WATER ~ The Liquid of Life
| Khatib : |
Sadullah Khan |
| Khutbah No: |
232 |
| Khutbah Date: |
03/23/07 |
إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلاَفِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَالْفُلْكِ الَّتِي تَجْرِي فِي الْبَحْرِ بِمَا يَنفَعُ النَّاسَ وَمَا أَنزَلَ اللّهُ مِنَ السَّمَاء مِن مَّاء فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الأرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَبَثَّ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ دَآبَّةٍ وَتَصْرِيفِ الرِّيَاحِ وَالسَّحَابِ الْمُسَخِّرِ بَيْنَ السَّمَاء وَالأَرْضِ لآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ [i]Surely, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the succession of night and day: and in the ships that speed on the sea with what is useful to humans: and in the waters which Allah causes to pour from the sky, giving life thereby to the earth after it had been lifeless, and facilitating all manner of living creatures to sustain themselves and multiply thereon: and in the change of the winds, and the clouds that run their appointed courses: [in all this] there are messages indeed for people who use their reason. [/i][Qur’an 2:164]This week, 5 years ago, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) designated 22 March (of each year) as the World Day for Water.
Water in the Qur’anAs the summit of universal religions, Islam was brought to completion by our beloved Prophet, who was born, lived and had his mission in the harsh deserts of Arabia; and that
deen of Islam ascribes the most revered qualities to water as a life-giving, sustaining, and purifying resource. - Life: It is the origin of all life on earth, the substance from which God created humankind ,
Allah it is Who out of this [very] water has created man, and has endowed him with [the consciousness of] descent and marriage-tie: for your Sustainer is ever infinite in His power. [Q 25:54]
- Living: The Qur’an emphasizes the centrality of water to life and living itself:
We made from water every living thing [Q 21:30].
- RevivingAllah sends down rain from the sky and with it gives life to earth [Q 30:24]
- Divine Benevolence: The water of rain, rivers, and fountains runs through the pages of the Qur’an to symbolize Allah’s benevolence:
It is Allah who sends forth the winds as a glad tiding of His coming grace; and causes pure water to descend from the skies [Q 25:48].
- Cleanliness: The oft-repeated words of the Prophet الطهور شطر الايمان
“cleanliness is half of faith,” reveal not only the central importance of purity and cleanliness, but also the essential role water plays in Islam.
- Pre-human: Water is the primary element that existed even before the heavens and the earth did:
It is Allah Who created the heavens and earth in six periods, and His Throne was upon the waters. [Q11:7].
- Shari’ah: Even the word shari`ah itself is closely related to water. It is included in early Arab dictionaries and originally meant
“the place from which one descends to water.” Before the advent of Islam in Arabia, the shari`ah was, in fact, a series of rules about water use: the شرعة الماء
shir`at al-maa’ were the permits that gave right to drinking water. The term later was technically developed to include the body of laws and rules given by Allah for the regulation of human life on earth.
- Paradise: The Qur’anic metaphors in which water is used to symbolize Paradise, righteousness, and Allah’s mercy are quite frequent. From the numerous Qur’anic references to cooling rivers, fresh rain, and fountains of pure, flavored drinking water in Paradise [Q 47:15]
Faces that Day will be shining well-pleased with [the fruit of] their striving in a garden sublime, wherein there will be no nonsensical talk; Countless springs will flow therein [Q 88: 8-15]We can deduce that water is the essence of the gardens of Paradise. It flows beneath and through them, bringing coolness, sustenance and beauty.
Liquid of lifeOur Earth seems to be unique among the other known celestial bodies. It has water, which covers three-fourths of its surface and constitutes 60-70 wt % of the living world. Water regenerates and is redistributed through evaporation, making it seem endlessly renewable. With more than 60 % of the earth's surface covered by water and life will cease on earth in the absence of water. At a micro level, the human body consisting of more than 70% of water, so it is evidently clear that water is one of the prime elements responsible for life on earth. Water circulates through the land just as it does through the human body, transporting, dissolving, replenishing nutrients and organic matter, while carrying away waste material. A human being needs about 2.5 quarts of water a day (from drinking or eating) to maintain good health. Water is involved in all bodily functions: digestion, assimilation, elimination, respiration, maintaining temperature (homeostasis) and the strength of all bodily structures.
Water, water every where, yet ….Only 1% of the world's water is usable to us. About 97% is salty sea water, and 2% is frozen in glaciers and polar ice caps. Thus that 1% of the world's water supply is a precious commodity necessary for our survival. Dehydration (lack of water) will kill us faster than starvation (lack of food). Since the plants and animals we eat also depend on water, lack of it could cause both dehydration and starvation. The scenario gets worse. Water that looks drinkable can contain harmful elements, which could cause illness and death if ingested.More than one billion people worldwide lack access to clean water and over two billion do not have adequate sanitation facilities. During the past 10 years more people have died from lack of clean water than in armed conflict. A bizarre fact, given that simply washing one’s hands with soap and water can reduce this disease by one-third. Yet some people have never had the opportunity to enjoy the luxury of clean and safe water. They are instead exposed to eighty percent of diseases in the developing world caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation. This while we in America flush 6.8 billion gallons of water down the toilets every day.The UN World Water Development Report indicates …[list][*]Currently over one billion people lack a reliable supply of water [/*] [*] 2.4 billion people - or just under half the world's population - have no adequate water supply for daily needs. [*]Human pollution is one of the main factors seriously undermining the quality and availability of freshwater, says the report. About 2 million tons of waste are dumped every day into rivers, lakes and streams. One gallon of wastewater pollutes about eight gallons of freshwater. [/*][*]As a result, more than 2.2 million people die each year from diseases owing to contaminated drinking water and poor sanitation. [/*][*]Everyday around 6,000 people, mainly children under the age of five, die from water-related diseases.[/*][*] The World Resources Institute predicts that by 2025, at least 3.5 billion people, or nearly 60 percent of the world's population, will face water scarcity. [/*][/list]
Avoid Wastage and Pollution-The Prophet advised the Muslim armies that even when in enemy territory, not to pollute the water-The Prophet performed ablution washing each part no more than three [times] and said: “Whoever increases more than three he does excess and wrong.” This in keeping with the Qur’anic injunction, so necessary for water preservation …
كُلُواْ وَاشْرَبُواْ وَلاَ تُسْرِفُواْ إِنَّهُ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْمُسْرِفِينَeat and drink but do not waste: verily, Allah does not love the wasteful! [Qur’an 7:31]
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