Laudato Si, the encyclical written by Pope Francis in 2015, was a highly influential document in the climate change debate. It articulated a theology of environmental and social justice that has continued to inspire debate and action since, including spin-off initiatives such as the Economy of Francesco project.
Might we see something similar in Islam, which the publication of Al Mizan – A Covenant for the Earth?
With guidance from UNEP, a coalition of scholars worked on the declaration for several years, with rounds of consultation with a group of 300 different institutions. Meaning ‘balance’, Al Mizan was published in the spring of 2024, and it re-states some foundational principles of the Islamic faith and applies them to climate change. Muslims should seek the public good, avoid wrong action, and act in moderation. Through applied principles such as these, Al Mizan “aims to demonstrate how Islam can be a driving force for sustainable development and environmental care.”
As Pope Francis did, the writers of the covenant don’t separate the climate and environmental crisis from its social and economic context. Instead, they single out the economic system for criticism: “Our predicament is a direct consequence of the priority we are giving to economic growth over caring for the Earth and its communities of life,” they write. “In our hurry to prosper, we have blindly followed a false paradigm that equates economic growth, and human development of the natural world, as a linear process of continuous, never-ending progress and improvement. But our presumption that we can defy the divinely decreed patterns of the natural world is proving to be our undoing.”
Al Mizan pulls no punches in putting money in its place, and points out that “the richer nations will need to reduce their consumption patterns significantly to conserve the diversity of life.”
As they set out principles to live by instead of accumulation and economic growth, the writers cover some very similar ground to Joy in Enough. “What are the limits to the good life and the prosperity we yearn for? The Qur’an tells us, ‘…do not forbid the good things God has permitted you [but] do not waste by excess’ (5:87). How can we, all 8.1 billion of us, set about having reasonably satisfactory lifestyles and at the same time reduce our impact on the natural world?”
Calling growth consumerism “antithetical to the principles of Islam”, they recommend enjoying good things in moderation, and using more human centred measures of progress. “The object of development is surely not to consume as much as possible, but to enable people to lead healthy, fulfilling, and ennobling lives.”
It’s well worth downloading the full covenant and spending some time with Al Mizan. What it shows is that there is common cause between the faiths on the issue of sustainable economics. While we focus on the Christian arguments for a fairer and greener future, in some cases it may be useful to cite Al Mizan to demonstrate the wider case. It also opens up inter-faith possibilities, and we should keep our eyes open for opportunities to support our Muslim brothers and sisters as they also challenge the economic status quo.
- Photo above shows the entrance to the Cambridge eco-mosque, another leading Islamic environmental project.
Joy in Enough 