A traveler who journeys through the Qur’an is not walking through a barren desert. Instead, the path unfurls through lush vegetable gardens, verdant valleys, thick forests standing in solemn stillness, and fields richly clothed in green. Along the way, one may marvel at the abundance of nature’s bounty: figs and dates, grapes and pumpkins, bananas and jujubes, spinach and cucumbers, onions and olives. All stand in beauty—blossoming, ripening, and swaying in the breeze. Who could gaze upon such a spectacle and not be captivated?

And there, within this living world, are bees humming over blossoms, woodpeckers tapping tree trunks, spiders weaving silk, ants marching along, dogs wandering, cows grazing, foxes lurking—countless creatures that fill these green spaces with life. The songs of birds echo clearly through the air. Decomposers like centipedes, worms, and ants perform their quiet tasks below the surface.

The nature described in the Qur’an, with all its grace and abundance, should draw the attention of thinkers and seekers alike. Why does a sacred book, revealed to guide humankind toward God and to call them to worship, speak in such glowing terms about the beauty of the natural world? While glorifying its Divine Artisan—the One who fashioned this creation—it also signals to humanity their place within this rhythm of nature. Does it not also embed a sacred message: that those who recognize green lands as a Divine blessing must not extinguish that beauty?

Indeed, one of the Qur’an’s messages is that the protection of nature—especially of plants—is among the values it champions. It repeatedly identifies vegetation as the lifeblood of the earth. When humans recklessly cut down trees, is not the Qur’an indirectly declaring that they are killing the earth itself? The flowering of blossoms, the rustling of leaves, the swaying of stalks, the silent travels of roots—these are the rights of the earth. They are its veins of life. The ecological balance of our world is inseparably tied to the presence of plants.

 Trees: The Life of the Earth

Listen to what the Qur’an says:

وَنَزَّلْنَا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً مُّبَارَكًا فَأَنبَتْنَا بِهِ جَنَّاتٍ وَحَبَّ الْحَصِيدِ (9) وَالنَّخْلَ بَاسِقَاتٍ لَّهَا طَلْعٌ نَّضِيدٌ (10) رِّزْقًا لِّلْعِبَادِ وَأَحْيَيْنَا بِهِ بَلْدَةً مَّيْتًا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ الْخُرُوجُ (11)

And We sent down blessed rain from the sky, bringing forth gardens and grain to harvest, and tall date-palms with clusters of ripe dates, as provision for the servants. And with it We gave life to a lifeless land. Such is the Resurrection. — Surah Qāf: 9–11

وَآيَةٌ لَّهُمُ ٱلْأَرْضُ ٱلْمَيْتَةُ أَحْيَيْنَـٰهَا وَأَخْرَجْنَا مِنْهَا حَبًّا فَمِنْهُ يَأْكُلُونَ

And a sign for them is the dead earth—We gave it life and brought forth from it grain, from which they eat. — Surah Yā-Sīn: 33

وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِي يُرْسِلُ ٱلرِّيَاحَ بُشْرًا بَيْنَ يَدَيْ رَحْمَتِهِۦ ۚ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَقَلَّتْ سَحَابًا ثِقَالًا سُقْنَـٰهُ لِبَلَدٍ مَّيِّتٍ فَأَنزَلْنَا بِهِ ٱلْمَآءَ فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِۦ مِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نُخْرِجُ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ

And it is He who sends the winds as heralds before His mercy. Then, when they carry heavy clouds, We drive them to a lifeless land and bring down water, and thereby bring forth all kinds of fruits. Thus do We bring forth the dead, that you may remember. — Surah al-Aʿrāf: 57

وَٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِيٓ أَرْسَلَ ٱلرِّيَاحَ فَتُثِيرُ سَحَابًا فَسُقْنَـٰهُ إِلَىٰ بَلَدٍ مَّيِّتٍ فَأَحْيَيْنَا بِهِ ٱلْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلنُّشُورُ

 And it is Allah who sends the winds, and they stir up clouds. Then We drive them to a lifeless land, and with it We give life to the earth after its death. Thus is the Resurrection. — Surah Fāṭir: 9

In all of these verses, the Qur’an describes the earth as lifeless until it turns green. Water is the fuel of that life. And the vegetation that springs from it, along with the water itself, are the lifeblood of the earth. Therefore, if that life is to be preserved, both must be cared for with utmost diligence.

Plants are not only essential to the life of the earth—they are indispensable to human life as well. To breathe, humans need clean air. Where does that come from? It is the plants that produce it. Each moment, billions of people exhale carbon dioxide, and it is plants that absorb it. Without them, the atmosphere would become saturated with carbon dioxide, making pure air unavailable. Humanity would perish. Plants are also our source of food. They are the producers at the base of the food chain. Without producers, there can be no consumption. Goats, cows, and rabbits feed on grass—thus humans enjoy both vegetarian and meat-based meals.

Water too is inextricably tied to vegetation. Forests are central to water retention. Fruit-bearing trees and freshwater streams are among the earth’s primary sources of drinkable water. Beyond food, water, and air, trees also provide shelter and comfort. Beneath the blazing sun, humans cannot survive without shade. They need roofs, woven leaves, wooden beams, doors, and windows—all gifts of the tree. Our writing instruments and books are made of trees. Without them, there would be no paper, and without paper, no books, no learning.

Therefore, trees are not merely symbols of beauty, rhythm, and harmony—they are life itself. They offer food, water, shelter, clothing, and books. Moreover, the forests house a long chain of consumers—not only green horses, chameleons, and snakes, but also eagles, bears, deer, and silver-hued serpents. There is an astonishing realm of decomposers too, turning dead matter back into the soil. Without forests, not only human life but all life would collapse. The earth would die. Humanity would die with it.

Yet, humanity has overexploited these blessings. Are afforestation or plant conservation part of our collective concern? Rarely. While religion has taught us to use nature with care, Islam has also given due importance to afforestation.

This command is clearly visible in the hadith, the sayings of the Prophet ﷺ, which serve as explanations of the Qur’an. The Prophet ﷺ taught:

If a believer plants a tree, then whatever is eaten from it—by humans, animals, or birds—will be considered charity on his part. (Muslim)

When a Muslim plants a tree or sows a field, and humans, animals, or birds eat from it, it is counted as charity for him. (Muslim)

Anas ibn Mālik reported that the Prophet ﷺ said:

Even if the Final Hour is upon you, and you have a sapling in your hand, plant it. (Ahmad)

Rainforests are the most complex ecological structures on earth. They contain producers, consumers, and decomposers in a delicate balance. Towering plants dominate the landscape. Animals fill every layer. Bacteria, insects, and worms work unseen, breaking down the dead into carbon, nitrogen, and other elements to be recycled. In essence, rainforests are among the richest ecosystems on the planet.

What’s deeply worrying is that these rainforests—the very life of the earth—are turning into deserts. Researchers affirm that what are now arid zones of northern India were, two thousand years ago, lush forests. According to 1980 data, we lost nearly 44% of tropical rainforests in the past 40 years. Each year, 75,000 square kilometers of rainforest vanish due to deforestation. If this rate continues, deserts will replace them in just 80 years. Scientists warn that deforestation leads to reduced rainfall, increased floods, and widespread soil erosion. Between 1951 and 1973 alone, India lost around 3,400 square kilometers of forest.

The disappearance of biodiversity is also a consequence of deforestation. Between 1600 and 1900, around seventy species of plants and animals vanished from the earth. Over the past twenty-five years, this rate has accelerated further. If we continue on this path, the day when wild animals emerge into human settlements is not far off.

True, trees were created for humanity—for breathing, eating, drinking, sleeping, clothing. But when forests are uprooted uncontrollably in the name of development, it is the life of the earth that is being stolen. Biodiversity is being extinguished. The climate is changing. Rain patterns are disrupted. Humidity and temperature are being altered. No matter how much technology tries to cool the air, it cannot restore its living essence.

Know this: The Qur’an described green life and the water that nourishes it as the life of the earth. So when greenery is destroyed beyond limit, it is the life of the earth that we are destroying.