Relationship between growth and environment in the context of Islamic economy

Over the last two centuries, global production has increased rapidly, leading to higher living standards in developed countries. However, alongside increased prosperity, the preservation and maintenance of the natural environment in which people live is equally crucial. Throughout history, policies implemented by countries to increase their prosperity have caused significant environmental damage. Identifying these flawed policies is vital for determining the necessary preventative measures. This study aims to analyze the environmental sensitivity of developed countries like the UK, France, Germany, and the USA, which hold a large share of global production, as well as developing countries like China and India, during their development processes, and to evaluate this sensitivity within the context of Islamic environmental principles. Another objective of the study is to assess environmental agreements within the framework of Islam's environmental concerns. When the verses of the Holy Quran, the fundamental basis of Islam, the hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad, and the views of Islamic scholars regarding environmental degradation are considered as a whole, Islam does not view the environment merely as a physical entity; it also regards nature as a sign from God and a trust. Humans are obligated to protect this trust. Wasting resources, harming nature, and mistreating animals carry both ethical and religious responsibility. An analysis of the experiences of the countries examined reveals that they have not been meticulous about the environment in their development processes, causing irreparable damage throughout history, and that their policies are not in line with Islam's sensitivity to the environment. Numerous agreements, to which many countries are parties, aimed at protecting and ensuring the sustainability of the environment, have been found to demonstrate high environmental sensitivity and to be in accordance with the environmental principles of Islam. However, it has been determined that producers in developed countries relocate their production to countries with more flexible environmental policies in order to avoid being subject to the sanctions of these agreements. In other words, it can be said that they import environmental pollution to developing countries. Furthermore, it is noticeable that developed countries use these agreements as a tool of foreign trade policy against developing countries.