Toshihiko Izutsu’s Semantic Analysis of the Term “العَالَمِيْنَ” (al‘Alamin) from the Perspective of Quranic Ecology

Abstract

The term al-‘ālamīn (العالمين) is one of the fundamental concepts in the Qur’an that represents the totality of God’s creation and the ontological relationship between God, human beings, and the universe. This article aims to analyze the meaning of this term using Toshihiko Izutsu’s semantic approach, with particular emphasis on its ecological implications. The method employed consists of lexical, contextual, and relational analysis within the semantic field of the Qur’an. The findings indicate that al-‘ālamīn (العالمين) does not merely refer to the human world, but encompasses the entire system of life as a divine sign (āyah), governed by the principles of balance (mīzān) and human trusteeship (khilāfah). These results affirm that environmental preservation in Islam has a strong theological and ethical foundation rooted in the concepts of tawḥīd and the rubūbiyyah of God as the Lord of all worlds