Document Type : Research Paper
Author
Assistant Professor, Department of Religions and Denominations, Faculty of Religions and Islamic teachings, International University of Islamic Denominations, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
The belief of some eco-theologians is that the theologies of the Abrahamic religions, Judaism and Christianity, are highly anthropocentric, and this has created a context for the destruction of the environment by humans. An "anthropocentric" approach also exists in Islamic theology, and to improve the behavior of Muslims in environmental conservation as much as possible, it must be critiqued and revised so that it can move closer to an environmental theology. To understand the status and position of humankind in Islamic theology, one must first refer to the Holy Quran and examine how it speaks about "human." This research is the first to descriptively examine the word "human" in the Holy Quran, and its analytical approach in critiquing anthropocentric teachings is also distinct and new. The Quran's approach when using the word "human" is not to praise them, but rather to reproach them and remind them of their weaknesses, shortcomings, and undesirable characteristics. The traits and words used for humans include: very unjust and ignorant, weak, very despairing, greedy, ungrateful, and so on. From these attributes and characteristics that the Holy Quran uses for humankind, it can be concluded that God, in this way, familiarizes humans with humility and modesty, and distances them from arrogance and self-importance. As a result, religious people should avoid self-centeredness, domination, and superiority in their practical ethics and their interaction with other creations of nature.
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