Islamic Holistic Approach to Ecology: An Examination of Al-Ghazali's Thought in the Context of Contemporary Environmental Ethics
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65310/p14cp058Keywords:
Al-Ghazali, Islamic Ecology, Tawhid, Khalifah, Mizan.Abstract
This study examines the ecological dimensions of Al-Ghazali’s thought in Ihya’ Ulum al-Din through a conceptual hermeneutic approach and comparative analysis with contemporary environmental ethics. The objective is to reconstruct the ontological, ethical, and cosmological foundations of Islamic ecology based on the integrated concepts of Tawhid, Khalifah, and Mizan, and to assess their relevance within modern sustainability discourse. This research employs a non-empirical qualitative design relying on classical textual analysis and contemporary environmental literature. The findings indicate that Tawhid establishes an ontological unity of creation, Khalifah constructs a framework of human moral responsibility as trustees of the earth, and Mizan articulates cosmic balance as a normative principle of ecological stability. The integration of these three concepts produces a holistic ecological model that resonates conceptually with planetary boundary theory and sustainability ethics, while remaining grounded in a theocentric metaphysical foundation. The study concludes that Al-Ghazali’s ecological thought is not only historically significant but also theoretically constructive for global environmental ethics. Its main contribution lies in the systematic reconstruction of Islamic ecology as an alternative paradigm in contemporary environmental studies.
Downloads
References
Adnan, I. M., Marsono, M., Prasetya, H. B., & Faqih, M. R. (2025). Holistic Islamic Education: A Study of the Thought of Imam Al-Ghazali and Muhammad Abduh. Al-Jadwa: Jurnal Studi Islam, 5(1), 84-102. https://doi.org/10.38073/aljadwa.3360.
Bagir, Z. A. (2015). The importance of religion and ecology in Indonesia. Worldviews: Global Religions, Culture, and Ecology, 19 (2), 99–102. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685357-01902002.
Ghoni, M. A. (2026). Integrating Economics and Spiritual Perspectives: Insights from the Writings of Imam Al-Ghazali. Falah: Jurnal Ekonomi Syariah, 11(1), 86-105. https://doi.org/10.22219/jes.v11i1.43161.
Haq, S. N. (2001). Islam and ecology: Toward retrieval and reconstruction. Daedalus, 130(4), 141-177. https://doi.org/10.1039/9781847550347-00121.
Indana, N., & Mustofa, A. (2024). The Concept of Islamic Education in the Perspective of Imam Al Ghazali and Its Relevance in the Contemporary Era. Urwatul Wutsqo: Jurnal Studi Kependidikan Dan Keislaman, 13(2), 242-256. https://doi.org/10.54437/urwatulwutsqo.v13i2.1351.
IPCC. (2023). Climate change 2023: Synthesis report. Contribution of working groups I, II, and III to the sixth assessment report. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Irfani, M. A., Iqbal, I., & Nugraha, D. (2025). The Ethics Of Al-Ghazali's Perspective In Kimiyaus Sa'adah And Its Relevance To Contemporary Moral Challenges. Al-Ulum Jurnal Pemikiran dan Penelitian ke Islaman, 12(3), 223-240. https://doi.org/10.31102/alulum.12.3.2025.223-240.
Jalaldeen, J., & Al-Hidabi, D. (2025). Al-Ghazali’s framework of teachings professional values: Analyzing the pedagogical principles in Islamic Education. Al-Burhān: Journal of Qurʾān and Sunnah Studies, 9(1), 27-46. https://doi.org/10.31436/alburhn.v9i1.363,
Khikamuddin, M., & Ainiyah, M. (2024). Al-Ghazali’s Eco-Sufism for Environmental Preservation: Living Sufism at Pesantren Al-Anwar 3 of Central Java. Teosofia: Indonesian Journal of Islamic Mysticism, 13(1), 133-160. https://doi.org/10.21580/tos.v13i1.22139.
Kula, E. (2001). Islam and environmental conservation. Environmental Conservation, 28(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0376892901000017.
Lutfi, A., Jaenullah, J., & Syaifullah, M. (2026). Classical ethical values for modern challenges: Al-Ghazali’s Bidayatul Hidayah and its relevance to national character education. Assyfa Journal of Islamic Studies, 4(1), 41-54. https://doi.org/10.61650/ajis.v4i1.973.
Muarif, S., & Yazid, M. (2026). Building A Sharia-Based Economy: Imam Al-Ghazali's Thoughts On Justice And Balance In The Modern Economy. Profit: Jurnal Kajian Ekonomi dan Perbankan Syariah, 10(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.33650/profit.v10i1.13637.
Nasrun, M. (2025). The Concept of Islamic Education According to Imam Al-Ghazali and Its Relevance to Contemporary Education: A Literature Analysis Study. Samarinda International Journal of Islamic Studies, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.64093/sijis.v2i1.816.
Nisbet, E. K., Zelenski, J. M., & Murphy, S. A. (2009). The nature relatedness scale: Linking individuals' connection with nature to environmental concern and behavior. Environment and behavior, 41(5), 715-740. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916508318748.
Pahlawati, E. F., Amin, A., Munip, A., Muttaqin, M., Wardono, B. H., & Rozak, A. (2025). The Integration of Al-Ghazali’s Ta’dib Framework in Shaping the Contemporary Pesantren Curriculum: Insights from Indonesia. Jurnal Ushuluddin, 33(2), 389-404. http://dx.doi.org/10.24014/jush.v33i2.38008.
Poya, A., & Rizapoor, H. (2023). Al-Ghazali’s Theory of Real Knowledge: An Exploration of Knowledge Integration in Islamic Epistemology through Contemporary Perspectives. International Journal Of Humanities Education and Social Sciences (IJHESS), 3(2), 607-624. https://doi.org/10.55227/ijhess.v3i2.627.
Rahmi, A., & Taufik, Z. (2024). The currents of sufism in the environmental movement: Addressing the environmental crisis through a sufistic approach. Jurnal Ilmu Agama: Mengkaji Doktrin, Pemikiran, Dan Fenomena Agama, 25(1), 45-60. https://doi.org/10.19109/jia.v25i1.22201.
Ramin, R. (2025). Islam and Ecology: Tracing the Historical Rootsof Environmental Awareness in Classical Islamic Tradition. Competentie: Journal International Sustainable Research, 2(2), 11-22. https://doi.org/10.65049/s2hcnn17.
Rockström, J., Steffen, W., Noone, K., Persson, Å., Chapin, F. S., Lambin, E. F., ... & Foley, J. A. (2009). A safe operating space for humanity. nature, 461(7263), 472-475. https://doi.org/10.1038/461472a.
Ruhullah, M. E., & Ushama, T. (2024). Time and Society in the Qur'an: Al-Ghazali’s Integration of Ancient Wisdom into Islamic Epistemology. Islam Realitas: Journal of Islamic and Social Studies, 10(1), 62-80. https://doi.org/10.30983/islam_realitas.v10i1.8583.
Yono, Y., & Devi, A. (2025). Holistic Hygiene Jurisprudence in Islamic Education Institutions: Integrating Faith, Self, Environment, and Moral-Spiritual Dimensions. Edukasi Islami: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 14(01), 229-246. https://doi.org/10.30868/ei.v14i01.8104.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Ahmad Zain Sarnoto (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
