Environment and Islamic Politics: Climate Change Policies in the Light of the Quran and Sunnah

Abstract

Climate crisis now stands as one of the most urgent challenges of our time and a collective, worldwide response is desperately needed. On this basis the Islamic teachings offer an exceptional ethical and practical foundation for the development of environmental policies that are sustainable. This paper analyzes how Quranic principles and Prophetic traditions (Sunnah) can contribute to and direct contemporary responses to climate change from a faithbased perspective of ecological stewardship. Three key Islamic concepts which are central to this discussion are: khalifa (humans are stewards of the earth), the prohibition of israf (waste and extravagance) and mizan (divine balance in creation). The Quran explicitly talks about a human responsibility in protecting the environment, in that it warns against fasād on Earth (Q 30:41) and advocating moderation in the consumption of resources. The Sunnah gives practical examples through the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), whose words encouraged planting trees, water conservation and animal kindness. Collectively these teachings provide the basis for an Islamic environmental ethic that equates with modern sustainability goals. The paper reviews progress and challenges of current climate initiatives in Muslim majority countries. For example, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 entails ambitious afforestation projects to combat desertification, Pakistan’s ‘10 Billion Tree Tsunami’ is an example of large scale reforestation. But there are still large obstacles such as continuing to be based on fossil fuel economies, lack of public awareness and lack of policy implementation. This paper critiques these gaps in their need to be more closely aligned with Islamic environmental ethics and national policy.To overcome those challenges, the paper suggests an Islamic political model for dealing with climate change which includes several innovative mechanisms. This type of green finance includes Islamic banking (eco-friendly sukuk), the revival of waqf endowments for environmental projects and the introduction of Sharia compliant environmental taxes (pollution levies). In addition, the study points out the influence of Islamic education in terms of fostering ecological consciousness and suggests that environmental teachings be incorporated in madrasa curricula and Friday sermon. In the international realm, the paper demands a greater cooperation with the aim that the body such as Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) may foster exchange of knowledge, joint Interventions in climate in the world and unified stance in the global forums. This research serves as a bridge between Quranic wisdom and modern science by allowing it to overcome the challenge of environmental governance through Islamic ethics, technological and policy innovation. Finally, the paper concludes that among Muslim majority nations, they have both a religious and a moral duty to take the lead on climate action and should provide a model for action which intersects between spiritual values and practical solutions for a sustainable future. As such, this thesis fulfills its role in the growing discourse of faith based environmentalism which shows how Islamic teaching can motivate and generate effective climate policies as we endeavor to deal with contemporary ecological crises. The Muslim world can be a key player in the world-wide fight against climate change by returning to the tradition’s ecological wisdom.

Keywords: Islamic environmentalism, Climate change and Quran, Sunnah-based sustainability, Green finance in Islam, Muslim-majority climate policies, Eco-theology in Islam, OIC environmental cooperation