A conceptual spectrum from wastefulness to corruption in the Quran: Revisiting the relationship between food patterns and the environmental crisis

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors

1 Graduate of Master’s Degree (Quranic Sciences), Interdisciplinary Quranic Studies Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Quran and Hadith Studies, Interdisciplinary Quranic Studies Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

3 Professor, Ecology, Department of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management, Environmental Sciences Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract
In the contemporary era, the environmental crisis is considered one of the most serious global threats, rooted in human behaviors, particularly improper consumption patterns. This study, using an interdisciplinary and descriptive-analytical approach, examines the Qur’anic perspective on the extent and limits of human food consumption and its impact on the environment. The main research question addresses how key Qur’anic concepts regarding food categorize human consumption behaviors and consider transgression of divine limits as a source of social and environmental corruption. In this context, the concepts of Israf (extravagance), I’tida/Taghyan (transgression/rebellion), and Fasad (corruption) are analyzed as three semantic and behavioral levels of human intervention in nature. Israf generally represents individual excess beyond needs. I’tida/Taghyan refers to transgression of legitimate boundaries with social consequences, seen as an infringement on others’ rights or the natural system. Finally, Fasad symbolizes widespread and reckless defiance of moral and divine limits, ultimately leading to the collapse of civilizations and communities (Qur’an, 2:25). This semantic structure shows that the Qur’an, by outlining a warning spectrum, clarifies the permissible boundaries of human intervention in nature and provides a model for regulating the human-environment relationship. The findings indicate that transgression of divine limits in food consumption is not only a religious disobedience but also a key factor in the collapse of civilizations and ecosystems.

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Volume 17, Issue 4 - Serial Number 68
Ecological Civilization
Autumn 2025
Pages 93-119

  • Receive Date 25 April 2025
  • Revise Date 23 August 2025
  • Accept Date 01 September 2025