Our concern is Nature. Our concern is the natural environment. Our concern is the condition of humanity. Our concern is the state of man’s mind and heart in relation to the natural environment. These concerns are focused by our faith in G’d and obedience to Him. This, in truth, is Islamic identity. This, in truth, is the Muslim life. More than any ritual practice, Islam is characterized by man’s relationship with himself and his environment in the clearest picture and context of purpose for his life as determined by his Creator.
Everything in man’s world and life is affected by his state of mind and heart. The internal state of man’s mind and heart even affects the natural world, the natural environment. And so we are living in a time when we can easily see that the troubles in man’s internal constitution impact the natural environment in which he lives. If we are looking at a blighted neighborhood in America for example, it is a commentary on the attention that the residents of that neighborhood are giving to their internal human life more than the external neighborhood. The relationship with the environment and its good or bad health is more the workings and condition of the resident’s internal human make-up. A people not managing their individual and internal attitudes and appetites properly cannot manage the neighborhood.
G’d created the human community, the original human personalities—male and female, to accept responsibility for the natural environment. The first mate of man’s mind and heart is the natural world. This should be no mystery or surprise for the peoples of Faith, and especially Muslims. We are sensitized by our Holy Book to recognize and appreciate the relationship between man’s whole life and the natural world. Faith and knowledge, intellect and heart cannot form for their intended purposes to serve mankind and to serve human progress without the bonding processes that the natural world invites to.
Our religion is named by our Prophet Muhammed دين الفطرة (Deen al-Fitr), and the learned people including our late leader Imam W. Deen Mohammed have perfectly explained this reference. ‘The religion of the nature’ - this is a straight translation. It is necessary for us to speak on this issue. It is necessary for us to speak of it into the ears of attentive parties in America and the international world. This emphasis and understanding we have, this attention to particular concerns that our religion sensitizes us to, must be brought out into the open. This is where too many of our Muslim leaders have been neglectful.
Instead of the dogmatic, ritualistic attention to religious faith—ritual prayers and such, they should be bringing into focus for the world population what G’d has said about human nature and the natural world. This is not an argument diminishing the act of prayer. Prayer for Muslims is the combination of conscious obedience, the referencing of the Holy Book, and physical interaction with the natural world. Any scholar of Islam worth his or her claim to knowledge would verify this characterization.
The natural world influences us, and is intended by G’d to influence us, and in turn we have been given by G’d authority in and upon the natural world. It may be difficult to see that we have influence ‘over’ the natural world. For the soul that tends toward humility and enlightenment, it is not that simple or easy to imagine it. This is why the truly pious people of faith will not abuse the natural world though G’d gives us authority in it.
We know that G’d says in His Book:
لَخَلْقُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ أَكْبَرُ مِنْ خَلْقِ النَّاسِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
“With certainty the creation of the heavens and the earth is a greater matter than the creation of mankind, but most of mankind do not understand.”
It is to say that man is absolutely in need of the natural world. He cannot develop without it. He his made from it. Mother Nature births man into his physiological existence and influences his psychological health. He cannot grow into his full humanity upon anything but the supports in the natural world. It shapes his mind. It shapes his heart. It shapes his soul.
And G’d also says:
أَلَمْ تَرَوْا أَنَّ اللَّهَ سَخَّرَ لَكُمْ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَأَسْبَغَ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعَمَهُ ظَاهِرَةً وَبَاطِنَةً
“Don’t you see that Allah has made subject to you all that is in the heavens and the earth and has made His seen and unseen Favors flow to you in overflowing measure.”
So, at the same time, man has influence in the natural world. G’d has made it for man to use in service to his interests. If he neglects or abuses or misuses its service it will be imprinted by and reflect that abuse, and it will ultimately punish his human existence. That misuse or abuse will be imprinted on the soul of man and reflected simultaneously and commensurately in some punishing return on him from the natural world.
Therefore, it is the position of the wide-awake Muslim that the natural environment must be respected. It is matter of faith and a matter common sense. This is the universal rule of the natural order. This is the observation of the ancient seers and wisemen. This is the conclusion of the Prophets and Messengers, who were all leading and teaching upon this order, even if they didn’t have the exact reference or language that we know now as al-Islam. They all had the same religion, even if they didn’t know its name. The Prophet Abraham concluded:
إِنِّي وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ حَنِيفًا ۖ وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ
“For me, I have set my face with conviction and uprightness toward Him who Originated and Fashioned (al-Faatir) the heavens and the earth. And I am not, nor will I ever be, from those who make partners for or with Him.”
Here recently the Secretary General of the United Nations has been quoted as saying that man is in a “suicidal war with nature.” Coming from his vantage point this is a statement that cannot be ignored by world governments, nor by industry, nor by any national or international institution impacting humanity’s global condition. I would not necessarily use the same language he is using but I do understand and appreciate his very serious and stern warning. His warning is real and true.
Only those who seek to manipulate man’s behavior by inviting him to a self-destructive arrogance will not heed this warning. Only those who want to cheat human communities out of their nature-based entitlement to an ongoing, healthy and productive relationship with the resources of the natural world will trivialize this statement from the Secretary General. Only the wasters, and the oppressors, and the vile—the tribe of the Enemy of man, will protest the logic of this or have a problem with this. In this confused state that many leaders find themselves in we are grateful to G’d for leaders that are working hard to strengthen our existence with truth and clarity.
Our Prophet Muhammed was a man of clear speech. Our late leader was a man of clear speech. I also aim to be a man of clear speech following in the Islamic tradition of clear communication. I am addressing a vital concern, and this leads to the focus of my upcoming public address. This statement here is a brief one and I cannot conclude it without mentioning a very special statement of Prophet Muhammed, the prayers and the peace be on him. He said:
كُلُّ إِنْسَانٍ تَلِدُهُ أُمُّهُ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ
“Every human being is birthed by his mother upon the common nature.”
This is great help if it will be understood properly. If I can phrase it in a way to make plain the concern at hand, it is to suggest directly and indirectly that nature is our mother, and who will disrespect their mother and expect anything but punishment.