The contribution of Islam to planetary health
Authors: Omnia El Omrani, Mohammad Yasir Essar, Lujain Alqodmani, Saad Uakkas, Mohamed Eissa, Jemilah Mahmood, Renzo R Guinto
Journal: The Lancet Planetary Health (2021)

The human ecosystem interface, embodied by the planetary health paradigm, is deeply embedded in all the world's religions and indigenous traditions.1Grim J Tucker ME The emerging alliance of world religions and ecology.https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/ethics_online/0037Date: Sept 2, 2009Date accessed: May 11, 2021Google Scholar Yet, the ongoing planetary health discourse remains predominantly Western-orientated. As calls to decolonise health ensues, there is a need to explore and acknowledge other non-Western perspectives, such as those originating from the Islamic faith.2Büyüm AM Kenney C Koris A Mkumba L Raveendran Y Decolonising global health: if not now, when?.BMJ Glob Health. 2020; 5e003394Crossref PubMed Scopus (86) Google Scholar Preserving nature is a key value repeatedly emphasised in the Quran, the central religious text of Islam. With the word Earth mentioned 485 times, the Quran teaches that the attainment of harmony between humanity and ecosystems is an integral component of one's faith in God. Not only does Islam prohibit the exploitation and destruction of natural resources, but Islamic teachings also emphasise the important role of humans as stewards of the planet with an ethical and moral obligation to preserve and restore the environment.3Fathil M Saam Z Sukendi S Nizar S Islam and environment: education perspective.Al-Ta'lim Journal. 2015; 22: 96-106Crossref Google Scholar The Islamic law, maqasid al-shariah, invokes the aim to serve the public's interest and to protect all forms of life from harm, governed by the principles and concepts of mercy and guidance.4Ibrahim AH Rahman NNA Saifuddeen SM Baharuddin M Maqasid al-Shariah based Islamic bioethics: a comprehensive approach.J Bioeth Inq. 2019; 16: 333-345Crossref PubMed Scopus (10) Google Scholar Instead of profit maximisation and natural resource exploitation, the law advocates for small-scale and people-centred development that meets essential needs and diminishes humanity's ecological footprint.5Al-Jayyousi OR Islam and sustainable development: new worldviews. Gower, London2016Crossref Google Scholar As an ecoeducational resource, the Quran provides a comprehensive description of how nature works and calls for the responsible and ethical use of natural resources, marked by moderation and concern for equity and devoid of waste, as shown in the following passage: “It is He who has brought into being gardens, the cultivated and the wild, and date-palms, and fields with produce of all kinds, and olives and pomegranates, similar (in-kind) and variegated. Eat of their fruit in season, but give (the poor) their due on harvest day. And do not waste, for God does not love the wasteful.” (Quran 6:141). Additionally, several Hadiths, which are verbally transmitted records of the Prophet Muhammad's words, also highlighted the paramount importance of environmental protection. One of these Hadiths emphasised the interconnectedness of nature and the rewards of preserving it: if a Muslim plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person or an animal eats from it, it is regarded as a charitable gift (sadaqah) for him.6Sahih al-BukhariVol 3, Book of Agriculture, Hadith 513.https://muflihun.com/bukhari/39/513Date accessed: May 11, 2021Google Scholar In the contemporary world, religious leaders from different faiths have also reiterated the message of planetary health embedded in ancient holy books. For instance, human stewardship is further underscored by Islamic leaders, who called on the world's 1·6 billion Muslims to take action on climate change, as a constitutional part of their religious duty. This collective call was translated into an Islamic Declaration on Climate Change adopted in Istanbul in 2015, which includes a set of commitments to phase out greenhouse gas emissions and to invest in net-zero carbon solutions.7UN Framework Convention on Climate ChangeIslamic declaration on climate change.https://unfccc.int/news/islamic-declaration-on-climate-changeDate: Aug 18, 2015Date accessed: November 1, 2020Google Scholar Furthermore, some countries are starting to use Islamic narratives and religious teaching to address planetary health issues such as climate change by organising ecoislamic conferences that elucidate Islam's environment-friendly principles. Such conferences have taken place in diverse countries such as Pakistan, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia.8Shams S Why religious narratives are crucial to tackling climate change.https://www.dw.com/en/why-religious-narratives-are-crucial-to-tackling-climate-change/a-51384374Date: Nov 23, 2019Date accessed: November 1, 2020Google Scholar In addition, Islamic universities in Indonesia have already integrated environmental health education in the design and implementation of their curricula to prepare students in leading environmental action in their own communities.9Jaya I Implementation of green campus-based curriculum model at Islamic universities in Indonesia.Dinamika Ilmu. 2020; 20: 23-32Crossref Google Scholar Taking climate action and protecting planetary health are essential imperatives for the world's Muslims, as many Muslim-majority countries are already experiencing the devastating effects of climate change, especially on human health. For example, due to continuous deforestation and land conversion for palm oil production, Indonesia has emerged as one of the top 20 carbon emitters in the world. Moreover, the forest fires generated by land conversion activities have produced transboundary air pollution that affected its nearby countries in southeast Asia.10Großmann K ‘Green Islam’: Islamic environmentalism in Indonesia.https://www.newmandala.org/green-islam/Date: Aug 28, 2019Date accessed: November 1, 2020Google Scholar Meanwhile, in the Middle East, the frequency and severity of sand and dust storms have drastically increased over the years due to climate change, and prolonged drought and unsustainable land management, particularly in Iran, has led to the loss of over USD $13 billion in Gross Domestic Product every year.11UN Environment ProgrammeMore action needed on sand and dust storms.https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/more-action-needed-sand-and-dust-stormsDate: June 14, 2016Date accessed: March 8, 2021Google Scholar Despite these existing initiatives and tangible climate impacts on Muslim communities there is an urgent need to further advance Islamic environmentalism in Muslim countries and across the world. The Islamic faith offers substantial opportunities to advance action for planetary health. That is why we call on all Islamic leaders, scholars, and institutions to advocate for planetary health and promote sustainable Islamic values. We further extend our call to the planetary health community to welcome and amplify Islamic and other faith-based voices and responses to planetary health. Now is the time for the Muslim world to embody their duty as trustees of the Earth and join the global mobilisation for planetary health. JM is the Public Health Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Malaysia. RRG is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of The Lancet Planetary Health and the colead of the Planetary Health Alliance Southeast Asia Regional Hub. All other authors declare no competing interests. The role of languaging in planetary healthLinguistic studies are often disregarded in the decision and policy-making processes concerning public health. This disregard exacerbates the health and quality-of-life risks at the individual and global level in planetary health. The persisting disregard for linguistic studies is rooted in colonial practices of public health that exclude societies that are not part of high-income countries or are not educated, industrialised, and democratic. Full-Text PDF Open Access