“Kyoto COP3. I stood with a Japanese student, the Greenpeace banner behind us, shouting, ‘Climate Chaos or Solar Future. The choice is ours.’ Years later, reading Surah Ar-Rahman again, I realize the real call for balance was never political — it was divine.”
Surah Ar-Rahman — The Eternal Ecological Call
(Lessons from the Unseen #…)
There are verses in the Qur’an that echo across time, but none vibrate with such majesty and tenderness as Surah Ar-Rahman. It is the Surah of Mercy, yes — but it is also the Surah of balance, of cosmic order, and of the sacred relationship between humanity, nature, and the Divine. In today’s world of climate anxiety, collapsing ecosystems, and endless conferences like COP21, COP26, Kyoto Protocols, Paris Agreements, and so on, Surah Ar-Rahman stands like a timeless lighthouse, calling us back to the harmony we have abandoned.
I had the honor of attending one of these gatherings many years ago at the COP3 Kyoto Convention, trying in my small way to speak up for the environment. Today, as I revisit this Surah, I feel that our modern environmental discourse often forgets the spiritual root — that the Earth is entrusted to us, not owned by us.
“Ar-Rahman.”
ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ
The All-Merciful.
The Surah begins with a single Divine Name — not a command, not a warning, but a reminder:
Mercy is the foundation of existence.
Everything we walk on, breathe in, consume, and destroy is born of this Mercy. If only we remembered this, how different our behavior toward the Earth would be.
“He taught the Qur’an.”
عَلَّمَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ – 55:2
‘Allama al-Qur’an.
Before teaching Adam how to survive,
before teaching humanity how to speak,
Allah taught the Qur’an.
Meaning: Guidance came before civilization.
“He created the human being.”
خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ – 55:3
Khalaqa al-insān.
We are not the masters of nature but part of its tapestry.
“And He taught him eloquent speech.”
عَلَّمَهُ ٱلْبَيَانَ – 55:4
‘Allamahu al-bayān.
This bayān—the ability to articulate truth—
is what we must use today to speak for the forests,
for the oceans,
for the disappearing species,
for the generations yet unborn.
“He raised the sky and set the balance.”
وَٱلسَّمَآءَ رَفَعَهَا وَوَضَعَ ٱلْمِيزَانَ – 55:7
Was-samā’a rafa‘ahā wa waḍa‘al-mīzān.
Here lies the heart of the Surah’s environmental wisdom.
The universe operates in mīzān — balance.
Remove the balance, life collapses.
“So do not transgress in the balance.”
أَلَّا تَطْغَوْا۟ فِى ٱلْمِيزَانِ – 55:8
Allā tatghaw fī al-mīzān.
This is a divine warning against:
– overconsumption
– pollution
– exploitation
– greed
– industrial abuse
– ecological arrogance
How many COP conventions have used different words to say exactly this?
“And the Earth—He laid it down for all creatures.”
وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَضَعَهَا لِلْأَنَامِ – 55:10
Wal-arḍa waḍa‘ahā lil-anām.
Not just humans—
but all creatures.
The Earth is a shared sanctuary.
In every line, Surah Ar-Rahman alternates between describing the gifts of nature and asking us:
فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ
Fabi ayyi ālā’i rabbikumā tukadhdhibān?
“Which of the favors of your Lord will you both deny?”
This refrain, repeated 31 times, is like a heartbeat—
a reminder, an awakening, a challenge to our arrogance.
From the Seas to the Stars
The Surah then moves to the oceans,
the ships,
The two seas meeting,
the pearls,
the orchards,
the fruits,
the palm trees,
the grains.
Everything is a gift.
Everything is a sign.
Everything is part of the Merciful Balance.
The Gardens — Two for the Foremost, Two for the Strivers
At the end, the Surah speaks of two paradises for those nearest to God
and two more for those who lived with humility and restraint.
Even paradise reflects balance, hierarchy, and responsibility.
A Call to Our Present World
If the nations gathered at COP only listened to this one Surah,
they would realize:
Environmental protection is not just policy — it is worship.
Pollution is not just negligence — it is spiritual transgression.
Sustainability is not just science — it is gratitude.
Surah Ar-Rahman is the voice of the Earth as much as it is the voice of God.
As an old man now, walking between memory and reflection,
I see how much we have taken and how little we have thanked.
But thankfulness begins with awareness, and awareness begins with ayat — signs.
May we learn to see the signs again.
فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ
Which of the favors of your Lord can we still deny?
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