Islam and Sustainable Development

Abstract

Islam’s perspective on sustainable development arises from its vision of a moral economy and society, which may, in turn, be articulated into a structure of values and principles that are conducive to sustainability and growth. This would entail a coherent reading of the Islamic scripture as well as a number of Shariah concepts, such as the principle of public interest (maslahah), the higher purposes (maqasid) of Shariah, the divinely-ordained balance (mizan) in the created universe, and moderation (wasatiyyah). This last proscribes prodigality and waste in the use of resources, but more importantly, it seeks to inject moderation as an integral part of the personality and outlook of Muslim individuals and communities. Other principles that relate to our understanding of the Islamic perspective include that of Divine Oneness (tawhid), the vicegerency of humankind in the earth (khilafah), and justice (al-‘adl).