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Water in the Holy Qur'an
Since the beginning, water has had a prominent role in the sustenance of life and naturally has played a part in the continued existence of mankind. The role of water in the generation and growth of life has for a long time been under consideration in the scientific theories and today all the scientists agree on that point.
Water has also led mankind into creating exceptional masterpieces of engineering. The aqueducts built in Ancient Rome and Iran, just at the time when the Roman Empire and the Iranian Kingdom were at their zenith of power, the small dams, the public baths, the wells, the Qanats which are still functional, and water reticulation systems of clay are all just examples of the aforementioned masterpieces.
Our predecessors by building ships of different sizes set their feet on unknown shores and this resulted in conquest, expansion of trade, and the development of new lands. Thus one could say that throughout history, water has been an important factor in shaping mankind’s way of life, and in the development of technology, language, and culture.
In spite of these facts, for thousands of years, mankind, by his agricultural, industrial and other activities has polluted water, this blessed gift from God, without any hesitation. The daily growth of population and in its wake the multiplication of man’s need for resources and raw materials has resulted in the pollution of surface and underground waters with new chemicals and as time passes the sources of clean water are gradually getting polluted and we see the degradation of the quality of water, particularly in the case of the limited sources of drinkable water.
Considering the fact that the sacred religion of Islam has not left even the smallest affair of man’s life unattended and that the Holy Verses of Qur’an have repeatedly emphasized the important role water plays in mankind’s life, in this essay we will be reviewing briefly the allusions God the exalted has made to water in the Verses of the Holy Qur’an.
1- In 33 Verses of the Holy Qur’an, God says that after the creation of heavens and earth He sent water to revive the dead soil, and water is considered as the source of life, the origin of all plants and animals, and the source of existence. These 33 Verses are as follows: An-Nahl 10, Qaf 9, An-Nahl 65, An-Naml 60, Al-’Ankabut 63, Ar-Rum 24, Al-Mursalat 27, Al-A’raf 57, Yunus 24, Hud 7, Ibrahim 32, Al-Hijr 22, Al-Baqarah 164, Fussilat 27, Az-Zukhruf 11, Al-Qahf 45, Ta-Ha 53, Al-Hajj 5, Al-Hajj 63, Al-Mu’minun 18, Al-A’raf 48, ‘Abasa 25, An-Naba’ 14, Luqman (AS) 20, Fatir 27, Az-Zumar 21, Al-Anbiya’ 30, Al-Mulk 30, An-Nur 45, Al-Furqan 53, As-Sajdah 8, Al-Mursalat 20, At-Tariq 6.
Today mankind in his exploration of other planets, first of all looks for the existence of water on them. The latest researches on the planet Mars show that at some point of time there had been rivers flowing on the surface of that planet. Thus the possibility of living on the planet Mars and on other planets is being considered by scientists. Our planet Earth is the only planet of the Solar System which has as much water on its surface to allow the emergence of oceans: 71% of the surface of the Earth is covered by water. The long history of the Earth has always been closely tied to that of the oceans. The oceans regulate the essential functions on the surface of the Earth. They are the main sources of the waters that pour on the surface of the Earth as rain and snow. Considering the high thermal capacity of water, the oceans are one the most important regulators of the climate of the Earth. There is no other chemical substance on Earth, other than air, which is as vital as water for the continuation of life. No other substance is considered as much as water a part of the physical environment of the Earth. Its vapor absorbs the radiation and thus provides a suitable thermal equilibrium in the environment we live in. At its liquid form, water causes the erosion of soil, giving Earth its spherical shape, produces fertile soil, carries away the mineral and chemical wastes left from agricultural and industrial activities, and is - and will be for a long time to come - the best medium for disposing of such wastes.
If today, man of the 21st century has learned the fact that an indispensable result of the development of industry, technology and human society is the ever-growing pollution of surface and underground water resources and that this pollution one day will emerge as an environmental disaster, thousands of years ago God the Exalted in many passages and on various grounds has alluded to the value and importance of the vital substance in the Divine Book of the true religion of Islam, and there are various sayings and traditions narrated from the infallible Imams (AS) on the same subject. In today’s world, one of the indicators of the all-encompassing development of societies is considered to be the availability of water resources. Droughts and the ever-growing shortage of water in many parts of the world, has compelled mankind to deliberate and recognize the value of this vital substance. Much of the underlying plans made in the countries of the world are about the better and more correct manner of utilizing this gift from God.
2- God the Exalted in Verse 43 of the Surah An-Nisa’ and in Verse 6 of the Surah Al-Ma’idah instructs the believers to use, in the first instance, water for purification and cleansing, and for preparing themselves to perform his prayers.
Water is an extraordinary substance, which compared to similar compounds, is exceptional in all its physical and chemical characteristics. One of these noticeable and practical characteristics of water is its unparalleled aptitude as a solvent. In fact, since many of the known chemicals in the world could be dissolved in water in different quantities without changing any of its chemical characteristics after the dissolution, water is called the “universal solvent.”
With all the scientific and technological advances, water is still one of the main cleansers which is of great interest to man. Scientists have not yet been able to replace it with any other substance, and so we Muslims are proud that in our Divine Book this unique quality of water has been mentioned in detail, and that in the books and fatwahs of the high-ranking Shi’a jurists on the subject of purification and purifying substances, water has been referred to as the main purifier.
1- In Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 74, God the Exalted, concerning the hard-heartrdness of a group of people alludes to the flowing of water: In that Verse it is said that from some rocks and stones rivers and springs flow, but the hearts of some people are even harder than rocks.
2- From the above-mentioned Verse a scientific and a moral point could be drawn:
A) The scientific point:
As we know water increases in volume as it solidifies and thus its density decreases as it turns into ice (this peculiar phenomenon is the reason why you see ice floating on the surface of water.) With this quality water acts like a wedge and splits small and large pieces of stone and rock by penetrating into their fissures and then turning into ice. This behavior is similar to erosion. Also underground water can dissolve the elements, which they encounter in their way, including sedimentary rocks. This behavior in some places may cause water to boil out from the middle of stones and rocks and so it seems that in the mentioned Verse this unique potential of water is being alluded to.
B) The moral point:
The Verse(2:74) is probably referring to the effects of sin and wrongdoing. The most important of these effects is the hard-heartedness in mankind, and so God in this Verse says:
“Then your hearts hardened after that, so that they were like rocks from which streams burst forth, and surely there are some of them which split asunder so water issues out of them, and surely there are some of them which fall down for fear of Allah(SWT), and Allah(SWT) is not at all heedless of what you do.”
And explains this very important forewarning to mankind and clarifies the consequences of disobedience towards God.
4- In the Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 22, Al-An’am Verse 99, and Al-Jinn Verse 16 God introduces water as a gift sent from the heavens, the cause of blessing, and the source of mankind’s sustenance.
Today in spite of the various methods of exploiting underground water resources, mankind all over the world still considers the main source of water to be the downpour from the sky and creating artificial rain is an example of man’s effort to affect that objective. In the aforesaid Verses the necessity of man’s search and need for acquiring water from the atmosphere is being refereed to.
5- In five Verses of the Holy Qur’an, God mentions the importance and holiness of water and alludes to the fact that the dwellers of hell are forbidden from drinking fresh water, and that those who are in the paradise can utilize this gift.
These Verses are the Surah Al-A’raf Verse 50, Ibrahim Verse 16, Al-Waqe’ah Verse 68, Al-Qahf Verse 29, and Muhammad Verse 15. In these Verses the high value of this gift of God is alluded to. Also refreshing water is said to be one of the rewards of the people immortal in paradise. So it is necessary that we try our hardest to secure and save the limited sources of drinkable water, and to abstain from polluting this vital substance so as not to be afflicted with the punishment for ingratitude towards God.
6- In the Surah Ar-Ra’d Verse 17 water is referred to as a gift that is remaining and enduring on Earth. In this Verse the cycle of water is being alluded to. The hydrologists have proven the existence of a permanent cycle in nature, called the cycle of water. This means that the water which evaporates from the surface of seas and oceans, returns to the surface as rain and snow. As far as today’s knowledge can demonstrate, there is no reason for the leakage of the Earth’s atmosphere, including the vapor it holds, into the outer space. If such a phenomenon did happen, it would have caused a reduction in the air and water reserves of our planet. Thus the total volume of water on Earth is fixed. The way this interesting point has been alluded to in the Verse mentioned, is very intersting.
7- In the Surah Al-Qamar Verses 11 and 12, and in the Surah Al-Haqqah Verse 11 God says that the transgressing people, such as the people of Noah, were destroyed by water. In other words the same gift that is an element of sustenance and the source of life in beings, is also the tool for punishing the disobedient and rebellious people.
Bibliography:
1- Guide to water, Dr. A. Kamali-zadeh, Iran Elmi Publications, 1985.
2- Hydrology, Dr. M. R. Ghafuri and Dr. S. R. Mortezavi, Tehran University Press, 1988.
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