Lecture on “Environmental Awareness and Preservation in Islamic Scriptures”: Paper presented by Shehzada Dr Husain Bhaisaheb

Environmental Awareness and Preservation in Islamic Scriptures" was the title of the lecture given by Shehzada Dr Husain Bhaisaheb Burhanuddin, who was invited on 12 January 2019 to an international and interdisciplinary conference titled "Environment, Peace and Morality", organized in Siliguri, India, by the Institute of Cross Cultural Studies and Academic Exchange, USA, and the Surya Sen Mahavidyalaya College. The lecture explored the view towards the environment and its conservation as expressed in the Qur'an, and the sayings of Rasulullah (SA) and the Imams (AS). It was the first lecture in the plenary session of the conference, and was attended by a large number of scholars and students from India as well as from outside of India, including the United States and the European Union. Shz Husain Bhaisaheb demonstrated that the concept of environmental preservation constitutes a vital and inherent part of Islam. Drawing upon quotations from the Qur'an, and their interpretation by Rasulullah and the Imams, Shz Husain Bhaisaheb showed that encouragement towards preserving the environment has been articulated on three essential levels in Islamic Scriptures: 1) as part of the sacred duty of human beings towards Allah; 2) as part of the sacred duty of human beings towards one another; and 3) as part of the sacred duty of human beings towards other created beings and entities. After the address, there was a question and answer session, in which scholars and students asked several perceptive questions, which were answered by Shz Saheb. Scholars and students alike expressed their appreciation for Shz Saheb's illuminating lecture on a subject that has rarely received much attention.