Every person likes to be regarded as intelligent, and no person likes to be regarded as foolish and unintelligent. However, if a person truly possesses intelligence, then the signs of his intelligence will be evident and manifest in his conduct, behaviour, actions and words.
Among the signs of a person possessing intelligence is that he is able to correctly identify his priorities in life, and thereafter affords each priority the importance and attention that it deserves. Hence, a person who spends his entire salary on a designer jacket while he and his family have no food to eat will be regarded as a fool, as food is essential for basic survival and is thus more important than a mere luxury.
Similarly, if a person treats his friends well and goes out of his way to always please them but treats his parents badly and neglects his duties towards them, then this indicates that he lacks intelligence, as Islam teaches us that a person’s parents come first, and hence one’s parents are far more important than any friend.
In this regard, a Muslim should understand that his greatest priority in life is to please Allah Ta‘ala and remain loyal to Him at all times. In fact, the only reason for man’s creation and being placed on this earth is to worship and please Allah Ta‘ala. Thereafter, a Muslim should understand that the reason for which Allah Ta‘ala created the entire world and all that it contains is for man to use it to fulfil His commands and please Him. Allah Ta‘ala has given man the animals, plants, metals, minerals, gems, and every other natural resource of this world to use in his life-mission of pleasing Allah Ta‘ala and fulfilling His commands in the world.
In the Quraan Majeed Allah Ta‘ala says, “He (i.e. Allah Ta‘ala) is the One who created for you (i.e. mankind) all that is in the earth.” (Surah Baqarah v29) Similarly, in the blessed hadeeth Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “You have been created for the Aakhirah (Hereafter), and the dunya (this world) has been created for you.” (Shu‘abul Imaan #10097) In essence, the world was created to serve man, and man was created to serve Allah Ta‘ala.
Therefore, a believer’s outlook to life is poles apart from the outlook of a disbeliever. The believer makes the world a means to please Allah Ta‘ala and reach the Aakhirah. He does not regard the things of the world to be a goal or priority in itself.
On the contrary, when we examine the non-Muslims, we find that they have erased Allah Ta‘ala from the equation, and then flipped the equation upside down. Hence, they have rejected Allah Ta‘ala and made the world their goal and priority. Allah Ta‘ala had made man the main creation of this world and created the world to serve man, whereas the disbelievers have forgotten about the rights of man, and made their main focus and goal sustaining and preserving the world.
Therefore, we see that the disbelievers form special organizations, spend millions of rands/dollars and dedicate their entire lives to saving the rhino from extinction, and to saving the monkey from harm, or saving the fish, and even saving the ice, while not batting an eye or feeling even a single pang of conscience when innocent children are being starved, bombed, murdered and butchered – whether in Palestine or in other poverty-stricken or war-torn countries around the globe.
At this point it is important to clarify that Islam does not condone wasting resources. In fact, Islam is second to none in emphasizing the seriousness and severity of the sin of wasting, to the extent that a person making wudhu from a flowing river has been warned against wasting water. The reason is that water and everything that Allah Ta‘ala created is a bounty from Allah Ta‘ala upon man, and wasting it shows ingratitude to Allah Ta‘ala for this bounty. Hence, the bounty should be appreciated and used in the way pleasing to Allah Ta‘ala.
In the same way, Islam does not condone cruelty to animals or any creation of Allah Ta‘ala. On the contrary, the hadeeth mentions the incident of an immoral woman who gained salvation on account of giving a thirsty dog water to drink, and also mentions the incident of a woman who was doomed to Jahannam for starving her cat to death. Thus, Islam undoubtedly encourages and exhorts that we show kindness and mercy to the creation of Allah Ta‘ala.
At the same time though, it does not behove a believer to dedicate his life, time and resources to serving and saving animals and plants from extinction, like how the disbelievers do, especially when we see millions of Muslims suffering untold atrocities around the globe. An intelligent Muslim, who understands his priorities, knows that this entire world is temporary. The entire world, with all the plants and animals, is going to perish one day. The non-Muslim has no Jannah to look forward to, so he strives to preserve the world, while a believer strives to earn the pleasure of Allah Ta‘ala and gain entry into Jannah.
May Allah Ta‘ala guide us all and bless us with Jannah, aameen.