World’s Beauty & Man’s Responsibility

                        “Behold, We have willed that all
                       beauty on earth be a means by which

                       We put human beings to a test,

                       (showing) which of them are best in

                       conduct” (Qur’an, 18:7).

The Qur’an describes God, the Creator, as the Divinity, the only One Who deserves to be worshiped and obeyed, as He is the Supreme Sovereign over the whole universe. He grants life and death, and He has the power to will anything (57:2).

God has the Most Beautiful Names (or the Attributes of Perfection), because He is the Maker of all things in the universe and the Shaper of all forms and appearances (59:24). He has formed human being in a beautiful form (40:64), and has made in the most excellent condition everything that He created (32:7. He creates and adds and expands His creation unceasingly whatever and whenever He wills (35:1).

The perfectness and the beauty of all God’s creation are tremendously clear: Look at how the grain and the fruit-kernel they cleave apart; and look at how all that which is dead comes to life again, and that which is alive dies (6:95).

In fact there is a cycle of creating life out of death and death out of life. You can see, for example, the contrast between the winter of death and the spring of rebirth; and between the summer of growth, and the autumn of decay leading back to the death of winter: 

“Have you not seen that God sends down water from the skies whereby bring forth fruits of many hues – just as in the mountains there are  streaks of white and red of various shades as well as (others) raven-black, and (as) there are in men, and in crawling beasts, and in cattle, too, many hues? Indeed only those God’s servants who have knowledge stand in awe of God; verily God is Almighty, Much-Forgiving” (35:27-28).

The Qur’an also notes how the verdure brings out close-growing grain; and out of the spathe of the palm tree dates come out in thick clusters. And it draws attention to the gardens of vines, and the olive tree, and the pomegranate: “all so alike, and yet so different! Behold their fruit when it comes to fruition and ripens! Verily, in all this there are messages indeed for people who will believe (in God)!” (6:99).

“Do they not look at the sky above them – how We have built it beautiful and free of all faults? And the earth – We have spread it wide, and set upon it mountains firm, and caused it to bring forth plants of all beauteous kinds, thus offering an insight and a reminder unto every human being who willingly turns unto God” (50:6-8).

The entire natural world is in a state of goodness with potential for good actions by the human being under the command of the Creator. Humankind is a part of the natural patterning of creation, but they are the only creature given certain free will, so they can choose to turn willingly unto God, or to act against His order, using the very gift of reasoning bestowed to them. As God has appointed them to be the vicegerent (khalifah) on earth, to undertake the trust, which imposes on them a moral responsibility (33:72), and this assumption of responsibility makes mankind accountable for their actions (99:7-8). Part of this responsibility for them is to be the guardians of the natural world. God is the only owner of all what is in the universe, and mankind could use the natural world on usufruct, meaning that they have the right to use and to get benefit out of other creatures as much as they like, within the limit of not abusing or damaging them.