The Teachings of Islam on Stewardship

Main Points

• Islam teaches that God created Adam as his Khalifah (viceregent) someone who looks after things for you.This means that all Muslims are God's Khalifahs who have to keep the balance of creation and look after the Earth for God's in the way set out in the Qur'an and the Shari'ah.
• Islam also teaches that people will be judged by God on the way they have looked after the Earth and the life of the Earth.
• Islam teaches that this life is a test form God. A main part of the test is looking after the environment in the way of Islam. Those who fail the test will be punished.

How Islamic teachings about stewardship affect attitudes to the envvionment

• The responsiblility to be God's Khalifah means that Muslims should try to reduce pollution and preserve resources.
• The Shari'ah and ummah tell Muslims that stewardship include sharing the Earth's resources, so Muslims should work to share the Earth's resources more fairly and improve the standard of living in LEDCs.   
• The belief that they will be judged on their behaiour as Khalifahs means Muslims have a duty to help the work of groupw which try to reduce pollution and conserve resources
• There is a unity and balance in creation, therfore Muslims have a duty to preserve the environment.

However, Muslims believe that human intrests come first so the effects of environmental projects on humans cannot be ignored.