The unity of life is very apparent concept in the Islamic teachings:
Glory to Allah, Who created in pairs all things that the earth produces, as well as their own (human) kind and (other) things of which they have no knowledge (HQ: 36: 33- 36).
There is not an animal (that lives) on the earth, nor a being that flies on its wings, but (forms part of) communities like you. Nothing have We omitted from the Book, and they (all) shall be gathered to their Lord in the end (HQ: 6: 38).
That is, all creatures are coming from one origin and returning to that origin. To Allah everything returns. Therefore, all creatures belong to one another.
Unity of life should be brought to man's awareness always because it represents an aspect of experiencing the oneness of Allah. According to this principle, man builds her/his relationship with nature, and with her/his fellow man. In her/his way to fulfill her/his earthly needs, s/he should not violate that principle.
Fulfilling her/his needs is not a simple response as it is in the animal kingdom. It is related to complex sets of relationships, between man and the natural kingdom (animals, birds and plants), between her/him and her/himself (is s/he greedy or self – controlled?), between her/him and her/his fellow human beings (with whom s/he shares and to whom s/he provides) and between her/him and the society where s/he should respect others’ ownership and privacy.
While her/his ultimate goal is to be a Servant of Allah, s/he should start her/his earthly journey, using the gifts that would make achieving that goal possible. Man, as a vicegerent of Allah, should behave out of this understanding, and strive to be worthy of that rank. He should be just to himself by being just to everything in the world; not to destroy a plant, shoot birds for pleasure, hurt an animal. S/he should respect life everywhere. The respect of life went to the extent that The Prophet (PBUH) advised believers to continue planting even if they foresee the coming of Doomsday.glossary
This respect of the unity of life serves two purposes, it emphasizes humans’ awareness of the Divine Law and its manifestations and, as such, encourages man to seek understanding of the Divine Law within the natural world. Out of this understanding, science develops. On the other hand, it creates an awesome feeling within man's heart, observing the Creator within His own creatures. Out of this inner interaction, art comes through.
… whithersoever ye turn, there is Allah's countenance. (HQ: 2:115).
As vicegerent of Allah, man is asked to build and invest not to destroy or mischief
Allah loveth not mischief (HQ: 2: 205).
Out of respect to Allah's creations, man should think and try to understand the relationship between the natural phenomena and to be aware not to misuse the natural gifts.
Man's Physical Body
As Part of the Natural World
Man's responsibility for her/his physical body is interrelated to her/his responsibility towards nature. To take care of her/his health and well-being can be accomplished without aggression on the natural world:
So eat and drink of the sustenance provided by Allah. And do no evil nor mischief on the (face of the) earth (HQ:2:60).
We are supposed to deal with our own body as part of the natural world. Therefore, we have to take care of it and fulfill its requirements without being indulged in its desires and lusts.
The Prophet (PBUH) says,
“It is enough for the child of Adam to feed her/himself with an amount of food that keeps her/him going" (PH).
Narrated by Ahmed, and Al Tirmidhi
In order to achieve the required balance, we need to remove the contradictions that exist between the earthly requirements and the spiritual longing. Therefore, we have to be aware that our physical existence is a gift from Allah that we should be thankful for, and that taking care of our body is a sacred task and an expression of gratitude to our Creator. In other words, our body acquires its importance as a tool through which our spirit expresses itself. It is understood that Allah provides us with instincts to keep our survival on earth. Assured that we are here for a purpose and that each of us has a mission, we should then try fulfilling our mission through this physical existence and take care of this tool.
In order to fulfill our physical needs we come across the natural world. For example, in order to survive, we need to eat. The teachings of Islam came to include a divine dimension with the way that man fulfills her/his needs. The general rule is that man was advised to say "in the name of Allah", before any action s/he intends to do. That statement stands as a continuous reminder that we have to be up to the meaning of the divine words that we utter. The implication is, we become tools in the hand of the Divine and we do what we do in His name. Out of respect to Allah who gives us that position, we should not exceed our limits, and we should always make a balance between satisfying our needs and protecting the natural resources.
Because all revelations natural and prophetic, including the teachings of Muhammad (PBUH) , respect Life in all its manifestations, it is understandable why killing an animal for consumption becomes a problem in some non-prophetic revelations. However, this seeming paradox between respecting life in all its manifestations and using animal as human food is resolved in Islam. The belief in the oneness of life and the unity of all its aspects implies that eating the meat of animal’s means that the life of the animal nourishes the life of man, and as such this animal's soul is blessed by moving to a higher level of existence. As such slaughtering animals for food consumption is allowed but according to certain values and regulations that reflect the oneness of all.glossary
During the act of the slaughtering the person must pray for the animal soul by saying "in the name of Allah. Allah is Great". Man is addressing the soul and asking it to surrender to Allah's will. The act of slaughtering should be done with a very sharp knife and directed to the neck nerve quickly without hesitation, that is, to minimize the animal's or the bird’s pain. This act should never ever be done in the presence of another animal(s), not to scare them. There is a clear order that the animals that are slaughtered without following those procedures, their meat is forbidden to eat. And it is considered a sinful action for its doer.
We, thus, have to be careful, and not to indulge ourselves in any sabotaging actions. We become more and more aware of the inner connection that ties us, humans, to the whole. With a growing awareness of that connection, we become more balanced. To be in balance requires a continuous self-observation and be open to the inspiration of Revelations without being fanatic and literal.
In other words, while man's search for satisfying her/his physical needs are considered "naturally legitimate", fulfilling those needs should be in harmony with the objective of creation. In fulfilling those needs, s/he humanizes them by elevating them from the instinctive animalistic level to meaningful responses that are purely human. While so doing, s/he is not causing harm to other aspects of life, rather helping them also fit into the purpose of their existence.
The teachings of Islam mean to facilitate man's life, and not to complicate it. For example, it would be impossible for people who live in deserts to live without depending on the sheep products. This is one of the reasons that meat is allowed. In our modern time, we came also to realize that meat and animal products provide the human body with essential amino acids that are not supplemented through other food resources.
Facilitating man's life goes to allow in certain circumstances what is forbidden otherwise. If man is obliged to eat forbidden food to survive, s/he is encouraged to do so:
But if one is forced by necessity, without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits, then is he guiltless. For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful (HQ: 2:173).
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