Educational-Ethical Components and Models of the Presence of Animals in the Holy Qur'an

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD student in Quran and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran

2 Professor of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran

3 Assistant Professor of Quranic and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran

4 Dr. Mona Amanipour, Assistant Professor of Quranic and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Aim: Contemporary discourse in environmental ethics and environmental humanities frequently critiques monotheistic traditions due to anthropocentric bias. However, a meticulous semantic and hermeneutic exploration of the text of the Holy Qur'an reveals an anti-anthropocentric epistemology in which animals possess intrinsic existential dignity, divine inspiration/revelation (ilham-wahy), complex inner consciousness, and explicit educational authority over humans. This study aims to systematically analyze and classify the pedagogical roles, epistemological primacy, semantic values, and moral authority assigned to macro and micro animals in key Quranic narratives. For centuries, Western philosophical discourse—from Descartes' mechanical dualism of the "animal-machine" to Kantian moral theory—has defined nonhuman animals primarily by their lack of rational agency and linguistic capacity. In contrast, the Quranic semantic horizon offers a deeply distinct cosmology that recognizes animals as independent, organized communities (umam) equal to human societies.
Methodology: Utilizing a multi-level hybrid qualitative design, five operational steps were executed: 1. Compilation of the data universe (identifying 204 animal-related verses); 2. Purposeful sampling (selecting 12 case studies across direct teachers and allegorical signs); 3. Qualitative and semantic coding into four core categories; 4. Comparative interpretation of classical and contemporary exegeses; and 5. Diltheyan empathetic-hermeneutic reconstruction.
Findings: Analyses demonstrate that animals in the Qur'an do not function merely as passive literary symbols or physical resources; rather, they are active educational agents: establishing human ritual knowledge, demonstrating crisis leadership and civic ethics, revealing geometric-architectural and therapeutic perfection, proving independent theological discernment, and serving as benchmarks for presence-based justice and water rights. Furthermore, the Quranic concept of Dābba encompasses human and nonhuman creatures without speciesist hierarchy, and redefines the anthropocentric premise of Khilafa (vicegerency) from absolute representation to theocentric stewardship and inter-species equality.
Conclusion: The findings deconstruct anthropocentric readings of Islamic theology, lay the groundwork for a Quranic environmental guide aligned with the UNESCO Universal Declaration of Animal Rights, and offer an innovative model for contemporary environmental ethics and inter-species jurisprudence (fiqh).

Keywords

References

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History

  • Receive Date: 07 March 2026
  • Revise Date: 03 April 2026
  • Accept Date: 02 May 2026

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