In the name of Allah, the Beneficent,
the Merciful\
HUMAN ABODE IN THE GRIP OF TOTAL
DESTRUCTION
[Shamim A Siddiqi,
INTRODUCTION: There are certain fundamental truths about this
cosmos that we must first share with the readers to understand the entire
phenomenon that is called the universe and the existence of man on earth. Our
ecological situation is to be envisioned in its perspective, explaining where
and how man has become a nuisance for his own abode and the environment in
which he lives. The fundamentals of our existence on earth can be enumerated as
under.
1. God created man with three strong urges – hunger/thirst, rest/sleep,
sex and a free will to satisfy his urges the way he/she likes or dislikes. [Ref: Qur’an -Verse75 of Chapter 38]
2. God then created this universe including this earth, the abode of
man, with all the animate and inanimate objects that it contains for man for
his exploration and use towards the satisfaction of his physical urges and
needs. [Ref: Qur’an –Verse 29 of Al-Baqarah]
3. He then harnessed the
universe and all that it contains for the service of man. [Ref: Verse 20 of 31]
4. He asked Adam/Eve to descend on earth as His vicegerent with His
clear direction/commitment that man will get His Guidance as how to act, behave
and live on earth in peace as and when it is needed through His appointed Messengers
in a chain and in a continuous process, helping him to lead a balanced and
peaceful life on earth for ever.
THE IDEAL SITUATION: If man would have been living on earth
totally adhering to the Guidance that came from his Creator and Sustainer, he
would have lived in peace all through in his socio-economic-political set up.
That, equally, would have kept his abode free of ecological destruction by
using the bounties of this earth in moderation, not recklessly, fearing
constantly that in case of their misuse he will be accountable to the Lord of
this universe on the Day of Judgment after death. It would have disciplined him
to live a responsible life on earth and using every thing of this cosmos as
ordained by his Supreme Lord. Thus,
maintaining equilibrium in his physical, moral and ecological environment
throughout his existence on earth. It would have created an ideal situation for
man to live on this earth in healthy surroundings and non-suffocating
environment, rendering his abode as the cradle of peace and clean in all
respect. However, the situation that emerged and is emerging fast is differently,
in the form of an unprecedented disaster for the humans and the other living
species on earth.
THE DISASTER: However, man forgot to live in moderation. His
needs and urges empowered him to do otherwise. His limitless greed and the
instinct to possess more and more instigated him to master all what he surveys.
His insatiable urge to maximize his gains and profit acquired unknown
dimensions in modern age. As such, when his local and national resources could
not meet his ever-increasing demand of large scale production to capture
greater and greater market, he started colonization of poor countries of Asia,
Africa and
Air: The greedy man
polluted it with dust, factory smokes, and carbon-dioxide –all extremely
dangerous for man to inhale. Man destroyed natural forest to fill his need for
building logs and furniture for his luxuries and deprived the man from the
quantum of oxygen that the trees and plants exhale to keep the air and is
environment clean and fresh for the healthy growth of man and his progenies. The
greater the pace of industrialization in a country, the greater its air gets
polluted and poisonous for human living condition. Large scale
industrialization, factory productions and heavy transport industry has robbed
the man from the beauty and freshness of the air. The whole environment of big
cities has become smoky, dusty hazy and unclean, quite detrimental to human
life.
“There is a great deal of evidence to show that
high concentrations of ozone, created by high concentrations of pollution and
daylight UV rays at the earth's surface, can harm lung function and irritate
the respiratory system. A connection has
also been shown to exist between increased ozone cause by thunderstorms and
hospital admissions of asthma sufferers. Air quality guidelines such as those from
the World Health Organization are based on detailed studies of what levels can
cause measurable health effects. Exposure to ozone and the pollutants
that produce it has been linked to premature death, asthma, bronchitis,
heart
attack, and other cardiovascular problems. According to scientists with the
United States
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), susceptible people can be adversely
affected by ozone levels as low as 40 ppb.” [Reference: Ozone –Wikipedia]
Water: Purity of drinking water, the other basic need of
man, is equally found contaminated everywhere. The entire African continent and
South East Asian countries are suffering a great deal due to non-availability
of clean drinking water – a great havoc to their health specially children.
Industries use water a lot and then dump its used contaminated water in rivers
and ponds making the sources of pure water unhealthy for man. G-8 promised some
40 billion dollars aid for various projects to improve the quality of drinking
water for the underdeveloped countries two years back but it still remains a
“paper tiger”. The situation is very serious in rural
It shows the land, the air and the water that God created and maintained
for man in their purest form for his healthy growth have been polluted to the
extent that the human specie may
encounter extinction in near future if the pace of destruction by the human
actions is not checked forthwith. This ecological imbalance is fast affecting
the size, shape, taste and the quality of food, fruits and vegetables - the
essentials for the survival of man on earth are at great stake.
The ice of frigid zones is fast melting due to ecological disturbances
and raising the water level of our oceans and seas that one day it may wash
away our sea side installations, ports and towns around the world. Global
climate is fast changing and setting new pattern of life for man to live on
earth, putting innumerable living species at the point of extinction. Normal
temperature is gradually increasing. Summer days are numbered more than the
winter, causing new aliments in human specie. Mountains are losing their century’s
old ice and their natural fascinating beauties, whereas the level of ocean is rising
in sequence to dangerous heights.
This wild uncontrolled trends and climatic changes in our environment
show that man’s behavior on earth is erratic, quite contradictory to what he
has been ordained by His Creator and Sustainer to live with. In stead of living in moderation, he is
resorting to capture the entire world economy through the process of Globalization
and controlling world trade for the selfish ends of a “few”. The Benevolent and
the Merciful God gave him a system to lead a balanced life on earth and a
freewill to use His bounties to meet his urgent needs but the man out of greed
and lust to be more and more “possessive” of natural resources destroyed and is
fast destroying his abode, entrusting it in the grip of total destruction in
due course of time – a distance that is not for off but lurking before our
eyes.
THE END-RESULT: There is still time to correct the situation.
Brothers like former VP Mr. Al-Gore of the
Our ancestors have rightly said: “Khud-kardara elaje naist” –
there is no remedy for a self-sustained wound. Ecological imbalances are our
own creation and we must be ready to reap its harvest which is growing faster
than our imagination.
Shamim Siddiqi
September 23, 2008