LP1_Presentation

The Quran’s attitude toward the environment LESSON PLAN 1 PRESENTATION

environment. What comes to mind when you hear this word? What is your understanding of this term? 1

Does the Qur’an speak about the environment? 2

The Qur’an speaks 1 With your group, study the ayat assigned to your section of the class. 2 Highlight relevant words, imagery, and repeated ideas. 3 Identify a distinct theme that connects your ayat. 3

What do you notice? part 1 ‫إِ ﱠن ِﻓﻲ َﺧ ْﻠ ِﻖ اﻟ ﱠﺴ َﻤﺎ َوا ِت َوا َﻻٔ ْر ِض َوا ْﺧ ِﺘ َﻼ ِف اﻟﻠﱠ ْﻴ ِﻞ َواﻟ ﱠﻨ َﻬﺎ ِر َواﻟْ ُﻔﻠْ ِﻚ ا ﱠﻟ ِﺘﻲ ﺗَ ْﺠ ِﺮي ِﻓﻲ ا ْﻟ َﺒ ْﺤ ِﺮ ِﺑ َﻤﺎ‬ ‫َﻳﻨ َﻔ ُﻊ اﻟ ﱠﻨﺎ َس َو َﻣﺎ أَﻧ َﺰ َل اﻟ ّﻠ ُﻪ ِﻣ َﻦ اﻟ ﱠﺴ َﻤﺎء ِﻣﻦ ﱠﻣﺎء َﻓﺎَٔ ْﺣ َﻴﺎ ِﺑ ِﻪ اﻷ ْر َض َﺑ ْﻌ َﺪ َﻣ ْﻮﺗِ َﻬﺎ َوﺑَ ﱠﺚ ِﻓﻴ َﻬﺎ ِﻣﻦ‬ ‫ﻛُ ﱢﻞ َدآ ﱠﺑ ٍﺔ َوﺗَ ْﺼ ِﺮﻳ ِﻒ اﻟ ﱢﺮﻳَﺎ ِح َواﻟ ﱠﺴ َﺤﺎ ِب اﻟْ ُﻤ َﺴ ﱢﺨ ِﺮ َﺑ ْﻴ َﻦ اﻟ ﱠﺴ َﻤﺎء َواﻻَٔ ْر ِض ﻵ َﻳﺎ ٍت ﱢﻟ َﻘ ْﻮ ٍم َﻳ ْﻌ ِﻘ ُﻠﻮ َن‬ Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and earth, and the alternation of the night and the day, and the [great] ships which sail through the sea with that which benefits people, and what Allah has sent down from the heavens of rain, giving life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness and dispersing therein every [kind of] moving creature, and [His] directing of the winds and the clouds controlled between the heaven and the earth are signs for a people who use reason. [2:164] 4

What do you notice? part 1 ‫َو ِﻣ ْﻦ آﻳَﺎ ِﺗ ِﻪ أَن ُﻳ ْﺮ ِﺳ َﻞ اﻟ ﱢﺮ َﻳﺎ َح ُﻣ َﺒ ﱢﺸ َﺮا ٍت َو ِﻟ ُﻴ ِﺬﻳ َﻘﻜُﻢ ﱢﻣﻦ ﱠر ْﺣ َﻤ ِﺘ ِﻪ َوﻟِ َﺘ ْﺠ ِﺮ َي‬ ‫اﻟْ ُﻔ ْﻠ ُﻚ ِﺑﺎَٔ ْﻣ ِﺮ ِه َوﻟِ َﺘ ْﺒ َﺘ ُﻐﻮا ِﻣﻦ َﻓ ْﻀﻠِ ِﻪ َو َﻟ َﻌ ﱠﻠﻜُ ْﻢ ﺗَ ْﺸ ُﻜ ُﺮو َن‬ And of His signs is that He sends the wind as bringers of good tidings and to let you taste His mercy, and so the ships may sail at His command, and so you may seek His bounty, and that, perhaps, you may be grateful. [30:46] ‫َو ﻣﻦ اٰﻳٰ ِﺘ ٖﻪ َﺧﻠ ُﻖ اﻟ ﱠﺴ ٰﻤ ٰﻮ ِت َوا َﻻر ِض َو َﻣﺎ َﺑ ﱠﺚ ِﻓﻴ ِﻬ َﻤﺎ ِﻣﻦ َدآﺑﱠ ٍﺔؕ َو ُﻫ َﻮ‬ ‫َﻋ ٰﻠﻰ َﺟﻤ ِﻌ ِﻬﻢ اِ َذا ﻳَ َﺸﺂ ُء َﻗ ِﺪﻳ ٌﺮ‬ And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and earth and what He has dispersed throughout them of creatures. And He is all-capable of gathering them when He wills. [42:29] 5

What do you notice? part 2 ‫اﻟﻠﱠ ُﻪ ا ﱠﻟ ِﺬي َﺧ َﻠ َﻖ اﻟ ﱠﺴمَا َوا ِت َواﻷ ْر َض َوأَﻧﺰ َل ِﻣ َﻦ اﻟ ﱠﺴمَا ِء َﻣﺎ ًء َﻓﺎَٔ ْﺧ َﺮ َج ِﺑ ِﻪ ِﻣ َﻦ اﻟ ﱠﺜ َﻤ َﺮا ِت ِر ْز ًﻗﺎ َﻟ ُﻜ ْﻢ‬ ‫( َو َﺳ ﱠﺨ َﺮ ﻟَ ُﻜ ُﻢ اﻟ ﱠﺸ ْﻤ َﺲ َواﻟْ َﻘ َﻤ َﺮ‬32) ‫َو َﺳ ﱠﺨ َﺮ ﻟَﻜُ ُﻢ ا ْﻟ ُﻔﻠْ َﻚ ِﻟ َﺘ ْﺠ ِﺮ َي ِﰲ اﻟْ َﺒ ْﺤ ِﺮ ِﺑﺎَٔ ْﻣ ِﺮ ِه َو َﺳ ﱠﺨ َﺮ ﻟَ ُﻜ ُﻢ اﻷﻧْ َﻬﺎ َر‬ ‫( َوآﺗَﺎ ُﻛ ْﻢ ِﻣ ْﻦ ﻛُ ﱢﻞ َﻣﺎ َﺳﺎَٔﻟْ ُﺘ ُﻤﻮ ُه َوإِ ْن ﺗَ ُﻌ ﱡﺪوا ﻧِ ْﻌ َﻤ َﺔ اﻟ ﱠﻠ ِﻪ َﻻ‬33) ‫َدا ِﺋ َﺒ ْي ِن َو َﺳ ﱠﺨ َﺮ ﻟَﻜُ ُﻢ اﻟﻠﱠ ْﻴ َﻞ َواﻟ ﱠﻨ َﻬﺎ َر‬ (34) ‫ﺗُ ْﺤ ُﺼﻮ َﻫﺎ إِ ﱠن اﻹﻧْ َﺴﺎ َن َﻟ َﻈ ُﻠﻮ ٌم ﻛَ ﱠﻔﺎ ٌر‬ It is Allah who created the heavens and the earth and sent down rain from the sky and produced thereby some fruits as provision for you and subjected for you the ships to sail through the sea by His command and subjected for you the rivers. And He subjected for you the sun and the moon, continuous [in orbit], and subjected for you the night and the day. And He gave you from all you asked of Him. And if you should count the favor of Allah, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, mankind is [generally] most unjust and ungrateful. [14:32-34] 6

What do you notice? part 2 ‫َواﻻَﻧ َﻌﺎ َم َﺧﻠَ َﻘ َﻬﺎ ۚ َﻟـ ُﻜﻢ ِﻓﻴ َﻬﺎ ِدفٴٌ ﱠو َﻣ َﻨﺎ ِﻓ ُﻊ َو ِﻣﻨ َﻬﺎ ﺗَﺎﻛُﻠُﻮ َن * َو َﻟﻜُﻢ ِﻓﻴ َﻬﺎ َﺟمَا ٌل ِﺣي َن ﺗُ ِﺮﻳ ُﺤﻮ َن َو ِﺣي َن ﺗَ َﴪ ُﺣﻮ َن * َوﺗَﺤ ِﻤ ُﻞ اَﺛ َﻘﺎ َﻟـ ُﻜﻢ اِ ٰﱃ َﺑﻠَ ٍﺪ ﱠﻟﻢ ﺗَ ُﻜﻮﻧُﻮا ﺑٰﻠِ ِﻐﻴ ِﻪ اِ ﱠﻻ‬ ؕ ‫ِﺑ ِﺸ ﱢﻖ ا َﻻﻧ ُﻔ ِؕﺲ اِ ﱠن َر ﱠﺑ ُﻜﻢ َﻟ َﺮ ُءو ٌف ﱠر ِﺣﻴ ٌﻢ * ﱠواﻟ َﺨـﻴ َﻞ َواﻟ ِﺒ َﻐﺎ َل َواﻟ َﺤ ِﻤي َر ِﻟ َﱰﻛَ ُﺒﻮ َﻫﺎ َو ِزﻳ َﻨ ًﺔ ؕ َوﻳَﺨ ُﻠ ُﻖ َﻣﺎ َﻻ ﺗَﻌﻠَ ُﻤﻮ َن * ﱠواﻟ َﺨـﻴ َﻞ َواﻟ ِﺒ َﻐﺎ َل َواﻟ َﺤ ِﻤي َر ﻟِ َﱰﻛَ ُﺒﻮ َﻫﺎ َو ِزﻳ َﻨ ًﺔ‬ ‫َوﻳَﺨ ُﻠ ُﻖ َﻣﺎ َﻻ ﺗَﻌﻠَ ُﻤﻮ َن … ُﻫ َﻮ اﻟﱠ ِﺬى اَﻧ َﺰ َل ِﻣ َﻦ اﻟ ﱠﺴمَآ ِء َﻣﺂ ًء ﻟﱠـﻜُﻢ ﱢﻣﻨ ُﻪ َ َﴍا ٌب ﱠو ِﻣﻨ ُﻪ َﺷ َﺠ ٌﺮ ِﻓﻴ ِﻪ ﺗُ ِﺴﻴ ُﻤﻮ َن * ُﻳﻨ ِﺒ ُﺖ ﻟَـ ُﻜﻢ ِﺑ ِﻪ اﻟ ﱠﺰر َع َواﻟ ﱠﺰﻳ ُﺘﻮ َن َواﻟ ﱠﻨ ِﺨﻴ َﻞ َوا َﻻﻋ َﻨﺎ َب‬ ‫َو ِﻣﻦ ﻛُ ﱢﻞ اﻟ ﱠﺜ َﻤ ٰﺮ ِؕت اِ ﱠن ِﰱ ٰذﻟِ َﻚ َ ٰﻻ َﻳ ًﺔ ﱢﻟـ َﻘﻮ ٍم ﻳﱠ َﺘ َﻔ ﱠﻜ ُﺮو َن‬ And the grazing livestock He has created for you; in them is warmth and [numerous] benefits, and from them you eat. And for you in them is [the enjoyment of] beauty when you bring them in [for the evening] and when you send them out [to pasture]. And they carry your loads to a land you could not have reached except with difficulty to yourselves. Indeed, your Lord is Kind and Merciful. And [He created] the horses, mules and donkeys for you to ride and [as] adornment. And He creates that which you do not know. It is He who sends down rain from the sky; from it is drink and from it is foliage in which you pasture [animals]. He causes to grow for you thereby the crops, olives, palm trees, grapevines, and from all the fruits. Indeed in that is a sign for a people who give thought. [16:5-8, 10-11] 7

What do you notice? part 3 ‫َو َﻻ ﺗُ ْﻔ ِﺴ ُﺪوا ِﻓﻲ ا ْﻻَٔ ْر ِض ﺑَ ْﻌ َﺪ إِ ْﺻ َﻼ ِﺣ َﻬﺎ‬ And cause not corruption upon the earth after it has been set aright. [7:56] ‫اﻟ ﱠﺸ ْﻤ ُﺲ َواﻟْ َﻘ َﻤ ُﺮ ِﺑ ُﺤ ْﺴ َﺒﺎ ٍن * َواﻟ ﱠﻨ ْﺠ ُﻢ َواﻟ ﱠﺸ َﺠ ُﺮ َﻳ ْﺴ ُﺠ َﺪا ِن * َواﻟ ﱠﺴمَاء َر َﻓ َﻌ َﻬﺎ َو َو َﺿ َﻊ ا ْﻟ ِﻤﻴ َﺰا َن * أ َﻵ ﺗَﻄْ َﻐ ْﻮا ِﰲ اﻟْ ِﻤﻴ َﺰا ِن * َوأ ِﻗﻴ ُﻤﻮا‬ ‫اﻟْ َﻮ ْز َن ِﺑﺎﻟْ ِﻘ ْﺴ ِﻂ َو َﻵ ﺗُ ْﺨ ِ ُﴪوا اﻟْ ِﻤﻴ َﺰا َن‬ The sun and the moon [move] by precise calculation, And the stars and trees prostrate. And the heaven He raised and imposed the balance—that you not transgress within the balance. And establish weight in justice and do not make deficient the balance. [55:5-9] 8

What do you notice? part 3 ‫َوإِ َذا ﺗَ َﻮﻟﱠ ٰﻰ َﺳ َﻌ ٰﻰ ِﻓﻲ ا ْ َٔﻻ ْر ِض ِﻟ ُﻴ ْﻔ ِﺴ َﺪ ِﻓﻴ َﻬﺎ َو ُﻳ ْﻬﻠِ َﻚ ا ْﻟ َﺤ ْﺮ َث َواﻟ ﱠﻨ ْﺴ َﻞ َواﻟ ﱠﻠ ُﻪ َﻻ ُﻳ ِﺤ ﱡﺐ ا ْﻟ َﻔ َﺴﺎ َد‬ And when he goes away, he strives throughout the land to cause corruption therein and destroy crops and animals. And Allah does not like corruption. [2:205] ‫ﻇَ َﻬ َﺮ اﻟ َﻔ َﺴﺎ ُد ِﰱ اﻟ َ ﱢﱪ َواﻟ َﺒﺤ ِﺮ بِمَﺎ َﻛ َﺴ َﺒﺖ اَﻳ ِﺪى اﻟ ﱠﻨﺎ ِس ﻟِ ُﻴ ِﺬﻳ َﻘ ُﻬﻢ ﺑَﻌ َﺾ ا ﱠﻟ ِﺬى َﻋ ِﻤ ُﻠﻮا‬ ‫َﻟ َﻌ ﱠﻠ ُﻬﻢ ﻳﺮ ِﺟ ُﻌﻮ َن‬ Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [to righteousness]. [30:41] 9

Major Quranic themes on the environment A sign for us An object created An object balanced to observe and and subjugated to and “set aright” by Allah contemplate in predetermined patterns order that we may and courses, and then with the possibility achieve faith and made subservient for our of corrupting or utility and enjoyment. gratitude. preserving it through human actions. 10

The state of our world 11

The state of our world Share How do you feel after watching this video? What specific words and images resonate with you and why? Reflect What is this video communicating? Draw parallels between the message(s) in this video and the Quranic attitude toward the environment. 12

Anthropic principle “And I don’t want to get too spiritual, but how are we not a miracle when we are perfectly positioned to the sun so we don’t burn, but not too distant, so we don’t turn to ice. Goldilocks said it best: we are just right.” 13

Final thought ‫َو َﻻ ﺗُ ْﻔ ِﺴ ُﺪوا ِﰲ ا ْﻻَٔ ْر ِض َﺑ ْﻌ َﺪ إِ ْﺻ َﻼ ِﺣ َﻬﺎ‬ “And do not spread corruption upon the earth after it has been set aright” How do we interpret our moral responsibility toward the environment enjoined upon us by Allah? 14