Towards an Environmental Economics of Islam
Abstract
In Islam, ecology and economics are two systems that are part of
the divine cosmic order. The role of humans is purely to discover,
and use, these systems for the betterment of life in all its forms. This
article examines certain essential principles of Islamic economics
that might help in understanding the contrast between Islamic
economics and the “economics of growth,” which has a devastating
impact on the natural environment. The article examines the values
and principles that emanate from the sources of law, specifically in
the context of Islamic economics. It explores various items of Islamic
economic terminology such as economics (iqtiṣād), provision (rizq),
usury (riba), and healthy growth (namā') to propose a platform
for an environmental economy that sees life as based on the “real
value” of the elements of nature. The article maintains that one
of the most observable aspects of fictitious economic growth is
found in money, which has no tangible or intrinsic value. This is in
contrast to the model of economic growth followed in Islam, which
is based on tangible reality rather than on hypotheses. Finally, the
article connects environmental sustainability with what is called
real growth as seen and advocated by Islam in the Qur’ān.
DOI/handle
http://hdl.handle.net/10576/4358Collections
- Fiqh and Usul Al Fiqh [59 items ]