We’ve heard about the Dominant Social Paradigm (DSP), which came about during the Industrial Revolution, in which humans believed it was their manifest destiny to dominate over nature and exploit it for their own selfish reasons and for economic development.

We’ve also heard about the New Environmental Paradigm (NEP), which emerged as a response to the DSP as humans began realising that there had to be limits on human growth, that humans did not have a right to rule, and that nature is fragile and should be protected. However, I doubt that most people have heard about the IEP, the Islamic Environmental Paradigm, a worldview that is as ecological as the NEP, but already existed well before the DSP, the NEP, and the emergence of contemporary, postwar Western ideas on environmentalism and conservation in general.

That’s what Islam (2012) argues in his article, entitled Old Philosophy, New Movement: The Rise of the Islamic Ecological Paradigm in the Discourse of Environmentalism. (By the way, the author’s name happens to be Islam as well. I hope this doesn’t cause confusion.) Like what has been discussed in this blog, he asserts that Islam (the religion)’s way of treating and protecting nature is very similar to the modern environmentalism that came about after the Industrial Revolution. However unlike modern environmentalism, the philosophy of the IEP is rooted in the Quran and in the traditions of the prophet Muhammad.

Here is a summary of the Islamic Environmental Paradigm (Islam, 2012):

1. God created the universe and every single atom in it in balance and proportion.
2. Humans have been given a trust to protect the environment and maintain this balance since no other creature is able to perform this task.
3. All living things on the planet should have equal rights to exist and thrive, and they also deserve their own respect.
4. Appreciation of nature is encouraged in the IEP as the beauty of nature is evidence of God.
5. People have to be kind to animals and never cruel. It is forbidden to kill an animal for mere play and the wastage of animals and plants in both peace and wartime is forbidden.
6. In the past during wartime, Muslims were even prohibited from cutting down trees that were of benefit to people living in the area.
7. The earth is not for one generation but for every generation, past, present and future, and not only for human generations but for all living things.
8. Natural resources like rivers, minerals and forests are the property of all and should be distributed justly.
9. Water is precious and it is forbidden to waste it. Hence, the pollution of rivers and oceans that is prevalent today goes against the IEP.
10. Luxurious and lavish living is discouraged. Excessive luxury is a social injustice as only a few can afford lavish items.

This paradigm is basically using the teachings and tenets of the Islamic faith, grounded in the Quran and hadith, to form a new environmental paradigm which holistically encompasses how Muslims should behave towards the environment.

In his article Islam (2012) also provides a table comparing the IEP to the Dominant Social Paradigm (here called the Exploitative Capitalist Paradigm), the New Ecological Paradigm, and the Environmental Justice Paradigm.

 

Islam seems to think that the IEP will be a viable and greener way to view nature and the environment. I do agree that it is an ideal situation if Muslims all adhere to this paradigm? But do they really?