The Environmental Ethical Crisis and Islamic Mysticism’s Solutions for It

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy, Research Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Islamic Sciences and Culture Academy, Qom, Iran (Corresponding Author).

2 Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, Farabi College, University of Tehran, Qom, Iran.

10.22081/jti.2026.74521.1120

Abstract

Environmental ethics is an area of ethics that faces two fundamental challenges. On the one hand, moral responsibility in other domains can be explained based on respecting the rights of human beings who possess rights; however, regarding the environment, the object of morality in this domain is human individual or collective behavior toward the environment. The question is: how can an status be established for the environment such that human beings have a moral responsibility toward it? On the other hand, the environmental crisis is essentially a consequence of human arrogance toward nature. This arrogance is rooted in an anthropocentric and dominating worldview, which stems from the notion that God created the heavens and the earth for human utility and dominion, and after creation, placed humanity as the master of all creatures. Islamic mysticism can address these two challenges. On the one hand, by presenting the theory of love for God and, consequently, love for all creation—including nature and the environment—Islamic mysticism teaches humans to love the environment and, just as a lover never harms the beloved, to care for and nurture the environment. On the other hand, by introducing the environment (inanimate nature, plants, and animals) as a manifestation of God, it helps secure the moral status and dignity of the environment. Furthermore, by rejecting the anthropocentrism of creation, Islamic mysticism interprets the station of human vicegerency of God not as ownership of the environment, but as its preservation, considering humans as guardians and responsible stewards of the universe.

Keywords

References

* Holy Quran.
Ibn Sa'd, M. (2001). Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra. (A. M. Omar, Ed., Vol. 4). Cairo: Maktabat al-Khanji. [In Arabic]
Ibn 'Arabi, M. (1994). Al-Futuhat al-Makkiyah. (O. Yahya, Ed., Vol. 12). Beirut: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi. [In Arabic]
Ibn 'Arabi, M. (1987). Fusus al-Hikam. (A. A. Affifi, Comm.). Tehran: Al-Zahra Publications. [In Persian]
Ibn 'Arabi, M. (1988). Rasa'il Ibn 'Arabi: Dah Risaleh-ye Farsi. (N. Mayel Heravi, Ed.). Tehran: Mowlaya Publications. [In Persian]
Ibn 'Arabi, M. (1989). Al-Insan al-Kamil. (M. M. Ghurab, Prep., Vol. 1). Damascus: Dar al-Katib al-Arabi. [In Arabic]
Abu Nu'aym al-Isfahani. (1979). Hilyat al-Awliya' wa Tabaqat al-Asfiya'. (Vol. 1). Cairo: Maktabat al-Sa'adah. [In Arabic]
Ahmad ibn Hanbal. (1996). Musnad al-Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal. (S. Arna'ut, Ed., Vol. 18). Beirut: Mu'assasat al-Risalah. [In Arabic]
Eslami, S. H. (2013). "Environmental Ethics: Backgrounds, Perspectives, and Future Prospects". Vahyani Ethics, 2(4), pp. 7–36. [In Persian]
Pourjavady, N. (2003). "Sufism from the Beginning to the End of the Sixth Century". Encyclopedia of the Islamic World (Vol. 7), pp. 381–387. Tehran: Islamic Encyclopedia Foundation. [In Persian]
Pourjavady, N. (2007). Badeh-ye Eshq. Tehran: Karnameh Publications. [In Persian]
Pourjavady, N. (2008). "The Marvelous Dervish: Life and Sayings of Abu Abdallah al-Maghribi". Mystical Studies, 4(8), pp. 5–24. [In Persian]
Pourjavady, N. (2010). "Aversion to Meat-Eating in Sufism". Nameh-ye Farhangestan, 11(42), pp. 37–62. [In Persian]
Pojman, L. P. (2005). Environmental Ethics. (M. Shojaei., M. Solasi., M. Daghighi., H. Ghabraei., M. Ghaedsharafi., A. Mokhber., & M. Malekian., Trans., Vol. 1). Tehran: Towseh Publications. [In Persian]
Descartes, R. (1965). Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting One's Reason. (M. A. Foroughi, Trans.). Tehran: Zavar Bookstore. [In Persian]
Al-Subki, T. b. A. (1964). Tabaqat al-Shafi'iyyah al-Kubra. (M. M. al-Tanahi & A. F. M. Hilu, Eds., Vol. 6). Cairo: Matba'at Isa al-Babi al-Halabi wa Shuraka'uh. [In Arabic]
Shirazi, Sa'di. (2006). Kulliyat (M. A. Foroughi, Ed.). Tehran: Hermes Publications. [In Persian]
Siyar, P. (2014). The Old Testament; Volume 1: Books of Law or the Torah based on the Jerusalem Bible. Tehran: Hermes Publications. [In Persian]
Tusi, A. (1977). Jami' al-Sitin. (M. Roshan, Ed.). Tehran: [n.pub.]. [In Persian]
The New Testament. (1895). London: British and Foreign Bible Society. [In Persian]
Ghazali, A. (1980). Sawanih. (N. Pourjavady, Ed.). Tehran: Iran Culture Foundation. [In Persian]
Qays ibn Mulawwah. (1979). Diwan Majnun Layla (A. A. Farraj, Comp.). Cairo: Maktabat Misr. [In Arabic]
Kant, I. (2015). Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals. (H. Enayat., & A. Ghaisari, Trans.). Tehran: Kharazmi Publications. [In Persian]
Karbassizadeh, A., & Shiravand, M. (2014). "The Role and Position of Francis Bacon's Teachings in the Generation of Environmental Crises". Epistemological Studies in the Islamic University, 18(60), pp. 469–486. [In Persian]
Lahiji, S. M. (2018). Mafatih al-I'jaz fi Sharh Gulshan-i Raz. (M. Barzegar Khaleqi, Ed.). Tehran: Zavar Publications. [In Persian]
Mustamli Bukhari. (1984). Sharh-e Ta'arruf. (Nur al-Muridin wa Fadihat al-Mudda'in) (M. Roshan, Ed.). Tehran: Asatir Publications. [In Persian]
Mawlavi, J. D. (1984). Mathnawi-ye Ma'nawi. (R. A. Nicholson, Ed.). Tehran: Amir Kabir Publications, 9th ed. [In Persian]
Yazdanpanah, S. Y. (2009). Mabani wa Usoul-e Erfan-e Nazari. Qom: Imam Khomeini Educational and Research Institute. [In Persian]

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics