Eco-Jihad as a Catalyst for Social Transformation: An Interdisciplinary Study of Islamic Environmental Law in Mitigating Climate Change
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Abstract
Background: In the era of the Anthropocene, climate change has evolved into a systemic threat that disrupts the cosmic balance (Mizan) and endangers the core objectives of Sharia (Maqasid al-Sharia). While international climate policies often rely on technocratic approaches, they frequently encounter a "cultural-spiritual gap" in Muslim-majority societies where secular environmentalism lacks deep-rooted moral authority.
Objective: This study aims to analyze the legal reconstruction of "Eco-Jihad" as a mandatory instrument for social transformation and evaluate its capacity to bridge the gap between classical Islamic jurisprudence and contemporary global climate mitigation standards.
Methodology: This research employs a qualitative-interdisciplinary approach, merging normative legal research with sociological jurisprudence. The analysis is conducted through a systematic content review of primary Islamic legal sources, environmental fatwas, and international protocols (such as the Paris Agreement), cross-referenced with social transformation theories to identify the shifting paradigms in modern Islamic environmental law.
Result: The findings indicate that Eco-Jihad has transitioned from a voluntary virtue into a mandatory obligation (fard) necessitated by the urgent protection of life (Hifz al-Nafs) and progeny. The study identifies that re-coding environmental destruction as fasad fi al-ardh (earthly corruption) enables a "Transformative Fiqh" that triggers collective behavioral shifts, increasing community participation in sustainability by over 40% when framed religiously. However, the study also identifies an "implementation gap" where the lack of institutionalized "Green Sharia" prevents these theological shifts from being fully integrated into national legal frameworks.
Implications: To ensure effective climate mitigation in the Muslim world, national governments must institutionalize Eco-Jihad principles into public policy and optimize Islamic social finance (Green Zakat and Waqf) as primary funding mechanisms for renewable energy and ecological restoration.
Originality: This research introduces a novel "Eco-Jihad" coding framework that reclaims the term jihad from political-military connotations toward a proactive socio-legal struggle against the Anthropocene, providing a religio-cultural bridge for global environmental governance.
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