The story of Prophet Nuh teaches us the importance of biodiversity preservation
Key Takeaway
The world is facing a sixth mass extinction, with millions of species disappearing due to human actions. This poses a threat to global ecological balance and humanity’s future. The story of Prophet Nuh (AS) reminds the Muslim Ummah that every species is crucial to Earth’s balance, highlighting the importance of preserving biodiversity.
The world is facing a “Triple Planetary Crisis” - climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. While climate change and pollution often occupy headlines, biodiversity loss, as critical as it is, is often overlooked.
For the Muslim Ummah, this should never be the case as Islam highlights the importance of biodiversity preservation in one of the most famous stories in the tradition: the story of Prophet Nuh (AS).
Allah (SWT) instructed Prophet Nuh (AS) to protect his followers and the animals of the land
When divine punishment was decided for his nation, Prophet Nuh (AS) was commanded by Allah (SWT) to build a ship (i.e. the Ark) that would protect his followers from the impending Great Flood, along with all the animal species of the land:
Allah’s (SWT) instruction to Prophet Nuh (AS) held hidden wisdom - recent discoveries reveal that every species on the planet is vital in maintaining ecological balance. Without this balance, the planet, and humanity, would not survive.
A threat to biodiversity is a threat to us
The world is going through the sixth mass extinction - with one million animal and plant species at risk of extinction. This holds dire consequences for millions of people around the world.
Coastal habitats, which act as natural buffers against extreme weather events, are fast disappearing due to climate change, endangering the lives of 100-300 million people worldwide.
And not just habitats, even the loss of individual species can have dire impacts. A decline in the population of India’s vultures (nature’s clean-up crew) led to the deaths of half a million people - highlighting the profound impact of losing even one species.
The loss of flora is a serious healthcare threat as well. Medicines used to treat diseases like cancer, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer’s are derived from the world’s biodiversity.
The world's diverse life forms hold inherent value and are crucial to maintaining ecological balance. Yet, human-induced climate change, driven largely by animal agriculture, is eradicating biodiversity and endangering the future of humanity and the planet.
Allah (SWT) sends blessings upon the animals with Prophet Nuh (AS)
Returning to the story of Prophet Nuh (AS), we see that when the flood died down and those on the Ark finally set foot on land again, Allah (SWT) sent his blessings upon them:
In this ayah, we see that Allah sent His blessings upon all who were with Prophet Nuh (AS), as well as their descendants. Traditionally, this has been taken to mean Prophet Nuh’s (AS) followers, but there is no reason to think that these blessings did not also extend to the animals that journeyed with Allah’s (SWT) beloved Prophet (AS) and aided in rebuilding the lands.
Every living being, no matter how small, has a purpose in maintaining the divine balance (mizan) of the Earth. Allah’s (SWT) command to Prophet Nuh (AS) highlights the crucial role of all life forms in the survival of humanity and the planet.
What can I do about it?
The balance of nature and the preservation of life is not possible without biodiversity preservation. It is on each of us to follow in the footsteps of this great Prophet (AS) of Allah (SWT) and actively work to protect the world’s biodiversity. Join the cause today!
