creatures, they also contain description about the
water cycle and water stratification, classification
of water as pure, salty and bitter, water as a form
of charity, relevance in pilgrimage as well as
water conservation.
This chapter aims to outline different roles of
water in the Islamic teachings and its applicability in today’s world for instance, in water
conservation. Following the overview of the
relevance of water in different religions, the following sections provide the conceptual account
of the place of water in Islam based on Quranic
verses and hadiths. The hadiths have been
retrieved from the website (sunnah.com) which
has a multilingual database of the hadiths for
non-Arabic speakers.
11.2 Religious Use of Water
and Symbolism
In the words of Eliade (1958, p. 188) “Water
symbolizes the whole of potentiality; it is fons et
origo, the source of all possible existence. Water
thou art the source of all things and of all existence! Says one Indian text, summing up the long
Vedic tradition.” Every religion has an association with water, or it has a central role to play in
it. Water is used in the ritual practices, some
water designated as sacred is used to treat the
ailments through its miraculous properties, it also
holds the notion of washing away the sins,
purifying the soul and cleansing the body, and
designated as an important element of life and its
continuity. For different faiths and cultures, water
inherits different roles and purposes, which will
become clearer in the following discussion.
11.2.1 Hinduism
Water holds a prominent role in Hinduism, which
is known to be the oldest religion of the world
dating back to 5000–6000 BC. According to
Singh (1994, p. 210) “In ancient Hindu mythology (about 800 BCE) water is described as the
foundation of the whole world, the basis for life
and the elixir of immortality… Metaphorically
and metaphysically the ancient mythologies refer
to water as the container of life, strength, and
eternity. More commonly water is perceived as a
purifying medium. However, to reach the source
and receive the merit of living water involves a
series of consecrations, rituals, and religious
activities like a pilgrimage and sacred baths.” We
find a strong association of Hindu religious sites
with water. In the Hindu religious beliefs, all the
river bodies are revered as pure and have the
spiritual power of cleansing. However, there are
few rivers designated with special status such as
Ganges, Yamuna, Kaveri, Sarasvati, Narmada,
Godavari. The Ganges is the sacred of all attract
millions of devotees throughout the year from all
the parts of the country and abroad. The water of
river Ganga is revered as the holiest water for
Hindus and is used on several occasions because
of its sacrality. The rituals associated with the
poojas (prayers) involve the use of water such as
the Tarpana (a gesture of pleasing the Gods by
pouring the water with hands). Water also holds
an important significance in death. Manikarnika
ghat which is “mythologically known as “the
great cremation ground” situated in the banks of
river Ganga in Varanasi (India) is one of the most
important cremation grounds for Hindus (Singh
1994, p. 215). One of the major pilgrimages and
festivals in Hinduism “the Kumbh Mela” invites
millions of adherents in every 12 years. It is
marked as one of the largest gatherings of people
at a time on the globe.
11.2.2 Christianity
In Christianity, we see water as a “sign of God’s
favor and goodness” (Flemming 2008, p. 6).
Fletcher (2018, p. 1) states “the ancient Israelites
and early Christians understood water’s valuethere are at least ten words for rain in biblical
Hebrew, eight for cloud, and numerous terms for
springs, wells, cisterns, and aqueducts. The
people of the ancient Near East developed and
depended on these technologies for collecting as
much water as possible: wells, cisterns for rainwater, tunnels that allowed access to springs in
wartime, aqueducts to bring water into the cities,
148
R. S. Singh and S. Ahmad
water cycle and water stratification, classification
of water as pure, salty and bitter, water as a form
of charity, relevance in pilgrimage as well as
water conservation.
This chapter aims to outline different roles of
water in the Islamic teachings and its applicability in today’s world for instance, in water
conservation. Following the overview of the
relevance of water in different religions, the following sections provide the conceptual account
of the place of water in Islam based on Quranic
verses and hadiths. The hadiths have been
retrieved from the website (sunnah.com) which
has a multilingual database of the hadiths for
non-Arabic speakers.
11.2 Religious Use of Water
and Symbolism
In the words of Eliade (1958, p. 188) “Water
symbolizes the whole of potentiality; it is fons et
origo, the source of all possible existence. Water
thou art the source of all things and of all existence! Says one Indian text, summing up the long
Vedic tradition.” Every religion has an association with water, or it has a central role to play in
it. Water is used in the ritual practices, some
water designated as sacred is used to treat the
ailments through its miraculous properties, it also
holds the notion of washing away the sins,
purifying the soul and cleansing the body, and
designated as an important element of life and its
continuity. For different faiths and cultures, water
inherits different roles and purposes, which will
become clearer in the following discussion.
11.2.1 Hinduism
Water holds a prominent role in Hinduism, which
is known to be the oldest religion of the world
dating back to 5000–6000 BC. According to
Singh (1994, p. 210) “In ancient Hindu mythology (about 800 BCE) water is described as the
foundation of the whole world, the basis for life
and the elixir of immortality… Metaphorically
and metaphysically the ancient mythologies refer
to water as the container of life, strength, and
eternity. More commonly water is perceived as a
purifying medium. However, to reach the source
and receive the merit of living water involves a
series of consecrations, rituals, and religious
activities like a pilgrimage and sacred baths.” We
find a strong association of Hindu religious sites
with water. In the Hindu religious beliefs, all the
river bodies are revered as pure and have the
spiritual power of cleansing. However, there are
few rivers designated with special status such as
Ganges, Yamuna, Kaveri, Sarasvati, Narmada,
Godavari. The Ganges is the sacred of all attract
millions of devotees throughout the year from all
the parts of the country and abroad. The water of
river Ganga is revered as the holiest water for
Hindus and is used on several occasions because
of its sacrality. The rituals associated with the
poojas (prayers) involve the use of water such as
the Tarpana (a gesture of pleasing the Gods by
pouring the water with hands). Water also holds
an important significance in death. Manikarnika
ghat which is “mythologically known as “the
great cremation ground” situated in the banks of
river Ganga in Varanasi (India) is one of the most
important cremation grounds for Hindus (Singh
1994, p. 215). One of the major pilgrimages and
festivals in Hinduism “the Kumbh Mela” invites
millions of adherents in every 12 years. It is
marked as one of the largest gatherings of people
at a time on the globe.
11.2.2 Christianity
In Christianity, we see water as a “sign of God’s
favor and goodness” (Flemming 2008, p. 6).
Fletcher (2018, p. 1) states “the ancient Israelites
and early Christians understood water’s valuethere are at least ten words for rain in biblical
Hebrew, eight for cloud, and numerous terms for
springs, wells, cisterns, and aqueducts. The
people of the ancient Near East developed and
depended on these technologies for collecting as
much water as possible: wells, cisterns for rainwater, tunnels that allowed access to springs in
wartime, aqueducts to bring water into the cities,
148
R. S. Singh and S. Ahmad