Believing in climate change and global warming
| Fatwa #811 | Category: Miscellaneous | Country: Canada | Date: 13th January 2023 |
| Fatwa #811 | Date: 13th January 2023 |
| Category: Miscellaneous | |
| Country: Canada | |
Question
Dear Mufti Saheb,
What is the Islamic view on the issue of Climate Change and Global Warming?
Scientists claim these affect rainfall among other things. Is it permissible to believe such claims?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
It is not against faith to believe that the actions of humanity impact the earth on a whole. An easy example to understand this is how over-hunting by humans led to the extinction of some species of animals. These are logical consequences of actions carried out by free will given to us by Almighty Allah.
If scientists claim that climate change has affected rainfall, we may accept their statements to be apparent causes for reduced rainfall. A similar example is how we understand that tsunamis are caused by earthquakes under the sea. Though a cause for the tsunami has been given, the fact remains that it was Almighty Allah who willed it so and hence the tsunami.
Nevertheless, if one chooses to accept the idea of global warming and climate change, it is imperative that one’s belief does not become such that the power of the Creator, Almighty Allah, is overridden. Therefore, we will not believe for one second that rainfall is now determined solely by climate change.
To us, it is still fact that Almighty Allah is in full control of the rain. Irrespective of any alleged causes, rainfall is still determined by Almighty Allah. This is also why we see that predictions by the same scientists are often wrong as the rain might be more or less than what they expected. Not to mention, these studies by the same scientists are ever changing. Today’s truth is tomorrow’s lie.
Therefore, one may understand global warming and climate change as a consequence of humanity’s actions on earth, however, one cannot believe this to be definite in the sense that the power of Almighty Allah is overlooked. It is entirely possible and more probable that humans will make things even worse, but still the rainfall will come, and still the land will yield its harvest. Almighty Allah will look after this earth until the appointed hour. To claim that humanity will have to fend for itself is incorrect. Until the final hour, the system Almighty Allah has put in place will continue and we cannot deny that.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Bilal Pandor
Checked and Concurred by:
Mufti Muhammad Patel
Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah
Lusaka, Zambia