MUSLIM RESPONSIBILITY FOR GOD'S CREATION

By Aminah Tnnsen

Muslims believe in one God, Lord of the Worlds, Master of the Universe, and Creator of all
existence. This is the very basis of Islam: tawheed or oneness.
Not only God is one so is His creation: animals, mountains, oceans, and plants.
Everything created is a gift from God to man.
Humankind, too, is one - despite differences in language, ethnicity, religion, social
status etc.
When God had created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, He
announced to the angels:
"Verily I will create a khalifah on the earth (Qur'an 2:30)
The term khalifah has often been translated into vicegerent. A modern and less archaic
equivalent for khalifah would be trustee or moral agent. God intended to create
a trustee to fulfil a very particular role.
The term khalifah not only implies trust (amana) but also responsibility, which implies
freedom of choice and of action.
Humankind as such was created in interdependence and mutual obligation.
However, the angels - who are themselves creatures of pure light without free will, and who
have no knowledge except what God has taught them - voiced their concern about Gods
intention by saying:
Why put on the earth one who will cause corruption on it and shed blood
whereas we glorify You and praise Your name? God answered: I know what you
do not know. (2:30)
God never creates a thing without a clearly defined purpose. He had a plan for this new
creation, for God is the best of planners. (3:54). And God knew that He would never let
this new creature on his own, that He would send prophets and scriptures in order to
explain His guidance to them in detail.
Thus God created man and endowed him with faculties that He hadnt given any other of His
creatures. He breathed into man of His spirit (15:29) and gave him the germ of
intellect, the faculty to distinguish between right and wrong, as well as freedom of choice
and freedom of action.
Being khalifah is equivalent to fulfilling ones human destiny as a moral agent, whose
responsibility is to participate in upholding the harmony of the universe.
In respect to society, harmony means working for justice.
In respect to the universe, harmony means not to destroy the balance that God has
created. According to the Quran:
God erected heaven and established for all things the balance (mizn), so that
man might not transgress due balance. Weigh, therefore, your deeds with equity,
and do not skimp in the balance. (55:7-9)
The ability to make choices facilitates the completion of our trust. To best fulfil our trust, the
Quran also describes the human being as abd or servant before God. The servant is
entrusted to complete service to God.

The agent-servant paradigm in the Quran sets up an understanding of both the limits
of human will and the expectations on humanity for using free will toward moral service.
Although humans are given a certain capacity through agency, that capacity must be used
morally in the service of God and of maintaining cosmic harmony, as a responsibility.
There is, however, a reciprocal relationship between responsibility and capacity. The
one with greater capacity is charged with a greater responsibility, and vice versa.
We are responsible for the choices we make, and we will be held accountable for all our
choices via the ultimate judgement:
That day people will emerge to see the results of their actions. Whoever does an
atoms weight of good will see it. Whoever does an atoms weight of evil will see
it. (99:7-8)
That day:
No bearer of burdens can bear anothers burden. If one heavenly laden should
call another to bear his load, not the least portion of it can be carried by the other.
Not even a close relative. (35:18)

MUSLIMS ACCEPT that God is the ultimate judge of human actions, because only God knows
the full cosmic, existential, and practical implications of all our actions. Our intentions must
continuously correspond to the call of our faith as active agents fulfilling those intentions.
The responsibility of acting on the earth to fulfil moral agency involves acting in
accordance with the guidance to right and wrong given in the Quran and the Prophetic
traditions.
I use the word guidance others would say Gods will or Gods law, notions that
unfortunately have got a quite negative undertone nowadays, thanks to the media.
Also, the very meaning of the word islam, which is obedience or submission has got a
very negative and even un-Islamic meaning because of the constant stereotyping of the
media.
For that reason I personally prefer to use words like surrender or even engaged
surrender. Islam is not a question of blindly following the exact wording of the Quran or
some specific so-called authorities, like a slave obeys his owner for fear of punishment.
Islam means voluntary and conscious acting according to the guidance of the Quran.
This, too, implies responsibility, as Muslims believe that there will be an ultimate judgement
of each individuals actions.
Responsibility also means accepting to find the motivation both to understand the divine
guidance and to act according to that understanding.
While one cannot ever come to understand completely the divine guidance because its
totality begins and ends in transcendence and therefore is incomprehensible, the term
responsibility implies at least an initiative towards understanding, followed by practices that
establish that will in real-life circumstances.
Everyone is invested with this responsibility. Some may acquire greater facility in
understanding. Some may acquire greater facility in acting upon their understandings. To
the end of full responsibility, a Muslim is required to continue to seek understanding,
individually and in concert with others. God ordered the Prophet to say to his followers:
I admonish you on one particular point: stand before God in pairs or on your own
- and then reflect. Your companion (i.e. the Prophet) is not possessed. He is only a
warner come to you ahead of a terrible punishment. (34:46)

Still, this responsibility includes the flexibility of changing ones perspective on any issue, as
humanity acquires more understanding toward a better means to fulfil that which best
reflects the divine guidance. Therefore, one must act better as ones understanding
develops. This growth in understanding and action is equally true of humanity at large as it
is for the individual in terms of personal growth. Ones personal spiritual development forms
the cornerstone of ones activities in both the public and the private sphere of society.
To sum up: The term khalifah is best described as mans responsibility for Gods creation.
And according to the prophetic tradition, the Prophet Muhammad said: Will you serve
God? Serve your fellow creatures first.

ONE COULD ASK: As man has free will to choose to act according to Gods guidance or to
choose not to do so, why be concerned about what happens on the Day of the ultimate
judgement?
The Quran tells us that indifference or rejection of Gods guidance will have severe
consequences:
It is He who made you khalifs on the earth. So, whoever rejects Gods guidance,
this denial of his will fall back upon him: for their denial of this truth does but add
to the deniers loathsomeness in their Sustainers sight and, thus, their denial of
this truth does but add to the deniers loss ... Then, when their time comes, God
sees His sincere servants! (35:39 & 45)
More specifically and with reference to the ongoing conference, the Quran says:
God erected heaven and established for all things the balance (mizn),so that
man might not transgress due balance. Weigh, therefore, your deeds with equity,
and do not skimp in the balance. God created the earth for the benefit of all living
creatures. (55:7-10)
And the Quran reminds us:
Do not squander what you have. Behold, the squanderers are, indeed, brothers of
the evil ones - inasmuch as Satan has indeed proved most ungrateful to his
Sustainer. (17:26-27)
The Quran even warns us what could happens, if man does not fulfil his obligations and
does not take good care of nature, if man destroys the God-given balance and exploits the
resources of nature ruthlessly:

1.

2.

3.

The earth could dry up:

Have you thought about what you sow in the ground? Is it you who cause
it to grow or are We the Cause? If We wished We could crumble it to dry
powder, and you would be left devoid of crops, driven to dispair: We are
ruined, in fact we are destitute! (56:63-67)
Water could become bitter and be spoiled:
Have you thought about the water that you drink? Is it you who send it
down from the clouds - or are We the Sender? If We wished We could have
made it bitter, so will you not give thanks? (56:68-70)
Wood could become scarce:
Have you thought about the fire that you light? Is it you who make the
trees that fuel it grow - or are We the Grower? We have made it to be a

reminder and a comfort for travellers in the wild. So glorify the name of
your Lord, the Magnificent! (56:71-74)

4.

Subsoil water could disappear:

Say: He is the All-Merciful. We believe in Him and we trust Him. Soon you
will know who is clearly misguided. Say: What do you think? If, one
morning, your water disappears into the earth - who will bring you running
water? (67:29-30)

Severe consequences indeed. Consequences foretold in a scripture which was sent down
and written down some 14 centuries ago. Consequences that have become a reality in many
parts of the world today:
Corruption has appeared on land and in the sea as an outcome of what mans
hands have brought about: and so He will let them taste the evil of some of their
doings, so that they might return to the right path. (30:41)

AS BELIEVERS we are conscious of the enormous gift that God has bestowed upon us and
of the responsibility implied:
For, no single thing exists that does not have its source with God; and God only
sends it down in accordance with a measure well defined. God lets loose the winds
to fertilize [plants] and He sends down water from the skies and lets us drink
thereof: and it is not we who dispose of its source for behold, it is God God
alone - who grants life and causes to die, and it is God alone who shall remain
after all else will have passed away! (15:21-23)
Our future is at stake as is the future of coming generations. We need to change our way
of living and rethink the premises for our society.
Every principle underlying the context of building a living community committed to
certain values is articulated fundamentally in the Quran. However, the Quranic guidance is
often specific to the time and circumstances of its revelation.
The Prophet was the exemplar par excellence under the specific social and political
circumstances of his community. The fundamental principles, however, must be
continuously re-evaluated from the perspective of the time of their specific embodiment
throughout the challenges, changes, and limitations of history.
In particular, both justice and responsibility are values that are both universal in
principle and relative to their manifestation in time and space.
The Quran reminds us:
Verily, God does not change men's condition unless they change their inner
selves. (13:11)
May God guide us and help us to fulfil our responsibilities for His creation. Amen.