The Natural World as Sacred Book - Qur'anic Perspectives

A lecture by Farhana Mayer on nature and creation using the metaphor of the Divine as primordial artist. The presentation will address creation as divine art based on Qur’anic perspectives of the natural world. It will explore how the Qur’anic emphasis on creation, including humankind, as “signs of God” and its view of humankind’s role on earth makes ecological awareness and good practices a necessary consequence. Please note that doors will close shortly before the advertised time so we request that you arrive 15 minutes before the start time. Open for all, regardless of faith. About Farhana Mayer Farhana is a Qur’anic Hermeneutics scholar and current research affiliate at Laudatory Si’ Research Institute. She is currently working on producing theological and ethical principles based on the Qur’an that can be applied to integral ecology as a Muslim response to environmental issues. She was formerly a lecturer in Sufism at SOAS, the School of Oriental and African Studies (2010–2012) and at the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London. Her publications include An Introduction to Qur’anic Ecology and Resonances with Laudato Si’ (Laudato Si' Research Institute in collaboration with the Randeree Charitable Trust, 2023), Spiritual Gems: The Mystical Qur'an Commentary Ascribed to Ja`far al-Sadiq (Louisville: Fons Vitae, 2011), and Anthology of Qur’anic Commentaries: On the Nature of the Divine with F. Hamza and S. Rizvi (Oxford: Oxford University Press/Institute of Ismaili Studies, 2008). About The Cambridge Festival of Islamic Arts The Cambridge Festival of Islamic Arts runs from 19 to 29 November 2026, bringing performances, exhibitions, lectures, and workshops to Cambridge's historic colleges, museums, and cultural spaces. Open to everyone, the festival celebrates the beauty and diversity of Islamic arts, and, fifty years on from the landmark 1976 World of Islam Festival, carries that spirit into our own time. Find out more at cfia.co.uk.