The Wisdom of Islam for Sustainability
This final Ramadan reflection consists of excerpts from "Conclusions and Recommendations of the First International Conference on Muslim Action on Climate Change" in 2010.
Islam has profound wisdom to offer the rest of the world. The holistic Islamic teaching of rahmatan lil alamin (the blessing of the universe) propagates that we share the world fairly with all mankind. The holistic Islamic concept rahmatan lil alamin (the gift or blessing of the universe) necessitates that we share the world fairly with all mankind.
Efforts for sustainable development should be based on both the Qur'an and the history of Islamic science and civilization. The Islamic World will in the future anchor its development in the Islamic teaching of a holistic ecological paradigm that balances the relationships between human beings and Allah (hablun min Allah), among human beings (hablun minannas), and between human beings and nature (hablun minal alam).
Preservation of the earth's ecosystem is the preservation of life. Global good environmental governance can be achieved with the principles of mizan (balance), khalifah (leadership of the people and stewardship of the earth), and ukhuwah (collaborate, care and share). These are key elements that will help change Muslims' behavior and promote activities to deal with climate change.Promoting and conducting community and grass root actions to respond to climate change with mitigation and adaptation efforts, and developing various hubs of cooperation for exchange of knowledge and best practice are crucial. Rehabilitation and revitalization of local natural resources that increase resilience and quality of life should be prioritized. Mosques need to be promoted as community and education centers to disseminate the sustainability message.Bogor, Indonesia 10 April 2010