Contributions of Islamic scholars to sustainable human and environmental development: Islam Hadhari and future development of Muslim countries (#30555)

Abstract: Today, despite the global scientific and technological advancement

with developed and even a few developing countries including Muslim

countries making significant strides in shaping contemporary civilisation and

the state of the world, yet they have failed to achieve true development and

progress on how to sustain human and other creatures in a wholesome manner.

This is because while these countries are struggling for scientific and

technological development in order for humans to live a decent and

comfortable life, they have not fully comprehended the underlying indexes that

formed the basis of sustainable development. This paper therefore examines the

teachings of Islam on the underlying indexes that formed the basis of

sustainable development. It used the maqasid approach to show that in Islam

development and progress are useful and desirable only when they improve

upon and sustain not only human comfort and standards of living but also the

essentials to achieving higher and enhanced quality of life for not only humans

but also the environment and all the creatures cohabiting in it. It finally reveals

how the maqasid approach in Islam sets out to achieve this real development.