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Publishers' Preface

All-praise be to God, Who ordered the Supernal and the Created worlds in the best manner manifesting them in the most beautiful semblance and ordaining their relationship to correspond to the inner and the outer.

All that which is given to beauty and harmony in this natural world, possesses in the supernal world-the world of divine command and ordinance a superior splendor and perfection. The visible realm that of divinely beautiful and wholesome nature, is nothing but the reflection of the invisible realm; in such case, material icons and natural talismans [that compose the visible realm] are inspired by the supernal lights and the divine archetypes of the invisible world.

The travellers to the immaterial realm and the followers of the esoteric way profess great love for even the pebbles and dust of this world, as they envision with the eye of their hearts the ecstasy and esprit of the celestial realm here in this terrestrial one.

My pleasance with the world is, 'cause the world is His Pleasance.
The whole universe I love, as is from Him the world Whole.1

The man who honors the divine covenant, unlike the rebel who dishonors it, feels an affinity for the natural world. (Just as the soul is attached to and likes its body, it sees nature to be an extension of its body, such that nature's health, vivacity, and "pleasance" is tantamount to the vivacity and pleasure of the soul and spirit.)

Such a man sees himself as being responsible for the health of the environment. In the same way that he makes efforts for the health of his body and is troubled by any illness that afflicts it, similarly he becomes perturbed by injuries sustained by the environment and the consequent loss of its vitality and proceeds to take serious steps towards a remedy.

Undoubtedly, the noble man who holds the station of "divine vicegerency," is also the protector of all beauties and beatitudes as result from God's grace and majesty. In this divine view, man is beholden to make his environment inhabitable, wholesome, and full of vitality. Naturally then, it is the divine sages-as the professors of God's word and the establishers of His will-who are foremost and are the pioneers in the movement aiming at the purification of the environment, its cultivation, and it’s upliftment.

From the above it follows that environmental sciences belong more rightfully to the domain of metaphysics and the humanities, rather than the natural or experimental sciences. Environmental concerns are existentially coupled with the human condition itself, rising – as it were from man's origins, and hence to take an exclusively material or natural sciences approach towards them is to limit them and to ignore the noble human potentialities that lie therein.

As it is only religion that speaks to man as a whole in all his various aspects and existential potentialities­ the fact stands that all world religions contain apposite counsels and sublime teachings concerning the environment.

Consequently, the science of the environment and its protection is paramountly a human and religious science. Being so, all of the criteria that apply to the divine and Islamic sciences also apply to this particular religious science, including such things as the efficient cause and the final cause. This fact allows for a more comprehensive and a deeper appraisal of environmental issues.

In man's dealings with his environment – in his actions and their reactions – it must constantly be borne in mind that every human act has a direct impact on the environment, holding profound implications for its health or its sickness. The good acts of man in nature are the source of its growth and perfection, whereas the ugly behavior of man leads to the decline and destruction of the natural world.

Contemporary man, while he professes to love peace and yearns for a life of peaceful coexistence with all and sundry, cannot achieve anything of the sort without first coming to see things in this way. It is only after he begins to see reality in its totality and the comprehensive effects of human actions in that same connected whole that he can bring about a world that is truly at peace and full of wonder and pleasance.

International organizations which have commissions for the environment, human rights, etc, are in a situation that can be best described as paradoxical. This is because such global corporations are the creations of the world's superpowers and have as their implicit mandate the preservation and proliferation of those same nefarious powers.

It is clear that any hegemonic power which, by definition, sees its subsistence to lie in the defeat through war and rivalry of other powers, cannot ultimately entertain the "luxury" of environmental concerns for too long.

On the contrary, when such environmental issues stand in the way of its hegemonic aims, the power in question does not hesitate to wreak havoc in nature polluting and destroying its pristine beauty in the process.

It is in this sense that it can be said that the true religion and the truly religious associations or individuals are precisely those who make noble efforts towards the protection of the environment and its real wholesomeness.

The present book has as its sources other written works and oral traditions which can be considered the summit of human learning and the epitome of divine teaching. It addresses the all-important subject of the environment from various human and religious perspectives. On the one hand it enters into discussions on the ontological basis of environmental sciences, while on the other hand it delves into the modalities of man's interaction and relationship with his surroundings.

The book is a treasury of the statements, speeches, and writings of Ayatullah Jawadi Amuli concerning the environment and its preservation. Other related topics, also from the Ayatullah, have also been added to complement and complete the discussion at hand. The resulting collection is an ordered and scholarly exposition on the subject of the environment and as such is a thought-provoking addition to the contemporary debate on the issue.

The work at hand is divided into an Introduction and five chapters. The Introduction speaks of beauty and its recognition, and posits the world as the creation of God "that was good" to be the manifestation of God the Beautiful. Chapter one names the cultivation, elevation, and "development" of the earth to be a part of the mandate of God's vicegerent.

Chapter two turns to the scientific appraisal of the environment and contends that beyond this natural-science and empirical approach lies a more fundamental one that gives value to man and counts environmental sciences to be a part of the humanities and the religious sciences.

Chapter three relates the good and bad actions of man to natural events and discusses such issues as the existence of evil, the best ordering of the universe, and the mutual relationship of man and nature.

Chapter four contends that one of the most influential factors in the preservation of the environment is proper human conduct and good work; it goes on to enumerate some of the criteria for the same, things such as: specialized knowledge, confidence, perseverance, moral uprightness, ingenuity, creativity, and purposefulness. The final and fifth chapter of the book also deals with the good and appropriate conduct of man in the preservation of the environment.

It is hoped that this valuable book, which looks at the issue of the environment in what will be considered a "novel" way, will not only have played its part in changing popular culture for the betterment of the environment, but will have shed light on the metaphysical aspects of the issue such as are fundamental to the subject.

This metaphysical expose of sorts can certainly be a source of guidance for the concerned international organizations who deal with environmental concerns, and also the world at large giving them the necessary clarity, understanding, and correct belief regarding the issues at hand.

For it is on the one hand futile to "attempt to make a better world on the basis of a worsened humanity", and on the other, it is paradoxical to envision a better humanity without taking into account man's Creator and His will which must be done "on earth as it is in heaven".

The lsra' Cultural and Research Institute wishes to acknowledge the untiring efforts of Hujjat al-Islam 'Abbas Rahimiyan Muhaqqiq who researched this work, carefully choosing and put into order the excerpts from the Ayatullah. We would also like to thank Hujjat al-Islam Davood Sodagar for his diligent work and accurate translation of the Farsi original into English.

  • 1. Kulliyat Sa 'di, Ghazal 10.