Panel: CONSTRUCTIVE MUSLIM THEOLOGIES ADDRESSING GLOBAL CHALLENGES



518.1 - THE MUSLIM RITUAL PRAYER (SALAT) - AN ENVIRONMENTAL APPROACH FOCUSED ON THE CLIMATE CRISIS

AUTHORS:
Sayilgan Z. (Institute for Islamic, Christian and Jewish Studies ~ Baltimore ~ United States of America)
Text:
This paper offers an environmental reading of the Muslim ritual prayer (ṣalāt) in light of the contemporary climate crisis, drawing on Qur'anic teachings concerning the sacredness of nature and Said Nursi's theological reflections in the Risale-i Nur. The Qur'an presents the natural world as a sign (āya) of God, imbued with intrinsic value and ordered by divine balance (mīzān), while humanity is entrusted with moral responsibility (khilāfa and amāna) toward creation. Building on this framework, the paper argues that ṣalāt functions not only as an act of worship but also as a formative practice that cultivates ecological consciousness and ethical restraint.