Inner and Outer Nature: An Islamic Perspective on the Environmental Crisis

Abstract

The environmental crisis is rooted in a spiritual crisis. The outer is a reflection of the inner. Thus, uprooting the environmental crisis requires alleviating the spiritual ailments of modern humanity. This entails, most specifically, a restoration of the sacredness of nature in the eyes of scientific circles and the broader public. For the former, this involves a reintegration of metaphysics into the scientific worldview. For the general public, a genuine return to the sacred constitutes a return to God through sacred tradition. Other steps, such as the sincere commitment of religious authorities to environmental solutions, are also important in ending the crisis. Through this, modern humanity may make peace with the environment, itself, and, most importantly, God.