how Muslims are powering environmental action across the world
- Written by Eva F Nisa, Associate Professor, Cultural Anthropology, Australian National University
As the world grapples with myriad environmental problems, a growing number of studies shows the role of religion is key.
Religion influences people’s worldviews, including how we think about nature and our roles within it. This is true of Islam, one of the world’s biggest and fastest-growing religions.
Islamic teachings on protecting nature can help inform how we respond to the ecological and climate crises. In particular, Australia can look to our neighbour, Indonesia, where the “Green Islam” movement is growing.
So let’s take a closer look at how Islamic teachings promote care for nature, establishing common ground for environmental action across faiths and cultures.
What is Green Islam?
In Islam, humans are described as khalīfah, or caretakers of the Earth. Islamic teaching also states that Islam is rahmatan lil‘ālamīn – a mercy to all creation.
This means Muslims are responsible for the wellbeing of everything on Earth – humans, animals, plants, land and water. Taking care of the environment is considered an act of worship.
The colour green has always held special meaning in Islam. It is said to have been the Prophet Muhammad’s favoured colour, symbolising hope, paradise and new life.
The Qur’an – Islam’s sacred scripture and the main source of Islamic teaching – frequently discusses nature. It describes the sky, trees, rivers and animals, and the beauty of the natural world. It also reminds people to live in mīzān, or balance, with the environment, in verses such as:
He has raised up the sky. He has set the balance, so that you may not exceed in the balance: weigh with justice and do not fall short in the balance.
The hadith, another source of Islamic teaching, also promotes environmental care. The hadith is a collection of words, actions, and approvals attributed to the Prophet Muhammad, the last prophet of Islam. One such hadith refers to care for nature as an act of giving:
There is none amongst the Muslims who plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person or an animal eats from it, but is regarded as a charitable gift from him.
The emergence of Green Islam
While the Qur’an and hadith have long talked about nature, the Green Islam movement emerged much more recently.
Muslim scholar Seyyed Hossein Nasr was among the first to articulate the idea. In the late 1960s, he argued environmental problems were not only physical but also spiritual and moral. He believed people, regardless of their faith, should reconnect with spiritual values that teach care and balance.
In following decades, as environmental problems worsened, more Muslim voices began calling for environmental responsibility based on Islamic principles. This was supported by a growing body of research exploring the relationship between Islam and environmental care.
Over the past 25 years or so, Green Islam has moved from theory to real-life action. Today, the ideas are practised in many Muslim nations and communities around the world.
A spotlight on Indonesia
Indonesia faces a number of pressing environmental problems, including deforestation, air pollution and marine pollution. It is also among the world’s top ten greenhouse gas emitters.
Indonesia is also the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, and is at the forefront of the Green Islam movement. There, Green Islam is helping to mobilise leaders and communities to support environmental protection.
Environmentalism is taught at Islamic schools across Indonesia. This is supported by the nation’s Green Islamic Boarding School program known as Pesantren Hijau.
Indonesia’s Islamic boarding schools, or pesantren, are large and well-established, and their teachers and students are well respected. This makes the school network an effective way to encourage green practices both within the schools and in the broader community.
In 2022, Indonesia’s national mosque, Istiqlal, became the world’s first place of worship to be environmentally certified by the International Finance Corporation.
The mosque building includes reflective paint for the roof and external walls, energy-saving lighting, smart energy meters and solar panels. It also features low-flow taps and water recycling. Professor Nasaruddin Umar, Grand Imam of Istiqlal, said the mosque had become a “centre of enlightenment for environmental protection”, adding:
Muslims feel a strong imperative for mosques to go green to enhance the quality of their worship and honour the leadership of the [Prophet Muhammad] Rasulullah SAW who insisted on the need to protect the environment.
The Indonesian government has also urged religious leaders to include environmental themes in sermons. For example, in April this year the Ministry of Religious Affairs encouraged preachers to talk about environmental protection during Friday prayers, to coincide with Earth Day.
Australia and Indonesia are working together on environmental protection. Programs include collaboration on a just energy transition, emisisons reduction and addressing forest and land fires.
To ensure more effective and respectful cooperation with Indonesia, Australia should recognise and respect how Green Islam can help care for our shared planet.
Looking to a green future
Prominent examples of Green Islam can be found around the world.
Morocco, for example, has a green mosques movement. In Egypt, the Islamic authority Dar al-Ifta has issued a “fatwa” (religious edict) prohibiting activities that harm nature.
And many countries support environmental initiatives through Green Sukuk, an instrument to fund eco-friendly projects that align with Islamic principles.
In a time of mounting ecological challenges, all sources of wisdom are vital. Islamic teachings, along with that of other faiths, offer guidance for living in harmony with nature. Together, they can inspire meaningful and practical action for the planet.
Authors: Eva F Nisa, Associate Professor, Cultural Anthropology, Australian National University
