Human Master or Caliph of Nature? - Dr. Ramadan Khalaf Mohammad Reslan

 The place of humanity in this universe: Is man to be its master? Or its caliph and trustee? From this fundamental question, I have attempted to provide an answer by studying the issue through the lens of Western thinkers and contrasting their perspectives with an authentic monotheistic vision in light of the Islamic philosophy of caliphate. This philosophy has made humanity a caliph of nature, even a guardian responsible for preserving its sanctity and the divine order upon which it was created. According to this Islamic perspective, man is entrusted with a great responsibility, which is to cultivate and improve the earth, in contrast to the Western perspective, which has made man the master and owner of nature, free to do with it as he pleases based on his intellectual capabilities.