Have you seen that which you cultivate? Is it you who foster it, or are we the fosterer?" (56:63-64).
"Let man consider his food: How we pour water in showers Then split the earth in clefts And cause the grain to grow therein And grapes and green fodder And olive trees and palm trees And garden closes of thick foliage And fruits and grasses: Provision for you and your cattle." (80: 24-32).
"He it is who sends down water from the sky, and therewith we bring forth buds of every kind; we bring forth the green blade from which we bring forth the thick-clustered grain; and from the date-palm, from the pollen thereof, spring pendant bunches; and gardens of grapes, and the olive and the pomegranate, alike and unlike. Look upon the fruit thereof, when they bear fruit, and upon its ripening. Lo! herein verily are signs for a people who believe." (6:99).
“With Him are the keys (to the treasures) of the Unseen that no one knows but He. He knows whatever there is on the earth and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but with His knowledge: there is not a grain in the earth’s shadows, not a thing, freshly green or withered, but it is (inscribed) in a clear record” (6:59).
“Do you not observe that God sends down rain from the sky, so that in the morning the earth becomes green?” (22:63).
"If you are still in doubt as to resurrection, consider this: you can see the earth dry and lifeless and suddenly when we send down waters upon it, it stirs and swells and puts forth every kind of lovely plant!" (22:5).

"And the earth—we have spread it out wide, and placed on it mountains firm, and caused life of every kind to grow on it in a balanced manner, and provided means of livelihood for you as well as for all living beings whose sustenance does not depend on you" (15:19)

"Corruption has appeared on land and sea as an outcome of what men's hands have wrought: and so He will let them taste the evil of some of their doings, so that they might return to the right path" (30:41).

Notion 0f River in Koran (some excerpts from Koran)

“Those are limits set by God. Those who obey God and His Messenger will be admitted to Gardens with rivers flowing beneath, to abide therein (for ever) and that will be the supreme achievement” (4:13)

“Say: Shall I give you glad tidings of things Far better than those? For the righteous are Gardens in nearness to their Lord, with rivers flowing beneath; therein is their eternal home; with companions pure (and holy); and the good pleasure of God. For in God.s sight are (all) His servants” (3:15)

“See they not how many of those before them We did destroy?- generations We had established on the earth, in strength such as We have not given to you - for whom We poured out rain from the skies in abundance, and gave (fertile) rivers flowing beneath their (feet): yet for their sins We destroyed them, and raised in their wake fresh generations (to succeed them)” (6:6)

“And it is He who spread out the earth, and set thereon mountains standing firm and rivers: and fruit of every kind He made in pairs, two and two: He draweth the night as a veil o'er the Day. Behold, verily in these things there are signs for those who consider!” (13:3)

“Each of those gardens brought forth its produce, and failed not in the least therein: in the midst of them We caused a river to flow” (18:33)

“Blessed is He who, if that were His will, could give thee better than those,- Gardens beneath which rivers flow; and He could give thee palaces ” (25:10)

“Or, Who has made the earth firm to live in; made rivers in its midst; set thereon mountains immovable; and made a separating bar between the two bodies of flowing water? Can there be another goddess besides God. Nay, most of them know not” (27:61)

“So We sent this inspiration to the mother of Moses: "Suckle him, but when thou hast fears about him, cast him into the river, but fear not nor grieve: for We shall restore him to thee, and We shall make him one of Our apostles" (27:7)

“And Pharaoh proclaimed among his people, saying: "O my people! Does not the dominion of Egypt belong to me, these rivers flowing underneath me ? What! see ye not then?” (43:51)

“Here is a Parable of the Garden which the righteous are promised: in it are rivers of water incorruptible; rivers of milk of which the taste never changes; rivers of wine, a joy to those who drink; and rivers of honey pure and clear. In it there are for them all kinds of fruits; and Grace from their Lord. Can those in such Bliss be compared to such as shall dwell for ever in the Fire, and be given, to drink, boiling water, so that it cuts up their bowels to pieces?” (47:15)

“He will forgive you your sins, and admit you to Gardens beneath which Rivers flow, and to beautiful mansions in Gardens of Eternity: that is indeed the Supreme Achievement” (61:12)

”The Day that He assembles you (all) for a Day of Assembly, - that will be a Day of mutual loss and gain (among you), and those who believe in God and work righteousness,- He will remove from them their ills, and He will admit them to Gardens beneath which Rivers flow, to dwell therein for ever: that will be the Supreme Achievement” (64:9)

"'Give you increase in wealth and sons; and bestow on you gardens and bestow on you rivers” (71:12)

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