Maintaining a Healthy Environment: An Islamic Ethical Approach

Abstract

Islam plays an important role in preservation of the quality of a precious environment. This is because, according to Islam, not only Allah (s.w.t) has absolute sovereignty over man’s life and death, but man has no dominion over his own life or non-human life. Man cannot act as owner over the environmental elements. This is one of the ultimate objectives of Islamic law that is to create a healthy environment. Each individual Muslim as well as Muslim community must honestly strive to develop and maintain a healthy environment. In this paper, attempts will be made to highlight the contribution of Islamic ethical discipline in protection of environment. In order to fit our discussion with the purpose of our central theme, that is, protection against environmental pollution according to Islamic ethical discipline, it is necessary to discuss the Islamic concepts of al-mizan and man of adab. This is because they are among the important principles, which teach us how to behave and how to deal with the environment. We hope that the research will present a timely reminder in relation to the attitude of man towards his natural environment. Each individual must honestly strive to develop and maintain a healthy environment.