Ma`rifat Akhlaqi

Environmental degradation is among the most complex and multidimensional challenges of the modern age. One of its main roots lies in the rupture between humanity and a theistic worldview, along with the loss of a sacred relationship with nature. This study aims to examine the foundations and goals of environmental education in the thought of three prominent Islamic thinkers: Ayatollah Abdullah Javadi Amoli, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Seyyed Hossein Nasr. The research methodology is descriptive-analytical, based on content analysis of the writings and speeches of these scholars. The findings indicate that a theistic and spiritual view of nature plays a foundational role in shaping environmental education within Islamic thought. This perspective emphasizes the recognition of the human being as the divine vicegerent and trustee, and highlights the connection between spirituality, sacred knowledge, religious ethics, and social responsibility toward nature. Furthermore, environmental education in this framework encompasses individual, social, and governmental dimensions, and stresses the institutionalization of a culture of environmental protection, intergenerational justice, and a moral-theological outlook on the natural world. The results suggest that overcoming environmental crises requires a return to divine wisdom, a reformation of humanity’s view of existence, and the revival of spiritual education rooted in the Islamic tradition—an approach that can lay the groundwork for sustainable development aligned with human perfection.