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  • Essay / Environmental Destruction and Islamic Religion

    In the contemporary world we live in today, one of the most debated and serious topics is environmental destruction. Environmentalists have offered various reasons for this phenomenon, with religious anthropocentrism being one of the most controversial. Some ecologists claim that Abrahamic religions place man at the center of the universe while subjecting other creatures to him. They further add that such placement creates a separation between humans and nature and allows humans to appreciate nature solely for its materialistic benefits. Although more evidence is needed to identify Abrahamic religions as the cause of the environmental crisis, it is clear that they are anthropocentric. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Close reading of the Quran, the sacred texts of Muslims, demonstrates that Islam is an anthropocentric tradition for two reasons. Islam views humanity as superior to other beings and encourages humans to preserve the environment because of its materialistic value to them. First, Islam declares that humans are the most important and blessed creatures on earth for which all other beings were created. For example, when describing the powers of Allah, the Quran states: "He who made the earth your habitat and the sky a structure, and who sent down water from the sky and brought out fruits from it , as your livelihood. » .As a result, God created the earth, sky, water and fruits as a means of sustenance, food and survival for humans. Furthermore, Allah depicts the story of human creation by saying: “When I have formed him and breathed my spirit into him, bow down to him. Then the angels all bowed down together. The fact that God's spirit was only infused into humans means that among all creatures, they are the most eminent and closest to the god. Additionally, the angles' kneeling before man as a sign of submission emphasizes the sovereignty of humans, as even the god's closest creature, the angles, is subordinate to humans. Later, the Quran describes the relationship between livestock and humanity as it states. , And the cattle] He created them for you. In them are warmth and benefits for you, and among them is what you eat. And they transport your loads to territories that you could not have reached without great difficulty. Essentially, farm animals have no intrinsic value and were generated to provide humans with work, food, and comfort. Furthermore, it is right for animals to suffer to provide comfort to humans by importing their burdens, because humans are superior to animals. Similarly, the Quran explains the relationship between humans and plants by saying that the god “produces for you grains, olives, date palms, grapes and all kinds of fruits.” Again, it is observed that the Quran examines all creatures from the perspective of humans. For example, there are no verses analyzing the innate value of plants and how they contribute to the sustenance of the atmosphere. Interestingly, no verse demonstrates their relationship to insects, birds, or other animals either, but their uses for humans were mentioned several times throughout the text. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper now from our expert writers.Get a custom essayFinally, Islam is an anthropocentric tradition because..