Environmental Pollution and Moral Values
By Dr. Zafar Darik Qasmi, New Age Islam
06 May 2026
Abstract:
This article explains that environmental and social cleanliness depends on good moral values and behaviour. When people adopt bad habits like dishonesty, disrespect, and injustice, society becomes polluted both outwardly and inwardly. Today, many social problems such as mistrust, inequality, and lack of responsibility are increasing, which disturb the balance of society. Islam provides clear guidance to improve character through faith (Iman) and righteous actions. When belief and actions match, positive thinking and harmony develop in society. The Qur’an emphasises that success comes with faith and good deeds, while ignoring them leads to loss. Negative traits like jealousy, hatred, backbiting, and false accusations further damage society and must be avoided. By following moral teachings and practising good character, people can create a peaceful, balanced, and clean environment for everyone.
Main Points:
· Good character and behaviour are essential to keep society and environment clean and peaceful always.
· Moral decline leads to injustice, mistrust, and imbalance, harming both individuals and society badly.
· Faith and righteous actions together help remove social evils and promote harmony among people.
· Jealousy, hatred, and backbiting create negativity and must be avoided for a healthy society.
· Following moral and religious teachings helps build a balanced, clean, and peaceful social environment.
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To keep the environment and society clean and pure, it is essential to practise good character and proper social behaviour. When bad manners and moral decline spread in a society, they affect both the outward and inner aspects of life. We have often seen the harmful results of immoral behaviour. Likewise, history shows that societies which adopted good character, righteous actions, and polite conduct are still remembered with honour.
Today, many behaviours that create unrest, pollution, suspicion, and other social evils are becoming common. All these problems are linked to poor morals and lack of culture. Sadly, the efforts being made to damage the environment are far greater than the efforts to improve it. If even half of that effort were used to create a better environment, conditions would improve greatly.
Looking at the current situation, it seems that people are losing their sense of responsibility. Injustice is increasing, respect for elders is declining, kindness towards the young is fading, and women’s rights are being ignored. Talented young people are not given proper opportunities, knowledge is losing its value, and dishonesty and lying are becoming common. All these negative elements are disturbing the balance of society. When this balance is disturbed, humanity suffers serious consequences.
Therefore, to protect society from pollution, it is necessary to follow moral values strictly. Religion guides people towards a way of life that prevents all kinds of social pollution. However, human rebellion has led many to ignore these teachings, which has resulted in moral and social decline. Islam provides a complete system for developing character, morality, and discipline, which can effectively remove social pollution—if its teachings are truly followed.
Islam first calls people towards faith (Iman). When a person truly adopts faith and righteous actions, they become protected from harmful behaviours that cause social pollution. Faith helps a person understand what is right and what is wrong. Islam strongly discourages all social evils and harmful traditions and provides solutions to eliminate them.
Along with faith, righteous action (good deeds) is also very important. If a person combines faith with good actions, society can become free from all forms of pollution. Unfortunately, today there is a gap between what people believe and how they act. When actions match beliefs, positive thinking and constructive behaviour develop, and people begin to care for one another.
The beauty that faith and good actions bring into society is highly valuable. To build a healthy and civilised society, everyone must give priority to faith and righteous actions. The teachings of the Qur’an also emphasise the importance of moral values and good deeds in society.
The Qur’an declares those who have faith and do good deeds as successful, while those who do not are considered at loss. Faith and good actions create strong moral and cultural values within a person. When these values appear in daily life, the results are positive and satisfying. Comparing a person with good character to one without it clearly shows the benefits of righteousness and the harms of immorality.
Islam teaches people to display good manners and proper upbringing. Feelings like jealousy, hatred, and resentment not only pollute the environment but also create unrest in society. Therefore, it is very important to avoid such behaviours.
Jealousy means wishing that someone else loses the blessings they have. This is forbidden. If Allah has given someone a blessing, why should another person wish for its removal? No one can stop what Allah has given. A person who feels jealousy is showing poor character, and such behaviour spreads negativity in society. Islam strongly discourages jealousy.
The Qur’an says:
اَمْ يَحْسُدُوْنَ النَّاسَ عَلٰى مَآ اٰتَاهُـمُ اللّـٰهُ مِنْ فَضْلِـهٖ ۖ ۔ ( النساء: 54)
“Do they envy others for what Allah has given them from His bounty?”
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also warned against jealousy and said:
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ:" إِيَّاكُمْ وَالْحَسَدَ فَإِنَّ الْحَسَدَ يَأْكُلُ الْحَسَنَاتِ كَمَا تَأْكُلُ النَّارُ الْحَطَبَ۔
( سنن ابو داؤد ، کتاب الادب ، باب فی الحسد)
“Beware of jealousy, for it destroys good deeds just as fire burns wood.”
Besides jealousy, other harmful behaviours like backbiting and false accusations also pollute society. Islam strictly forbids speaking ill of others or blaming someone without proof, in order to protect people’s honour. Unfortunately, backbiting has become very common today, and people often accuse others without evidence. To protect society from pollution, we must avoid such sins.
Today, society is deeply affected by immoral behaviour and its consequences. Its harmful effects are visible among the youth and other members of society. Therefore, we must follow the principles that can protect society from moral decline and create a clean and peaceful environment.
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Dr. Zafar Darik Qasmi is an Islamic Scholar, author and Regular Columnist for New Age Islam.
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