Anthropocentric nature of Islam

Why human are given the responsibility to care for earth

Only creature with the special quality enable them to serve

o Humankind was given knowledge over other beings
The ability to name things
And He taught Adam all the names, then showed them to the
angels, saying: inform me of the names of these if ye (you) are
truthful (Quran 2:31)
Naming the things around human is important
o Without it life become a great mystery
Inability to categorize beings and generalize it
No other animal can do it
Bewildering and confusing
A mountain only a mountain because we name it so
Extatentialism taught on lesson nothing is
constant
The basic problem is to clarify the relation
of words to things. It is only under certain
circumstances that sounds or marks on
paper acquire meaning, or refer. Reference
is how language bites on to the world. It is a
distinctively human activity, and, unlike
thinking, it is public. The most elementary
way in which to refer is to name. Naming is
the direct application of a word to a thing.
Only human can do it
o Be glorified! We have no knowledge saving that which
Thou has taught us. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Knower,
the Wise (Quran 2:32)
o Demonstrate the power Allah granted human
o Said He, "O Adam! Describe to them the names of these
things." And when he described to them the names thereof,
He said, "Did I not tell you that I know the secrets of the
atmosphere and skies beyond and of the earth, and that I
know what you declare and what you have been
concealing?" (Quran 2:33)
Illistrate the status and dignity human posses
Granted position above angels
Posses knowledge and independent will
Human and animal
o Human are not the only creatures that are worthy of protection and cherishing
And there is no creature on [or within] the earth or bird that flies with its
wings except [that they are] communities like you. We have not neglected in
the Register a thing. Then unto their Lord they will be gathered. (Quran
6:38)
 Muhammad (S) is reported to have said
All creatures are Gods dependents and the most beloved to God, among
them, is he who does good to Gods dependents
Strong value that Islam gives to caring for other members of our
environment
Animism
Holy Prophet comment on mountain Uhud
It is a mountain that loves us and we love it. (Sahih al-Bukhari)
o 2 explanation:
o He loved the people of Medina because they supported him
and they lived near Uhud
o Love for mountain = actual love of Allahs creation (Bukhari)
Be claim, Uhnd (Sahih al-Bukhari)
Prophet love and caring for environment should be learnt since he is
a man of great characters
Cruelty to animal is forbidden
Judgement day concept:
o We will be accounted for our action on judgement day
Animal owner are required to fed the animal he own and provide
medical attention when their animal are sick
Muhammad Said: Allah punished a women because she
imprisoned a cat until it died of hunger. She neither fed it, nor let it
obtain its own food
Forbid man to inflict unnecessary pain on animal
Animals are protected by Allah and all those who violate it disobey
the order of Allah
Cant milk an animal in a way that will damage the subject and its
youngster
o The milk belong to the younglings
o Need to cut nails before milking
o Same with honey harvest, enough should be left for the
bees own use
o