In their deep-rooted research, scientists decided to coin a formula (H2O) and use it to analyze the natural contents of water. From such analysis, they identified the various types of water and their uses in an environment. They then concluded that water is actually the source of life for all living organisms. That is a way of agreeing with Qur’anic revelation about creation. Water is ubiquitous in the environment. It comes from both the sky and the earth.
According to Encyclopedia Encarta (1993-2008 edition), water is the major constituent of any living matter as it constitutes about 50 to 90 percent of the weight of living organisms. The basic material of living cells called protoplasm consists of a solution in water of fats, carbohydrates, proteins, salts, and similar chemicals.
Water acts as a solvent transporting, combining, and chemically breaking down those substances. Blood in animals and sap in plants consist largely of water as it aids transportation of food and removal of waste materials. It also plays a key role in the metabolic breakdown of such essential molecules as proteins and carbohydrates.
This process called hydrolysis goes on continually in living cells.
Composition
Because of its capacity to dissolve numerous substances in large amounts, pure water rarely occurs in nature. During condensation and precipitation, rain or snow absorbs from the atmosphere varying amounts of carbon dioxide and other gases as well as traces of organic and inorganic materials. In addition, precipitation carries radioactive fallout to the earth’s surface.
In its movement on and through the earth’s crust, water reacts with minerals in the soil and rocks. The principally dissolved constituents of surface and groundwater are sulfates, chlorides, and bicarbonates of sodium as well as potassium and the oxides of calcium and magnesium.
Surface waters may also contain domestic sewage and industrial wastes while ground waters from shallow wells may contain large quantities of nitrogen compounds and chlorides derived from human and animal wastes.
Waters from deep wells generally contain only minerals in solution.
Almost all supplies of natural drinking water contain fluorides in varying amounts. The proper proportion of fluorides in drinking water has been found to be a reducer of tooth decay and similar ailments.
Apart from concentrated amounts of sodium chloride, or salt, seawater contains many other soluble compounds, as the impure waters of rivers and streams are constantly feeding the oceans. At the same time, pure water is continually lost by the process of evaporation, and as a result the proportion of the impurities that give the oceans their saline character is increased.
Rainy season
Now, in Nigeria, like in many other non- Sahel Ian African countries, we are in another season of rains when, as usual, water is found everywhere but mostly unavailable for drinking. This is the season in which the sky opens up its generous bowl to pour down water in abundance. But the earth has only a small room to accommodate the gesture hence there is deluge everywhere.
This is a period when plants and animals feel that their needs for survival have been grossly exceeded. In this season, most countries are flooded with water and humanity becomes restive. Thus, this stands out as the season in which the bounties of Allah seem to be too much for the water need of man. In Europe, Asia, Africa, America and Australia, the story is one and the same. The world is grappling with a deluge.
Blaming nature
When this happens the tendency is for the scientists to lay blame at the door-step of what they call global warming. They thus give many reasons including the depletion of the Ozone Layer as the causes. But many centuries before those scientists began their research the unlettered Prophet Muhammad (SAW) had taught Muslims how to handle environmental dryness as well as deluge. One of the solutions he recommended is to thank Allah and request from Him a moderation of His divine largess. This is the time to realize that moderation rather than excess of anything is the best in man’s life. In Islam, there is no cause or effect of a matter that is not known or cannot be controlled by Allah. Whatever happens in the life of man is by Allah’s permission.
The world is like a queue. You enter it at a point and come out of it at another point. This is one major lesson which every Muslim has come to learn through the observance of daily prayers (Salat). In Salat alone where forming queues is essential, a lot of lessons are learnt by Muslims.
Ritual baths
One basic lesson to learn in Salat is hygiene. As a new convert to Islam, you have to undergo a ritual bath called Ghuslu-s-Shahadah or Ghuslu-d-dukhul fil Islam otherwise known as convert’s ritual bath which is performed with water. When you want to observe any Salat, be it obligatory or supererogatory, you must perform ablution with water.
This is called Wudu’. If there is no water, you resort to dry ablution called Tayammam. As a Muslim, after an intercourse with your spouse, you must perform a ritual bath called Ghuslul Janabah before you can observe any Salat.
When a Muslim woman completes her monthly menstrual period she must perform a ritual bath called Ghuslul Haydah before she can resume observance of Salat. A Muslim woman who has just completed her blood-dripping period following child delivery must perform a ritual bath called Ghuslu-n-Nifas before she can resume observance of Salat.
A newly born baby in Islam must be taken through a mandatory bath called Ghuslul Wiladah which is also done with water.
Muslim pilgrims must commence their Hajj or Umrah activities with a ritual bath called Ghuslul Hajj or Umrah at their respective Miqat before they enter the condition of Ihram. When a Muslim, male or female is dead, a ritual bath is performed on his or her body. This bath is called Ghuslul Janazah. Anybody who carries out a bath on a dead body must also undergo a ritual bath of purification called Ghuslu-t-Taharah mina-n-Najasah (bath for purifying self from filth).
This is because a dead body in Islam is like a filth which must be disposed of as quickly as possible before it starts to decompose and thereby constitute health hazard for the living. Whoever touches such filth has had a share of it and must therefore cleanse up before observing any Salat. Such a person cannot participate even in Salatul-Janazah on the body of the deceased person which he has just cleaned up until he, himself, has taken the purification bath.
Unique hygiene
Muslims are expected to clean up with water through ablution at least five times a day. And, as a prophetic tradition prescribes, they are also expected to perform ritual bath on Fridays in preparation for Salatul Jum’ah though such bath is Sunnah (optional) rather than Fard (obligation). Naturally, women, especially Muslim women, utilize water much more than men. They are the ones who take care of the children and, in the process, they clean up for those children many times a day. Besides, women are the ones who must clean up for menses every month. They are the ones who must clean up ritually after 40 days, following child delivery. They are the ones in charge of matrimonial kitchens where they use water days and nights. Thus, when the demography of women in any society is compared to that of men one can imagine the quantity of water consumed daily or weekly by women.
Given the fact that water plays a central role in the life of a Muslim therefore, two important conclusions can be reached. The first is the fact that Islam is absolutely a religion of purity. And that is why Prophet Muhammad was reported to have said that “Allah is pure and He will not accept anything impure.” The second is that Muslims are the greatest consumers of domestic water in the world. This is because, besides using water socially, commercially or domestically like other human beings, an average Muslim uses additional one third of total water used by non-Muslims on a daily basis.
Muslims’ attitude to dryness
It thus becomes understandable why Muslims feel more worried when there is dryness and water cannot be easily accessed. This is what led to the idea of a special prayer called ‘Salatul Istisqai (rain-seeking prayer). This prayer randomly observed by Muslims when shortage of water becomes acute cannot be observed without water ablution. It is a way of reconfirming to Allah that the main purpose of our existence on earth is to worship Him just as the purpose of keeping domestic animals is to serve man. Salatul Istisqai which is usually followed by heavy rainfalls is a major evidence of an existing covenant between Allah and His faithful servants. The wonderful effect of that Salat contradicts any scientific theory. Non-Muslim meteorologists have always wondered how possible it is for rain to fall at an impossible time, following a congregational prayer by some Muslim faithful in a dry locality or region. But to their amazement, they have regularly seen the potency of such prayer in bringing rain not only for Muslims but for all and sundry. The question is: ‘can any other religious group do same to the advantage of mankind? This one trillion Naira question is still begging for answer even almost one and a half millennia after the introduction of Salatul Istisqai as a bringer of rain.
Seeking rain water
That Salatul Istisqai (special prayer for rain) actually brings rain even in a severely dry season. It however remains a puzzle to unbelievers, especially in the West, who see everything, including God, as a product of science. Yours sincerely first took part in the observance of Salatul Istisqai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as a student in that country, in 1976. The two rakat prayer had hardly been concluded when the sky opened its door and rain started falling in torrents. It rained for nine hours continuously in that desert country and flooded the entire Emirates like the historic deluge in Prophet Nuh’s (Noah’s) time.
It took more than a week before normal social and commercial activities could fully resume. I have also participated in the same exercise twice thereafter, once in Nigeria and once in Saudi Arabia.
Most of the time, the effect of Salatul Istisqai is immediate. But there are occasions when it may take as long as one week or more before the rain starts pouring. However, if, after some time, following the observance of Salatul Istisqai, rain does not come, Salatul Istisqai can be repeated. Allah has a design for everything.
He knows when rainfall will best serve the need of man. And in seeking such a favour, Muslims must not try to jump the queue.
Manner of observance
Any participant in Salatul Istisqai’ is expected to be in a sober mood and be absolutely confident that the prayer would be accepted by Allah. The essence of raising one’s hands to Allah in prayer is to further confirm that there is no intermediary between man and Allah in worship and in prayer. Allah Himself emphasizes this in the Qur’an by saying to Prophet Muhammad thus: “When my servants ask you about Me, tell them that I am very close to them. I accept the prayers of those who seek from Me but let such seekers expect the giving from Me alone; let them be confident in My ability to accept prayer so that they may be guided aright”. However, there is need to correct the wrong notion being spread around that dresses must be worn inside out by those who will partake in Salatul Istisqai. There is no such rule in Islamic jurisprudence.
The effect of Salatul Istisqai in bringing rains is just symbolic of all other prayers by Muslims. No genuine Muslim prayer is ever turned down by Allah. Acceptance of prayer may not be exactly in accordance with human expectation, it may not be as promptly as man wants it but eventually, a Muslim will realize that his/her prayer has been accepted by Allah without an intermediary.
The role of water in Hajj
Unknown to the non-Islamic world, performance of Hajj every year is a great blessing to humanity rather than just a mere act of worship by Muslims. Hajj is the biggest congregation of human beings on earth.
Allah loves and respects congregations of pious people who praise Him and pray to Him for the needs of the world. That congregation is essential for the continuity of human existence. There is no country in the world today without Muslim pilgrims joining their brethren from other parts of the world in requesting Allah to save the world from perishing. And each year, as such prayers are accepted, the world is confirmed saved despite the evil moves of Yajuj and Ma’juj (Gog and Magog) as well as their agents who are ignorantly pursuing their own destruction every minute. Thus, like Salatul Istisqai which brings water to everybody and not Muslims alone, Hajj is to the benefit of mankind and not Muslims alone. Thus, its preservation must be ensured by everybody in the interest of continued human existence.
Conclusion
Without water, it will be difficult to observe Salat or to fast in Ramadan or to give Zakah or to perform Hajj. Without water, it will be impossible to bear children and bring them up, or to keep farms and sustain them. Water is life. But this is not for Muslims alone. The difference is that Muslims use part of the water to show gratitude to Allah by worshipping Him. Others use it for mundane life alone which is sheer vanity.
Knowledge is like water which softens the earth for seeds to germinate and for plants to be nourished to fruition. Knowledge in Islam is much more important than worship. No one can validly worship Allah without knowledge. And if for this reason alone, it should behoove the entire Muslim Ummah of the world to join and cooperate in using water to worship Allah. That is the essence of knowledge. It cannot be trivialized.