ENVIRONMENTAL FUNCTIONS AND ITS CHALLENGES IN MUSLIM COUNTRIES

The aim of sustainable development is to meet the needs of the present generations without destroying the needs of the future generations. Over the last few years many programmes have been proposed through the United Nations and many conference resolutions by various organizations have been passed to combat the deterioration of the environment. On the threshold of the 21st century only a few countries adhere to these programmes and resolutions. What is the position of Muslim countries? Islam, based on the Qur'ān and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) gave guidance to humanity how to sustain the environment 1400 years ago. This paper discusses the possibility of how humanity could implement sustainable development in terms of the environment based on Islamic principles so that future generations will be able benefit from planet earth using the situation in Muslim countries as examples.