"The Earth"
is one of Allah's most magnificent creations, intended for humankind and His
followers to see, comprehend, and reinforce their belief in His power, as well
as to keep them on the straight path that leads to the only God. The world is a
home that Allah made for His creatures to dwell on. Put simply, the earth
serves as a place of residence and interaction for individuals of all racial
backgrounds, nationalities, and religious beliefs. Simultaneously, Allah has
made its contents, which include land-dwelling creatures like plants and
animals, not as accessories but rather as a necessary resource that humanity
can utilise to ensure their continued existence. Allah has said in His Word:
وَمَا خَلَقْنَا ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ
وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا لَـٰعِبِينَ ٣٨ مَا خَلَقْنَـٰهُمَآ إِلَّا بِٱلْحَقِّ
وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ٣٩
We did not
create the heavens and the earth and everything in between for sport. We only
created them for a purpose, but most of these ˹pagans˺ do not know. (44:38-39)
It cannot be denied, though, that some people have abused the
blessings that Allah has given them. My observations show that Allah's creation
has suffered greatly at the hands of these careless people. What harm have they inflicted upon these
helpless living creatures?
With my own eyes, I discovered that careless people disregard and
disrespect the wellbeing of these land animals. This results from their need
for something in order to accomplish their objectives. For instance, it is
evident that extensive logging operations are causing our nation's forests and
tree populations to decline. The goal of logging and falling hills and forests
is to create industrial zones, human enjoyment places, and areas of change
without considering the harmful effects of their acts on humans, other
creatures, or the environment.
Therefore, the habitat and population of wild species that belong
in the forest, such tigers, elephants, and tapirs, will undoubtedly be impacted
by this illegal logging activity. The animals become threatened when their
habitat is destroyed, which leads to their wandering. The way that people share
with one another about animals that roam till they find a new habitat in public
villages and residential areas is another example of what we might observe.
Furthermore, I have also seen further consequences from tree
cutting, such as the possibility of a ground collapse that puts the lives of
others at risk. This incident typically occurs during the extended rainfall
season when soil destruction from the tree roots' lack of gripping on the
ground results in landslides. There is no denying that thousands of innocent
lives have also been lost in this landslip. As an illustration, consider the
Batang Kali landslip in 2022, which was the second-largest landslip incident
following the tragic collapse of the Highland Towers.
Also, animals like elephants, Malayan tigers, and horseshoe crabs
are in danger of being extinct. This is because illicit hunting practices are
causing an increasing amount of damage to the food chain. Because it can be
viewed as both exploiting wildlife and disregarding their wellbeing, hunting is
done by hunters or reckless parties who want to make money or income in an
improper way. For instance, illegal hunters always target elephants because of
the great demand and high prices for their tusks, tails, and legs.
Based on the aforementioned evidence, it is accurate to say that
humans were sent by Allah to Earth to serve as His caliphs and propagate the
Islamic faith. However, these creatures of Allah's creation are also
responsible for harming and endangering other creatures of Allah. The following
verse, which God has revealed in His word, perfectly describes this situation:
ظَهَرَ ٱلْفَسَادُ فِى ٱلْبَرِّ
وَٱلْبَحْرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِى ٱلنَّاسِ لِيُذِيقَهُم بَعْضَ ٱلَّذِى
عَمِلُوا۟ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ ٤١
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 and
perhaps they might return ˹to the Right Path˺.
Therefore, I believe that the responsible party needs to use a
variety of strategies and measures to ensure that this issue can be controlled.
The Peninsular Forestry Department should take its power as a high authority
and address the problem by taking the first measures. They should constantly
make sure that wildlife welfare is upheld. The human beings must also play their
roles because, in addition to flora and animals, humans are other creatures
that Allah created and inhabit this planet.
As a result, affection and love for other beings must be applied
from the start. One of the activities that can be implemented to raise public
knowledge of the necessity of a stable ecosystem is awareness campaigns. If
this effort is sustained, I believe SDG 15 can be met which is to conserve,
restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably
manage forests, prevent desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, and
halt biodiversity loss.
From the perspective of a student who is required to take the
subject Sustainable Development Goals, I believe that the introduction of the
SDGs is a good approach in creating a clean, healthy, and sustainable Earth
globally, and that it has educated me to appreciate the blessings that Allah
has blessed. Not only that, it also rejuvenated my excitement and encouraged me
to be more active in participating in environmental-friendly related programs
organized by associations and universities. Finally, I humbly invite everyone
who read my sharing to take part in creating a healthy and sustainable
environment to guarantee a purer and healthy life.
“Green Environment, Green lives”