1.

5 The meaning and importance of belief in Islamic teaching on the nature of

humans as Khalifah
Khalifah: Custodian or steward of the world for Allah.
Vicegerent: Someone appointed by Allah as a deputy or steward.

Humans as Khalifah
The idea of minding the world and taking care of the Earth is very important for Muslims. It affects the way
they look at the world around them and reminds them that:

The world belongs to Allah

Allah gives humans the responsibility for taking care of the world
They have a duty to look after it and make sure it is used properly
They must not allow it to be misused
They must give an account of what they have done to make Allahs world a better
place in which to live

The word Muslims use to describe this responsibility for the world is Khalifah. It means minder, steward
or deputy. All human beings are the Khalifahs of Allah. The first human being, according to the Quran,
was Adam and Allah appointed him to be the first Khalifah. Adam was to pass this responsibility on to all the
people who came after him.

Behold, your Lord said to the angels: I will create a vicegerent

on earth (Surah 2:30)
Why is this important to Muslims?
1. It helps make clear the relationship, according to Islam, between humans and Allah. There are two sides
to this relationship. On the one side, humans are second only to Allah in the order of creation. On the other
side, human beings are clearly not masters of the universe. That
role belongs to Allah alone.
2. People have to use their reason and their skills to decide how
they should care for the earth. The best way to do this is not always
obvious. But the starting point for human reason is to accept that the
Earth belongs to Allah, not to human beings.
3. According to Islam, Allah has given human authority over all living
creatures. So humans stand out from the rest of creation. Only they
have been given this responsibility for the Earth. Allah has given
them the authority and put them in charge.
4. Humans are answerable to Allah on the Day of Judgement for
their stewardship. They are accountable to Allah. Even though they
may try to avoid any sense of responsibility during their own lifetime,
saying that the problems are too great to solve or arguing that the
Earth is simply here for human beings to enjoy or exploit, they must
eventually answer to Allah for their deeds (or lack of them).