Role

Authors

Download

Download Full Text (3.1 MB)

Description

This paper examines how Islamic ethics, when translated into lived practice, generate both moral frameworks and scalable solutions to pressing ecological challenges. Focusing on shūrā, tawḥīd, khilāfa, and taʿaddudiyya, and drawing on case studies of Stewardship Canada and the Aga Khan University’s Carbon Management Tool, the authors show how Islamic values move beyond doctrinal abstraction to guide institutional decision-making, programme design, and community engagement. More than treating ethics as fixed theological propositions, they frame them as negotiated, context-sensitive processes that align with ecological resilience, distributive justice, and economic viability.

Grounded in shūrā, a deliberative ethos that centres dialogue, reciprocity, and shared responsibility, Islamic ethics integrate local knowledge with multi-stakeholder governance, challenging technocratic universalism and fostering participatory climate action. Pluralism, interpreted through decolonial lenses, affirms multiplicity as a key principle, enabling more inclusive and locally grounded solutions. These values not only advance Islamic commitments but also converge with systems thinking, regenerative economics, and just transition frameworks. We argue that Muslim-led environmental initiatives demonstrate how ethics, ground in religious sources and traditions, can produce outcomes that are effective, economically sound, and universally relevant, positioning Islamic frameworks as vital resources in the search for sustainable ecological futures.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Introduction

Islamic Environmental Ethics

Tawḥīd

Khilāfa

Taʿaddudiyya

Shūrā

Part II: Case Studies

Case Study I: Stewardship Canada Consulting Services

Case Study II: Carbon Management Tool (CMT), Pakistan 15

Part III: Discussion

Part IV: Conclusion

Bibliography

About the Authors

Publication Information

Aga Khan University Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations

Series

Abdou Filali-Ansary Occasional Paper Series

AKU Student

no

Volume

12

ISBN

ISSN 2633 - 8890

Keywords

Islamic ethics, consultation, stewardship, pluralism; decoloniality, climate justice

From Doctrine to Practice: Shūrā-Centred Islamic Ethics for Sustainable Ecological Solutions

Share

COinS