Climate Change and Environmental Ethics in Islam: A Global Responsibility Analyzing Islamic Teachings on Stewardship (Khilāfah) and Sustainability

Abstract

Climate change is an existential threat to the well-being of the ecosystem, people, and stability across the globe. In the context of scientific analysis and policy-making, religious systems are still underrepresented in the literature, even though they can be used to mobilize billions of followers to act in an ethical manner towards the environment. The teachings of Islam being among the major religions of the world provide some of the foundations of environmental stewardship (khilafah), equity, and moderation (mizan). These principles not only encourage responsible consumption of the natural resources, but also have moral requirements to the planet and all forms of life. This study explores the ecology of Islamic environmental ethics, which primarily focuses on the ways in which classical and modern Islamic teachings could be considered in the global sustainability models. This paper examines the main Islamic texts such as the Quran, Prophetic traditions (hadith), and jurisprudential interpretation.