Environmental Pollution and the Fulfilment of Duties
By Dr. Zafar Darik Qasmi, New Age Islam
09 May 2026
Abstract:
The article explains that failure to fulfil rights and responsibilities is a major cause of social and moral pollution. Islam teaches that every person has duties towards Allah and towards other people. Peace, balance, and harmony in society can only be maintained when individuals honestly perform their responsibilities. The article highlights that neglect of duties in homes, offices, and public life creates injustice, corruption, and disorder. Muhammad ( peace be upon him) taught that every person is responsible for those under their care and will be answerable before Allah. Leaders, parents, workers, and all members of society must act with honesty, fairness, and trustworthiness. Islam considers responsibility as a sacred trust. The article concludes that society can remain clean, peaceful, and morally strong only when people protect rights and sincerely fulfil their duties.
Main Points:
· Fulfilling rights and responsibilities is necessary for peace, balance, and harmony within society.
· Neglecting duties creates corruption, injustice, hatred, and moral pollution in social life.
· Muhammad taught that every person will be questioned about their responsibilities before Allah.
· Islam considers honesty, trustworthiness, and fairness essential for maintaining a healthy social environment.
· Society becomes peaceful and morally strong when people sincerely protect rights and fulfil duties.
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Failure to fulfil rights and duties plays a major role in negatively affecting the environment and society. Fulfilling rights and responsibilities is essential for maintaining peace and harmony in society. Just imagine: if people do not fulfill the rights that are due upon them, or neglect the duties they are responsible for, then how can social balance remain stable? Today, many problems and evils are spreading rapidly simply because people deliberately neglect their responsibilities.
Rights mean that every person should willingly and happily give others what is due to them. These rights exist in many forms within society. In Islam, rights are mainly divided into two parts: the rights of Allah and the rights of people. Both are extremely important. Violating the rights of Allah is sinful, but neglecting the rights of people is even more serious, because Allah may forgive His own rights, but the rights of people are not forgiven until the affected person forgives them.
This is why Islam strongly emphasises fulfilling rights and duties in order to create a healthy and peaceful social environment. Human beings cannot live without depending on one another. People have relationships, social dealings, and financial interactions with each other. Therefore, all members of society are strongly connected through mutual rights and responsibilities. To make society peaceful and balanced, special attention must be given to fulfilling these duties.
Islam places great importance on responsibility and accountability. The Prophet Muhammad ( peace be upon him) said:
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ: " كَانَتْ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ تَسُوسُهُمُ الْأَنْبِيَاءُ كُلَّمَا هَلَكَ نَبِيٌّ خَلَفَهُ نَبِيٌّ، وَإِنَّهُ لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي وَسَتَكُونُ خُلَفَاءُ تَكْثُرُ، قَالُوا: فَمَا تَأْمُرُنَا، قَالَ: فُوابِبَيْعَةِ الْأَوَّلِ فَالْأَوَّلِ وَأَعْطُوهُمْ حَقَّهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ سَائِلُهُمْ عَمَّا اسْتَرْعَاهُمْ ۔
( الصحیح المسلم ، کتاب الامارة ، باب الوفاء ببیعة الخلفاء الاول فالاول)
“that people must give rulers their due rights, while rulers will also be questioned by Allah about their responsibilities towards the people.”
In another Hadith:
فَقَالَ: مَعْقِلٌ إِنِّي مُحَدِّثُكَ حَدِيثًا سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، لَوْ عَلِمْتُ أَنَّ لِي حَيَاةً مَا حَدَّثْتُكَ، إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، يَقُولُ: مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ يَسْتَرْعِيهِ اللَّهُ رَعِيَّةً يَمُوتُ يَوْمَ يَمُوتُ وَهُوَ غَاشٌّ لِرَعِيَّتِهِ، إِلَّا حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةَ ۔
( الصحیح المسلم ، کتاب الامارة ، باب فَضِيلَةِ الإِمَامِ الْعَادِلِ وَعُقُوبَةِ الْجَائِرِ وَالْحَثِّ عَلَى الرِّفْقِ بِالرَّعِيَّةِ وَالنَّهْيِ عَنْ إِدْخَالِ الْمَشَقَّةِ عَلَيْهِمْ)
“ The Prophet warned that any leader who deceives or betrays the people under his care will be deprived of Paradise.”
Today, many people show negligence in fulfilling their duties and responsibilities. Whether in family life, social relations, or public affairs, this negligence is clearly visible. To maintain respect in relationships, fairness in dealings, and balance in society, fulfilling duties is necessary. It is also important for following the teachings of religion properly.
Every person in a position of authority must carry out their duty honestly and sincerely. Personal relationships, favouritism, or selfish interests should never influence one’s responsibilities.
Muhammad ( peace be upon him) highlighted the importance of fulfilling responsibilities in the following words:
عَنْ ابْنِ عُمَرَ ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ: " أَلَا كُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ، فَالْأَمِيرُ الَّذِي عَلَى النَّاسِ رَاعٍ وَهُوَ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ، وَالرَّجُلُ رَاعٍ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ وَهُوَ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْهُمْ، وَالْمَرْأَةُ رَاعِيَةٌ عَلَى بَيْتِ بَعْلِهَا وَوَلَدِهِ وَهِيَ مَسْئُولَةٌ عَنْهُمْ، وَالْعَبْدُ رَاعٍ عَلَى مَالِ سَيِّدِهِ وَهُوَ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْهُ، أَلَا فَكُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ۔
( الصحیح المسلم ، کتاب الامارة ، باب فَضِيلَةِ الإِمَامِ الْعَادِلِ وَعُقُوبَةِ الْجَائِرِ وَالْحَثِّ عَلَى الرِّفْقِ بِالرَّعِيَّةِ وَالنَّهْيِ عَنْ إِدْخَالِ الْمَشَقَّةِ عَلَيْهِمْ)
“Listen carefully! Every one of you is responsible, and every person will be asked about those under their care. A ruler is responsible for his people and will be questioned about them. A man is responsible for his family and will be questioned about them. A woman is responsible for her husband’s home and children and will be questioned about them. A servant is responsible for his master’s property and will be questioned about it. Remember, every one of you is responsible, and every one of you will be asked about your responsibilities.”
Nowadays, negligence in duty can be seen in almost every field of life. In many government offices, people intentionally avoid performing their duties properly. This is irresponsible and uncivilised behaviour. The effects of neglecting duties do not harm only one individual; they also affect future generations.
We should always remember that every responsibility given to us is a trust. Betraying a trust is considered a very serious sin in Islam. The Prophet said:
عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ: " لا إِيمَانَ لِمَنْ لا أَمَانَةَ لَهُ۔( مسند اسحاق بن راھویہ ، کتاب الایمان ، حدیث نمبر:24)
“The one who is not trustworthy has no true faith.”
It can therefore be said that Islam’s concept of rights and responsibilities aims to protect society from all kinds of corruption and pollution. Unless we fulfil our duties, protect the rights of others, and follow the guidance given by Islam, society will continue to suffer from moral and social pollution. Sadly, many people do not realise how much harm their irresponsible and unethical behaviour causes to society.
For this reason, awareness about rights and responsibilities must be promoted widely. The social system of Islam is natural, balanced, and flexible. If people truly follow Islamic teachings, society can remain peaceful and free from corruption and disorder. Problems arise when human beings go against the principles set by nature and religion. Therefore, we must avoid all actions that disturb the social system and create disorder, hatred, and moral decay in society. Such behaviour destroys the beauty, peace, and balance of the social environment.
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Dr. Zafar Darik Qasmi is an Islamic Scholar, author and Regular Columnist for New Age Islam.
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-environment/enviromental-pollution-fulfilment-of-duties/d/139966
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