Addressing Environmental Challenges and Food Scarcity: Insights from the Quran

ماحولیاتی تغیر اور غذائی قلت کا حل قرآن کی روشنی میں

Abstract

The global food crisis has intensified in recent years due to climate change, deforestation, environmental degradation, and unsustainable consumption, all of which have reduced agricultural productivity and increased food insecurity. Islam—being a comprehensive way of life—offers ethical, environmental, and socio-economic guidance rooted in the Qur’an and Sunnah, promoting environmental stewardship, responsible resource use, and social welfare. Allah’s signs, including the seamless succession of day and night and the harmonious cycle of the seasons, reveal a perfectly balanced natural order. Yet human interference has disrupted this balance, driving the planet toward ecological instability. Scientific assessments show that the Earth’s average temperature has already risen by about 1.4°F, with further increases expected. The resulting impacts—melting glaciers, rising sea levels, heatwaves, droughts, floods, hurricanes, and wildfires—are directly affecting agriculture. Extreme weather, irregular rainfall, water shortages, and flooded lands severely hinder crop cultivation and transport. According to Oxfam, the number of people facing severe hunger has more than doubled due to climate-related challenges. This article examines the food crisis from an Islamic perspective, highlighting prophetic teachings on environmental protection, sustainable resource management, and social responsibility. It highlights how Islamic principles offer practical and ethical solutions, underscoring the importance of both individual and collective efforts in combating global food shortages.