Islamic Eco-Theology and Hadith on Justice: A Theological Critique of Colonialism and Environmental-Economic Exploitation in Africac Exploitation in Africac Exploitation in Africa

Colonialism in Africa has entrenched the exploitation of natural resources, a legacy that persists today through multinational corporations, foreign debt, and neoliberal policies. The Democratic Republic of Congo, with the world’s largest cobalt and copper reserves yet over 60% of its population living in extreme poverty, exemplifies this enduring global inequality. In this context, the hadiths of Prophet Muhammad PBUH, which stress distributive justice, prohibition of monopoly, and ecological stewardship, gain critical relevance. This study explores the normative contribution of hadith to economic and environmental justice in postcolonial Africa. Using a qualitative descriptive method with historical-critical and theological-normative approaches, it integrates hadith textual analysis with the socio-economic realities of African societies. Findings reveal three main points: first, hadiths on water, land, and tree planting articulate principles of conservation and equitable resource distribution; second, Islamic ecotheology frames environmental degradation as a violation of human responsibility as God’s khalīfah (steward); third, development models grounded in hadith values offer alternatives to exploitative global capitalism. The study concludes that revitalizing hadith is vital not only for theological discourse but also for guiding ethical and structural systems, aiming to build a more just and sustainable global order for African societies still burdened by colonial legacies.