Konsep Kelestarian dari Perspektif Islam Berbanding Pendekatan Moden dalam Melestarikan Negara

Abstract

The emergence of sustainability ideas aims to systematically tackle economic, social and environmental challenges that affect the people’s quality of life. Economic, social and environmental systems have been adversely affected by those who solely pursue personal gain in the long run but at the expense of the wellbeing of others. The idea of sustainability, drawn from the widely known Brundtland Report, states that a combination of environmental, social and economic pillars contribute to sustainability. However, the debate on the effectiveness of the theory continues as global populations are still affected by long-standing sustainability issues, such as global warming, persistent wealth inequality, poverty and food deprivation or hunger. This paper adds to the discussion on Islamic sustainability as an avenue emphasising the soft factor (i.e. human) that encompasses the soul, mind and intelligence (‘aql) in addressing sustainability problems. This Islamic perspective deines the roles of responsible human beings with the following principles, namely: i) fairness (‘adl); ii) expertise (ihsan); iii) the highest sense of human understanding (arham); and iv) not spreading mischief and moral corruption (fasad) in rebellion to God when managing national institutions. Based on these principles, human beings may manage a country fairly, implement expert management, take care of the welfare of others and do no harm in order to maintain sustainability of the country in the future. Keywords: Sustainability, Sustainable Development, Environment