What does the Quran say about the environment?

Answer 1

Quran urges Muslims:

• not to spoil the environment,
• encourages them to plant trees and spread the green,
• condemns those who spoils the earth

Quran says:

1

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لَا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ قَالُوا إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ ﴿١١﴾

Meaning English Quran translation:

{And when it is said to them, "Do not cause corruption on the earth," they say, "We are but reformers." (11)} [Quran, chapter 2, verse 11]

and says:

2

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ Ù…ÙŽÙ† يُعْجِبُكَ قَوْلُهُ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَيُشْهِدُ اللَّـهَ عَلَىٰ مَا فِي قَلْبِهِ وَهُوَ أَلَدُّ الْخِصَامِ ï´¿Ù¢Ù?٤﴾ وَإِذَا تَوَلَّىٰ سَعَىٰ فِي الْأَرْضِ لِيُفْسِدَ فِيهَا وَيُهْلِكَ الْحَرْثَ وَالنَّسْلَ Û— وَاللَّـهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْفَسَادَ ï´¿Ù¢Ù?٥﴾ {And of the people is he whose speech pleases you in worldly life, and he calls Allah to witness as to what is in his heart, yet he is the fiercest of opponents. (204) And when he goes away, he strives throughout the land to cause corruption therein and destroy crops and animals. And Allah does not like corruption. (205)}

[Quran, chapter 2, verses 204-205]

and says:

3

وَلَا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلَاحِهَا وَادْعُوهُ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا ۚ إِنَّ رَحْمَتَ اللَّـهِ قَرِيبٌ مِّنَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿٥٦﴾

{ And cause not corruption upon the earth after its reformation. And invoke Him in fear and aspiration. Indeed, the mercy of Allah is near to the doers of good. (56)}

[Quran, chapter 7, verse 56]

and says:

4

وَالَّذِينَ يَنقُضُونَ عَهْدَ اللَّـهِ مِن بَعْدِ مِيثَاقِهِ وَيَقْطَعُونَ مَا أَمَرَ اللَّـهُ بِهِ أَن يُوصَلَ وَيُفْسِدُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ ۙ أُولَـٰئِكَ لَهُمُ اللَّعْنَةُ وَلَهُمْ سُوءُ الدَّارِ ﴿٢٥﴾ {But those who break the covenant of Allah after contracting it and sever that which Allah has ordered to be joined and spread corruption on earth - for them is the curse, and they will have the worst home. (25) }

[Quran, chapter 13, verse 25]

5

ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِي النَّاسِ لِيُذِيقَهُم بَعْضَ الَّذِي عَمِلُوا لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ ﴿٤١﴾

{ Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [to righteousness]. (41)}

[Quran, chapter 30, verse 41]

Answer

The Quran says much about the environment... in brief: humans are guardians of God's Creation (Quran 6:165), and we should not create disorder/ pollution (Quran 30:40) - especially as Quran/ Islam came to humanity, not just this generation for us to use to our heart's content. Only humans need the guidance of a scripture as only the human species has a free will; all other species do their God given task automatically (e.g. bees pollinating flowers). Note this does not make us superior and thus allow us to abuse, as we're all God's species (Quran 6:38). Note the names of so many of the chapters in the Quran after named after elements of the Quran and 1/8 of the verses directly or indirectly talk of the environment/ Creation. This is not a coincidence, but emphasizes importance of issue.