The Jurisprudential Aspect of the Subject
The Almighty says:
ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِي النَّاسِ لِيُذِيقَهُم بَعْضَ الَّذِي عَمِلُوا لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ (41)
"Corruption has appeared on land and in the sea because of what the hands of people have earned, so, that He may let them taste some of what they have done, that perhaps they might return [to the right path]." (41)
Regarding the phrase "Corruption has appeared on land and in the sea," Ikrimah stated: "I do not necessarily mean 'the sea' as you understand it; rather, it refers to any settlement situated by a flowing body of water." He further explained—citing a chain of narration through Yazid ibn Harun, from ‘Amr ibn Farrukh, from Habib ibn al-Zubayr, from Ikrimah—that the Arabs used the term "sea" (*bahr*) to refer to large towns or cities. As for the phrase "so that He may let them taste some of what they have done," it means that He causes them to suffer the consequences of some of their actions and the acts of disobedience they have committed. The phrase "that perhaps they might return" means: so that they may turn back toward the truth, repent, and abandon their acts of disobedience against God.
A Perspective on the Noble Verse:
"The Corruption Has Appeared"
It seems that, at times, corruption remains hidden—and in its concealment, there is a form of mercy. However, once it emerges and becomes a visible phenomenon, people’s eyes are drawn to it; eventually, they know nothing else and grow accustomed to its presence—a state far worse than its mere existence.
"On Land and at Sea"
If you were to look around your own surroundings, you would find that almost everything contradicts the natural order (fitrah) upon which this universe was established.
On Land
To cite just a few examples: consider the use of artificial lighting—which carries significant risks to physical health—rather than harnessing sunlight (for instance, by using solar-charged lamps to provide illumination at night). In fact, countries like China have even developed "artificial moons" that bathe the night in light, mimicking the brightness of day. Another manifestation of corruption on land is the disruption of ecological balance: the eradication of certain species leads to the unchecked proliferation of others—such as the rise in rat and snake populations following the culling of stray cats. Furthermore, it has been observed that excessive use of synthetic household cleaning agents can trigger premature puberty in pre-adolescent children. The use of non-natural, chemical-based cosmetics by pregnant women has been linked to autism and a myriad of other developmental issues in the fetus. As for pregnant women who smoke or consume alcohol—or are exposed to secondhand smoke—the list of potential, intractable illnesses for the fetus is endless. The forms of corruption on land are truly countless; research has even suggested that a maternal grandmother’s smoking habit is strongly correlated with an increased risk of autism in her grandchildren. The list goes on.
At Sea
We are not talking here about an oil spill that ruins the lives of hawks and eagles circling above the water, nor about fish dying, nor about humans falling ill after consuming such seafood—these are old, familiar stories. Instead, consider the continent of Asia, which alone accounts for a third of the world’s waste. While the situation has seen some recent improvement, the figures remain staggering. Why do these Asian nations generate such a massive volume of waste? It is because they host the world’s cheapest labor force, producing goods for top global brands—a phenomenon now known as "fast fashion." This term refers to a model characterized by the use of fabrics that can trigger allergies, dyes that may be hazardous to health, the exploitation of low-wage labor, and the exposure of workers to lethal chemicals without any protective gear or medical care. Ultimately, these unsustainable garments—whether surplus stock or items discarded on beaches—often end up in the mouths of sea turtles (creatures vital to maintaining the health and abundance of marine ecosystems). Similarly, plastic cups left on shores can break down into fragments that emit an odor resembling seaweed, enticing marine life to consume them. This leads to severe nervous and digestive system disorders in these animals—and, as you might recall, it is humans who eventually consume this very seafood.
Because of What People’s Hands Have Wrought
Does the situation described above have any connection to the Lord of the Worlds? Did life, following the Big Bang, begin in such a wretched state? Remember well what God—Blessed and Exalted is He—has pointed out: "Because of what people’s hands have wrought."
"That He may let them taste some of what they have done"
Someone might say, "We haven't tasted anything!" But what about climate-induced migration, climate injustice, and the nations that ought to be spending vast sums to assist the countries suffering the consequences—nations that are, in fact, the very cause of this climate instability? As highly industrialized and technologically advanced powers, they consume the lion's share of the Earth's petroleum; and activities like mining and oil extraction are among the most significant drivers of climate change.
"Perhaps they might return [to the right path]
Read that again: "Perhaps they might return"—perhaps they might feel remorse, or perhaps they might take a stand against corruption, each within their own sphere. Dear Muslim, corruption is not limited to the sins committed between you and God—for those, if you repent and turn back to Him, you are more likely to receive His mercy than His punishment; and if you do not repent, God, in His wisdom, knows how to guide you back to the fold of faith. Rather, the corruption referred to here is the harm you inflict upon the lives of others—seizing what is not rightfully yours, gained through the sweat, toil, and hardship of those who share this humanity with you... "Perhaps they might return." Let us now examine how some in the "disbelieving" West have addressed this specific aspect—"perhaps they might return"—even though they do not share our belief in the God of the heavens, exalted be His majesty. But before we begin, let us look at the reasons behind the extinction of certain species.
What are the primary causes for the extinction of some species?
1. Human hunting
This was the main reason for the extinction of the passenger pigeon. The passenger pigeon was widely regarded as a pest, and it is likely that, if brought back, it would simply be hunted again. Consequently, any efforts to revive extinct species—so-called "de-extinction" projects—must, if successful, adhere to the guidelines established by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The Carrier Pigeons
The Importance of Carrier Pigeons
"These [flocks of pigeons] acted as a biological storm, regenerating resources and allowing other animals to thrive." Furthermore, as forests along the East Coast of the United States regrow, "there is more habitat for the passenger pigeon every year."
What is meant by the term "hybrid"?
When a new animal is born, it carries a combination of genes from both parents. But what about an animal whose parents belong to two different species? The term "hybrid" was first used to describe the offspring of a domestic female pig and a wild boar—or, as Redford put it, "something humans wanted." Today, however, the term "hybrid" often carries a negative connotation; it is seen as neither one thing nor another—perhaps even worse than "genetically modified organisms" (GMOs), a category that now encompasses many commercial species, all of which are viewed somewhat unfavorably.
The Difference Between Ordinary Pigeons and Carrier Pigeons
Just as there are many types of dogs, yet bloodhounds possess a sense of smell a million times more acute than other breeds—implying they were specifically created for that purpose—it appears that the carrier pigeon, by its very design and creation, was fashioned by God to assist humans in the transmission of information and news. This raises a question: Who tamed this bird? Who endowed it with such sharp intelligence, extraordinary flight capabilities, and a powerful instinct to navigate toward its destination? Who made it so docile, capable of becoming accustomed to humans, serving them, and remaining at their disposal? This bird—the homing pigeon, or "messenger pigeon" as it is also called—can cover a distance of a thousand kilometers without stopping, flying continuously at a speed of one kilometer per minute, which amounts to sixty kilometers per hour. Furthermore, a pair of homing pigeons produces nine pairs of squabs (chicks) annually. We have never heard of an aircraft—for which we paid hundreds of millions of dollars—producing a smaller aircraft by the end of the year; yet, homing pigeons yield nine pairs of offspring each year, while also serving to carry messages across vast distances, navigating their way to deliver them with remarkable speed, especially by the standards of that era.
What is backcrossing?
To enhance the biosafety of chicken eggs—which humanity relies on for both vaccine production and food—chicken stem cells were introduced into a duck embryo, which was then raised to adulthood alongside chickens. The eggs produced by this duck hatched into live chicks. This serves as a proof of concept: while birds cannot be cloned, they can be engineered to carry the genes of other avian species, including those that are extinct. Through a process of repeated backcrossing—breeding successive generations to obtain an increasingly complete version of a desired genetic code—it might be possible, for instance, to induce a band-tailed pigeon (*Columba fasciata*)—a relative of the passenger pigeon—to lay eggs that hatch into passenger pigeon offspring, effectively creating a generation of proxies.
Have scientists truly brought animals back from extinction?
Yes. Using fundamental techniques like cloning—where the nucleus of a cell from one species is transferred into another—scientists have successfully revived endangered species. In 2003, a domestic cow gave birth to a banteng (*Bos javanicus*), a species of wild cattle native to Asia. Although the researchers involved were concerned that the resulting animal might resemble a domestic cow more than a banteng, it was indeed a banteng; it lived at the San Diego Zoo for seven years—a short lifespan, to be sure, but a life nonetheless. Robert Lanza of Advanced Cell Technology—the company that helped achieve this breakthrough—recalls: "It was surreal to see this exotic animal from the jungles of Southeast Asia being born in an Iowa field that smelled of cow manure."
The American chestnut trees or gastric-brooding frogs—
The revived species that have been genetically modified to resist fungal threats. Scientists will likely remain committed to certain species for the long term—much like the West Nile virus booster shots that veterinarians continue to administer to all existing captive and semi-wild California condors.
A look at the organization "Revive & Restore" as an example of groups working in this field
In 2012,
An organization called "Revive & Restore" announced plans to pursue the revival of the passenger pigeon, a species that has been extinct since 1914. If the process succeeds, scientists might be able to use such technology to bring other species back from extinction—particularly those deemed important for conservation.
In 2013,
The brand—one of the directors of "Revive & Restore"—identified several justifications for supporting "de-extinction" projects. He argues that the passenger pigeon project, along with similar initiatives, has the potential to "conserve biodiversity, restore degraded ecosystems, advance the science of preventing extinction, and repair damage caused by humans in the past."
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
It's guidance document on de-extinction recommends that such projects adhere to IUCN guidelines regarding reintroduction and assisted colonization. These guidelines state that "there should generally be strong evidence that the threat(s) that caused any previous extinction have been identified and effectively removed or sufficiently mitigated" (IUCN/Species Survival Commission, 2013, p. 4).
An Ethical Issues Surrounding the De-extinction of the Passenger Pigeon
Welcome to a new era of hybrids. Species have long intermingled, with porous boundaries between them; however, synthetic biologists and other scientists now appear determined to blur these boundaries—or erase them entirely.
1- It entails significant suffering for individual, sentient animals.
2- Selecting species for removal is a common strategy in managed relocation—essentially culling certain species to make room for others (in this case, the passenger pigeon).
3- Passenger pigeons are known for their resilience, which is partly why they were considered such a major nuisance. If reintroduced, they would likely be difficult to recapture and perhaps even harder to cull.
4- They could potentially only be managed through the use of poisoned bait. Of course, those currently working on sequencing the passenger pigeon genome could incorporate safety measures—perhaps by making the birds slower or less capable of long-distance flight. However, doing so would hinder their ability to survive on their own (effectively requiring them to be controlled via remote electronic chips)—a concept for which there is no scientific basis.
5- The individuals produced would be quite different from the historical passenger pigeon.
6- Reintroducing passenger pigeons would require the simultaneous reintroduction of various other species, especially when attempting to reconstruct an entire ecosystem. Doing so would exponentially increase all the risks already associated with reintroduction.
7- It is difficult to predict the ultimate impact of any given technology.
8- Different species, different environment.
9- Restored flocks of these pigeons could potentially become a new vector for the spread of avian influenza. Hank Greely, a bioethicist and law professor at Stanford Law School, remarked at the event: "Carrier pigeons could potentially carry some terrible diseases. No one wants to be responsible for an avian version of kudzu—or, for that matter, starlings. If people already dislike starlings—with their screeching, swarming behavior, and the way they ravage the landscape—how will they react when a rain of pigeon droppings begins to fall upon them?"
9. The relative cost of the project: these funds would have been better spent elsewhere—prioritizing the preservation of what we still have, rather than dwelling on what has been lost.
The Risk of Species Becoming Invasive
According to one definition, a species is considered "invasive" if it moves outside its original or historical range. Another prominent definition classifies a species as invasive if it exerts a negative impact on an ecosystem.
The Passenger Pigeons Pose a Risk to Ecosystems
These birds are known to travel in flocks—sometimes numbering in the billions—that can effectively consume entire food sources within a matter of days. Even when their population numbers are lower, they would still compete with other animals, including various bird species that have come to rely on those same food sources and the surrounding habitats.
The Obstacles
"We cannot clone birds," stated developmental biologist Michael McGrew of the University of Edinburgh at the event. The challenge lies in the fact that the yolk of a bird's egg constitutes a single, massive cell; to date, replacing a nucleus of such a size has proven impossible.
In Conclusion
Novak, for instance, hopes that with sufficient funding and determination, a living passenger pigeon could be created within a decade—a sort of "second coming" for the species. Ecologist Stewart Brand, a co-founder of the "Revive & Restore" initiative—which aims to bring back the passenger pigeon—remarks: "We haven't brought any extinct species back to life yet, but that will happen soon." We simply do not yet know which species it will be.
Just an Opinion
The experts in human development have long suggested a method for evaluating any idea: list the positive aspects on one side and the negative ones on the other. When we apply this to the proposal of bringing back the passenger pigeon—considering the risks, the relative costs, the potential for the species to become invasive, the threat of predation, and various other dangers—it becomes clear that the drawbacks far outweigh any benefits. Even if such an endeavor were to have a significant impact on curbing climate change, the risks involved are simply too great. This is, of course, not a religious or legal ruling; it is merely an opinion—one that stands entirely apart from the scientific consensus reached to date. While it is unlikely that any authority will alter the course of those pursuing this project, we believe it represents a misguided and frivolous manipulation of genetic engineering.