Islam Considers Nature A Divine Manifestation: Scholar
Ayatollah Seyed Mostafa Mohaqeq Damad made the remark in an address to the International Conference on Environment and Islamic Culture and Civilization in Tehran, adding that human beings, in everything they see in nature—be it flowers, meadows, trees, and so on—perceive the beauty of God.
This is the perspective of a Muslim, he stated.
“If we embrace this perspective, no one will pick up an axe to uproot a beautiful, green tree. If someone holds such a view, how could they burn a tree?”
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Shahih Beheshti University scholar said the term ‘environmental crisis’ is a completely modern concept.
“It is said that the environmental crisis is one of the consequences of the modern era. Before modernity, humanity viewed nature as a mother — a nurturing force from which people sought sustenance, grew under its care, and received their livelihood. Humanity showed affection toward this mother, and in return, the mother showed reciprocal care and love. However, during the era of modernity, the rise of human-centered ideologies and humanism altered this perspective.”
He added that the perspective on nature is an instrumental one. “Where humans view nature as a tool for maximum exploitation, they see themselves as separate from nature, aiming to extract the utmost benefit from it, even at the cost of its destruction, and this has led to a crisis.”
He went on to say that fortunately, this disease has been understood by humans and efforts have been made to treat it.
“Unfortunately, however, they pursue the effect instead of the cause. For example, about two decades ago, I observed a scientific initiative that aimed to modify certain parts of automobiles, but these are effects, and the cause is the human perspective on nature, which cannot be resolved solely by technology experts. Scholars of humanities and theology must also address it. This crisis is not just technical but also ethical.”
The Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies is hosting the International Conference on Environment and Islamic Culture and Civilization on February 25-26, 2025.
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Some 120 papers submitted by Iranian and foreign experts are presented in four panels of the conference, including Panel 1: Contemporary Environmental Crises and Religious Solutions, Panel 2: Environment in the Quran, Hadith, and Islamic Heritage, Panel 3: Environment, Islamic Jurisprudence, and Law, and Panel 4: Environment in Islamic Literature, Art, and Architecture.
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