Interpretation of Ecology in the Study of the Qur'an: Systematic Literature Review on Environmental Ethics and Sustainability

Abstract

The global ecological crisis demands an Islamic scientific response that is able to connect the message of the Qur'an with environmental issues, sustainability, and human responsibility towards nature. This study aims to analyze the characteristics, approaches, differences in focus, and contribution of ecological interpretation studies in contemporary scientific literature. The method used was a systematic literature review by adapting the PRISMA principle through searching for articles with the theme of ecology, the environment, the Qur'an, and Islamic teachings; from the initial 2,589 articles, the selection process resulted in 6 studies that were analyzed in depth. The synthesis of the six studies shows that ecological interpretation remains predominantly conceptual and normative, with some evidence of comparative and empirical approaches within the reviewed corpus. The main themes that emerged included khalīfah, amānah, mīzān, fasād fi al-arḍ, isrāf, conservation, disaster mitigation, and sustainability. The ecological interpretation differs from the general thematic interpretation because it not only describes nature as a sign of God's power, but also leads to the formation of environmental ethics, criticism of the exploitation of nature, and the strengthening of ecological awareness. The novelty of this research lies in the systematic mapping of the characteristics, approaches, and contributions of the ecological interpretation literature in a single synthesis framework. Its contribution is to provide a conceptual basis for the development of Qur'anic environmental ethics, Islamic-based environmental education, ecological da'wah, and sustainability policies.