Man
in His Natural Environment
Abdul
Aziz Kamel
Man's existence
on earth, as described in the Qur'an is not a penance, but a noble mission,
described by God in the words; And when thy Lord said to the angels; “ I will appoint a viceroy on earth……" (2;
30)
It is an
existence torn between two contending forces; obedience to God's commandment,
and the ambition that impels man to attempt to rise above himself — which in fact means nothing more or less than
the rejection of his own humanity, either in himself or in others.
It is in the
nature of this mission-- that of God's viceroy' --- that the relationship
between man and the surroundings in which he works should be one of love and
goodness,
The Qur'an
states that God has created this world for us;
He it is Who
created for you all that is in the earth (2:29)
And He has set
the earth for (His) creatures (55:10)
Allah is He Who
created the heavens and the earth and caused water to come down from the
clouds, and brought forth therewith fruits for your sustenance; and He has
subjected to you the ships that they may sail through the Sea by His command
and the rivers (too) has He subjected to you. And He has subjected to you the
sun and the moon, both performing their work constantly. And He has subjected
to you the night as well as the day. And He gave you of all that you asked Him,
and if you try to count the favours of Allah, you will not be able to number
them (14: 32,33).
The whole of
this vast creation surrounding man is subservient to him, and the earth is
spread out before him ; 'It is He Who has made the earth manageable for you; So
traverse through its
tracts, and eat of His provision; But unto Him is the Resurrection (67:15).
The Qur'an
indeed, considers man to be part of the stuff of the earth; 'And God has caused
you to grow out of the earth (71:17). Man is not a stranger on earth, neither
is he banished to it. He lives on the surface, and then is buried within its
bowels: From it have We created
you, and into it shall We cause you to return, and from it shall 'We bring you
forth once more (20:55)
The Prophet (ﷺ) adds to this his comment: Draw nearer to
the earth, for it is your mother and charitable unto you. Consequently, the
relationship between man and the world around him is not, in Islam, based on
enmity, ruinous exploitation and devastation, but on the enjoyment of its
bounties in a spirit of co-operation, harmony and friendship.
This spirit of
co-operation is extended to embrace the actual earth itself; thus in the Prophet's
precepts it is written; Do not cut down a tree except it were for food. This injunction referred to wartime
conditions in peace time it has even greater force.
He also forbids
cruelty to animals, saying: A woman was cast into the fire because of a
cat which she shut up and did not feed nor allow to eat of the vermin of the
earth. The point of this is that the cat is unable to defend itself when it is
shut up. A man's behavior towards those weaker than himself gives the clearest
indication of his character. He may fear his superiors and behave courteously
towards his equals, but his true disposition becomes apparent in his behaviour
towards the weak.
Prophetic
tradition provides us with another example: that of a man who descended into a
well to slake his great thirst. as he
climbed out, he saw a dog with his tongue hanging out and panting with thirst.
So he thought to himself. The same misfortune has befallen this dog as he
befell me and..., not finding any vessel close by, he went down once more into
the well, filled his own shoe with water, and, climbing out, let dog drink
until his thirst was quenched. After the Prophet had told this tale to the
Companions, they asked him; is there then a reward for us in respect of the
animals, O MESSENGER OF GOD? He replied "There is a reward for you in
respect of all such living creatures.
The Prophet
even says of that which the birds eat in the field: 'lf a Muslim plants
anything, and men or beasts or birds eat of it, it shall be accounted to him
as a charitable act.
The ruler of an
Islamic country considered himself responsible for its livestock so far as
care and upkeep of roads and the prevention of ill treatment were connected.
The second of the orthodox caliph Umar ibn-al-Khattab, (RDA) said: If a she-mule
were to stumble in Iraq. I would be found responsible in the eyes of God for
having to pave the road for it.
The caliph Umar
ibn-Abdul Aziz, (RDA), while himself in Syria, fixed the maximum weight to be
carried by camels on the banks of the Nile: It has been reported to me that
there are in Egypt transport camels which carry loads weighing one thousand
pounds, should this let letter reach you, know that I will not permit the load
born by a single camel to exceed six hundred pounds.
This compassion
towards animal was reflected throughout the territory of Islam. Waqf
(charitable foundation) were established to feed and care for stray beasts and
to purchase grain for bird-seed. This tradition has survived to the present day
in the Holy Mosque (Haram) at Makkah where visitors purchase wheat kernels and
scatter them on the floor of the mosque to be gleaned by the innumerable
pigeons that live there, undisturbed and at peace with their human neighbours.
Thus the
confinement and ill-treatment of beasts — to say nothing of blood sports and animal
combats — are prohibited by Islam, while I need hardly mention the .great
affection which the Arabs have always felt for their camels and horses, giving
them tender name and singing their praises in poems which extol the friendship
and fidelity that exist between man and beast.
This is the picture of the
relation between man and the world of nature round about him; all created
matter— stones, air, the vegetable and
animal kingdoms — spring from a single principle, which is that God is the
creator of man and of all being; man in his splendor and the visible world were
equally fashioned by the hand of God, and everything in creation it is a
manifestation of His Omnipotence. Man's activity on earth in compliance with God's
will, is no different — in so far as it manifests the power of God — from the
movement of the rest of creation, whose existence is a perpetual act of
worship, described by the Quran in the following terms. Hast thou not seen that
it is God Whose praises all who are in the heavens and the earth celebrate,
and the birds with their wings outspread? Each one knows his own model of
prayer and praise. And God knows well what they do (24:41)
God invites man to meditate on
this creation, and to infer from it God's existence and power, for everything
around him affords matter for faith.
Behold; in the creation of the
heavens and of the earth, and the alternation of night and day, there are
indeed signs for men of understanding —
men who celebrate the praises of God standing, sitting , and laying down on
their sides, and contemplate the wonders of creation in the heavens and the
earth; "O Lord, the wonders of creation in the heavens and the earth; “O
Lord thou hast not created this in vain. Praise be to thee. Spare us the
tortures of fire” (3:190, 191)
Man is also directed to
contemplate the world of vegetation: Verily, It is Allah Who causes the grain
and the date-stones to sprout ... And It is He who sends down water from the
cloud: and We bring forth therewith every kind of growth; then we bring forth
therewith that green foliage where from We produce clustered grain. And from
the date-palm, out of its sheaths, come forth bunches hanging low. And We
produce therewith gardens of grapes, and the olive and the pomegranate -- similar gardens of grapes, and the olive and
the pomegranate — similar and dissimilar, Look at the fruit thereof when it bears
fruit, and the ripening therefore. Surely, in this are Signs for a people who
believe (6:95-96)
After that, he
is bidden to meditate on the world of insects: and thy Lord has inspired the
bee (saying) Make thou houses in the hills and in the trees and in the trellises which thou build.
Then eat of every kind of fruit, and follow the ways of thy Lord that have been
made easy for thee. There comes forth from their bellies a drink of varying
hues. Therein is cure for men. Surely, in that is a Sign for a people who
reflect.
Then, he is invited to reflect on the world of animals; Do
they not then look at the camel, how it is created? (88:17). Ana the cattle too
He has created; you find in them warmth and uses; and of them you eat. And in
them there is beauty for you when you bring them home in the evening, and when
you drive forth to pasture in the morning. And they carry your loads forth to pasture
in the morning. And they carry your loads to a land which you could not reach
except with great hardship to yourself, Surely, your Lord is Compassionate,
Merciful. And He has created horses and
mules and asses that you may ride them, and as a source of beauty. And He
creates what you know not (16:5-8). And surely in the cattle there is a lesson
for you. We give you to drink of what is in their bellies, from betwist the
faces and the blood, milk pure and pleasant for those who drink it (16:6)
What the Qur'an has to say about the world of
nature is indeed a sign for those who reflect for those who hear and think and
remember ... haply ye may give thanks, and receive guidance.... thanks to God,
and guidance to enable us to do what is right in this world.
As for
the differences in size colour and function that exist among all God's
creatures, these only serve, in the view of Islam, to indicate His omnipotence; and the attitude
of Islam towards man is no different, in this respect from its attitude towards
all the rest of creation.
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