MEDAN | INDATANEWS.COM - Climate change, deforestation, biodiversity loss, and increasing environmental degradation require new approaches to protecting nature. Ecological challenges cannot be addressed solely through government policies or environmental movements. Society, religious values, and legal instruments also have an important role to play in transforming environmental awareness into sustainable action.
This idea is explored in the book Wakaf Pohon Lindung: Teologi, Hukum, dan Peradaban Hijau by Kusnan, Muhammad Arifin, and Farid Wajdi. Published in 2026 by Pustaka Kita in Yogyakarta, the book presents the possibility of using waqf, an Islamic endowment, as an instrument for environmental protection and the long-term sustainability of ecosystems.
The book consists of xiv + 316 pages and carries ISBN 978-634-96620-5-5. It expands the existing discussion on waqf, which has largely focused on land, buildings, places of worship, and economic assets. The authors develop the idea that protective trees can also have a place within the waqf ecosystem because they provide long-term ecological benefits that can be felt across generations.
From this perspective, waqf is no longer understood solely as the management of assets for social and religious purposes. Instead, waqf can also be directed toward preserving livelihoods, strengthening environmental conservation, and creating ecological benefits that continue to grow alongside the development of ecosystems.
Waqf and Responsibility for Protecting Nature
The book builds its argument on Islamic theology, which regards humans as Khalifa, or stewards of the Earth. This position carries a moral and social responsibility to preserve the balance of life and prevent environmental damage.
The authors do not regard environmental conservation as an additional task outside religious life. Instead, they connect it with the human responsibility to manage the Earth and ensure that natural resources continue to benefit life in the future.
The concept of tahbis al-asl wa tasbil al-manfa'ah forms an important part of the book's argument. It emphasizes preserving the original asset while ensuring the sustainable use of its benefits. In the context of protective-tree waqf, trees are therefore viewed not merely as physically growing objects, but as ecological assets that provide a wide range of benefits to the environment.
Trees donated and maintained as waqf by individuals can absorb carbon, contribute to biodiversity conservation, improve environmental quality, and preserve ecosystem functions. These benefits are not limited to a single generation, as trees can continue to grow over long periods and perform their ecological functions.
This perspective also changes the way the value of an asset is viewed. The value of a tree lies not only in its economic benefits, but also in the ecological and social functions generated when society preserves its existence.
The idea of protective-tree waqf further illustrates the close relationship between religious philanthropy and environmental awareness. Through the waqf mechanism, environmental conservation efforts can gain a more institutionalized framework. Its impact, therefore, does not depend solely on the individual awareness of particular people.
Legal Space for Protective-Tree Waqf
In addition to the theological perspective, the book examines the legal foundations for implementing protective-tree waqf. The authors invite readers to reconsider the existing legal framework under Indonesian Law Number 41 of 2004 concerning Waqf.
Article 16 serves as an important reference point in the discussion of plants as potential waqf assets. Based on this provision, the book opens a discussion on how waqf
law could evolve to respond to changing ecological challenges.
This approach connects the need for legal certainty with environmental protection objectives. Protective-tree waqf requires clear asset status, accountable management mechanisms, and legal safeguards so that ecological assets can be preserved over the long term.
The book's legal discussion also shows that changing social needs can encourage new interpretations of existing regulations. Increasingly complex environmental problems require social and legal instruments that consider not only present circumstances but also the interests of future generations.
Within this framework, protective-tree waqf can become a meeting point between Islamic law, positive law, and the requirements of environmental conservation. These three areas can work together to establish a mechanism that ensures waqf assets remain protected while continuing to generate ecological benefits over time.
The authors also emphasize the importance of practical implementation. The Eco-Waqf concept should not remain merely an academic idea or an environmental movement slogan. It requires serious and professional management.
Nazir, the individuals or institutions responsible for managing waqf assets, need sufficient expertise to carry out this responsibility. Transparent management structures, clear asset status, harmonized regulations, and political support that can respond flexibly to environmental conservation needs are also necessary.
Without strong institutional structures, protective-tree waqf will face various challenges in implementation. The success of such a model therefore depends not only on the intention of the Wakif, or donor, but also on the ability of managing institutions to ensure the trees are properly maintained and their ecological benefits preserved over the long term.
Eco-Waqf as Part of a Green Civilization
The particular strength of Wakaf Pohon Lindung: Teologi, Hukum, dan Peradaban Hijau lies in its combination of three perspectives: theology,
law, and sustainable development. Each approach provides its own foundation while complementing the others.
Theological principles provide an ethical foundation for human responsibility to protect the Earth. Law provides legal certainty and mechanisms for safeguarding waqf assets. The ecological perspective, meanwhile, directs the use of waqf toward long-term benefits for the environment and future generations.
The interaction of these three perspectives gives rise to the idea of Eco-Waqf as a waqf model that goes beyond the religious dimension of worship. The model connects religious values with concrete measures to protect and preserve the environment.
This approach is becoming increasingly relevant as the world faces the challenge of strengthening a green economy and sustainable development. Societies need a range of instruments capable of connecting social, economic, religious, and ecological interests.
In this context, waqf can serve as an instrument of social and civilizational development. Waqf management does not have to focus solely on preserving assets. It can also create broader benefits for society and the environment.
Every tree donated as waqf can become part of efforts to maintain air quality, protect habitats, absorb carbon, and preserve ecological balance. The value of these benefits can even increase as long as society protects the existence and health of the trees.
The book therefore presents more than a new concept for potential waqf assets. The authors also invite readers to consider another form of legacy. A legacy does not have to consist solely of assets whose benefits are passed from one generation to another. It can also consist of living trees, a better-protected environment, cleaner air, and ecosystems that continue to support livelihoods.
This perspective gives protective-tree waqf a strong social and ecological dimension. The charitable act does not end when the asset is handed over. Its benefits can continue as long as the tree grows and society protects the ecosystem around it.
The book is therefore intended for academics, students of
law and Islamic studies, waqf practitioners, Nazir, environmentalists, policymakers, social activists, and people seeking to deepen their understanding of the relationship between religion,
law, and ecological sustainability.
Ultimately, Wakaf Pohon Lindung: Teologi, Hukum, dan Peradaban Hijau presents a vision of philanthropy that grows together with nature. The book views a tree not merely as part of the environment, but as an asset that can be managed according to waqf principles to create ecological benefits across generations.
The idea demonstrates that environmental conservation can be connected with religious values, social responsibility, and legal certainty. Protective-tree waqf can thus become an approach to philanthropy in which the benefits are not limited to people living today but can also be preserved for generations to come.
(IDNC)AUTHOR: Dr. Farid Wajdi, S.H., M.Hum | EDITOR: Fik Sagala