Qur’anic Ecological Literacy and Pro-Environmental Awareness among Muslim Students through Fasad, Ishlah, Khalifah, Amanah, Mizan

Abstract

ABSTRACT 
Purpose: This study examines Qur’anic Ecological Literacy and Pro-Environmental Awareness among Muslim students in Palopo, Indonesia. It is grounded in the increasing urgency of ecological crises, which are not only environmental problems but also ethical, educational, and spiritual challenges. While previous studies have widely discussed environmental literacy, religiosity, and pro-environmental behaviour, limited attention has been given to how Muslim students subjectively interpret Qur’anic ecological concepts in shaping their environmental awareness. Therefore, this study aims to explore how Muslim students construct ecological meaning through the concepts of fasad, ishlah, khalifah, amanah, and mizan.Design/methodology/approach: This study employed a qualitative phenomenological research design. Data were collected from 30 Muslim students in Palopo through observation, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and supporting textual analysis. The data were transcribed verbatim, coded, and analyzed using thematic analysis with the assistance of NVivo. The analysis focused on participants’ lived experiences, subjective meanings, and phenomenological interpretations of Qur’anic ecological values in relation to everyday environmental practices.Findings/Results: The findings reveal five major themes: the environment as a divine trust, fasad as ecological and spiritual crisis, ishlah as ecological restoration, ambivalence between Qur’anic knowledge and ecological practice, and campus and local ecological experiences as spaces for environmental awareness formation. The study shows that Qur’anic ecological literacy functions as an interpretative bridge between religious texts, ecological experience, moral reflection, and pro-environmental awareness.Originality: This study contributes to Islamic environmental ethics, ecological literacy, and phenomenological studies by demonstrating that Muslim students’ pro-environmental awareness is shaped not only by environmental knowledge but also by religious meaning, local ecological experience, and institutional support. Its practical implication is the need to develop Qur’an-based environmental education that is reflective, contextual, and action-oriented.