Examining the Right of Human Ownership of the Environment from the Perspective of the Holy Quran

The status of human ownership of the environment is one of the most important issues in the relationship between man and the environment. Common belief is man’s absolute and inherent ownership of nature and all its creatures that allows complete seizure and destruction of the environment and non-observance of nature rights by man. In this article, by using the library method, the holy verses of Quran related to the subject of ownership and the views of commentators and philologists about them has been described and analyzed. The Holy Qur’an emphasizes that God is the true, inherent and eternal owner of all the various creatures in the world. In the verses that phrases: “سخر لکم”, “خلق لکم” and “جعل لکم” are mentioned, it does not mean proving the right of human ownership over other creatures of nature, but the purpose is to emphasize the correct use of worldly blessings by human beings, to remind them of divine grace and to be thankful for it. However, the Holy Qur’an affirms the right of temporary ownership of man during his lifetime, but this kind of human ownership of objects in the environment is not absolute, real, or original. It also has a framework and limits, outside of these limits are not accepted. Understanding the fact that man has no absolute ownership of God’s creations, leads to greater efforts to protect their rights and respect for their intrinsic value.