Khalifah in Islam: An Environmental Stewardship Perspective
Key Takeaways
Allah (SWT) has appointed humanity as His Khalifah (Stewards) upon the Earth, charged with managing the affairs of the Earth on His Divine instructions.
We are caretakers of the Earth on behalf of Allah (SWT) and not masters of it. We must use our free will to take care of the Earth, its environment, and all life forms. Not lord over them.
As Stewards of the Earth, we must follow the Prophetic example by preserving the sanctity of all life forms, using the Earth’s resources consciously, and preserving the divine balance (Mizan) of the Earth.
Khalifah in Islam means Steward (Plural: Khulafah). At the heart of the Islamic teachings on the environment lies the concept of Stewardship. Allah (SWT) has declared humans as the Stewards of the Earth. He says in the Qur’an:
The Prophet (SAW) reiterating this point states:
“The world is sweet and green (alluring) and verily Allah is going to install you as vicegerent in it in order to see how you act…”
What must be kept in mind, however, is that a steward is someone who manages or administers something on behalf of someone. We are, thus, the representatives of Allah (SWT), managing the affairs of the Earth and its environment based on His Divine instructions.
What are these instructions? And what does our responsibility as Khalifah entail towards the environment? Let us explore this in light of the Qur’an and Sunnah.
A Khalifah is a Caretaker, not a Master
The concept of Stewardship merits clarification. Although Allah (SWT) states in the Qur’an that He has created the blessings of the Earth for us [1], does this mean that we are masters of the environment and these resources, and can do as we please?
On the contrary, the Qur’an says:
The same message has been reiterated in other verses as well [2]. We observe that Allah (SWT) repeatedly emphasizes the fact that He is the one and only Master (Maalik) of the Heavens and the Earth (Samawat wal Ard).
Thus, our dominion as Stewards (Khulafah) is a conditional dominion, subservient to the Will and injunctions of Allah (SWT).
The moment we stray from these injunctions in our administration of the Earth, we stand in opposition to the Almighty.
We must keep in mind that even if the blessings of the Earth were created to support our existence on this Earth, we are still a part of the environment and this natural order. And just like all other parts, we are dependent upon the whole. Our distinctness and responsibility stem from the fact that we have been blessed with free will, and we must use it to take care of the Earth, its environment, and all life forms. Not to lord over them.
Conscious and Just Usage of the Earth’s Resources
A recurring theme in the Qur’an is Allah’s (SWT) injunctions regarding the usage of the resources He has blessed us with. Consider the following verse which details an event after the Exodus of the Children of Israel:
Allah (SWT) immediately qualifies the usage of the resources with the injunction to enjoy these blessings without spreading corruption or abusing the Earth.
Similarly, with regard to the equitable distribution of the Earth’s resources, we find the following Hadith:
This Hadith, combined with the injunctions on avoiding wastefulness [3], clearly communicates what is expected of us: the just, sustainable, and equitable distribution of the Earth’s resources, where no resource is wasted, and the blessings of the environment are utilized efficiently without abuse.
A Khalifah Must Preserve the Sanctity of All Life
Allah (SWT) states in the Qur’an:
“There is no animal that crawls on the Earth, no bird that flies with its two wings, but are communities like you.”
And that:
“The seven heavens, the Earth, and all those in them glorify Him. There is not a single thing that does not glorify His praises—but you cannot comprehend their glorification.”
Thus, all lifeforms are subjects of the Almighty, existing to worship and glorify Him, and their inherent sanctity derives from this very status.
As Stewards of the Earth, it is our responsibility to preserve the life that Allah (SWT) has sanctified and to honor and treat it with due respect. It is for this very reason that the Prophet (SAW) declared that kindness (or cruelty) to an animal is the same as kindness (or cruelty) to a human.
Maintaining the Balance of Nature
Allah (SWT) in His Divine Wisdom has created the world and its environment in a perfect balance (Mizan). Living beings roam the Earth for a time, are decomposed into the soil, and then that same dead soil gives rise to new life. Days and seasons alternate, and provide sustenance to all lifeforms.
It is in this balance that all beings thrive, and it is this cycle of nature that Allah (SWT) declares one of His Signs:
Honoring our Divine Responsibility
To conclude, although it is indeed a great blessing and honor to be chosen as Allah’s (SWT) successors and stewards on Earth, it is also an incredible responsibility. We must realize that Allah (SWT) is the One and Only Master of the Earth, and we are in service to Him and His creation.
And though we possess the unique gift (and responsibility) of free will, we are similar to all other creatures in this natural order in that we are also just one part of it. As Stewards of the Earth, we must follow the Prophetic example and work to maintain this divine balance, and not disturb it, as we are unfortunately doing with our present way of life.
[1] “He is the One Who created everything in the Earth for you.” - The Holy Qur’an (2:29)
[2] See Qur’an 4:126, 4:131-132, 5:40.
[3] “O Children of Adam! Take your adornment to every Masjid, and eat and drink, but waste not by extravagance, certainly He (Allah) likes not the wasteful.” - Qur’an (7:31) and ‘Abdullah ibn Amr reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, passed by Sa’d while he was performing ablution. The Prophet said, “What is this extravagance?” Sa’d said, “Is there extravagance with water in ablution?” The Prophet said, “Yes, even if you were on the banks of a flowing river.”’ (Musnad Ahmad, 7065).
