Sustainable Development and Natural Resources Management for Environmental Stability: An Islamic Approach

Sustainable development has become an issue of great debate and concern in the present era. Today, mankind is facing plenty of ecological issues globally and natural resources are endangered. Several experts, professionals, and scientists are continuously struggling to find ways for ecological preservation and resources development. The ever-increasing needs of mankind have proved to be a threat as resources are finite. To handle this threat and solve the issues, many enthusiastic scientists and scholars are showing interest in religious instructions about natural resources management for sustainable development. This research paper will try to highlight solutions to these issues and environmental threats in the light of revealed injunctions of the Quran and Hadiths. According to the Quran, man is responsible for the proper 42 International Research Journal on Islamic Studies (IRJIS) (January-June 2022) use and protection of natural resources provided by Almighty Allah. The notion of sustainable development seems to be modern but its Islamic sequel is ancient, as Islam has integrated sustainable development in the Islamic resources management system. The objective of this paper is to highlight Islamic teachings related to natural resources management for sustainable development such as water, wood, and animals, etc. It will also analyze some of the modern environmental preservation principles such as the “3R principle” and “Common but differentiated responsibility” from an Islamic perspective. At the end of the article, recommendations will be given for ecological and resources preservation that will ultimately result in sustainable development.


Introduction
Islam is the universal and revealed religion that provides regulation and guidance for every aspect of life. Humans as superior and honorable creatures of Allah Almighty are given the stewardship of the environment that demands responsibility and care of natural resources.
Allah bestowed human beings with natural resources by which he gets services and living assistance but he is not free to use these resources extravagantly, rather as a steward he will be accountable for his actions regarding these resources. In the present era, man is facing many ecological issues and striving for sustainable development of his surroundings. It has become an issue of great debate and concern all over the globe.

Research Methodology
In this study, a qualitative research method will be applied while analyzing sustainable development following Islamic injunctions. This is descriptive and analytical research in which modern rules and principles of sustainable development and natural resources management will be investigated under Islamic law.

Limitations
Sustainable development has many aspects; two of the major aspects are economic and ecological. This research will focus on the ecological aspect of sustainable development highlighting the natural resources management paradigm.

Importance of Research
In the contemporary world, the environment is facing serious threats and issues in many aspects. One of the serious threats faced by the environment is endangered natural resources that halt sustainable development. Today, ecological scientists are struggling to find a solution to contemporary environmental issues such as water scarcity, global warming, endangering 43 International Research Journal on Islamic Studies (IRJIS) -(January-June 2022) animals, forest cutting and climate change, etc. Even Muslim countries are getting failed in coping with these issues. 1 There is a dire need for research to highlight the Islamic approach to sustainable development and natural resource management. It can provide an exclusive solution to contemporary environmental solutions.

Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is a term that has been defined differently by people belonging to different areas of life such as environmental scientists and scholars etc. In 1987 in the Brundtland Commission report, an "approved" definition of development was devised. The definition of sustainable development states that "humans must exist and satisfy their requirements without damaging future generations' potential to cope using their resources. It is one that ensured human growth not only for a few decades but for the entire planet in the far future." 2 As described by UNESCO, "Sustainable development has four aspects: community, environment, culture, and economics, all of which are interconnected rather than distinct.
Sustainability is a mindset about the future that integrates environmental, societal, and economic concerns in the quest for a better standard of living. A flourishing society, for instance, depends on a healthy ecosystem to give food and supplies to its population, as well as drinkable water and breathable air." 3 "Sustainable development provides not only growth in the economy, but must also ensure that economic activity is compatible with ecological, cultural, and intellectual factors." 4 It shows that sustainable development not only has an economic aspect but also environmental welfare viewpoints.
Sustainable development, in particular, is a system for managing society and natural resources in such a way that it can continue to function in the long run. This entails considering both ongoing and prospective imperatives, such as ecological and natural resource conservation, as well as economic and social balance. The notion of sustainable development evolved in Islamic theology in the seventh century, but it was adapted into a contemporary setting in the twentieth century. Qur'an and teachings of the Prophet (P.B.U.H.), for example, admonish extravagantly exploiting natural resources.

Significance of Natural Resources
Natural resources are crucial to sustaining human growth and civilization development.
Natural resources are classified into two parts: non-renewable and renewable. Throughout Earth, there are a restricted number of non-renewable materials. So, when as a result, as they are extracted from the earth, their stock goes. Just nonrenewable resources can be utilized in an unsustainable way. The size of a non-renewable resource's recoverable stocks in the biosphere, as well as the rate of excavation, determine its existence and availability. Certain reserves, on the other hand, can be recovered and recycled to a certain extent, extending their useful life. Metal source rocks, charcoal, and oil are all types of non-resources. 7 Natural resources offer the conditions for a pleasant, healthful, and stable lifestyle for everyone on the earth. Humans have made a tremendous change to ecological systems in current years to meet increasing food requirements, freshwater, nutrients, and energy that has worked to enhance the people's lifestyles, but they have also deteriorated nature's potential to provide other essential services such as atmosphere and aquatic purification, disaster safety, and medicine availability. 8 Human cultures and economies are inextricably linked to a continual flow of natural resources, which is an obvious ecological reality. This is especially true with renewable resources in the long run because sustainable economies cannot be supported solely by nonrenewable resources. As a result, the only option to accomplish sustainable development is to create an approach based on the intelligent collection and management of renewable resources.

Incorporating Sustainable Development and Natural Resources
Sustainable development of natural resources stresses the nature preservation and utilization of renewable resources for the interests of humanity and the environment. An understanding and preservation of the nearby ecosystem's species of plants and animals, as well as inorganic material like freshwater and the air, is incorporated into this notion. Sustainable development aims to continue providing resources for the existing population without endangering future generations' access to those resources, and without inflicting environmental degradation that impedes the existence of other creatures and ecological processes.
A system of sustainable development of natural resources must be able to provide a flow of resources for human utilization, but that flow must be able to be unremitting throughout the future. Furthermore, an ecologically sustainable system must be sufficient to support surviving local species communities, functional key ecological regions, and accurate measurements of other environmental attributes that are not traditionally regarded as assets for direct human consumption. 9 "Natural resources for sustainable development" and "sustainable development of natural resources" both notions are integrated as one is the outcome of the other. Both of these are vital for global environmental conservation and ecological growth. Here is a diagramed illustration that shows how these three notions are integrated: Allah is the One who created the heavens and the earth and sent down water from the sky, then brought forth with its sustenance for you from the produce, and subjugated for you the ships, so that they may sail in the sea with His command, and subjugated for you the rivers ; and He subjugated for you the sun and the moon, moving constantly, and subjugated for you the day and the night.
Men are granted the ability to care for and nourish what Allah has entrusted them, the entire planet and everything on it. This position, nevertheless, ought not to be misconstrued or overused. The authority of humans to preside over the universe must be considered with caution. Islamic teachings warn us of our duties to the world and the universe. Men's presence on this planet is crucial to the sustainability and advancement of not only present cohort and present habitation but also future generations.
The right of man to populate the Planet's surface also encompasses the right of mankind to exist, thrive, and utilize the natural resources on earth as he deems proper, provided that this use does not impede on privileges of nature. This freedom of use should be appropriate for the circumstances and must be employed following the potentials that the Maker has imbued in man's fundamental nature (fitra), notably compassion and equity. As mentioned in Quran, Have you not seen that Allah has subjugated for you what is in the heavens and what is on the earth, and has perfected His blessings on you, both outward and inward?
The Holy Qur'an provides humanity with a complete moral and religious direction.
Humans are to conduct honorably and not to be extravagant or frivolous. They are not to upset the natural balance or change God's creation.

Environmental Sustainability in Islam
The Islamic approach to environmental sustainability differs significantly from how the majority of humanity approaches these concerns. Islamic sources, for instance, do not employ 48 International Research Journal on Islamic Studies (IRJIS) -(January-June 2022) the same environmental vocabulary that modern environmental scientists are familiar with, rather express ecological problems in a manner that highlights their significance to the Muslim religion. Islamic scriptures, for example, take the word "pollution" as "corruption. As stated in Quran: Calamities have appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of the people have earned, so that He (Allah) makes them taste some of what they did, in order that they may return (to the right way).
Any kind of Pollution or damage to natural resources can be referred to as "Fasad" Islamic texts describe how ecological conservation is a religious imperative.

‫الل‬ ‫ق‬
Eat and drink what Allah has sustained, and do not go about the earth spreading disorder.
It is explicitly shown by this verse that Almighty has ordered us to not only safeguard the environment but also to refrain from disrupting the Earth's components, which were formed in perfect harmony. Here the word ‫"مفسد"‬ refers to the people who corrupt the natural resources and cause degradation in the environment. Corruption is a term broader than degradation or pollution, which comprise many wrong things humans do. Allah dislikes the people who mischief in the land and destroy the natural resource. As he says in Quran, Among men there is one whose speech, in this life, attracts you; he even And obey not the command of the extravagant, who make mischief on the land and who do not set things right.
Do not make mischief on the earth after it has been set in order. Supplicate Him in fear and hope. Surely, the mercy of Allah is close to those who are good in their deeds.
Man must promote sustainable development of the environment since it is Allah's work and reflects his authority. Allah created man to become a guardian of nature, to coexist peacefully with all species, and to be his successors on Earth, as per the Holy Qur'an.
The Prophet ‫ﷺ‬ used to wash with a sa'a (of water) and perform ablution with a Mudd (of water 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.
It shows that a plantation is an ongoing act of charity. The grower has the mercy of Allah as long as living things benefit from it. Plants and trees, as renewable natural resources, provide food, wood, shelter, and other benefits to human beings. They are vital for ecological sustenance and to cope with contemporary global warming, pollution issue, and environmental challenges.

'Common but differentiated responsibility' and Islam
Common but differentiated responsibility (CBDR) is a principle of sustainable development. As a tool of sustainable development, the notion of international law known as "common but differentiated responsibility" states that various countries have varied competencies and obligations when it comes to solving cross-border environmental challenges such as climate change. It maintains the following equilibrium: 1. The requirement for each state to accept personal concern for environmental devastation and remediation.
2. The acknowledgment that states are neither equally responsible for the problem or capable of reacting to it. 32 It supports the idea that developed countries can play a vital part in environmental conservation and emissions reduction as compared to developing countries. It also askes advanced nations to deliver much-desirable technical and financial assistance to poor countries so that they may strive toward both fiscal and communal growth and alleviating scarcity while also protecting the environment. CBDR suggested that the urge for financial and technical assistance may be used as a negotiating tool to persuade these rising nations to proactively manage environmental change.
In "United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change United Nations" 1992, there has been an agreement among groups that they will "Take into account their common but differentiated responsibilities, as well as distinct national and regional development aspirations, goals, and conditions" 33 This notion states that developed-country actions must come first to pave the path for emissions reductions and environmental conservation.