<![CDATA[Ecological crisis is often framed as a technical problem, yet for Muslim communities it is also a question of meaning: how scripture is understood and lived. This study examines the Qur’anic verses on nature conservation in M. Quraish Shihab’s Tafsir Al-Mishbah and traces how they are received by the people of Rantobi Village, Batang Natal District, Mandailing Natal Regency, North Sumatra, who live alongside unlicensed gold mining on the Batang Natal River. Using a descriptive qualitative design, the study combines a thematic reading of eight verses (Q. 2:30 and 2:205; 6:165; 7:56; 28:77; 30:41; 55:7–8; 67:15) with fieldwork consisting of observation, interviews with four informants, and documentation. Data were analysed through reduction, display, and conclusion drawing within a Living Qur’an framework. The findings show that Shihab builds a layered ethic of conservation: legitimation of use (taskhir, ihsan), limits (mizan, the prohibition of fasad), and accountability (khalifah, amanah, trial). Villagers grasp this message substantively, although they do not memorise the verses, through religious gatherings, Friday sermons, and lectures. Yet it has not translated into practice because of economic pressure and the scarcity of alternative livelihoods. The article proposes the notion of arrested normative reception to describe this condition and outlines implications for ecological preaching, village policy, and economic empowerment. ]]>
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