Prophet Muhammad: A Pioneer of the Environment :

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Prophet Muhammad: A Pioneer of the Environment :

Message Admin Mer Juil 21, 2010 2:56 pm

: Prophet Muhammad: A Pioneer of the Environment ::

Prophet Muhammad: A Pioneer of the Environment
By Franscesca De Chatel

“There is none amongst the believers who plants a tree, or sows a
seed, and then a bird, or a person, or an animal eats thereof, but it
is regarded as having given a charitable gift [for which there is great
recompense].” [Al-Bukhari].

The idea of the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) as a pioneer of
environmentalism will initially strike many as strange: indeed, the
term “environment” and related concepts like “ecology”, “environmental
awareness” and “sustainability”, are modern-day inventions, terms that
were formulated in the face of the growing concerns about the
contemporary state of the natural world around us.

And yet a closer reading of the hadith, the body of work that recounts
significant events in the Prophet’s life, reveals that he was a staunch
advocate of environmental protection. One could say he was an
“environmentalist avant la lettre”, a pioneer in the domain of
conservation, sustainable development and resource management, and one
who constantly sought to maintain a harmonious balance between man and
nature. From all accounts of his life and deeds, we read that the
Prophet had a profound respect for fauna and flora, as well as an
almost visceral connection to the four elements, earth, water, fire and
air.

He was a strong proponent of the sustainable use and cultivation of
land and water, proper treatment of animals, plants and birds, and the
equal rights of users. In this context the modernity of the Prophet’s
view of the environment and the concepts he introduced to his followers
is particularly striking; certain passages of the hadith could easily
be mistaken for discussions about contemporary environmental issues.

Three Principles

The Prophet’s environmental teaching is first of all holistic: it
assumes a fundamental link and interdependency between all natural
elements and bases its teachings on the premise that if man abuses or
exhausts one element, the natural world as a whole will suffer direct
consequences. This belief is nowhere formulated in one concise phrase;
it is rather an underlying principle that forms the foundation of all
the Prophet’s actions and words, a life philosophy that defined him as
a person.

The three most important principles of the Prophet’s view of
nature are based on the Qur’anic teachings and the concepts of tawhid
(unity), khalifa (stewardship) and amana (trust).

Tawhid, the oneness of God, is a cornerstone of the Islamic faith. It
recognizes the fact that there is one absolute Creator and that man is
responsible to Him for all his actions: “To God belongs all that is in
the heavens and in the earth, for God encompasses everything [4:126].”
The Prophet acknowledges that God's knowledge and power covers
everything. Therefore abusing one of his creations, whether it is a
living being or a natural resource, is a sin. The Prophet considered
all of God’s creations to be equal before God and he believed that not
just animals, but also land, forests and watercourses should have
rights.

The concepts of khalifa, stewardship, and amana, trust, emerge
from the principle of tawhid. The Qur’an explains that mankind holds a
privileged position among God’s creations on earth: he is chosen as
khalifa, “vice-regent” and carries the responsibility of caring for
God’s earthly creations. Each individual is given this task and
privilege in the form of God’s trust. But the Qur’an repeatedly warns
believers against arrogance: they are no better than other creatures.
“No creature is there on earth nor a bird flying with its wings but
they are nations like you [6:38]”; “Surely the creation of the heavens
and the earth is greater than the creation of man; but most people know
not [40:57]”.

The Prophet believed that the universe and the creations in it –
animals, plants, water, land – were not created for mankind. Man is
allowed to use the resources but he can never own them. Thus while
Islam allows land ownership, it has limitations: an owner can, for
example, only own land if he uses it; once he ceases to use it, he has
to part with his possession.

The Prophet recognized man’s responsibility to God but always
maintained humility. Thus he said: “When doomsday comes, if someone has
a palm shoot in his hand, he should plant it,” suggesting that even
when all hope is lost for mankind, one should sustain nature’s growth.
He believed that nature remains a good in itself, even if man does not
benefit from it.

Similarly, the Prophet incited believers to share the earth’s
resources. He said: “Muslims share alike in three things – water,
herbage and fire,” and he considered it a sin to withhold water from
the thirsty. “No one can refuse surplus water without sinning against
Allah and against man” [Mishkat al Masabih].

The Prophet’s attitude towards sustainable use of land,
conservation of water and the treatment of animals is a further
illustration of the humility of his environmental philosophy.

Sustainable Use of Land

“The earth has been created for me as a mosque and as a means of
purification.” [Al-Bukhari I:331] With these words the Prophet (peace
be upon him) emphasizes the sacred nature of earth or soil, not only as
a pure entity but also as a purifying agent. This reverence towards
soil is also demonstrated in the ritual of tayammum, or “dry wudu”
which permits the use of dust in the performance of ritual purification
before prayer when water is not available.

The Prophet saw earth as subservient to man, but recognised that
it should not be overexploited or abused, and that it had rights, like
the trees and wildlife living on it. In order to protect land, forests
and wildlife, the Prophet created inviolable zones known as hima and
haram, in which resources were to be left untouched. Both are still in
use today: haram areas are often drawn up around wells and water
sources to protect the groundwater table from over-pumping. Hima
applies particularly to wildlife and forestry and usually designates an
area of land where grazing and woodcutting are restricted, or where
certain animal species are protected.

The Prophet not only encouraged the sustainable use of fertile
lands, he also told his followers of the benefits of making unused land
productive: planting a tree, sowing a seed and irrigating dry land were
all regarded as charitable deeds. “Whoever brings dead land to life,
that is, cultivates wasteland, for him is a reward therein.” Thus any
person who irrigates a plot of “dead”, or desert land becomes its
rightful owner.

Conservation of Water

In the harsh desert environment where the Prophet lived, water was
synonymous to life. Water was a gift from God, the source of all life
on earth as is testified in the Qur’an: “We made from water every
living thing” [21:30].

The Qur’an constantly reminds believers that they are but the guardians
of God’s creation on earth and that they should never take this
creation for granted: “Consider the water which you drink. Was it you
that brought it down from the rain cloud or We? If We had pleased, We
could make it bitter” [56:68-70].

Saving water and safeguarding its purity were two important issues
for the Prophet: we have seen that his concern about the sustainable
use of water led to the creation of haram zones in the vicinity of
water sources. But even when water was abundant, he advocated
thriftiness: thus he recommended that believers perform wudu no more
than three times, even if they were near to a flowing spring or river.
The theologian Al-Bukhari added: “ The men of science disapprove of
exaggeration and also of exceeding the number of ablutions of the
Prophet.” The Prophet also warned against water pollution by forbidding
urination in stagnant water.

The Treatment of Animals:
“If anyone wrongfully kills even a sparrow, let alone anything greater,
he will face God’s interrogation” [Mishkat al Masabih]. These words
reflect the great reverence, respect and love that the Prophet always
showed towards animals. He believed that as part of God’s creation,
animals should be treated with dignity, and the hadith contains a large
collection of traditions, admonitions and stories about his
relationship to animals. It shows that he had particular consideration
for horses and camels: to him they were valiant companions during
journey and battle, and he found great solace and wisdom in their
presence.

Even in the slaughter of animals, the Prophet showed great gentleness
and sensitivity. While he did not practice vegetarianism, the hadiths
clearly show that the Prophet was extremely sensitive to the suffering
of animals, almost as though he shared their pain viscerally. Thus he
recommends using sharp knives and a good method so that the animal can
die a quick death with as little pain as possible. He also warned
against slaughtering an animal in the presence of other animals, or
letting the animal witness the sharpening of blades: to him that was
equal to “slaughtering the animal twice” and he emphatically condemned
such practices as “abominable”.

Conclusion

It is impossible to do justice to the full scope and significance of
Prophet Mohammed’s environmental philosophy in this short article. His
holistic view of nature and his understanding of man’s place within the
natural world pioneered environmental awareness within the Muslim
community.

Sadly, the harmony that the Prophet advocated between man and his
environment has today all too often been lost. As we face the effects
of pollution and overexploitation, desertification and water scarcity
in some parts of the world and floods and violent storms elsewhere, it
is perhaps time for the world community as a whole, Muslims, Christians
and Jews, Hindus and Buddhists, atheists and agnostics, to take a leaf
out of the Prophet’s book and address the current environmental crisis
seriously and wisely.