Khilāfah, taskhīr, and sustainability: Reconstructing Islamic eco-theology through Al-Qurțubī's tafsir

Khasani, Fahim ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7934-2999 (2025) Khilāfah, taskhīr, and sustainability: Reconstructing Islamic eco-theology through Al-Qurțubī's tafsir. ISTIFHAM: Journal of Islamic Studies, 3 (2). pp. 100-111. ISSN 2987-3010

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Abstract

The contemporary ecological crisis—manifested through climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation—requires more than technological and political solutions; it demands ethical and spiritual renewal.This article examines the classical tafsirof al-Qurțubī (d. 671 H) to explore Islamic environmental thought'stheological and ethical foundations.Focusing on four key Qur'anicconcepts—khalīfah fī al-ard(vicegerency), 'imārat al-ard(constructive inhabitation), taskhīr(divine subjugation of nature), and the prohibition of fasād (corruption)—this study demonstrates how al-Qurțubīformulated a coherent framework that positions humans as trustees, cultivators, grateful beneficiaries, and moral guardians of the earth.Using hermeneutical textual analysis and comparative readings with other classical exegetes (al-Ṭabarī, Fakhr al-Rāzī, Ibn Kathīr), the study identifies epistemological continuities between medieval interpretations and contemporary Islamic eco-theology.Thinkers like Seyyed Hossein Nasr, M. Izzi Deen, and Richard Foltz reinterpret these classical notions to address modern environmental challenges.The findings indicate that classical Islamic exegesis embeds a sophisticated environmental ethic emphasizing stewardship, sustainability, intergenerational justice, and spiritual accountability.Revisiting al-Qurțubī'stafsiroffers historical insight andnormative resources for constructing a contemporary Islamic environmental ethic.This framework can serve as an alternative paradigm in responding to the global ecological crisis by reaffirming the sacred interconnectedness between God, humanity, and nature.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Keywords:	Islamic Eco-Theology; al-Qurțubī; khalīfah; environmental ethics; sustainability
Subjects:	22 PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES > 2204 Religion and Religious Studies > 220403 Islamic Studies > 22040302 Al-Hadits, and related science 22 PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES > 2204 Religion and Religious Studies > 220403 Islamic Studies > 22040303 Aqidah, Islamic Theology, Ilmu Kalam, and related science
Divisions:	Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teaching Training > Department of Islamic Education
Depositing User:	Fahim Khasani
Date Deposited:	20 Oct 2025 13:51

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