Islamic ethical responsibilities for business and sustainable development

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address the issue of environmental development in view of the Islamic ethical responsibilities, and the extent to which businesses should be involved in environment development activities will be addressed. Design/methodology/approach – This study integrates the mainstream and Islamic positions on the subject of the environment and sustainable development based on published literature and argues that whichever definition of environmental development one might subscribe to eventually each arrives at an environmental concern. It takes inspiration from the verses of the Holy Quran and ethics of the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in respect of environment and business that indicate a way out of this impasse. Findings – This study shows that the Islamic approach is more agreeable to environmental protection, and the issues associated with environmental and sustainable development have moral, ethical and social responsibilities, and the businesses should have on intense commitment to Islamic ethics in justice and welfare of human beings. Because of environmental ethics in Islam, and the value chain of suppliers through customers, businesses should be aware of the environmental aspects and impacts of their companies. Originality/value – This paper enhances the understanding of Islamic ethical responsibilities in business, environmental and sustainable development and attempts to show attributes of the various levels of behaviour of an organisation.