“Just tell Me, if the source of your water becomes dry, who, besides Allah, is capable of giving you another source of water?” —Qur’an 67: 30.
Praise be to Allah, our Lord and Cherisher, the Lord of goodness, the Praiseworthy. It is He alone Who provides abundance of water for human consumption.
Water is so vital to human existence to the extent that without it, life will be unbearable. Allah (SWT) made water sufficient for our day-to-day use in such a way that it is not in excess that it will give us problems. Our response to the above verse of the glorious Qur’an is none, except Allah alone, the Almighty.
We always show our gratitude to Allah for His mercies over us. Why shouldn’t we be grateful? We might have seen or heard about places where scarcity of water has become their daily headcahe, as people have to travel long distances before getting water. We might have seen or heard as well, where excessive water turned to flood, diseases, damages to properties, death and destruction. Indeed, we have to show appreciation to Allah.
Contrary to the practice these days that people sell water to others, giving water to those in need of it free of charge is an act of charity, which attracts the greatest reward from Allah. This is what the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) taught Muslims.
Allah says in the Qur’an: “And We send down pure water from the sky.” Qur’an 25: 48.
The Prophet (SAW) was reported to have told one of his wives, Ai’shah (RA): “The day you give water to people out of charity, and especially if it is the time when people are in dire need of water, or during the dry season when people are greatly suffering from scarcity of water, you will have the reward of one who sets a slave-girl free.”
If a person fills a tank with water and puts by the road side for passers-by to drink, free of charge, he will have lots of great rewards from Allah; and in addition, Allah will be looking at him twice every day with the eyes of mercy.
SOME QUESTION AND ANSWER ABOUT WATER
Assuming that two persons have a little water, which is so little that it is not more than what only one of them can consume, either for taking bath or for doing other things, and they don’t have more than it. The questions are:
*If one of them is to take ritual bath of Janabah (i.e. after sexual intercourse) and the other is dead. A dead person needs ritual bath before burial. Who among them should use the water, the one with janabah or the dead?
*If the two persons are a man and a woman. The man is to take ritual bath of Janabah and the woman is also to take bath of Haydah (i.e. after her menstruation). Who among them is to use the water?
*If the two die simultaneously, who among them should the water be used for?
The answers to the questions are as follow:
*The little water belonging to both should be used for the ritual bath of the dead. The other man with Janabah should perform tayammum.
*The woman should use the little water for the ritual bath of her haydah, while the man performs tayammum.
*As the two who died at the same time, the water should be used for the one who died first. If it is after their simultaneous death that water is found, the water should be used for the one with more knowledge, more devotion and the most religious. Tayammum should be performed for the other one.
If they look to be the same religiously and it is difficult to know the one that is more pious, more devoted or more religious among them, it comes to matter of voting for them. The water should be used for the one who wins, and the tayammum for the other.
If it happens that one of them needs ritual purification and the other needs ordinary purification, water should be used for ritual bath and tayammum for the other.
If it’s time for worship and it is only one of them that can use the little water for ablution, the one with ordinary purification is to use it for ablution. If the water remains a little after his ablution, the one in need of ritual bath can use the remainder; but if nothing remains, he should make tayammum.
-Agencies