Ashraf AboArafe
ON Tuesday, January 20, 2026, the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, in cooperation with Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Cairo, and the Indonesian Students Association in Egypt, convened an International Seminar on Environmental Fiqh (Ecotheology) entitled “Challenges of Interacting with the Environment in the Light of Qur’anic Exegesis and the Sunnah.”
The seminar was held at the Al-Azhar Conference Center in Cairo.
Bringing together leading religious authorities and academics from Indonesia and Egypt, the seminar sought to reinforce the contribution of Islamic thought to addressing the global environmental crisis through integrated theological, juridical, and ethical perspectives.
From Indonesia, participants included the Minister of Religious Affairs, Nasaruddin Umar; the Indonesian Chargé d’Affaires to Egypt, M. Zaim A. Nasution; the Director of Islamic Religious Guidance, Mukhlis Hanafi; and the Chair of the Indonesian Ulema Council for Women, Youth, and Family Affairs, Amany Lubis, alongside senior officials and academics.
From Egypt, the seminar was attended by the President of Al-Azhar University, Salama Gomaa Dawud; the Head of the International Al-Azhar Academy for the Training of Imams and Preachers, Hasan El Sagher; as well as senior scholars and leaders of Al-Azhar’s religious institutions.
In his opening address, Minister Nasaruddin Umar emphasized that environmental issues cannot be separated from religious responsibility. From an Islamic perspective, he explained, the earth is not the absolute possession of humankind but a divine trust. Accordingly, the cultivation of the earth remains incomplete without preserving its balance. Any profession or activity that disrupts environmental equilibrium, he stressed, represents a deviation from the essence of worship and the true purpose of civilizational development.
He further highlighted that ecotheology forms a vital foundation for building collective Muslim awareness of humanity’s mandate to protect nature. Ecotheology, he noted, teaches that the relationship between humanity and the environment must rest upon trust, moral responsibility, and balance. “The world today,” he observed, “requires not only intelligence, but conscience and ethics in managing progress.”
In his remarks, Prof. Salama Gomaa Dawud affirmed that Islam places profound emphasis on environmental protection. Safeguarding the environment, he said, is not solely an institutional duty but an individual responsibility, as environmental degradation ultimately affects entire communities rather than isolated groups.
For his part, M. Zaim A. Nasution underlined that the seminar reflected the deep historical and intellectual bonds linking Indonesia, Egypt, and Al-Azhar. He noted that this trilateral relationship has long contributed to promoting moderation and building Islamic civilization, and that the seminar represented a significant moment for strengthening intellectual cooperation in confronting global challenges—foremost among them, environmental issues.
During the seminar sessions, Prof. Hasan El Sagher and Prof. Mukhlis Hanafi offered in-depth analyses of environmental fiqh, focusing on deriving Qur’anic and Prophetic insights for environmental ethics, reinforcing public policies grounded in religious values, and enhancing the role of religious institutions in ecological education. The seminar drew hundreds of participants, including scholars, lecturers, researchers, students, and environmental advocates.
The event reaffirmed the shared commitment of Indonesia and Egypt to advancing religious diplomacy, strengthening the role of Islam as a mercy to all creation (rahmatan lil ‘alamin), and building global networks dedicated to sustainable development rooted in enduring spiritual values.
