Islam
A comprehensive and universal religion was born in the severe Arabian desert to end the messages of the previous prophets: The divine revelation was transmitted in the last testament – the Koran.
Islam gives water sacred qualities and properties as a source of life, its support, and purification. Water is the source of all life on earth – it is the substance from which Allah created man (Koran, 25:54), and the Holy Koran affirms its fundamental significance (Koran, 21:30). Water is the main element that existed even before heaven and earth:
“He is the One who created, while His throne rested on the water, the heavens and the earth in six days” (Koran 11: 7).
The water of rains, rivers and fountains is often mentioned on the pages of the Koran, symbolizing the generosity of Allah:
“He is the one who sends the wind as a joyful message ahead of His mercy. And We sent down pure water from heaven “(Koran, 25:48).
At the same time, it is often possible to find words in the Koran that remind believers that Allah has given to people fresh water and that He can easily take it away:
“Have you thought about the water you drink? Did you send her out of the clouds or did We send her down? If We were pleased, We would make the water bitter. So why do not you give thanks? “(Koran, 56: 68-70).
In the same verse, believers are warned that they are only the keepers of the creation of Allah on earth and that they should not take His Law into their own hands.
Ablution – appeal to Allah in radiant purity
One of the hadith narrates how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to his companions:
“Purity is half the faith.”
These famous and often repeated words reveal not only the fundamental importance of purity and purification, but also the central place that water occupies in the Islamic religion. Purification through ablution is an obligatory part of the prayer ritual in Islam: prayers made not in a state of purity are not valid.
This means that Muslims must perform a ritual bath in front of each of the five daily prayers. In addition, in special cases, a more complete ritual is required. Koran tells to believers that
“Allah loves those who purify themselves” (Koran 9: 108),
and also contains the following instructions:
“Oh you who believes! When you begin to perform the ritual prayer, then wash your faces and hands up to the elbows, swipe [with the wet hand] over the head and wash your feet up to the ankles. And if you are in a ritual desecration, then bathe … Allah [at all] wants to create inconveniences for you – he wants you to be purified “(Koran, 5: 6).
Allah will reward those who keep the purity. The famous theologian Al-Ghazali testifies in one of the Hadiths of 11th century:
“On the Day of Judgment, the believers will come with their foreheads, wrists and ankles shining from the washing.”
The whole sections of the Hadiths are devoted to washings, and detail how to make them, and explain how to wash the various parts of the body. They also tell in detail that water used for ablution should be clean – a mutlak, which means that it should not contain impurities of any other liquids. The water of rains, wells, running waters, rivers and springs, as well as lakes, seas and oceans – is considered clean and suitable for ritual washing.
Body and soul: physical purity in a religious context
There are two types of washings. Voodoo, a small washing, is performed before the prayer as follows: wash the face, hands up to the forearms, head and legs. In the Hadiths it is explained that with the accomplishment of voodoo ‘the believer is cleansed of sins and that every drop of water falling on his hand turns Satan back.
Voodoo is described as almost entirely as a physical process, as if sin was a visible stain, and the cunning devil who clings to the believer can only be expelled by water. Thus, the hadith says that when a believer is washed during Voodoo, ‘every sin that can be seen with our own eyes should be washed from the face with the last drop of water. When he washes his hands and feet, every sin is washed up until he is cleansed of all sins.
Gusl – a complete washing, cleansing the body of a person from all impurities and dirt – must be performed after intimate relations, the birth of a child, before the adoption of Islam, as well as on the eve of important festivities, during hadj and after death.
Purifying of the mind. Spiritual purity
Voodoo and gusl are part of the act of worship – rituals that are inevitable before prayers, before reading the Koran and even touching it. These rituals include a spiritual component, meaning that even if a person is clean physically, but did not purify according to the ritual, he is not allowed to read the Koran and even touch it.
This prohibition has nothing to do with physical purity – whether the person has washed his hands to avoid staining the pages of the Holy Koran. This is exclusively a question of respect for the Word of Allah. Thus, physical purity alone is not enough to reach the state of Tahara, ritual purity. The ablution should be done not mechanically, but only after niyayat (announcing the intention to perform it), a silent expression of sincerity and devotion to Allah. Niyyat personifies the spiritual component of the ritual of purification: while the body is purified by water, the human mind must be completely focused on Allah. Doing voodoo or gusl, for example, just to freshen up in hot weather, makes them not valid.
The physical and spiritual components of the purification ritual reflect the Islamic principle of Tawhid (Unity): when a man performs his religious duties, his body and mind must be one whole. Islam means “surrendering to Allah”, and Muslims – those who have surrendered themselves to Allah, do so with their soul and body. The inscription of nabahs in the old Mauritanian quarter of Granada, explaining this connection between physical and spiritual purity, says that the human body is a mirror of his soul, and, therefore, “external spots also suggest internal”.
Water saving
In the hadith, there are calls for moderation and frugality in the use of water during ablution. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) warned against doing Voodoo more than three times in succession before every prayer. The Prophet himself (peace and blessings be upon him) bathed each body part two or three times, never exceeding this amount, even if there were much water. Interpreters of the hadith add:
“Scientists did not approve of excessive water consumption, as well as exceeding the number of ablutions carried out by the Prophet.”
The Hadith also has advice on how to act in case of water scarcity, which is based on the deeds of the Prophet. In one of the Prophet’s journeys (peace and blessings be upon him) in the wilderness with his associates, his wife Aisha lost the necklace. For a long time they spent in search of a necklace, and when the time of prayer came, there was no source of water nearby. Then Allah revealed to the Prophet the ritual of Tayammum:
“Oh you who believe! (…) If you are sick or on the way, (…) if you do not find water, then make ablution with clean and fine sand and sprinkle your faces and hands with it” (Koran, 4:43).
Thus, in some exceptional cases, clean ground can be used instead of water. Indeed, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) acknowledged and confirmed the pure nature of the ground, saying:
“The ground was created for me, as a mosque and as a means of purification.”
Islam and Christianity: two religions, two waters
One of the fundamental differences between Islam and Christianity is the view of the relation of body and soul. It also indirectly reveals a difference in the understanding of the value of water. Where Islam affirms the unity of body and soul, Christian philosophy sees two different entities. Inspired by Plato’s philosophy of dualism, she imagines a rational, controlled mind (soul) and a body governed by blind need, which is not always subject to reason.
The idea of the separation of human body and soul, accepted and approved by the Church, dominated in ideology of the early Christian ascetics. Their belief that physical hardship and suffering purify the spirit and bring it closer to Christ, led to rather controversial ideas about purification and purity. In the era of early Christianity, the saints boasted that the water never touched their feet, except for the cases when they had to cross the river. Saint Jerome also condemned ablutions as a pagan practice and claimed that “He who has been washed in Christ (I.e. was baptized) does not need to be bathed again.”
Such a negative attitude towards ablution and everything connected with it lasted a long time, until the Middle Ages began and it was spread far beyond the clergy alone. During the Spanish Reconquista of the 15th century, Queen Isabella announced publicly that she would not replace her robes until Granada fell, the siege of which lasted for eight months. In Islam, as already mentioned above, the unity of soul and body means regular ablution, and therefore bathing is a religious duty.
Christian Baptism, in which newborn children (or adults) are blessed with holy water and accepted into the bosom of the Church, also shows a difference in attitude towards water in other religions. In Islam, all water is sacred, – this is a gift sent down by Allah:
“We (…) have given you fresh water” (Koran, 77:27).
All pure water mutlak is suitable for ablution. Holy water, which is used by Baptists, has a different nature. It is not just any water, but only one that was consecrated for the name of Christ. This consecration empowers water with special properties and gives it a value that raises it above all other water. The testimonies of the first Fathers of the Church demonstrate the beliefs of people that the holy water expels evil spirits and heals many diseases. Many Christians kept baptized water in their homes throughout the year and used it to irrigate their fields, vineyards and gardens. In the Islamic dogma, all water is sacred:
“You see the ground shriveled. But once we send water to it, she swells, gives birth to all kinds of beautiful plants “(Koan 22: 5).
Bathing and drinking fountain – water heritage in an Islamic city
The special place that water has occupied in Islamic culture for centuries, has postponed its imprint on the external image of a city. Fountains, ponds, and public baths, which can still be found in the cities of the Islamic world, are the physical evidence of the central place occupied by water in the Muslim community.
Hamman, a public bathhouse, has a long history, whose roots go back to pre-Islamic times. Tradition attributes the authorship of bathing creation to King Solomon and Bilkis, Queen of Sheba (see Al-Talabi’s “History of the Prophets”, in which you can find more detailed information about the origin of the baths).
Scientists in general agree that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) himself never visited the hamman, nevertheless, these baths were widespread until the appearance of running water systems in homes. In addition to the fact that visiting hamman, undoubtedly, occupied the main place in the ritual of purification, steam and hot water also served medical purposes, so many people visited them in order to improve their health.
Now the hamman is not as popular as it used to be, except for such North African countries as Tunisia and Morocco: here a visit to hamman became in time a socially significant event in the same way as a component of the religious ritual. Prior to equipping the houses with water systems, the inhabitants of the Islamic city took water from fountains, reservoirs or wells. In many medieval cities, the source of water was also the place where women and girls, coming to fill their pitchers with water, met and talked.
Nowadays, there is hardly anything remained of these previously important places of social significance, with the exception of sabiles – fountains with drinking water, which became widespread during the Ottoman times.
The Sabiles were usually built on the donations of wealthy citizens. This water was free for everyone, and these places were more than just a source of water. Around them were erected buildings, and over time they changed the architectural appearance of the city, becoming its special attractions – monuments to the sacred properties of water. Recalling the words of the Prophet that the two greatest favors are:
“Water – to those who suffer from thirst and knowledge to know-nothings”
On the first floor of many sabiles there were small madrasas (schools). They are called sabil-kuttub, literally – “fountains of books” or “fountains of schools”. Hidden in the narrow alleys and streets of Islamic Cairo, Sabil-Kuttub can be found in our time. Some of them, built of wood, are decorated with fine carvings; others, richly decorated with elaborate ornaments, are like baroque tea gazebos.
Nowadays, some of them are difficult to recognize – they are half-ruined, collapsed buildings made of stone, hidden under a thick layer of dust and dirt. Now, when most houses are equipped with plumbing systems, sabiles have lost their former purpose, although some of the madrasas located in sabiles continue to function.
Shafa and Shirb: Water and Islamic Law
The severe desert climate of Arabia, the Middle East and the Sahara of North Africa makes the water in these places truly precious. Islamic law, Sharia, contains very detailed definitions of the proper use of water, thus ensuring an equitable and fair distribution of water resources among all members of the community.
The very word “Sharia” has a close relation to the word “water”. In the early Arabic dictionaries, its original meaning was: “a place that descends to the water.” Before the arrival of Islam in Arabia, the sharia was, in effect, a set of rules on the use of water – Shuraat al-maa were the permits that gave the right to drinking water. This term subsequently evolved into a set of laws and rules established by Allah.
Water is the gift of Allah. It is one of three vital things that every Muslim has the right – grass (pasture for cattle), water and fire. Water should be accessible to everyone, and any Muslim who keeps water that is not necessary to him, sins against Allah.
“No one can conceal the water that he has in abundance, without sinning against Allah and against man.”
The Hadiths say that among three people on the Day of Judgment Allah will neglect one who “having water in abundance, refused the traveler …”
In the Shariah there are two fundamental commandments that establish the rules for the use of water: shafa, the right to quench thirst, the common right for everyone to quench their thirst – their own and their animals; shirb, the right to irrigation, giving everyone the right to irrigate their crops. Both these rules are interpreted differently by different schools of Islamic law, and therefore their implementation differs in each separate region and village, whose communities apply this law, based on geographical and social conditions.
Boiling, rotten and hot water – punishment to unbelievers
Allah did not always send water as a gift. It can also be a severe punishment. Unbelievers and those who “joke and laugh” over their religion, will burn in a fiery rain, and boiling water will pour on them. In Hell, unbelievers will be forced to drink water from a heat-stirring spring (Koran, 88: 5). They will also drink boiling and rotten water (Koran 6:70), tearing their insides (Koran 47:15), and dragging them in fetters into boiling water (Koran, 40:72), which will also pour on their heads, burning their skin.
In the mundane context, water can also be a source of suffering. Indeed, the quantity and quality of the water sent down by Allah from heaven determines whether it is a blessing or a punishment. The Koran indicates the differences between the two types of water:
“… in one the water is tasty, fresh, pleasant to drink, and in the other – salty, bitter” (Koran, 35:12).
Salty, bitter and nauseating water can not quench your thirst or bring life to Earth: it brings only suffering. And it’s not just about water quality. The quantity also determines whether it bears life or destruction. And again the decision is in the hands of Allah, “who sent down rainwater from the sky in moderation” (Koran, 43:11).
This means that rains can give life to a barren land, bringing a harvest to people (Koran, 32:27), but they can also be stormy, carrying devastation, sweeping away crops and houses (Koran 6: 6). The Koran also says of the fence, the fiery rain and the “rain cloud that is in the sky.” She brings darkness, thunder and lightning “(Koran, 2:19).
“Water, greenery and beautiful face” – images of Islamic Paradise
Metaphors in which water symbolizes Paradise, the righteousness and mercy of Allah, are found in poetry and the Koran more than others. Based on numerous Koranic references to cool rivers, refreshing rain and fountains of fragrant drinking water in Paradise, we can conclude that water is the very essence of Paradise Gardens. It flows in them and under them, bringing a cool, feeding grass, and quenching thirst.
Believers will be rewarded for righteousness and charitable deeds:
“The picture of paradise promised to godly people: streams flow from water that does not deteriorate, streams of milk with invariable taste, streams of wine that give pleasure to drinkers, and streams of pure honey” (Koran, 47:15).
Water in Paradise never stagnates – it flows, flows and flows, unlike the rotten waters of Hell. In the Koran, the waters of Paradise are equated with moral honesty:
“There they do not hear vain words, there are flowing streams there” (Koran, 88: 11-12).
The descriptions of Paradise in the Koran led to numerous attempts to establish its whereabouts. Throughout history, Muslim rulers from Mauritanian Spain to Persia have sought to reproduce the image of Paradise in concepts of their palace gardens, creating skilful waterworks, fountains and ponds.
The Alhambra Gardens of Spanish Granada, the Baghe-Tarihi of Iranian Kashan and the gardens of Marrakech royal palaces personify the desire to create a Koranic Paradise on Earth. Waterworks and fountains around which they are built, skillfully weave into beautiful parks, revealing a person’s unique combination of water and beauty of picturesque landscapes, filling his soul with faith, joy and happiness.
Water through the eyes of a Muslim
As a source of life, water represents birth. It purifies the body, and this main property appropriates to the water an extremely symbolic and even sacred status. Therefore, it is a key element of religious rituals and rites in many religions.
In Islam, water also occupies an important place. It is the main element that existed even to the heavens and the earth: “He (Allah) is the One who created the heavens and the earth in six days while His throne rested on the water ” (Koran 11: 7)
Islam is a religion that take purity of the body and mind with special trepidation. Every prayer begins with ablution to appear before Allah in purity. During the washing, water rinses our dirt, removes impurities, purifies from sins.
If we look into the Koran, in many different suras (chapters) we find a mention of water. “Did they not see those who did not believe that the heavens and the earth were connected, and we divided them and made all living things out of the water. Will they not believe? “- says the Koran. (Koran, 21:31)
Also in the Koran it is said that we should thank for the water of Allah, appreciate it: “Have you seen the water you drink? Have you brought it down from the clouds, or have We lowered it? If We wished, We would make it bitter, why do not you thank? “(Koran 56: 67-69)
According to the Koranic expression, water is the most valuable creation of Allah after man. Every life arises from water, which is a blessing of the Most High.
Water gives life, preserves it and cleans everything. It is the most important product of everyday life.
Existence without water can lead to very serious consequences. In hot weather without it, a person can die in just a few hours from dehydration.
Studying the Koranic verses, we notice that they urge a man to meditate and deepen the essence of this vital substance. In the 27th verse of the Surah “The Sent” Allah says: “We gave you fresh water” (Koran 77: 27)
Water in the life of mankind
Almost all the great civilizations of the world were formed near the water source, which became the key to solving not only the issues of fresh water supply, but also agriculture, trade, transport and defense.
Today, the problem of freshwater deficit is becoming more urgent for many regions of the world. Its aggravation is associated with population growth, climatic changes and a number of other reasons.
In our enlightened age, when a man, having a sufficient amount of experience and knowledge, continues to behave towards nature not reasonable, wasteful, and sometimes “not humanly”, especially towards water resources.
Allah created everything on Earth, subordinating to man, showing concern for him. He gave at his disposal the heavens, the ground, the seas, and the mountains, in order that he might use them correctly.
The Almighty says in Koran: “Allah is the One who subdued the sea to you, so that ships sail over it according to His will and that you seek His mercy. Perhaps you will be grateful “(Koran, 45: 12-13).
Water plays a unique role as a substance that determines the possibility of existence and the very life of all beings on Earth. Here are a few ayahs:
“He is the One who sent down water from heaven. Through it, we planted all kinds of plants. We deduce from them green herbs, and from them – located one on another grains. On the palms grow low bunches of clusters of the ovaries. We cultivate vineyards, olives and pomegranates, which have similarities and differences. Look at their fruits when they appear and when they ripen. Verily in this is knowledge for the people of believers “(Koran, 6:99)
“He turned the ground to a bed for you, and the sky to a roof, He brought down water from the sky and nourished the fruits for your nutrition. Therefore, do not equate anyone with Allah consciously “(Koran 2:22)
Water plays the role of a universal solvent in which the basic biochemical processes of living organisms occur.
In the atmosphere of our planet, water is in the form of small droplets, in clouds and fog, and also in the form of vapor. When condensation it is removed from the atmosphere in the form of precipitation (rain, snow, hail, dew). As a whole, the liquid shell of the Earth is called the hydrosphere, and the solid one is called the cryosphere. Water is the most important substance of all living organisms on Earth.
Its role is invaluable in the life not only of man, but of the whole nature of our planet. The Almighty gave it to us in the quantity that is enough. Allah in the Koran says: “He sent down the water from the sky in moderation, and We enlivened the dead earth with it. In the same way you will be led out of the graves “(Koran, 43:11)
According to the calculations of meteorologists, every second 16 million tons of water evaporate from the earth’s surface. For a year this amount reaches 505 trillion tons.
However, the amount of rain falling annually on the surface of Earth is exactly the same figure! Subhan Allah! All this indicates that in nature a constant water cycle is carried out in strictly established proportions. Life on Earth is provided by the natural cycle of water.
The value of water
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), speaking of the value of water, said: “Water is the mistress (that is the best drink) of all drinks of this and that light.”
Al-Bukhari’s collection contains a whole volume of hadeeths about water and water use called “The Book of Wisdom on Water” (1997 edition, pages 79-85) and another volume called “The Book of Drinking Waters” (1994 edition, pages 538- 552). Other hadiths of water are scattered throughout the volume of the collection.
Therefore, it is more expedient not to rest on the enumeration of all the Prophet’s sayings (peace and blessings be upon him) concerning water, but those who will be interested in an in-depth study of this issue are invited to familiarize themselves personally with the mentioned collections.
Water for all and for the common good – such a fundamental idea is set out in a number of ayats.
Since the transfer of the ground from the category of “dead” to the category of “cultivated” is a subject of its irrigation and other activities (for example, protective), ground and water issues are generally considered in a reciprocal linkage:
“Really, in the creation of heaven and earth, in the change of night and day, in a ship that sails on the sea with what is useful to people, in the water, that Allah has brought down from the sky and enlivened the earth after her death, and scattered all animals, and in the change of the winds, and in the cloud that is between heaven and earth – are signs to the reasonable people “(Koran 2: 164)
In other words, an intelligent person should understand and appreciate all that is created and done by Allah, including the revival of the “dead earth” by precipitation in the form of rain and so on. All this is done for the good of man, for all people.
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) called for the saving of water 1,400 years ago, when the world was not yet aware of the water shortage crisis on earth.
One of the companions Abdullah Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said that one day the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by Saad while he was making ablution, and said:
“What is this extravagance, oh Saad?”. He asked: “Is there any extravagance in using water?” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) answered: “Yes, even if you are near a deep river.”
Similarly, in the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and blessing) it is narrated that the believer is cleansed of sins and that every drop of water falling at ablution erases his sins! So should we value and respect water as a gift of Allah? I think, of course we should!
Thanks to Allah for the granted blessing
Water is the sacred gift of Allah to all living things on Earth and, above all, to man; it is common and people should use it reasonably, economically and in fairness.
We should thank Allah for the gifted benefits and not be wasteful and arrogant.
In the Holy Koran in Sura 18 “Cave” there is a parable, telling about two owners of gardens: a believer and an unbeliever. When, having entered the garden, an unbelieving man prided himself on his possessions, he said to the believer: “I do not think that this garden will ever disappear. I do not think that the Day of Resurrection will come, and if, suppose, there is a resurrection, and I will return to my Lord, as you say, I will get a better garden in return, because I am worthy of bliss everywhere “(Koran 18:35).
In return, Allah expressed his condemnation with the mouth of the righteous man with the following edification: “Oh, if you, going into the garden and seeing what was in it, said:” Everything is Allah’s will! And all my strength is only from Allah! This gratitude would forever keep you the favor of Allah. ”
He also added that, Allah may: “send misfortune from heaven to your garden like a lightning strike, and he will become a slippery land where nothing will grow and on which no one can stand, or maybe his waters will go to an abyss under the ground, and you can not find them and get them to water your garden “(Koran, 18: 40-41)
Allah quickly rendered the unbeliever for his arrogance and ingratitude: “And the fruits of his garden were perished to the root. Breaking his hands, he regretted what he had spent on the garden that perished, and said with pity: “Oh, if I did not worship anyone but my Lord!” (Koran, 18:42)
We should learn from this story and try to create a healthy divine life, and thereby make our soul grateful for all the blessings (visible and invisible) that are granted to us by the Supreme for use.
It is necessary to thank at least for the fact that in our tap water flows day and night, and we do not even think about this good; for drink we have and possibility to cleanse the body and clothing; for the fact that, despite our ingratitude, the Lord continues to support us in life. But how many people in the world are dying from lack of water …
Finishing the article, it remains only to quote the words of the prophet Suleiman, who said: “Lord! Inspire me of gratitude for your mercy “(Koran, 27:19)
Water (H2O) forms the basis of all physiological fluids, including blood, cerebrospinal fluid, saliva, connective fluid. It is two thirds of the mass of human body, it regulates body temperature and it is an important condition for human life. Without water a person can die within a few days.
Water is essential for maintaining health and hygiene. Water is indispensable for agriculture and industry. Obviously, water is very important for the planet Earth and its inhabitants. It is not surprising that Islam takes the problem of water and its preservation very seriously.
Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, was born in the Arab desert, where water has always been a very great value. The theme of water is often found in Arabic literature and poetry, and has had a great influence on Islamic architecture and art. Islamic cities were usually built around mosques, so that nearby there was running water, a bathing-place for washing (before prayer), public drinking fountains and ditches for watering animals. Such fountains and baths were often decorated with prescriptions from the Koran, these were, as a rule, quotes on the importance and sacredness of water in Islam. In the Koran, water is seen as a substance that sustains life and is a key factor in purification. The Almighty says:
“… (Allah has done) from the water all living things” (Koran 21:30).
Muslims believe that water is God’s gift and proof of His existence, greatness and His Exclusiveness. God calls us to appreciate the rain, rivers, salt and sweet water; He calls us to recognize water as a sign of His Blessing. God has given us the water that we need so much, but he can also take it back.
“Who created the heavens and the Earth and sent water from heaven to you?” Through it we have cultivated beautiful gardens. You could not grow trees in them. So is there any god but Allah? No, but they are people who shy away from the truth (or equal assumed gods with Allah) “(Koran 27:60).
Water is undoubtedly a blessing of God, and we must use it wisely and try to protect it from pollution. The water in its original form is clean, colorless, odorless and very pleasant to the taste. It contains a small amount of minerals, it does not contain bacteria, organic impurities and parasites. Unfortunately, for many centuries people have polluted the water. Rainwater is contaminated by air pollution, rivers and streams are contaminated with decaying substances, household garbage, toxic chemicals, the oceans are polluted with household waste. Throughout the globe, rivers and seas cease to be a suitable source of food, millions of people no longer have access to clean, fresh drinking water, and polluted water is the agent of such diseases as typhoid fever, bilharziasis.
Pollution of standing water with waste of human life is especially dangerous. More than 1,400 years ago, the Prophet Muhammad warned people how dangerous is to drink and bathe in polluted water. He forbade urination and excrement near or in water sources. He pointed out to people the impossibility of using public places where people rest, pick up water or bathe, as a toilet. This prohibition can be attributed to any other pollutants, such as industrial waste, domestic garbage. All this can affect human health, the state of the environment, flora and fauna. God points out to us in the Koran that we do not harm the Earth that He created perfect (Koran 7:85) and convicts those who spread ungodliness on the earth, destroying crops and offspring (Koran 2: 205).
In many legendaries of the Prophet Muhammad, it is emphasized that keeping water clean is very important. He said: “Anyone who has awakened from sleep should not touch any utensils until he is washed three times, because he does not know what his hands touched”. He warned us not to leave food and water overnight naked (is in the collection of Ibn Maji).
Water is highly valued, and the laws of Islam carefully monitor the fair and equitable distribution of water resources. There are two key regulations that regulate the right to water. The first is the right to quench your thirst, the common right for all to quench your thirst-your own and your animals, and the right to irrigation, which gives everyone the right to irrigate their crops. Prophet Muhammad passed many traditions related to those who have priority in using water, and also, can someone own water as a property. Some of his statements explain how much water a person can spend at a time for bathing or irrigation. It is forbidden to use irrationally the water resources, even if water is available in large quantities.
Water is one of the greatest blessings sent to mankind. When it rains and irrigates the land, dried up by the sun, in every drop is seen the mercy of God. The clearest water falls from the sky; But God is omnipotent, and He can easily deprive us of His blessing. He reminds us of this:
“From the sky We descend the necessary amount of precipitation and” populate “the earth with them, make sure that water is stored and stored in the ground. We can do so that it does not become. “(Koran 23:18).
Islam recognizes man as the keeper of the earth and everything that exists on it, including plants, animals, oceans, rivers, deserts and fertile soils. God has provided us with everything necessary for us to be able to live and prosper, and we are obliged to keep and cherish all this for future generations. Water is one of the resources that is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain. The verses from the Koran and the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad require us to remember our obligations and keep the water clean for all mankind.
