Tariq Makram Allah
Lecturer, Department of Quran and Sunnah, Faculty of Knowledge of Revelation and Humanities, International Islamic University Malaysia.
In the name of God the most Merciful, the most Compassionate
Dear attendees, peace, mercy and blessings of God be upon you, and a sincere greeting mixed with thanks for this kind invitation, from my brother and friend, the human rights activist and environmental activist, Anwar Al-Sulaimani, official of the Scottish Interreligious Dialogue Organization, which comes in light of the environmental crisis and climate change that we suffer from as a result of the wrong use of natural resources, and because the corruption of the environment and the depletion of its resources threaten everyone, man is responsible for these disasters .
All monotheistic religions in general called on man to preserve the environment, and forbade him to pollute and corrupt it, because God created it for his sake, and harnessed it for his service and benefit, and there is no difference between religions in regulating man’s relationship with God and his brother man and with the universe and the surrounding nature, where he is responsible to work in this in accordance with truth and justice and not for personal benefit. Islam has decided that man is backward in this land, and this succession on earth entails a grave responsibility and a great responsibility, so Islam and its law have called for the reconstruction of the universe, and warned in its texts the most severe warning against corruption on earth, and also forbade the most severe prohibition of practices that would harm the environment Including whether human or animal.
The Almighty said: {Do not corrupt the earth after repairing it and call him for fear and greed if the mercy of God is close to the benefactors} (Al-A’raf: 56).
It was narrated that Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah said: “No Muslim plants a plant or plants a seed, so that a bird, a human being, or a beast eats from it, unless he has charity in it.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari .
Honorable attendees, when I asked to participate in this topic, my memory returned to childhood and upbringing when I was growing some vegetables and plants in the garden of the house without awareness of the environmental dangers that threaten our world today, but I practiced these activities out of the human instinct loving good, which I realized later through my studies at Al-Azhar Al-Sharif and through the teachings of Islam the extent of the great responsibility towards the land and its preservation, and I would like as a Muslim to recite to you the sacred Islamic texts But I changed this plan to a plan that I saw more useful to you, because the texts are available on the pages of books and on social media, but the efforts of the largest Islamic authority in the world on this subject may be absent from some, which is reflected in the practical application of the teachings of the sacred Islamic texts.
Based on the teachings of Islam, Al-Azhar Al-Sharif and its scientific and advocacy sectors have paid great attention to the issue of the environment and its preservation, after the issue of climate change threatens the world, so Al-Azhar considers it the first issue for it, which needs awareness and qualitative efforts from various institutions, whether religious, cultural or educational at the local and global levels, especially if this issue is related to human life, as protecting it is a legitimate and societal duty that everyone must participate in protecting and preserving from every danger that can to get it.
Within the framework of Al-Azhar’s efforts in this field, His Eminence the Grand Imam Dr. Ahmed Al- Tayeb has given the issue of climate change great importance represented in his participation – at the Egyptian and international levels – in initiatives that brought him together with a number of religious leaders, politicians and others, such as Pope Francis, aimed at raising awareness about the danger of environmental pollution, including:
In April 2020, in celebration of World Earth Day, Al-Azhar called for “not to harm the land that God has given us clean, pure and habitable, and to stay away from all wrong practices that harm it and affect human lives.”
Dr
Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Sheikh of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, and Pope Francis, Pope of the Catholic Church, a special meeting and summit in the Vatican, after their participation in the summit of religious leaders on climate change entitled: (Faith and Science). To alert the need to preserve, respect and appreciate the environment.
In December 2021, His Eminence the Grand Imam Prof. Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb delivered a speech during the Third International Scientific Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development “Climate Change: Challenges and Confrontation”, held by Al-Azhar University, in which the Sheikh of Al-Azhar Ahmed Al-Tayeb sounded the alarm: that the new crisis that hits our world is the crisis of the environment and climate, stressing that man is responsible for these disasters. Al-Tayeb recalled the warning of the Holy Qur’an that the sedition of corruption on earth, if it occurs, its disasters are not limited to the culprits alone, but rather they and those who are silent about their crimes.
In November 2022, the meeting of the Muslim Council of Elders, held in the Kingdom of Bahrain, witnessed an important discussion and direct dialogue between members of the Muslim Council of Elders and men of the Catholic Church, with the participation of the Grand Imam Dr. Ahmed Al- Tayeb, Sheikh of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, and Pope Francis, Pope of the Catholic Church, to discuss global issues and challenges facing humanity in the twenty-first century.
During this dialogue, the leaders reviewed their vision on mechanisms to confront the most prominent global issues and challenges, foremost of which are: climate issues and the negative effects of climate change on people’s lives, the role of religious leaders and symbols in addressing this phenomenon, and its impact on food and water, which threatens humanitarian disasters, in addition to promoting Muslim-Christian dialogue for human fraternity.
During his speech at the Seventh Conference of Religious Leaders in Kazakhstan, the Grand Imam called for a special meeting of religious figures, in which they will examine, frankly and clearly, the duties and responsibilities of other leaders, politicians and senior economists regarding the moral and natural disasters that threaten the future of all humanity.
The Academy implemented a set of activities and events aimed at spreading climate awareness for every Egyptian in order to contribute to reducing the impact of climate, creating a sustainable environment, and presenting a scientific legitimate Azhar vision to confront climate change in an integrated manner that achieves the vision of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif to provide innovative solutions to
confront climate change, empower individuals in societies to bring about long-term and lasting change through climate literacy, develop strong advocates and create a spirit of environmental citizenship widely among them, and spread the concepts of climate change with the aim of integrating citizens into Methods of confrontation .
At the level of community initiatives, the Academy launched an initiative entitled: “Our Climate is Our Life”, in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Environment to spread climate awareness, contribute to reducing the impact of climate and seek to return to a habitable environment. In this context, Al-Azhar preachers held 180,957 awareness meetings in mosques, cultural palaces, clubs, police stations, youth centers, schools, institutes and universities in various governorates of Egypt to shed light on the dangers of climate change and its negative effects from a scientific point of view, and the Islamic Sharia’s view of this phenomenon that threatens societies.
The Islamic Research Academy also launched about 15 awareness convoys to talk about climate change in the villages, cities and governorates of the Republic, aimed at raising the awareness of community members about climate change, and the need to preserve the environment in all its components based on the approach of Islam in this regard, and calling on its texts to prevent damage and renounce all negative behaviors.
The Academy also participated in many conferences and events related to this issue, including the conference of Sohag University in cooperation with the Center for Sharia Astronomy at the Islamic Research Academy, and the conference “Arab strategies to reduce the risks of climate change” held by the Egyptian Arab Corporation for Investment, Innovation and Industrial Development with the participation of the Academy, and participation in declaring the city of Kharga in the New Valley a green city friendly to the environment and climate, in addition to organizing the Al-Azhar International Academy to train imams, preachers and fatwa researchers, for a training program on changes Climatic and its impact, for Al-Azhar preachers and preachers.
In August 2022, Al-Azhar University organized the Fourth International Youth Forum (For Climate.. Africa in the Heart), under the slogan “United Africa”, under the patronage of the Grand Imam Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Sheikh of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, and the final recommendations of the forum emphasized several points to confront the phenomenon of climate change and its repercussions, including: – Enhancing the role of youth in sustainable development, which aims to reduce the causes of environmental degradation, including climate challenges.
In February 2023, Al-Azhar University launched a campaign under the title (Plant a Fruit Tree in Your Name), through which 1000 fruit trees were planted on the campus in Nasr City, which is an awareness of Al-Azhar University’s responsibility to preserve the environment, provide the appropriate climate, improve environmental performance, raise public awareness, and increase the green area on campus, which results in reducing the carbon footprint .
A committee was also established at Al-Azhar University to “serve the community and develop the environment” one of its objectives is to make the university environmentally friendly and productive of solar energy.
The Al-Azhar institutes sector, which is responsible for Al-Azhar pre-university education, also adopted an awareness program for pre- and primary school students on preserving the environment .
I conclude that what saddens me as a Muslim and a human being is what the facts and reports reveal and what we observe through our daily lives of the seriousness of the situation that the earth has reached as a result of the misuse of the environment by humans, due to corruption in the earth after its repair, which are manifestations that require rapid intervention to save and continue the environmental struggle, and there is no salvation for humanity except through concerted global efforts and environmental unity for reform. And we preserved the environment before it was corrupted by making our own hands?.