Rooting Climate Change in the Islamic Perspective

Document Type : Review Article

Authors

1 Department of Geography, Muslim University of Morogoro, Morogoro, Tanzania

2 Umma University, Kajiado, Kenya

Abstract

Climate change is shaking global systems and causing havoc in many countries and communities and this has been confirmed by both science and religious narratives.  Increased human activities have disrupted the natural flow of materials and energy with transportation, industrial production, deforestation, and waste disposal. The world's efforts to minimize greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) using policies, legal systems, institutional arrangements, and community engagement have been met with sustainability difficulties. This study looks at climate change and its causes and effects from an Islamic point of view using the documentary analysis method, with extensive examinations and linkages to the various Quranic verses, and Hadiths, referencing published materials, reports, and databases for knowledge analysis to generate lessons for resilience building. The findings from this study indicate that the planet Earth has natural processes [Taqdeer] that regulate the natural world and the flow of energy and materials between all the systems, which can be interfered with by unwanted human action. The fundamental teachings of Islam can mitigate climate change chaos through character reformation. Islam is the natural system of mercy, moderation, and prosperity that justly regulates and balances human life and the natural systems. It encourages humanity to behave in the cosmos in a dignified way as a vicegerent of God and prohibits a wastefully extractive, over-exploitive, and misuse of the resources.

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