THE CONCEPT OF TASKHĪR WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS IN THE QURʾĀN

Abstract

The concept of taskhīr in the Qurʾān is generally used in the sense of presenting of the beings that make up the environment of man to his service. In the verses about the concept of taskhīr, Almighty God points out from the macro balance to the micro balance and what this balance means for man. With this aspect, the concept of tashîr not only reminds them of the environment and blessings that people find ready in the Qurʾān, but also points out both the historical process and the physical laws by pointing out how this environment has come to the present state. In the research, primarily the etymological structure of the concept of taskhīr, its meanings in the dictionaries, the meanings given by the commentators to this concept in the Qurʾān, the beings and their properties, the purposes and directions of the taskhīr were emphasized. Among the important findings that emerged as a result of the research, it has been observed that the use of the taskhīr in the Qurʾān is not limited to the meanings such as “giving service to the human”, “making the order”, “giving the benefit” and “giving”. In addition to these meanings, it has been determined that by pointing to the order established in the universe, it has deep meanings that remind physical laws such as using something by force, obeying something and making it suitable for people’s benefits. In the research, while the Qurʾān refers to the beings that were identified with this concept, on the other hand, the issues such as the necessity of investigating and considering the aspects of these beings and the necessity of discovering physical laws were also examined. In this context, it turns out that the concept of taskhīr is a concept that makes it sensitive to the environment in which people live and that reveals the establishment process of the ecological balance and requires long-term contemplation.