Valuing Biodiversity: a Qur'anic Account
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International Journal of Environmental Science and Development, Vol. 5, No. 3, June 2014 Valuing Biodiversity: A Qur‟anic Account A. K. H. Solihu parasites, and predator-prey form part of biodiversity [2]. Abstract—Species diversity has been the hallmark of There are frequent references to several species in the biosphere and invaluable resource for human being as well as Qur‟an. Out of 114 surahs (chapters) of the Qur‟an, six are for the natural environment. In order to appreciate and titled after animals: Al-Baqarah (the Cow), al-An„am (the conserve these diverse species which are constituents of nature, Cattles), al-Nahl (the Bee), al-Naml (the Ants), al-„Ankabut different values from different frames of references have been proffered. This study examines biological diversity from the (the Spider), and al-Fil (the Elephant). But, as reported by Qur’anic perspective in an attempt to explicate the kinds of Tlili [3], approximately thirty animal species are mentioned value conferred by the Qur’an on non-human species, in various Qur‟anic surahs. Only one surah bears a plant particularly among the animals and plants. Collating ayat name, namely, al-Tin (the Fig), 95, but as Khafagi, Zakaria, (verses) of the Qur’an related to nonhuman species and Dewedar and El-Zahdany indicate, there are about 22 plants analyzing key conceptual terms the Qur’an employs in belonging to 17 families that are mentioned in the Qur‟an [4]. reference to their diversity, the study found that nonhuman species are presented in the Qur’an as signs of God and as This study explores the Qur‟anic perspective of biological communities of worshipers worthy of existence and diversity in an attempt to elucidate the values assigned to conservation. nonhuman species in nature. The study first analyses key conceptual terms the Qur‟an employs in reference to Index Terms—Environmental ethics, biodiversity diversity in the biosphere and then identifies the status conservation, nonhuman animals, Qur’anic ecology. assigned to different components of biological diversity and ecological functions. The last part addresses the end value that could be drawn from the interdependence and I. INTRODUCTION coexistence of biotic and abiotic constituents of nature. The Qur‟anic account and recognition of diversity in nature could be traced back to the moment when Prophet Adam was taught al-asma‟ kullaha, the names of things or II. COMPETING PARADIGMS the capacity to name things (Qur‟an, 2:31-32). This suggests Nature and several constituents of biodiversity have been that there are, at least, several things out there which he could valued differently based on different value systems. In the identify but which the angels could not. Biological items age of materialistic, economic driven world, financial from which he was created, namely, water and dust, could be implication of biodiversity is one of the predominant value among the items of identification. Next, he was placed in the methods. Nunes and van den Bergh provide four levels of Jannah (garden) together with Eve where they were at liberty biodiversity, each having its own value: genes, species, (raghadan) to eat and drink from all types of fruits and to ecosystems and functions. Thereafter, they investigate the take shelter and cloth therein, with the exception of a economic value and valuation method of each of these levels. particular tree forbidden for them (Qur‟an, 2:35; 7:19; They found that economic valuation could not measure the 20:118-119). In this earliest encounter between human and real but nonuse/passive values of biodiversity and will nature, as recorded in the Qur‟an, a variety of biological always fail to provide the entire range of biodiversity benefits things are purposefully placed in Jannah that will make it [5]. habitable for Adam and Eve, only that some of them are halal From a more general framework, a Committee on (lawful and permissible) while others are haram (unlawful Noneconomic and Economic Value of Biodiversity review and impermissible). different approaches to valuing biodiversity, such as Biological diversity (or Biodiversity), according to the economic, scientific, utilitarian, ethical, aesthetic. They Convention on Biological Diversity, refers to “the variability discuss a variety of values that people derive from among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, biodiversity and how such values have varyingly contributed terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the to the advancement in science and technology as well as to ecological complexities of which they are part; this includes the well-being of individuals and society. Yet they admit that diversity within species, between species and of no simple models or approaches can adequately address both ecosystems”[1]. Central to biodiversity is the ecological market and nonmarket values due to our insufficient complexity of interactions between biota and abiotic knowledge of interconnectivity of the components of environment. All crops, livestock and marine animals and biodiversity and the absence of detailed experimental studies their interconnectivities of pollinators, symbionts, pests, of the ecosystem [6]. Ehrenfeld questions the very process of valuing Manuscript received August 31, 2013; revised November 1, 2013. A. K. H. Solihu is with Islamic Studies in the Department of General biodiversity. According to him, value is an intrinsic part of Studies, Faculty of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences, biodiversity. Its value does not depend on anthropocentric International Islamic University Malaysia, P. O. Box 10, 50728, Kuala benefits, be it economic, utilitarian, aesthetic, or even Lumpur, Malaysia (e-mail: [email protected]). DOI: 10.7763/IJESD.2014.V5.486 244 International Journal of Environmental Science and Development, Vol. 5, No. 3, June 2014 ecosystem services that human derive from it. Biodiversity is (Qur‟an, 6:141; 16:13; 35:27-28; 39:21), in that they are already valuable because it is there long before humans “diverse” or “different” in kind, color, and taste, while realized it. Since we do not know enough about the genes, ikhtilaf is used more frequently in reference to the alteration species and ecosystem of biodiversity, our valuations will of night and day (Qur‟an, 2:164; 3:190; 10:6; 23:80; 45:5) always remain wanting [7]. and the diversity of human languages and skin colors On the other side of biodiversity valuation stands a group (Qur‟an, 30:22). of researchers who hold that biodiversity could endanger When mukhtalif is associated with some key similar human health. It is argued that some species might be vectors words, such as alwan and dhara‟a, it could well give a sense of diseases to human population, contributing to the outbreak of biological diversity. Dhara‟a, from which dhurriyyah or spread of diseases. Maier challenges basing the value of (progeny) is derived means to “create and multiply” [10], the natural world on biodiversity, deconstructing arguments [11]. Hence, yadhra‟ukum as mentioned in surat al-Shura advanced by philosophers and scientists in favor of (Qur‟an, 42:11) is translated as “He multiplies you” [12]. biodiversity and its conservation. He claims to appreciate According to al-Sha„rawi, dhara‟a signifies a creation with natural value but outside the prism of biodiversity. Nature is an innate capacity for self-replication and diversification valuable; biodiversity is not necessarily so. Thus, he framed [13]. The next keyword is alwan, a plural form of lawn. Lawn nature‟s value on what he called “appropriate fit” which could mean “color” as well as “kind” (sinf) or both [11], associates the core of natural value with a valuing depending on the context in which the word is used. relationship that people develop towards the natural world In surat al-Nahl, these three words are used in a single [8]. It is a particular human-nature relationship which human ayah (plural: ayat, meaning, the smallest unit of the surah of communities have devolved over their interaction with nature. the Qur‟an, commonly translated into English as “verse”). How one could value the whole system while decrying its The Qur‟an states: “wa-ma dhara‟a la-kum fi al-ard component parts is a question which Maier does not mukhtalifan alwanuhu” which could be translated as “And convincingly address in the book. This line of reasoning what He has created and multiplied for you on earth of could be seen as part of mental and cultural alliance against different species or of biological diversities.” Here the phrase nature‟s design and its intrinsic value which Bertrand Russell “fi al-ard mukhtalifan alwanuhu” could simply mean has earlier advanced in Why I am not a Christian. Russell “biological diversity” or any kind of “earthly diversity”. This acknowledges that humans are part of nature as far as their is more so when the phrase is preceded with dhara‟a origin is concerned. But in the world of value, humans are the (multiply). In his commentary on verse 16:13, Ibn „Atiyyah ultimate and irrefutable arbiters of values. As humans, he (d. 542/1147) mentioned that lawn means color and type, but says, “we are the kings, and we debase our kingship if we prioritized the second sense on the ground that the context is bow down to Nature. It is for us to determine the good life, on the enumeration of God‟s bounties in nature, and that the not for nature – not even for Nature personified as God” [9]. benefits that could be obtained from these natural bounties Very few biologists would subscribe to this purely are much greater when alwan is seen as species than when it humanistic line of reasoning and frame of valuation. In the is construed as colors [11]. Islamic worldview, there is strong support for the idea that Mukhtalif is used in association with alwan in different biodiversity is intrinsically valuable and that it plays a pivotal context to indicate the diversity of color and also used role in maintaining ecosystem which is crucial to human life.