Protection of Man and the Environment from Outside Factors and Harmful Impacts
If Islam is thus keen on the protection of the basic elements of the environment for the benefit of present and future generations, it is equally keen on the protection of man and the environment against the harmful impacts of outside factors, chemical products and wastes. Damage of all forms and kinds is forbidden in Islam. One of the Prophet's traditions says, "No damage or retaliation for such damage is allowed"1. Prevention of damage and corruption before it occurs is better than cure after it occurs. The juristic rule is "elimination of mischief and corruption placed before the acquisition or production of goods and advantage". Therefore, all acts aiming at achieving good and ensuring benefit such as satisfying human wants, ensuring services and developing agriculture, industry and means of communications, should be carried out without causing damage, injury or corruption of any sort. It follows that necessary precautions should be taken in the processes of envisaging, planning and implementing such acts so that they may not, as far as possible, be accompanied by or result in any form of damage or corruption.
Since all forms of industry, mass communication, information and transport are often accompanied by and associated with noise, we should do our best to look for all possible ways and means of avoiding, minimizing or even preventing this noise. Noise has a harmful impact on man and the living elements of the environment - hence the necessity of reducing and preventing this harm as much as possible, according to the rules and injunctions of Islamic Law.
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Wastes and exhausts, resulting from man's daily and ordinary activities or from industrial activities and uses of modern and advanced technology, should be carefully disposed of or eliminated, in order to protect the environment against corruption and distortion and to protect man from the effects of these harmful impacts on the environment, its beauty and vitality, and to ensure the protection of other environmental parameters. Hence, disposal of these wastes and exhausts should not be carried out in a way or ways that would cause or result in similar or more damage or harm. The juristic rule in this connection is "Damage or harm cannot be eliminated or removed by causing similar or more damage".
This is also true of the harmful effects of cleansing and other materials used in homes, factories, farms and other public or private premises. It is absolutely necessary to take all possible measures to avoid and prevent their harmful effects before they occur, and to eliminate or remove such effects if they do occur in order to protect man and his natural and social environment. If, however, the damage resulting from these materials proves more than their benefits, they should be prohibited. In this case, we should look for effective and harmless or less harmful alternatives.
As with wastes, exhausts, cleansing materials and other harmful substances, the same principles apply to radioactive substances. We should prevent and avoid the harmful effects of their use on man and his environment. It is also essential to satisfactorily dispose of and get rid of their wastes.
What applies to radioactive and cleansing materials equally applies to insecticides and other pesticides. The use of such materials should not lead to any harm or damage to man or the environment now or in the future. Consequently, control and prohibition of whatever leads to harm or damage to people or the environment is required, even though this control or prohibition may affect the interests of some individuals. Any limited harm or damage to particular individuals could be accepted if it leads to a general avoidance and control of damage to man and the environment at large. All legitimate and lawful means should be used to avoid and prevent damage or harm, provided that such means do not lead to or cause similar or more damage. The juristic rule in this connection is "that one should opt for the least of all evils". If, however, it is inevitable to use such insecticides or other pesticides, than necessity should permit the use of whatever is forbidden. In such cases necessities and needs should be carefully and precisely assessed, each in its own situation, circumstances and value.
All necessary precautions should be taken to minimize the effects of natural catastrophes which befall man and the environment such as floods, natural torrents, earthquakes, volcanoes, storms, natural conflagrations and general epidemics…etc. Protection of man and man's properties and interests is essential and necessary and what leads to the achievement and fulfillment of the essential is itself essential and necessary.
It should be obvious that intoxicants and narcotics have a harmful effect on man's physical and mental health and, as a consequence, on his earnings, properties, honour and righteousness. It has been proved that intoxicants and other drugs cause considerable physical, social and psychological disorders. Islam has, therefore, rightly prohibited intoxicants and other drugs of all kinds and forms, and forbidden their production and marketing and the production of any thing associated with them. This shows Islam's age-long concern for the protection of man and the conservation of his social and physical environment against all forms and kinds of corruption, harm, damage and pollution.
