Climate Change and Desertification : A Study in the Light of Qur’an, Hadith and Modern Science

By: Moulana Aneesur Rahman Nadvi

The miraculous statements of Qur’an and Hadith with regard to the desertification of earth don’t seem to end here alone. Rather further minute details have been mentioned in hadiths which depict more precisely the gradual stages of the threat posed by the desertification to the entire planet earth. Hence, one of the hadiths narrated in this regard is as follows which has been mentioned in several hadith books:

Prophet Mohammed peace be upon him said: “At the hands of doomsday, there will be three famines. In the first famine the sky will withhold one third of its water and the earth will hold back one third of its plants. In the second famine, the sky will withhold its two-thirds of water and the earth will hold back two-thirds of its plants. In the third famine, the sky will withhold all of its water and earth will hold back all of its plants and vegetation, until there won’t remain any animal and livestock.”25 26

Some hadiths state that this will happen before the emergence of Dajjal Antichrist:

Prophet Mohammed Said: “… Before the emergence of Antichrist Dajjal, there will be three severe famines. In these famines people will face severe starvation. In the first famine, Allah will order the sky to withhold one third of its water and he will order the earth, hence it will hold back one third of its plants. Then in the second famine, Allah will order the sky, hence it will withhold its two-thirds of waters and he will order the earth, and it will hold back two-thirds of its plants. In the third famine, he will order the sky, hence it will withhold all of its waters and not a single drop will rain and He will order the earth, and it will hold back all of its plants and it will neither sprout any vegetation, nor any animal will survive, except what Allah wills. The prophet was asked then how the people would stay alive in that period. He replied at that time people will live on acclamations and exclaiming the God and it will do the work of food for them.”27

The hadiths which were discussed in the previous pages regarding the desertification of Planet Earth defined and outlined the concept of desertification clearly and lucidly while here, the above mentioned hadiths are describing only the first cause of the desertification i.e., the elimination of the vegetation of the planet earth, that this elimination of vegetation of planet earth will take place gradually in three large stages. It means that the desertification of earth will not be a sudden and abrupt event rather it will be a gradual affair.

The prophecies made in the above hadiths with regard to the gradual desertification of planet earth are of immense importance in a number of ways. Before dealing with the main theme of the hadith (i.e., three stages of desertification), we would like to draw the attention of the reader towards certain points which are noteworthy. The first point in this regard is that the word ‘sanawat’ (singular ‘sanah’) which has been used to describe the ‘famine’ has two meanings in Arabic. First is a ‘calendar year’ and the second is ‘famine’. But here it has been used in the meaning of famine.

“Sanah: Drought. It is said ‘akhazathum al sanatu’ when they suffer from starvation.”28

This word has been used in The Holy Qur’an in one place in this meaning:

“And certainly we overtook the people of Pharaoh with famines.” (Qur’an: 7:130)

In this verse the word ‘sanawat’ has been used to denote famines. The second point in this regard is that these gigantic famines of the planet Earth will not be caused due to the deficiency or lack of precipitation, but it will be caused due to the lack of ability of the Earth to grow anything despite immense increase in the rainfall. Imam Muslim in his Sahih has narrated a hadith in the chapter titled ‘The Book of Tribulations and the Portents of the Hour’ from Abu Hurairah which interprets the word ‘sanah’ in addition to explaining further the nature of this drought.

Abu Hurairah narrates that the Messenger of Allah PBUH said: “Famine is not when it does not rain, rather famine is when it rains and rains but the earth does not produce anything.”29

In fact, this hadith too is concealing a number of natural secrets in it, whose mysteries are being unveiled in light of ongoing climate change of the planet earth. First of them is that it has been clearly stated that the word ‘sanah’ which has been used in the two previous hadiths denote ‘famine’ and not the calendar year, and this famine will be caused due to the inability of the earth to produce anything i.e., desertification. The second important point which has been stressed upon in this hadith is that at the end times, the earth will witness increased rainfall. The increased rainfall and its causes have been dealt with in detail in the previous pages.

The third most important point discussed in this hadith is that the above famine of the planet earth will not be caused due to the lack of rain but will be caused due to inability of the earth to produce anything despite immense increase in the rainfall. As we have discussed in detail in previous pages that due to the increased global warming an increased rainfall is recorded on the entire planet earth. The logic behind this goes on as the global warming increases, the evaporation will also increase leading to increased rainfall with the same proportion. According to an estimate, the planet earth has witnessed 2 percent increase in precipitation in the past century. It is also estimated that with the further increase in the global warming in future, the earth will witness drastic and devastating increase in the amount of rainfall. As far as the reason behind the inability of the earth to grow anything despite plenty of rainfall is concerned, it may be attributed to the change in the rain pattern on earth. The change in rain pattern which is an indispensible consequence of global warming and climate change denotes that the rain water is lost by flowing in barren and waste land instead of watering the fertile and arable areas. We are already observing this phenomenon very well that due to this change in the rain pattern, despite high increase in the precipitation, green areas of the planet earth are converting into arid and semi-arid ones due to water shortage and the arid and semi-arid areas of the planet earth are converting into deserts. Hence this new phenomenon which is arising on the planet earth has shed ample light on the significance and relevance of this point of hadith. This is a perfect example of marvel within a marvel of hadith of Prophet Mohammed pbuh.

Gradual Desertification of Earth
Now, we will come to the main point of the hadith, in which the elimination of the ability of the earth to grow anything has been discussed in three different stages. As explained above, the elimination of the ability of earth to grow plants is called desertification in scientific terminology. The above hadith speaks about passing of planet earth through three gigantic stages of desertification. In the first phase, one third of the planet earth will suffer from desertification and loose its vegetation. Similarly, in the second phase, further one third of the planet earth will face desertification. Now the total desertified area will be two third of the planet earth. In the third phase, the remaining one third of the planet earth will also fall prey to desertification, turning the whole of planet earth into a global desert.

The latest scientific researches which are coming out in this regard are most amazing and startling which put light on the significance of the three gradual stages of the desertification of planet earth mentioned in these hadith. Its details are as follows:

As it has been explained earlier with regard to the threats faced by the planet earth by desertification that today it poses severe threats to each and every continent and region of the planet earth. Its continent wise statistics have been given in detail in previous pages. It has also been discussed in the previous pages that the severity of the threats posed by desertification to the planet earth is not the same everywhere. Instead the level of threat faced by different geographical parts of the planet earth is different from the other in severity. Some parts face severe threats, some moderate while some face slight threats. Hence upon combining all the statistics with regard to the desertification of earth together, the global picture which comes out fully corroborates the picture described in the hadiths, i.e., one third of the planet earth today is facing severe threats from desertification. In other words, we can say that one third of the planet earth has already been desertified. A report presented in the General Assembly of UN has concluded the following remark about desertification:

“Desertification affected one third of the earth’s surface and about 1.5 billion people globally.”30

UNESCO has further elaborated this in its following statement:
“Is Earth, our planet, losing its name? The earth is being degraded. According to estimates, 24 billion tons of fertile soil disappear annually and over the past 20 years, the surface area lost is equal to all of the farmland of the United States of America. Roughly one third of the world’s land surface is threatened by desertification, or put in another way; desertification already affects one quarter of the total land surface of the globe today.”31

At a time when one third of the planet Earth has fallen prey to the desertification literally becoming deserts, another one third of the earth is facing moderate threats from desertification, whose details are as follow:

“Collectively, today, nearly one third (30%) of the total land area of the earth is facing serious threat from desertification or in other words it has already converted into desert, which is affecting nearly one billion people according to an estimate. This means that one among every six people of the planet earth is facing desertification. Similarly, another one third of planet Earth has lost about 25 percent of its fertility.” 32

These latest details about the desertification of the planet earth shed ample light on two stages of desertification of planet earth mentioned in the hadiths, i.e., the one third of land area of the earth has converted into deserts, and another one third area of the earth has lost about 25 percent of its fertility till now. In light of estimates of future increase in global warming, there doesn’t seem to remain much time for the complete desertification of third portion of the land area of the earth. Now the question posed before us is when will the desertification of the last one third of the earth take place? And what is the logic behind these three gigantic stages of desertification of planet earth? Why the desertification of planet earth is taking place in three gradual stages instead of happening at one go?

In fact desertification is a gradual process. As it has been explained earlier that in desertification first the fertile land gets converted into barren and arid land and then the barren and arid land converts into deserts. About one third of the land area of the earth was arid and semi-arid. Hence this region will fall prey to desertification first. Desertification is said to be very severe in these arid and semi-arid areas. Since global warming is on increase day by day, the adjacent fertile areas are also becoming arid. In this, the process of desertification is taking place with full swing but gradually. The main cause behind this gradual process of desertification of the planet earth is nonexistence of the uniform temperature everywhere on the planet. Its details are given below.

Relationship between Three Stages of Desertification and Three Climate Zones of Earth
A more in-depth study of the three stages of desertification of planet earth will reveal that there exist strong relationship between three stages of desertification of planet earth and the three major geographical zones of the planet earth. The three geographical zones of earth are also known as its climate zones. In fact the planet earth is divided into three major geographical and climate zones.

Climate zones are areas with distinct climates. These climatic zones are based on their distance from the equator. The climate of these regions differs completely from each other. The main reason behind the climate variation on earth lies in the fact that the solar radiation reaches the ground on different parts of the Earth with different angles. This leads to the variation of heat and temperature in these regions. We will give brief details of these three major climatic zones of planet earth here:

1 – Tropical Zone: This zone is spread up to latitude 23.5° from equator in both the northern and southern hemispheres. It is very warm region. The solar radiation reaches the ground nearly vertical at noontime during almost the entire year. The average temperature of this zone varies between 15°C – 30°C. Most of the deserts of the world are situated in this zone.

2 – Temperate Zone: This region lies from latitudes 23.5° to 66.5° on both sides of equator. The solar radiation arrives with a smaller angle here. Hence the climate here is much cooler and temperate than in the tropics. The average temperature of this zone varies between 5°C – 15°C Celsius.

3 – Cold Zone: This region is located between latitudes 66.5° and 90°. This is also called the polar region. This region receives less heat through solar radiation since the sun has a very flat angle toward the ground. This is very cold region. The average temperature here varies between 0°C to -40°C. This region is almost covered with ice sheets.

Now, as we have discussed above that most of the deserts of the world are situated in the tropical zone, primarily because of the hot weather of this region and the other climatic events that occur due to heat there. Most of the one third of the planet earth which is facing threats from desertification is located in this region, whether it is in Asia, Africa, Europe or the Americas. In order to understand this mutual interaction between the temperature of earth and desertification, it is essential for us to understand the present deserts and its causes. The present deserts of the planet earth were formed due to their location in extremely hot areas and suffering there from hot and severe natural conditions thousands of years ago. It seems as if these hot deserts of planet earth are conveying us the message that if the earth’s average temperature would increase, the whole planet earth would turn into hot deserts like the one already existing!

Most of the regions of earth which are facing moderate threats from desertification are located in the Temperate Zone. Here too the major cause of desertification is said to be the increasing global warming and the subsequent climatic events occurred due to the warming. Since the climate here is not as hard as the one that exists in tropical region, hence despite the increase in global warming the climate has not become as hard as the one faced by the tropical region. Hence the threat of desertification is not as dire as the one faced by the tropical region.

As far as the third type of region is concerned which is known as the ‘cold zone’, this region is almost completely covered with ice sheets, and hence for the time being this region is out of danger of desertification. But in near future when all the ice sheets and glaciers of planet earth will melt ultimately as a result of increased global warming (as it has been predicted by scientists that in next few decades the average temperature of planet earth will increase by 8°C to 10°C) there is a strong possibility that this zone too will become victim of desertification as third and concluding stage of desertification of planet earth. In this way the complete desertification of planet earth is looking inevitable.

In a nutshell, today approximately one-third of the planet earth’s total area of the land is in danger of complete desertification. While another one-third of its area has lost 25 percent of its fertility, i.e., its one third areas has already converted into deserts and another one third is passing through various stages of desertification. When the second one third of planet earth will near the complete desertification, the third one will enter the process of desertification, making the desertification of planet earth complete.

In this way, the phenomenon of desertification which was noticed for the first time after 1950s, has completed the first one third of desertification and has reached almost the half of the second one third. Now it is easy to estimate how long it might take for the completion of the rest of the stages.

Diversified Aspects of Scientific Marvels of Quran and Hadith
In summary, all the latest researches and developments which are emerging with regard to the desertification of planet earth have got mentioned in Qur’an and hadith precisely in one way of the other whether it is with regard to the complete desertification of planet earth or with regard to its various gradual stages or its diversified causes. In fact, the above hadiths are encompassing the geographical and geological changes that are taking place on planet earth due to global warming eloquently and in a miraculous manner. This is shedding ample light on the scientific marvels of Qur’an as well as the hadiths too. Here we will give a brief of diversified statements of Qur’an and hadith with regard to the desertification of planet earth whose veracity has been proved in the light of modern scientific discoveries as discussed in the above pages:

1- Desertification is an important sign of doomsday according to Qur’an and hadith, while the science term ‘desertification’ as the end of being.

2- The phenomenon of ‘desertification’ has started to spread on planet earth as a result of current global warming.

3- According to Qur’an, hadith and modern scientific discoveries, desertification will be a global phenomenon which will engulf the whole of planet earth.

4- Desertification will not be limited to the continental areas but even the oceanic areas (ocean floor) will also fall prey to desertification.

5- Hadith and modern science both are in complete agreement that desertification will take place on planet earth in three gradual and gigantic stages.

6- Desertification on planet earth has completed its first stage and has entered the second one.

7- The current speed of desertification of planet earth ascertains that the complete desertification of planet earth is imminent in future sooner or later.

8- Three stage of desertification of planet earth indicates towards the existence of three geographical or climate zones, which indicate that due to the specific geographical and climatic condition prevalent in these three broad areas of earth, desertification of planet earth will take place in three major stages.

9- Hadith and science agree that the desertification of planet will not happen due to the deficiency or lack of rain, but it will take place as a result of change in the rain pattern despite abundance of rain.

Exemplary Case of Venus
What is more shocking in this regard is the discovery we have stumbled upon in our neighboring planet Venus with regard to the desertification! Hence Venus bears an instructive lesson for the earth and its dwellers. The planet Venus has also witnessed climate change similar to the one which is occurring on planet earth. There exist a lot of similarities between the climate changes of both Earth and the Venus. Due to its climate change, the planet Venus has witnessed all the terrible and devastating natural phenomena whose predictions have been made in the Qur’an and hadith with regard to its occurrence on earth. Hence Venus which was once considered a habitable planet and its climate favoured for the flourishing of life, today its surface temperature has reached 462°C due to runaway greenhouse effect; its oceans have dried up and have vaporized as the temperature rose and all of its water have lost into outer space; the observation of surface of Venus is not possible due to dense sulfuric clouds present in the Venusian atmosphere; there is immense concentration of Green House gases (96% carbon dioxide) in the Venusian atmosphere; the Venusian surface witnesses continuous volcanic activities. All these natural phenomena and natural calamities are found to be common in the earth’s current climate change and the past climate change on Venus. We have dealt with all these phenomena in detail in the previous pages.

In addition to existence of all these natural phenomena on Venus, there exist another striking similarity between Venus and Earth which we are intending to discuss here, and it is the complete desertification of the whole of planet Venus.

Just as 71 percent of the earth is surrounded by sea, and the remaining 29 percent is being occupied by continental land on planet earth which is divided into seven major continents, similarly 80 percent of the planet Venus is surrounded by oceanic land and remaining 20 percent is occupied by two highland continents called Ishtar Terra and Aphrodite Terra. The oceanic surface of Venus is witnessing continuous volcanic activity similar to the one found on Earth. But due to enormous increase of temperature on Venus, its oceanic water has vaporized and has slept into outer space. Today only volcanic plains are found on Venusian oceanic area, while the continental land of Venus has completely desertified. This means that the Planet Venus which was once as fertile and green as the earth today and which was full of green trees and plants now has completely turned into a burning desert and has become a horrendous example for inhabitants of planet Earth. Scientists have found enough evidence which show that the real cause behind Venus turning into a burning hell from that of a living heaven was a climate change similar to the one occurring on planet Earth. Scientists also predict that if the current rate of global warming on earth is not put under control, soon the earth too will witness the same devastating fate as that of Venus.

In this exemplary fate of the planet Venus, the main theme of our argument here is the complete desertification of Planet Venus which was once thriving with greenery and vegetation. As if this desertification of Planet Venus is warning us that if the global warming on Planet Earth exacerbated further, the Planet earth’s fate too will be also as exemplary as that of Venus itself. This is the inscription of wall and will certainly going to happen on planet earth sooner or later according to the predictions of Holy Qur’an and hadith.

Footnotes:
25 – Al Mu’jam al Kabir, Tabrani from Asma b. Yazid, Hadith No. 404; Al Fitan, Hanbal b. Ishaq, P. 8; Musnad Abu Dawood al Tayalisi, Hadith No. 1738; Al Jami, Abdul Razaq, Hadith No. 20821; Ishaq b. Rahwaih, Hadith No. 7; Musnad Ahmed, Ahmed b. Hanbal, Hadith No. 27579; Al Fitan, Nu’aam b. Hammad, Hadith No. 1481.
26 – Riwayah of Hadith (line of narration of hadith): Ibn Hajar al Haithami wrote that one of the narrators of this hadith whose name is Shahar b. Houshab is weak, while some others have called him siqa trustworthy. But from the point of dirayah of hadith, this hadith looks strong enough. Refer the above discussion for that.
27 – Nu’aam b. Hammad, Hadith No. 1446; Ibn Majah, Hadith No. 4077; Al Aahad Wal Masani, Ibn Abi Asim, Hadith No. 1249; Rowyani, Hadith No. 1239; Mustadrak Hakim, Hadith No. 8620, Hakim says this hadith is true on the condition of Muslim; Tabrani, Hadith No. 7644; Ibn Asakir, Vol. 2, P. 223.
28 – Lisanul Arab, Ibn Manzoor, V. 7, P. 283, Dar Sadir, Beirut, 2004.
29 – Sahih Muslim, Muslim, Hadith No. 2904.
30 – http://www.un.org/press/
en/2012/gaef3352.doc.htm
31 – http://www.unesco.org/
mab/doc/ekocd/chapter1.html
32 – summery from: http://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/desertification
33 – ibid.
34 – Atlas of the Universe, Patrick Moore, Philip’s, 1995.
35 – The Solar System, Giles Sparrow, Amber Books, London, 2006.
36 – We have discussed the causes behind the Venusian climate change in the light of Qur’an and hadith in the second volume of this book.