In Islam everything in creation belongs to God. People may use the earth's resources but have no unlimited right to destroy them. An article by Daily Bangladesh's religion desk argues that protecting nature is not only a social duty but, done for God's pleasure, can be an act of worship.
It quotes verse 31 of Surah al-A'raf: eat and drink but do not waste, for God does not love the wasteful. Verse 56 of the same surah says do not spread corruption on the earth after it has been set in order. From these the article draws a duty to use natural resources properly and keep the environment in balance.
River pollution, dumping untreated waste in water bodies, damaging soil with too many chemicals and illegal felling of forests harm people and other creatures alike, it says, so every person has a duty to avoid them.
On kindness to all creation it cites a narration in Sunan al-Nasa'i (hadith 4405) in which Shaddad ibn Aws reports the Prophet as saying that God has prescribed kindness in all things. Needless cruelty to animals and nature is therefore against Islamic teaching.
Of particular relevance to farmers is a hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari (2320), narrated by Anas ibn Malik: if a Muslim plants a tree or sows a crop and a person, bird or animal eats from it, it counts as charity for them. The article notes that a good deed whose benefit reaches other living things can also earn reward.
Source: Daily Bangladesh
Comments
(0)