- Human activity is destroying nature
- The state of nature depends on man
- Preserving the environment is a priority for society
- The future of humanity depends on the state of nature
- Love for nature makes a person cleaner
- People with high moral qualities protect nature
- Love for nature changes a person for the better and contributes to his moral development
- People have forgotten that nature is their home
- Everyone tends to have their own view on the role of nature in human life
Arguments
I.S. Turgenev "Fathers and Sons". The work contains two completely opposite views on the place of nature in people’s lives. Nihilist Evgeny Bazarov perceives the world around him as material for practice, saying that “nature is not a temple, but a workshop.” He tries to find benefit in everything, rather than see the beauty around him. The hero considers living beings only material for his research. For Arkady Kirsanov, who at first supported the views of Yevgeny Bazarov, nature is a source of harmony. He feels like an integral part of the world around him, sees and feels beauty.
ON THE. Nekrasov “Grandfather Mazai and the Hares.” The story of Grandfather Mazay rescuing hares has been known to every person since childhood. From the poem of the great poet it is clear that our hero is a hunter, which means that for him hares should be, first of all, prey. But grandfather Mazai cannot offend animals when they are absolutely helpless, between life and death. Love for nature turns out to be higher for a person than the opportunity to get easy prey. He shouts after the rescued hares so that they don’t come across him during the hunting period, but at the moment he releases them.
A.I. Kuprin "Olesya". The attitude towards nature of the main character of the work can be called truly correct. Olesya's life is inextricably linked with the world around her. She feels that she is connected to the forest and that the forest is something alive. The girl loves all living things. Olesya is ready to protect everything connected with nature: grass, shrubs, huge trees. Unity with the outside world allows her to survive at a distance from people, in the depths of the forest.
V.P. Astafyev "Tsar Fish". The fate of Gosha Gertsev is a striking example of the fact that nature can not only tolerate human attacks, but also actively defend itself with the help of its moral and punitive force. The hero who showed a consumerist, cynical attitude towards the environment is punished. Moreover, punishment threatens not only him, but all of humanity if it does not realize how cruel its activities are. Lack of spirituality, thirst for profit, thoughtless use of the achievements of scientific and technological progress - all this threatens the death of society.
B.L. Vasiliev “Don’t shoot white swans.” The work shows the different attitudes of people towards nature: we see both its defenders and enemies, whose activities are only of a consumer nature. The main character, Yegor Polushkin, takes care of all living things. He often becomes the object of ridicule because those around him do not support his views on the world. Egor Polushkin, while laying a pipe, decides to go around the anthill, which causes laughter and condemnation from people. When the hero needs money, he learns that the population can receive a reward for soaked bast. However, even in a difficult situation, the hero cannot decide to destroy a living thing, while his cousin destroys an entire grove for profit. Yegor Polushkin's son is distinguished by the same moral qualities: Kolka gives his expensive gift (a spinning rod that everyone dreamed of) to Vovka to save a puppy that the boy wanted to torture. The main character himself is killed by evil and envious people for his desire to protect nature.
Chingiz Aitmanov “The Scaffold”. The work shows how a person destroys the world around him with his own hands. People abuse saigas; wolf cubs die due to man-made fires. Not knowing where to direct her maternal love, the she-wolf becomes attached to the human child. People, not realizing this, shoot at her, but one of them ends up killing his own son. The death of a child can be blamed not on the she-wolf, but on the people who barbarously invaded her territory, exterminated her children, and therefore took up arms against nature. The work “The Scaffold” shows what is fraught with such an attitude towards the living.
D. Granin “Bison”. The main character realizes with horror that almost all people, including scientists, are confident in the boundlessness of nature and the insignificant impact of humans on it. The bison does not understand how a person can approve scientific and construction projects that cause irreparable damage to all living things. He believes that science in this case works not for the benefit, but to the detriment of humanity. The hero is pained by the fact that almost no one has come to understand the true role of nature in human life, its uniqueness and vulnerability.
E. Hemingway “The Old Man and the Sea.” For the old fisherman, the sea is his breadwinner. In the entire appearance of the hero, a connection with nature is visible. The old man treats everything with respect and gratitude: he asks the caught fish for forgiveness. The work shows the role of nature’s generosity in our lives, and the hero demonstrates a truly correct attitude towards the world around him - grateful.
The heart of a believer should not be a piece of flesh that shows compassion towards some creatures and is callous towards others. While remembering the covenant to treat others well, we sometimes fail to take into account that “others” are not only people, but also other creations of Allah around us. Animals, birds and even plants. Along with respect for the human soul, we also have a responsibility to cultivate in our hearts respect and mercy for the less intelligent creatures of our world.
The Almighty Allah limited them in intelligence and responsibilities, but endowed each of these creatures with spirit - life. Unfortunately, some do not attach importance to this, narrowing the circle of the living to themselves and their own kind. But animals and birds are the same creatures, just a little different than us. And the liveliness of our hearts should be reflected not only in mercy towards people, but also in mercy towards our smaller brothers, as we sometimes call them.
The Sunnah contains convincing stories from which it follows that punishment and reward for this or that attitude towards animals is no less serious than for great sins and good deeds. For example, one of the reliable hadiths says: “One woman was tortured for a cat, which she kept locked up until it died, and for this she entered the Hellfire. She did not feed or drink her during her imprisonment and did not let her go so that she could feed herself with what the earth provides." (Bukhari, Muslim) Another hadith reports that Abdullah ibn Ja'far said: "When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and blessings of Allah) wanted to relieve himself, he preferred to hide behind some hill or in the thickets of palm trees, and on this day he went into one of the gardens that belonged to a certain Ansar. And a camel approached the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, making a trembling sound coming from the depths of his throat, and tears flowed from his eyes. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) stroked his belly and behind his ears, then said: “Who is the owner of the camel?” Then one young man from the Ansar came and said: “Messenger of Allah, he is mine.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Are you not afraid of Allah regarding this animal over which Allah has given you power?!” It complained to me that you were starving it and overloading it.”
Another hadith talks about the reward that one of the people received thanks to his kind attitude towards a dog: “Once a man, walking his way, began to be tormented by severe thirst. He found a well, went down to the water and drank, and when he got out, he suddenly saw a dog in front of him, sticking out his tongue and eating wet earth out of thirst. (Seeing this) the man thought: “This dog is tormented by thirst just as she tormented me.” After which he went down to the water again, filled his shoe with it, took it in his teeth and did not let it out of his mouth until he climbed up. (Having gone upstairs) he gave the dog something to drink, and Allah thanked him for this, forgiving him (his sins).” He was asked: “O Messenger of Allah, are we also entitled to a reward for animals?” He replied: “The reward is for all living things” (Al-Bukhari).
For many, it is not a big problem to kill an ant, spider or any other insect or animal, just crush it soullessly, without feeling guilt or reproach. But for each of these deaths one will have to bear responsibility. After all, as it is said in the hadith transmitted by an-Nasai: “Whoever kills even a sparrow or someone larger than this without right, will certainly be questioned by Allah for this on the Day of Judgment.”
Moreover, we not only don’t think about why we do this, we don’t even suspect that by killing this little soul, we are interrupting the life of a creature that was faithful to its Creator and remembered him. This is stated in the Koran:
“There is nothing that does not praise Him, but you do not understand their glorification” (Surah al-Isra, “The Night Transfer”, verse 44)
“All the inhabitants of heaven and earth, animals and angels, prostrate themselves before Allah, and they do not show arrogance” (Surah an-Nakhl, “Bees”, verse 49)
“Do you not see how those in the heavens and the earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, the animals and many people, prostrate themselves before Allah?” (Surah al-Hajj, Pilgrimage, verse 18)
“We subdued the mountains and birds so that they glorify Us together with Daud” (Sura al Anbiya, “The Prophets”, verse 79)
Animals have their own language, feelings, habits, characters. Developing empathy (sympathy) for them is the same responsibility as showing kindness towards people. Our “living space,” which we treat with trepidation, care and do not violate rights, should expand to include animals and other living creations of Allah. And this, by the way, is not a luxury that only the especially enlightened can afford, but a duty that every believer must fulfill. And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Indeed, Allah has commanded to do good (or to do well) in relation to everything that exists” (Muslim).
May the Almighty forgive us the harm that we unjustly caused to His creations and grant us mercy, which will henceforth protect us from violating anyone’s rights, even if it is a plant or an insect.
The leader's word
(in response to a message from President Franklin Pierce, 1855)
The Washington Big Leader sent us word - he wants to buy our land. The Big Leader sends us a word of friendship and assures us of his good will towards us. This does him honor, for we know that he hardly needs our friendship.
We will consider his offer, knowing that the white man may come with a weapon and take the land if we do not sell it. But how can we buy or sell the sky above us or the warmth of the earth?! Even the thought of this is alien to us. If the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water do not belong to us, how can we sell them?
Every inch of this land is holy to my people. Every glittering pine needle, every grain of sand on the shore, fog in a darkening forest, every clearing and every buzz of an insect is sacred in the memory of the people and their experiences. The sap flowing in the trees carries with it the memory of the red man.
Transported to the stars, the dead white man forgets the land on which they first saw the light of day. Our departed will never forget this amazing land, because it is the mother of the red man. We are part of this earth, and it is part of us.
Fragrant flowers are our sisters. The roe deer, the horse and the mighty eagle are our brothers. Rocky ridges, green meadows, ponies and people all belong to the same family. And when your Big Leader sends us word that he wants to buy our land, he really demands a lot from us. The Big Leader says that he will find us a place where we can live on our own, in peace and quiet. Then he would be our father, and we would be his children.
We will discuss your offer to buy our land, but it is not easy, because this land is sacred to us.
The sparkling water of streams and rivers is not just water, it is the blood of our ancestors. If we sell this land, you must remember that it is holy. You must teach your children that it is holy and that every moving shadow in the clear water of the lakes testifies to the experience of the life of my people and their memory.
The sound of water is my father's voice. River flows are our brothers, they quench our thirst and carry our canoes, feed our children. If we sell you our land, you must remember and teach this to your children that the rivers are our brothers and your brothers. And you must treat them as your brothers.
The red man had to always retreat before the advancing white, just as the darkness disappears from the mountains at morning sunrise. But the ashes of our fathers are holy. Their graves are holy ground, and also these hills, these trees, this corner of the earth are sacred to us.
We know that the white man cannot comprehend our ways. For him, one place is as good as another, for he, like a stranger who comes at night, takes from the earth what he needs. The earth is not his brother, but his enemy, and when he defeats it, he continues on his way. He leaves the graves of his fathers behind him with a light heart. He steals the land from his children, but this does not bother him either. The graves of his fathers and the inheritance rights of his children are in oblivion. He treats his Mother Earth and his Brother Heaven as property that can be bought, stolen and sold, like sheep or glass beads. His greed consumes everything, leaving only a deserted land.
But maybe the redskin is wild and unreasonable? The sight of your cities hurts the redskins.
There is no quiet place in the white man's cities. There is not a single place where you can hear the buds opening in the spring. Or hear the sound of insect wings. But maybe the whole reason is that I am wild and unreasonable? The noise only hurts the ears. And what kind of life is this if you can’t hear the lonely cry of a nightjar or the argument of frogs at night around a forest lake?
The Indian needs the soft voice of the wind, quietly sweeping over a forest lake, and the smell of forest pine needles after the rain. Air is dear to the redskin, for all living things receive their share of it in every breath. Animals, trees, people - everyone breathes the same air. But the white man does not seem to notice the air he inhales. He is not sensitive to stench. It’s like a person who has been dying for many days. But if we sell you land, you must remember that the air is dear to us, because it gives its spirit to all the life that it supports.
The wind that gave our grandfather his first breath also took his last breath. And if we sell our land, you will have to keep it and treat it as a shrine, preserving a place where even a white man can come to taste the wind to which the meadow flowers gave their fragrance.
If we accept your proposal, then I set one condition: the white man must treat all living things in this territory as brothers.
I, of course, do not mean any other custom. I saw thousands of buffalo rotting on the prairie in the tracks of the white man as he shot at them from a passing train. I, of course, am wild and cannot understand why a smoking iron horse is more important than a bison, which we kill only for food.
What is a person without animals? If all animals disappeared, then man would die in great loneliness of spirit. For whatever happens to animals, the same will soon happen to people. Everything is interconnected.
You must teach your children that under their feet are the ashes of our ancestors, so that they honor the land, which is fed up with the lives of their kind. Teach your children what we taught our children - that the earth is our mother. And whatever happens to the earth, the same will happen to the children of the earth. If a person spits on the ground, he will spit on himself.
We understand this. The earth does not belong to man, but man is tied to the earth. All living beings are one, like the blood that binds the race together. All creatures are one. What happens to the earth will happen to the children of the earth. Man did not weave the thread of life, he is only a thread in it. What he makes of fabric, he makes for himself.
But we will consider your offer to move to the reservation that you have prepared for my people. Let us live apart and in peace. It doesn't really matter where we spend the end of our days. Our children saw the humiliating defeat of their fathers. Our soldiers, out of shame after defeat, fell into laziness and desecrated themselves with sweet food and strong drinks.
It doesn't matter where we spend the end of our days. There are not many of them. Only a few more winters, and not a single child of those great tribes that once dwelt on this land and who now roam in small groups in the forests will remain to mourn at the graves of a people that was once as strong and full of hope, like your people now. But is there any reason for me to grieve for my people? Tribes are made up of people, not anything else. People come and go like the waves of the sea.
Likewise, the white man, whose God speaks to him as to a friend, is no exception to our common destiny. Maybe we will become brothers, who knows?
But we have learned one thing: what a white man can understand is that we have one God. You may think that He belongs to you, just as you want the earth to be yours. But He is the God of all people, and He has pity for both the white and the red. This land is dear to Him. Whoever harms the earth does not honor its Creator. And the whites will disappear one day, perhaps earlier than all other tribes. Those who constantly walk under themselves will one night suffocate in their own filth.
But, having died, you will shine brightly, ignited by the power of that God who brought you to this land and, for some special purpose, gave you power over the whole earth and over the redskins. This purpose is mystical to us, for we do not understand when all the bison are killed, the wild ones are tamed, the hidden corners of the forests are filled with the smell of human crowds and the landscapes of the hills are spoiled by talking wires.
Where is the thicket? She doesn't exist.
Where is the eagle? He is not here.
Goodbye fast horse and riding!
This is the beginning of the end.
So, we will consider your offer to buy our land. If we agree, we will do so to guarantee our reservation. Maybe there we can live out the end of our days the way we want.
When the last red man disappears from this land and his memory is only like the shadow of a cloud floating over the prairie, the souls of my people will dwell on these shores and in these forests. Because they love this land, like a newborn loves the heartbeat of its mother.
If we sell you our land, love it as we loved it. Take care of her like we took care of her. Keep in your memory the appearance of her as it now is when you accept her from us.
And with all your strength, with all your soul and with all your heart, preserve her for your children and love her as God loves us all.
We have learned one truth: our God is God for all people, and the earth is dear to Him. And the white man cannot escape our common fate.
Maybe we will become brothers again?
A Muslim is obliged to respect the principles of religion and be merciful towards the creations of Allah. The religion of Islam commands us to respect the rights of people, and also to take into account the rights of all kinds of living creatures.
As much as a person is merciful to people, he should be merciful to animals and birds. Keeping birds in cages, not feeding or watering animals on time, carrying too heavy luggage on their backs, beating them, striking them in especially sore spots - each of these actions will be a sin. From this hadith it becomes known that for very small good deeds great sins can be forgiven.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “One day a man was walking along the road, and he was tormented by thirst, and then he found a well, went down there and drank. Then he got out of it, and there was a dog, sticking out its tongue, gnawing on the damp earth out of thirst. And the man said: “This dog is exhausted by thirst, just as I was exhausted by it.” And he went down into the well, filled his shoe with water and, holding it in his teeth, got out and gave the dog a drink. And Allah was grateful to him and forgave all his sins.” The people said: “O Messenger of Allah! Will we really be rewarded for being kind to animals?” He said: “The reward will be for a kind attitude towards all living things.”
It becomes clear that the Lord can forgive a person in several cases:
1. If he repents. There are no sins that would not disappear from repentance performed according to all conditions. There is no person who does not have the right to repentance. This is a general rule. Repentance not only makes sins disappear, but it itself can be counted as a holy deed.
2. If he prays and asks Allah for forgiveness of sins. In most cases, a person simultaneously repents of his sins, but this is not necessary for repentance. A person can repent and not pray for forgiveness of sins and ask for forgiveness of sins, but not repent. It is certainly necessary to ask for forgiveness of sins. And Allah can forgive.
3. If he commits a pious act: “Why, then, among the generations that lived before you, there were very few worthy people who spoke out against wickedness - from among those whom We saved? And those who were wicked preferred those given to them (worldly goods) and became (thereby) sinners” (11:116). It cannot be said that any holy deed eliminates any atrocity. Shariah does not allow a person to commit evil if he says: "My holy deeds take away my sins". However, due to pious deeds (if they are accepted by Allah), bad deeds can be destroyed. Even very great sins can be forgiven because of good deeds. An example is the action of this man described in the hadith. For a deed to be considered good, external signs are not enough - it must be done according to conscience. An external sign is the cessation of sinful actions by a person. Not every religious service (namaz) prevents debauchery and sinful acts, but only those that are accepted by Allah.
4. If he reads du’a for Muslims or other Muslims read du’a for him. There is evidence that these actions can be a reason for the forgiveness of sins.
5. If he encounters adversity, loss, grief in life. Prophets got into big trouble. Among the contemporaries of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) there were also many who saw serious disasters. They say that Mrs. 'Aisha (the wife of the Prophet Muhammad) repented and cried all her life because of her trip to Basra. It is said that 'Ali (the fourth righteous caliph) after the events in Safina plunged into sadness and said: “Rather than see these days, it would be better to move to the afterlife!”
Cats are the only animals allowed to enter the mosque.
The attitude of the preacher of Islam and transmitter of hadiths about the life of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), nicknamed Abu Huraira (“father of the cat”), towards cats is known. His real name was Abd ar-Rahman bin Sahr. The nickname arose because he wore a cat in his sleeve. His other famous nickname is Abu Hirr (“father of the cat”).
Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) loved cats and advised his fellow believers to take care of them. The Prophet had a favorite cat. He took care of her, never parting with her, even during prayer. There is even a hadith that Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) urgently needed to leave, and the cat fell asleep on the sleeve of his clothes, he cut off the sleeve so as not to disturb her sleep. When he returned, the cat woke up and bowed to him. Then the Prophet stroked her three times. Although, I think he stroked her many times.
The Prophet Muhammad's wife Aisha, while praying, saw that the cat had eaten food standing on the floor. Having completed the prayer, she began to eat after the animal, saying that the Prophet was doing ablution with the water they drank. One of the hadiths says: “Daud ibn Sahih ibn Dinar at-Tammar cited the words of his mother about how her mistress sent her with a dish (harith) to Aisha when she was performing prayer. She motioned for me to put it down on the floor. The cat came and tasted some of it, and when Aisha finished her prayer, she ate, taking food from the place where the cat had eaten. She said: “The Messenger of Allah said: “They are not unclean: they are members of your household.” She added: “I saw the Messenger of Allah perform ablution with water that a cat had touched” (hadith of Dawud, reported by Jabir ibn Abdullah).
“A certain woman was punished because of a cat. She kept it locked up until it died. So she entered Hell because of it. She did not feed or water it, and did not give it the opportunity to eat earthly creatures.”
(Bukhari and Muslim).
“Once a man was walking along the road, and he was tormented by thirst, and then he found a well, went down there and drank. Then he got out of it, and there was a dog, sticking out its tongue, gnawing on the damp earth out of thirst. And the man said: “This dog is exhausted by thirst, just as I was exhausted by it.” And he went down into the well, filled his shoe with water and, holding it in his teeth, got out and gave the dog a drink.
And Allah was grateful to him and forgave all his sins.” The people said: “O Messenger of Allah! Will we really be rewarded for being kind to animals?” He said: “The reward will be for a kind attitude towards all living things”
(Bukhari and Muslim)