Harnessing Islamic Wisdom to Catalyze Sustainable Development

تسخير الحكمة الإسلامية لتحفيز التنمية المستدامة

Abstract

Industrialization-driven water pollution has become the most critical barrier to achieving UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and related targets under SDGs 12 and 13. This study establishes that Islamic eco-theology, articulated fourteen centuries ago in the Qurʾān and authentic Sunnah, offers a comprehensive, ethically robust, and spiritually motivating framework for sustainable water governance that significantly complements and strengthens contemporary global efforts. Core principles of Khilāfah (vicegerency), Amānah (trusteeship), Mīzān (ecological balance), ʿAdl wa Iḥsān (justice and excellence), and the categorical prohibition of Isrāf and Tabdhīr frame water as a sacred communal trust (niʿmah) rather than a commercial commodity. Drawing on primary Islamic sources and historical practices (Qanāts, Aflāj, Ḥima protected zones, and Waqf-funded water infrastructure), the paper demonstrates remarkable continuity between traditional Islamic water management and modern sustainable technologies. It further explores the transformative potential of Islamic finance — particularly green ṣukūk and waqf-based crowdfunding — in financing large-scale water treatment, recycling, and rainwater harvesting projects. While secular SDG frameworks provide technical targets, they often lack the spiritual and moral impetus that religious consciousness uniquely generates. The study identifies cultural, institutional, and perceptual barriers hindering integration of Islamic environmental ethics into national policies and proposes actionable pathways for policymakers, religious scholars, industries, and development agencies. Ultimately, a faith-sensitive, Qurʾān-centered paradigm offers a culturally resonant, ethically compelling, and practically viable roadmap toward equitable water security and a pollution-free planet for present and future generations.