The concept of matters and plants: Scriptural and philosophical approaches

There is today a dominant concept of materials and plants based on the positivistic view. Islamic classical views challenge the current concept of them. This thesis aims at a rediscovery of Islamic classical thought on the concepts of materials and plants with a special focus on their potential faculties. Since the 7th century, Islamic thought has provided humanity with the great knowledge of nature. The main sources of this study rely on the Qur'an, Hadith, and works of two Muslim intellectuals. However, there are small differences between perspectives of these sources, and thus this research also conducts a comparative exploration on the concepts of materials and plants among the above sources. This study has a great significance. The concept of materials and plants are changing. This thesis will show Islamic classical concept of them, and at the end, this will serve to charge our concepts of nature and environment. It will help to establish a meaningful relationship between human beings and nature. In addition, this study gives an important basis for environmental ethics, which is gradually attracting attentions of people all over the world. By the methodology, I analyze the concepts of materials and plants based on concerned verses of the Qur'an and authentic hadith reports and then display concepts of these souls from works of Ibn Sina and Erzurumlu Ibrahim Hakkkı.