Sustainability and Islam: Embracing the spiritual meaning of sustainability for the greater good

Imagine yourself living in a beautiful housing community. There’s a large park with a freshwater lake, and a meandering path encircling it perfect for your morning jog. A shady playground is the favourite gathering spot of children in the neighbourhood, while a forested area nearby provides fresh clean air and serene green surroundings as you gaze out of your window.

Your neighbourhood becomes a popular place to live, and demand for housing increases. You’ve lived there for nearly two years when the inevitable eventually happens:

• The forest next door is sold to a property developer.

• The trees are cut and the land flattened to make way for future development.

• A shopping mall is built with several luxury apartments surrounding it, featuring sky terraces and gardens as greenery.

• Few trees are replanted on the former forest grounds.

• The lack of trees and flattened ground disrupts water absorption during heavy rains.

• Flooding occurs, carrying rubbish and debris and blocking drainage pipes.

• Excess water runs into your lake, overflowing onto the streets.

• Unoccupied spaces end up as rubbish dumps as there’s too much to clean.

• The cycle repeats itself during the next torrential downpour.

• You’re now living in an unhealthy, polluted environment.

This is not, unfortunately, a farfetched scenario, and we often see its repercussions when the monsoon season arrives in Malaysia. How do you think our world and our lives will be affected if we continue living without concerning ourselves with sustainability?

Sustainability: what does it really mean?

Climate change is the most obvious and often referred to example of decades and centuries of unsustainable practices, but sustainability affects more than just the weather.

Unsustainable practices range from destroying mass habitats, factories releasing dangerous gasses into the atmosphere, and overpopulation, to wasting water and food, using single-use plastic, and unnecessary overconsumption. It is essential to remember that the responsibility of sustainability does not just lie with governments and corporations, but with each and every one of us.

While it has many definitions, at its core, sustainability means the goal of coexisting and achieving balance between people, planet, and profit:

• People: health, education, security, equal rights and opportunities, quality of life, peace

• Planet: natural resources, food security, clean water, clean air, conservation, energy, climate action

• Profit: economic growth, cost of living, research and development, infrastructure, production

Achieving sustainability requires the conscious and collective effort of governments across the globe, corporations, organisations, and individuals.

Some of the ways governments can practice sustainability include:

• Sustainable policies

• Protecting natural resources

• Eliminating pollution

• Efficient public transportation

• Waste and water management

• Supporting climate-friendly businesses

• Empowering the community

• Encouraging local agriculture

• Creating thoughtful spaces

Businesses and organisations can practice sustainability with:

• Sustainable business practices

• Environmentally friendly services and products

• Transparency and accountability

• Job creation and opportunities for advancement

• Skill development

• Improved working infrastructure and environment

• Sustainability knowledge

• Corporate social responsibility

• Carbon off-setting

The role of the individual in achieving sustainability is equally important. Here’s what we can do to practice sustainability in our daily lives:

• Buy local

• Eat more plant-based meals

• Avoid fast fashion

• Walk, cycle or take public transportation

• Reduce waste

• Be mindful of energy and water use

• Choose a sustainable career path

• Get involved

• Vote for the right representative

• Invest in sustainable businesses or funds

Sustainability in Islam

While sustainability may seem like a new buzzword, it has been a way of life for many cultures and religions over the centuries. The traditional wooden kampung house in Malaysia, for example, is an ideal example of classic architecture built with our climate and way of life in mind. The materials used to build these wooden houses were sourced from our bountiful forests, while gaps in the floor and walls provided natural ventilation without the need for air conditioning. The pitched roofs provided drainage during heavy downpours, and the raised building protected people and their belongings from potential floods.

Sustainability is also an important element of Islam, with many verses in the Quran and the Hadith emphasising our responsibility towards the earth and discouraging wasteful practices. In Surah Al-Baqara, the Quran says:

“Thus We have made you trustees (khulafaa) on the earth after them, to see how you would act.” ~ Quran, Surah Yunus, verse 10:14

This is the concept of the Khalifa (or custodian), which places the responsibility of the earth and its resources in our hands, to manage and protect without abusing its abundance. Surah Al-Baqara reminds us:

“…And do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption.” ~ Quran, Surah Al-Baqara, verse 2:60

The Hadith, too, is filled with references to the environment. Prophet Muhammad SAW has always advocated the practice of sustainable agriculture, respect for animals, protecting the natural environment, and encouraging the planting of trees. Some of the most popular sayings of Prophet Muhammad SAW recorded in the Hadith about the environment include:

"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 for him." ~ Sahih al-Bukhari

“Even if the Resurrection were established upon one of you while he has in his hand a sapling, let him plant it.” ~ Musnad Aḥmad

Sustainability refers to more than the environment, even in the Quran:

"O sons of Adam, attire yourselves at every time of worship; eat and drink, but do not be wasteful, for Allah does not love the wasteful." ~ Quran, Surah Al-Araf, verse 7:31

There are many more references to sustainability and the environment in the Quran and the Hadith, making it clear that we have an obligation towards living sustainably, not just for ourselves and our families, but for all living beings, the global community, and future generations. Those of us continually seeking to strengthen our faith and relationship with Allah SWT should always consider this: practicing sustainability is an act of worship.

Takaful: your sustainable option

Besides separating our recyclables, turning off electricity when it’s not in use, and taking public transportation to work, we can also practice sustainability through takaful.

There are two ways takaful can be your sustainable solution:

1. Protection: Due to its core principle of mutual assistance among participants (ta’awun), takaful protection is naturally sustainable as it provides financial support for ourselves and one another during our time of need.

2. Investment:  PruBSN’s move towards initiating the Takafulink Dana ESG Global Fund – one of the first Shariah-compliant ESG (environmental, social, and governance) funds in Malaysia – ensures our takaful participants have the option of investing in and supporting sustainable businesses and organisations around the globe.

We’ll be exploring more about takaful and sustainability in our next article, “The Future Cannot Wait: Start Living Sustainably Now with Takaful!”, but if you would like to know more about investing with PruBSN Takafulink Dana ESG Global, call 03 2775 7188, email customer@prubsn.com.my or SMS 33080 today!

How do you practice sustainability in your everyday life? Big or small, share your tips with us!

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