Qur’anic Hermeneutics and the Ecological Crisis: A Thematic Ecotheological Reconstruction of Cosmic Balance
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21580/teo.2026.37.1.31549Keywords:
Qur’anic environmental ethics, Ecotheology, Environmental sustainability, Khilāfah, Thematic interpretation, Environmental responsibilityAbstract
The escalating global environmental crisis demands a profound ontological and normative shift beyond conventional materialistic and technocratic paradigms. This study examines the conceptual construction of ecological stewardship within Islamic scripture to address contemporary environmental degradation. The unit of analysis comprises specifically selected Qur’anic verses addressing cosmic equilibrium, terrestrial preservation, and human-nature interactions. This research aims to systematically reconstruct Qur’anic environmental ethics by identifying core ethical formulations, examining the structural causes of their contemporary neglect, and evaluating their implications for long-term ecological sustainability. Employing a qualitative research design, this study synthesizes thematic interpretation (tafsīr mawḍū‘ī) with a systematic ecotheological analytical framework. The findings reveal that Qur’anic environmental ethics are anchored in an interdependent matrix of cosmic balance (mīzān), divine trust (amānah), existential stewardship (khilāfah), and an absolute prohibition of systemic corruption (fasād). Furthermore, the investigation demonstrates that contemporary ecological neglect is fundamentally driven by moral-spiritual decay, reductionist anthropocentric exegetical frameworks, and the utilitarian co-optation of scriptural texts to legitimize resource exploitation. The novelty of this research lies in its formulation of an integrated ecotheological framework that bridges metaphysical realities with empirical sustainability paradigms. This study contributes to global Islamic ecological discourse by offering a non-anthropocentric conceptual model that harmonizes traditional exegesis with contemporary sustainability challenges.
Downloads
References
Abdel Haleem, M. A. S. (2010). Understanding the Qur’an: Themes and style (pp. 45–67). I.B. Tauris.
Al-Farmawi, A. H. (2005). Al-bidayah fi al-tafsir al-mawdu‘i (pp. 21–35). Dar al-Tafsir.
Al-Maraghi, A. M. (1946). Tafsir al-Maraghi (Vol. 1, pp. 92–95). Mustafa al-Babi al-Halabi.
Al-Tabari, M. J. (2001). Jāmi‘ al-bayān ‘an ta’wīl āy al-Qur’ān (pp. 145–168). Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah.
Andariati, L. (2019). Relevansi mitos Kali Pemali dengan etika lingkungan Islam. Jurnal SMART, 5(2), 275–289. https://doi.org/10.18784/smart.v5i2.870
Asroni, A. (2022). Etika lingkungan dalam perspektif Islam. Konferensi Integrasi Interkoneksi Islam dan Sains, 4(1), 54–59.
Azizah, M., & Hariyanto, H. (2021). Implementasi etika bisnis Islam terhadap konsep green economics. Supremasi Hukum, 10(2), 237–252. https://doi.org/10.14421/sh.v10i2.2392
Bergmann, S. (2017). Religion, space, and the environment (pp. 112–134). Routledge.
Botha, P. M. (2024). Penanaman mangrove untuk kelestarian alam. Jurnal Lingkungan, 4(1), 202–207.
Callicott, J. B. (2013). Thinking like a planet: The land ethic and the earth ethic (pp. 89–112). Oxford University Press.
Chapra, M. U. (2008). The Islamic vision of development in the light of maqasid al-Shariah (pp. 55–78). IRTI.
Effendi, R., Salsabila, H., & Malik, A. (2018). Pemahaman tentang lingkungan berkelanjutan. Modul, 18(2), 75–82. https://doi.org/10.14710/mdl.18.2.2018.75-82
Folke, C., Polasky, S., Rockström, J., et al. (2021). Our future in the Anthropocene biosphere. Ambio, 50(4), 834–869. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-021-01544-8
Foltz, R. C. (2000). Islam and ecology: A bestowed trust (pp. 15–40). Harvard University Press.
Foltz, R. C., Denny, F. M., & Baharuddin, A. (2003). Islam and ecology: A bestowed trust (pp. 1–20). Harvard University Press.
Gade, A. M. (2019). Muslim environmentalisms (pp. 75–98). Columbia University Press.
Gifford, R., & Nilsson, A. (2014). Personal and social factors that influence pro-environmental concern. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 39(1), 141–157. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-032112-095814
Hassan, Z. (2014). Islamic perspectives on environmental ethics. Journal of Islamic Studies, 25(3), 298–321. https://doi.org/10.1093/jis/etu025
Ibn Kathir. (1999). Tafsir al-Qur’an al-Azim (Vol. 2, pp. 210–235). Dar Tayyibah.
Imran Hayat, M., et al. (2023). Islamic environmental ethics and climate challenges. Journal of Islamic Ecotheology, 4(2), 89–104.
Irsan, M., et al. (2021). Responsibility and natural resource management in Islamic law. Islamic Law Review, 17(3), 201–215.
Istiani, M., & Purwanto, M. R. (2022). Fiqh bi’ah dalam perspektif Al-Qur’an. Jurnal Pemikiran Islam, 6(2), 112–125.
Izzi Dien, M. (2000). Environmental dimensions of Islam (pp. 33–60). Lutterworth Press.
Jackson, T. (2005). Motivating sustainable consumption. Ecological Economics, 55(3), 356–374. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2004.10.015
Kamali, M. H. (2010). The environment in Islam (pp. 12–40). Islamic Foundation.
Karim, A., Fuqohak, M. A. Z., & Atabik, A. (2022). Strategi pelestarian lingkungan perspektif Al-Qur’an. Jurnal Ekologi Teologis, 8(1), 45–60.
Khalid, F. (2019). Signs on the earth: Islam, modernity and the climate crisis (pp. 101–130).
Kube Publishing. Merchant, C. (1980). The death of nature: Women, ecology, and the scientific revolution (pp. 68–95).
Harper & Row. Meyresta, L., Fasa, M. I., & Suharto. (2022). Etika pengelolaan sumber daya alam berkelanjutan dalam perspektif Islam. Jurnal Dinamika Ekonomi Syariah, 9(2), 85–96. https://doi.org/10.53429/jdes.v9i2.389
Naess, A. (1973). The shallow and the deep ecology movement. Inquiry, 16(1–4), 95–100. https://doi.org/10.1080/00201747308601682
Nasr, S. H. (1996). Religion and the order of nature (pp. 121–150). Oxford University Press.
Ozdemir, I. (2003). Toward an understanding of environmental ethics from a Qur’anic perspective. Islamic Studies, 42(4), 637–651.
Raworth, K. (2017). Doughnut economics (pp. 25–50).
Random House. Rice, G. (2006). Pro-environmental behavior in Egypt. Journal of Business Ethics, 63(1), 35–45. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-005-0219-y
Rockström, J., Steffen, W., Noone, K., et al. (2009). A safe operating space for humanity. Nature, 461(7263), 472–475. https://doi.org/10.1038/461472a
Rolston, H. (1988). Environmental ethics: Duties to and values in the natural world (pp. 120–145). Temple University Press.
Saeed, A. (2006). Interpreting the Qur’an: Towards a contemporary approach (pp. 88–110). Routledge.
Sardar, Z. (2010). Reading the Qur'an: The contemporary relevance of the sacred text (pp. 150–175).
Hurst & Company. Steffen, W., Broadgate, W., Deutsch, L., et al. (2015). The trajectory of the Anthropocene. The Anthropocene Review, 2(1), 81–98. https://doi.org/10.1177/2053019614564785
Taylor, P. W. (1986). Respect for nature (pp. 55–79). Princeton University Press.
Tucker, M. E., & Grim, J. (2017). Religion and ecology (pp. 1–25). Yale University Press.
Utama, P. B., Gunawan, T., & Marfai, M. A. (2020). Kajian kerusakan lingkungan akibat longsor. Jurnal Geografi, 12(2), 180–195.
White, L. (1967). The historical roots of our ecological crisis. Science, 155(3767), 1203–1207. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.155.3767.1203
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Abdul Syukkur Syukkur
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
