Resemblance of SDGs to the Teachings of the Holy Quran

Introduction

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious and Most Merciful. In the Qur’an, numerous divine orders or warnings, known as ‘Nusus ’, have been revealed, that emphasise greatly upon the role of mankind in leading a sustainable society and promoting sustainable development. The three main phases of sustainable development are economic, social and environment. These three are considered interdependent as any of them cannot be completely attained without the other.

Human beings are mentioned as social animals in the qur’an and need natural resources for their survival. Humans must manage the resources that the Almighty have provided them with, and also protect and maintain it in a sustainable manner through conservation, and to ensure that all the resources he received, will be protected to be enjoyed by his future generations.

Here rises the need for the conservation of the environment for a sustainable society through a balanced economy, and a sustainable economy requires an effective mechanism for the redistribution of wealth in the society. This was taught to the human kind by his Lord through his messenger PBUH, a millennium ago. The recent Agenda 2030 introduced by the United Nations Organisation, passed the 17 goals to sustainable development that resembles some of the qur’anic teachings.

This paper study on the resemblance of the SDGs to some of the Quranic references and prophetic teachings about the importance of leading a sustainable society.

Sustainable Development

On 1 January 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, officially came into force. This applies to all countries around the world and mobilize efforts to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change, while ensuring that no one is left behind. Sustainable development has been defined by the United Nations as, ‘development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs ’. It calls for collaborated efforts towards building an inclusive, sustainable and resilient future for people and planet. For sustainable development to be achieved, it is crucial to harmonize three core elements: economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection. These elements are interconnected and all are crucial for the well-being of individuals and societies.

Eradicating poverty in all its dimensions is an essential requirement for sustainable development. ‘There must be promotion of sustainable, inclusive and equitable economic growth, creating greater opportunities for all, reducing inequalities, raising basic standards of living, fostering equitable social development and inclusion, and promoting integrated and sustainable management of natural resources and ecosystems’ -The UN.

To bring up a sustainable society, it is mandatory to bring equal opportunities and access to resources. Allah mentioned in the qur’an saying;

وَمَا ٱللَّهُ يُرِيدُ ظُلْمًۭا لِّلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
“…and Allah does not intend to do injustice to (anyone in) the worlds.”.

According to Islam, the Creator is, undoubtedly and without exception just in His work. Injustice towards his creations, on the other hand, emerges from man. Allah created a perfectly balanced world on the basis of sustainability and circularity. This balance must be maintained by man acting moderately, thoughtfully and justly. Waste, pollution and destruction are the very qualities that Allah dislikes. It is mentioned in Qur’an Chapter 7 verse 31;

يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ خُذُوا۟ زِينَتَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍۢ وَكُلُوا۟ وَٱشْرَبُوا۟ وَلَا تُسْرِفُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُسْرِفِينَ
“O Children of Adam, dress well whenever you are at worship, and eat and drink [as We have permitted] but do not be extravagant: God does not like extravagant people.”

The earth has been entrusted to man by their creator and he is obligated to care and protect it accordingly. He has the task of cultivating various crops in the earth to maintain his life, by maintaining ecological balance and sustainability. Holy Qur’an, Chapter 33 Verse 72;

إِنَّا عَرَضْنَا ٱلْأَمَانَةَ عَلَى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱلْجِبَالِ فَأَبَيْنَ أَن يَحْمِلْنَهَا وَأَشْفَقْنَ مِنْهَا وَحَمَلَهَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ
“Verily we offered the entrusted property to the Heavens and the Earth and the Mountains; but they refused to undertake it, being afraid thereof: but man undertook it.”

By entrusting the earth to man, Allah both honours and tests them. If man is allowed to make use of any natural resources, he is responsible for the sustainable use of it and its balance. For nothing is in his possession. The Qur’an tells, in chapter 10 verse 14;

ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَـٰكُمْ خَلَـٰٓئِفَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ لِنَنظُرَ كَيْفَ تَعْمَلُونَ
“Thus, we have made you trustees on the earth after them, to see how you would act.”

Sustainable Society

A sustainable society is ‘one in which we do not damage the environment or overuse resources, and are therefore able to leave a beautiful, peaceful, and bountiful earth that future generations can continue to inhabit ’. But this is not a very easy task in the growing condition of Global Warming, Poverty and Inequality around the world. To erase all these crises and bring back the sustainable society, people from around the world have joined forces to try and find solutions.

As a result, the formation of Agenda 21 in 1992 , and later Agenda 2030 in 2015 also known as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The SDGs

The SDGs are 17 Sustainable Development Goals, set by the UN, aiming to change the world. These 17 goals are not so different from the orders that Allah Almighty had asked man to keep up in the society throughout his existence, but the approach to each of the elements is different. The SDGs are;

1. No Poverty: End poverty in all its forms, everywhere.
2. Zero Hunger: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
3. Good Health and Well-Being: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
4. Quality Education: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
5. Gender Equality: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
6. Clean Water and Sanitation: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
7. Affordable and Clean Energy: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
8. Decent Work and Economic Growth: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.
10. Reduced Inequalities: Reduce inequality within and among countries.
11. Sustainable Cities and Communities: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
12. Responsible Consumption and Production: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
13. Climate Action: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
14. Life Below Water: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
15. Life on Land: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.
16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institution: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
17. Partnerships for the Goals: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.

Qur’an about Poverty and Hunger.

By the command of Allah, through his Final Messenger, Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) as well, zakat is made an obligation for all Muslims. Zakat is one of the 5 pillars of Islam, a form of charity that requires Muslims to donate a specific portion of their wealth to those in need, especially who possess wealth above the Nisab .

وَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ
“Establish prayer, and pay alms-tax”.

Allah SWT mentions Zakat right after mentioning the obligatory prayer in numerous verses to make understand the importance of zakat. He asks all the Muslims to provide charity and pay donations. Chapter 57 verse 7;

ءَامِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَأَنفِقُوا۟ مِمَّا جَعَلَكُم مُّسْتَخْلَفِينَ فِيهِ
“Believe in Allah and His Messenger, and donate from what He has entrusted you with”.

The Qur’an outlines eight categories of people who are eligible to receive zakat. They are:

1. The poor and needy.
2. Those who are destitute.
3. Zakat collectors and distributors.
4. Those whose hearts are to be reconciled.
5. Those in bondage or enslaved.
6. Those who are in debt.
7. Those who are fighting for the cause of Allah.
8. Travellers or Wayfarer.

In the Holy Qur’an chapter 76, while mentioning about the virtuous men, Allah mentions in verse 8;

وَيُطْعِمُونَ ٱلطَّعَامَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِۦ مِسْكِينًۭا وَيَتِيمًۭا وَأَسِيرًا
“And they give food out of love for Him to the poor and the orphan and the captive”.

Decent Work and Economic Growth

Allah SWT also required mankind to avoid laziness and ordered them to work, and consistently try to get sustenance and grace from him. It is a must on a Muslim to leave the next generation in a safe state.

The right to work: Islam recognizes the right of all individuals to work and earn a livelihood. This right is based on the principle of mutual need and interdependence between individuals.

The prohibition of forced labor: Islam strictly prohibits forced labor, which is defined as work that is performed under coercion or duress. This prohibition is based on the principle of human dignity and the right to freedom. Allah says in holy Quran about freeing slaves as an act of merit (Quran, chapter 24, verse 33).

The right to fair wages: Islam mandates that workers be paid a fair wage for their work. This means that workers should be paid a wage that is sufficient to meet their basic needs and provide for their families. It is narrated in a hadith that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Give employee his/her wages before the sweat is dry on him” . In another hadith, it is related, “The rich, despite his riches, cannot delay of payment to the worker, for it is a crime” .

The prohibition of exploitation: Islam prohibits the exploitation of workers, which includes practices such as excessive working hours, unsafe working conditions, and the withholding of wages. This prohibition is based on the principle of compassion and the protection of workers’ well-being (Quran chapter 42, verse 40).

Health and Exercise

Islam’s holistic approach to life and health offers us the ability to remain strong and healthy.

We must take care of our spiritual, emotional and physical health. Our bodies are given to us by God as a trust and we have to keep them healthy. Fulfilling the obligations of three of the five pillars of Islam requires that Muslims be of sound health and fitness. The daily performance of five prayers is in itself a form of exercise, its prescribed movements involve all the muscles and joints of the body and relieves mental stress. Fasting is also a method of improving health.

Importance of Education

The holy texts of Qur’an were revealed to the final Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) over a millennium ago to guide him and his people ever after to the righteous path. The First thing Allah told the mankind was nothing but to read.

ٱقْرَأْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ
“Read, ˹O Prophet,˺ in the Name of your Lord Who created” .

This verse was the first ever that was sent down to Prophet Muhammed (pbuh). In this verse Allah SWT asks the mankind to read and understand the virtues and facts of the world. He taught man what he did not know. Allah loves those who seek for knowledge, he says in chapter 20 verse 114,

وَقُل رَّبِّ زِدْنِى عِلْمًۭا
“And pray, “My Lord! Increase me in knowledge.”

The Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) said: “Who takes a path upon which he seeks knowledge, then Allah makes a path to Paradise easy for him. And indeed, the angels lower their wings in approval to the one seeking knowledge ”.

Justice towards his Creations

All the creations of this universe were created by the Almighty with Equality and just. Allah never showed any sort of inequality to his creations. But inequalities and discriminations are brought up by his creations.

Allah says in Chapter 49 verse 13;

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَـٰكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍۢ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَـٰكُمْ شُعُوبًۭا وَقَبَآئِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوٓا۟
“O humanity! Indeed, we created you from a male and a female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you may ˹get to˺ know one another”.

He also says in chapter 3 verse 195;

فَٱسْتَجَابَ لَهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ أَنِّى لَآ أُضِيعُ عَمَلَ عَـٰمِلٍۢ مِّنكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ بَعْضُكُم مِّنۢ بَعْضٍۢ
“So, their Lord responded to them: “I will never deny any of you—male or female—the reward of your deeds. Both are equal in reward”.

Also, all of his creations have equal rights on the earth. Nothing was created superior or inferior. Allah says in chapter 55 verse 10;

وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَضَعَهَا لِلْأَنَامِ
“He laid out the earth for all beings”.

And, nothing he created was in vain. Allah says in Surah Al Imran verse 191;

رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَـٰذَا بَـٰطِلًۭا سُبْحَـٰنَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ
“Our Lord! You have not created ˹all of˺ this without purpose”.

Safe Water; a Blessing

Water is one of the blessings from his almighty god to the humankind. Allah presented the natural water cycle o earth in the Qur’an and science has elucidated the impacts of water on the wellbeing of all the living beings. Allah says;

وَأَنزَلْنَا مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءًۢ بِقَدَرٍۢ فَأَسْكَنَّـٰهُ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ
“We send down rain from the sky in perfect measure, causing it to soak into the earth ”.

Human view water as a commodity that only they have rights in and dominion over. They polluted and degraded the quality of water both freshwater and saltwater; streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, oceans and seas. But as any other resources on this planet earth is equally provided for all living beings, so is water. It is mandatory on human to protect and provide water to all as how it is available to him. Indeed, the ultimate authority lies in the hands of Allah and he shall take it back when he wills so. Allah says;

وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰ ذَهَابٍۭ بِهِۦ لَقَـٰدِرُونَ
“And We are surely able to take it away”.

Messenger of Allah, Muhammed (pbuh) said,

وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ مِنَ النَّعِيمِ الَّذِي تُسْأَلُونَ عَنْهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ظِلٌّ بَارِدٌ وَرُطَبٌ طَيِّبٌ وَمَاءٌ بَارِدٌ
“By the One in whose hand is my soul, among the blessing you will be questioned about on the Day of Resurrection are the cool shade, fresh dates, and cold water.”

Climatic Action

Allah made humans the guardians or khalifah, of the planet. They will be held accountable for their actions on earth by the Almighty God. Allah warns us saying;

ظَهَرَ ٱلْفَسَادُ فِى ٱلْبَرِّ وَٱلْبَحْرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِى ٱلنَّاسِ لِيُذِيقَهُم بَعْضَ ٱلَّذِى عَمِلُوا۟
“Corruption has spread on land and sea as a result of what people’s hands have done, so that Allah may cause them to taste ˹the consequences of˺ some of their deeds ”.

All the corruptions and destructions we pour upon the environment, a portion of it will be send back at us, for us to taste the brutality we have caused upon the planet, which we were made responsible for.

Reduce Overconsumption, Luxury and Lavishness

Allah clearly hates those who are wasteful and spendthrift. Allah states in chapter 17 verse 27;

إِنَّ ٱلْمُبَذِّرِينَ كَانُوٓا۟ إِخْوَٰنَ ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينِ ۖ وَكَانَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ لِرَبِّهِۦ كَفُورًۭا
“Surely the wasteful are ˹like˺ brothers to the devils. And the Devil is ever ungrateful to his Lord”.

May Allah save us from his wrath and include us among those he adores.

Conclusion

The exploration into the alignment between Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the teachings of the Holy Quran reveals a profound interconnectedness between SDGs and the Holy Quran offers a compelling framework for addressing contemporary issues with moral and ethical guidance. By recognizing the common ground between SDGs and the Holy Quran, we pave the way for inclusive and collaborative efforts that can lead to a more equitable, just, and sustainable world.

Reference

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• Sustainable Development: Islamic Dimension with Special Reference to Conservation of the Environment, January 2012.
• K, Pfeifer. ‘Islam and Labor Law: Some Precepts and Examples’, in S, Bhedad and Nomani, F. (eds) Islam and Everyday Life:
• Public Policy Dilemmas. London: Routledge Press, 2006.
• The Holy Quran
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