impression of the desert setting. Thus, the absence
of water and its value are engraved in the religion.
And if we look closely, we find several themes that
deal with water rituals and symbols.
11.3.1 Water as a Source of Life
and Food for Living
Beings
Every living entity is made up of water or has a
major proportion of water in their body.
Although it is now after the development of
modern science, we are known to this fact.
However, 1440 years ago people living in the
scarce water region of Saudi Arabia would not
have thought about it in the same way. However,
the Quran provides an ample amount of verses,
which deals with water being the major element
of life creation:
God created every living creature from water.
Some of them crawl on their bellies, and some
walk on two feet, and others walk on four. God
creates whatever He wills. God is Capable of
everything (The Quran, 24.45).
Do the disbelievers not see that the heavens and
the earth were one mass, and We tore them apart?
And We made from water every living thing. Will
they not believe? (The Quran, 21.30).
And it is He who, from fluid, created the human
being. Then He made relationships through marriage and mating. Your Lord is Omnipotent (The
Quran, 25.54).
Thus, the Quran signifies the origin of every
creature on earth with water. The Quranic verses
also give an account of the importance of water
for the survival of living creatures. It talks about
water as an important element for the development of plants and crops, which is necessary for
the human and animal survival.
Considering the following verses, one may
see the relevance of water in the holy book:
Do they not see how We conduct the water to a dry
land, and with it We produce vegetation, from
which their livestock eat, and themselves? Do they
not see? (The Quran, 32.27).
Have you not seen that God sends down water
from the sky? With it We produce fruits of various
colors. And in the mountains are streaks of white
and red, varying in their hue, and pitch-black (The
Quran, 35.27).
And We brought down from the sky blessed water,
and produced with it gardens and grain to harvest
(The Quran, 50.9).
He who made the earth a habitat for you, and the
sky a structure, and sends water down from the
sky, and brings out fruits thereby, as a sustenance
for you (The Quran, 2.22).
And it is He who sends down water from the sky.
With it We produce vegetation of all kinds, from
which We bring greenery, from which We produce
grains in clusters. And palm-trees with hanging
clusters, and vineyards, and olives, and pomegranates—similar and dissimilar. Watch their fruits
as they grow and ripen. Surely in this are signs for
people who believe (The Quran, 6.99).
It is He who sends the wind ahead of His mercy.
Then, when they have gathered up heavy clouds,
we drive them to a dead land, where We make
water come down, and with it We bring out all
kinds of fruits. Thus, we bring out the dead—
perhaps you will reflect (The Quran, 7.57).
It is He Who sends down for you from the sky
water. From it is drink, and with it grows vegetation for grazing (The Quran, 16.65).
Do you not see that God sends down water from
the sky, and the land becomes green? (The Quran,
22.63).
Or, who created the heavens and the earth, and
rains down water from the sky for you? With it We
produce gardens full of beauty, whose trees you
could not have produced (The Quran, 27.60).
And if you asked them, Who sends water down
from the sky, with which He revives the earth after
it had died? They would say, God. Say, Praise be
to God. But most of them do not understand (The
Quran, 29.63).
And of His signs is that He shows you the lightning, causing fear and hope. And He brings down
water from the sky, and with it He revives the earth
after it was dead. In this are signs for people who
understand (The Quran, 30.24).
And of His signs is that you see the land still. But
when We send down water upon it, it stirs and
grows. Surely, He Who revived it will revive the
dead. He is Able to do all things (The Quran,
41.39).
In the creation of the heavens and the earth; in the
alternation of night and day; in the ships that sail
the oceans for the benefit of mankind; in the water
that God sends down from the sky, and revives the
earth with it after it had died, and scatters in it all
150
R. S. Singh and S. Ahmad
of water and its value are engraved in the religion.
And if we look closely, we find several themes that
deal with water rituals and symbols.
11.3.1 Water as a Source of Life
and Food for Living
Beings
Every living entity is made up of water or has a
major proportion of water in their body.
Although it is now after the development of
modern science, we are known to this fact.
However, 1440 years ago people living in the
scarce water region of Saudi Arabia would not
have thought about it in the same way. However,
the Quran provides an ample amount of verses,
which deals with water being the major element
of life creation:
God created every living creature from water.
Some of them crawl on their bellies, and some
walk on two feet, and others walk on four. God
creates whatever He wills. God is Capable of
everything (The Quran, 24.45).
Do the disbelievers not see that the heavens and
the earth were one mass, and We tore them apart?
And We made from water every living thing. Will
they not believe? (The Quran, 21.30).
And it is He who, from fluid, created the human
being. Then He made relationships through marriage and mating. Your Lord is Omnipotent (The
Quran, 25.54).
Thus, the Quran signifies the origin of every
creature on earth with water. The Quranic verses
also give an account of the importance of water
for the survival of living creatures. It talks about
water as an important element for the development of plants and crops, which is necessary for
the human and animal survival.
Considering the following verses, one may
see the relevance of water in the holy book:
Do they not see how We conduct the water to a dry
land, and with it We produce vegetation, from
which their livestock eat, and themselves? Do they
not see? (The Quran, 32.27).
Have you not seen that God sends down water
from the sky? With it We produce fruits of various
colors. And in the mountains are streaks of white
and red, varying in their hue, and pitch-black (The
Quran, 35.27).
And We brought down from the sky blessed water,
and produced with it gardens and grain to harvest
(The Quran, 50.9).
He who made the earth a habitat for you, and the
sky a structure, and sends water down from the
sky, and brings out fruits thereby, as a sustenance
for you (The Quran, 2.22).
And it is He who sends down water from the sky.
With it We produce vegetation of all kinds, from
which We bring greenery, from which We produce
grains in clusters. And palm-trees with hanging
clusters, and vineyards, and olives, and pomegranates—similar and dissimilar. Watch their fruits
as they grow and ripen. Surely in this are signs for
people who believe (The Quran, 6.99).
It is He who sends the wind ahead of His mercy.
Then, when they have gathered up heavy clouds,
we drive them to a dead land, where We make
water come down, and with it We bring out all
kinds of fruits. Thus, we bring out the dead—
perhaps you will reflect (The Quran, 7.57).
It is He Who sends down for you from the sky
water. From it is drink, and with it grows vegetation for grazing (The Quran, 16.65).
Do you not see that God sends down water from
the sky, and the land becomes green? (The Quran,
22.63).
Or, who created the heavens and the earth, and
rains down water from the sky for you? With it We
produce gardens full of beauty, whose trees you
could not have produced (The Quran, 27.60).
And if you asked them, Who sends water down
from the sky, with which He revives the earth after
it had died? They would say, God. Say, Praise be
to God. But most of them do not understand (The
Quran, 29.63).
And of His signs is that He shows you the lightning, causing fear and hope. And He brings down
water from the sky, and with it He revives the earth
after it was dead. In this are signs for people who
understand (The Quran, 30.24).
And of His signs is that you see the land still. But
when We send down water upon it, it stirs and
grows. Surely, He Who revived it will revive the
dead. He is Able to do all things (The Quran,
41.39).
In the creation of the heavens and the earth; in the
alternation of night and day; in the ships that sail
the oceans for the benefit of mankind; in the water
that God sends down from the sky, and revives the
earth with it after it had died, and scatters in it all
150
R. S. Singh and S. Ahmad