Sadullah Khan – 26th Post Witr Talk Ramadaan 1444 2023

We continue our theme,

moral guidance from everyday experiences.

As human beings, we habitually tend to overlook

the significance of the niam or the favors

of Allah.

At times, we ignore the basic necessities of

life

that are at our disposal,

and we may be unappreciative

of the important role

that Allah has granted

of those things in abundance.

Among the most obvious blessings of Allah

to us is the gift of life,

and among the necessities of life

is water.

There are consistent references in the Quran in

numerous ayaat

where Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala refers to various

containers of water, so to say, reservoirs of

water, whether it be Bahar or Nahar or

Bi'r or Ayn

or Matar,

oceans or rivers or seas

or wells,

rain itself,

and we find that the deal of Islam

ascribes

the most revered qualities

to water.

Water as a

purifying source,

as a resource,

as a life giving force,

as a life sustaining source.

We need to realize no water,

no life.

That is why when they go to find

the other planets,

they check if there's water, then there's a

possibility

of life.

So water is the origin of life on

earth

and the Quran emphasizes

the centrality of water to life

and to living itself

When Allah

confirms

in Surah Anbiya,

Every living thing is made of and from

water.

So

not only are things created from water,

but also all living things are constituted of

water.

90% of plants are water.

60% of the human body is water.

60% of who we are, the way we

look, we have flesh and bones. 60%

is water.

So water is so common

and so familiar,

it seems mundane.

But in actual fact,

water is not an ordinary substance

despite

its abundance on earth.

Water is the only substance

which naturally occurs in all three states of

matter, whether liquid as water,

solid as ice,

or water vapor in gas form.

And water has a mind boggling range of

benefits

from its all all

life giving properties

and its vital importance to the mechanics of

the human body

including

every cell and every organ function

that makes up our anatomy,

water is the primary sustainer in all living

organisms.

Water

is pure

and

it's purifying. It's pure in itself.

It's also purifying. It's a means by which

you purify something else.

And therein is a moral lesson.

Water, like a human baby, is not corrupt

by itself.

It's pure by itself,

but it can be corrupted by outside sources.

Allah

makes reference to this.

Allah says, and it's He, oh Allah, who

sends down the water as glad tidings

through His mercy.

And we send down from the sky

water

in the form of rain, pure water.

You know salah is the key to paradise.

And the doorway to salah is wudu and

the essential for wudu is water.

There are so many dimensions

to the virtues

of the substance.

The prophet

mentioned

Allah had once forgiven a lady of ill

repute

who had passed by a dog panting of

thirst near a well, which is documented in

the saihi of Imam al Bukhari and of

Imam Muslim.

And see that the dog was dying of

thirst out of compassion, this lady, sinful lady,

may Allah forgive us all, And the Hadith

said,

He said she took off a shoe or

a sandal or a shoe what she was

wearing, tied it to a scarf

and drew some water. She lowered it and

drew some water and saved the life of

the dog.

So Sa'ab al Ubada reported

that he even asked the prophet on another

occasion. Yeah. It's one thing, an expiation of

sins.

On the other hand, a companion asked Rasoolallah,

you Rasoolallah, my mother has died. What shall

I give as charity on her behalf? The

prophet said,

the best charity you can give

is Saqul Ma to give someone

water, to provide water for people.

So offering water is thus considered

a great act of sadaqa sadaqa jaria, a

continuous

perpetual charity.

Either through availing water for someone who may

be thirsty or digging a well to bring

this source of life and resource of life

to people who may need the water.

So whether

saving a life with water

or helping people

sustain their life with water,

water permeates the life of a Muslim

biologically,

physically,

religiously

and spiritually.

So as people of faith,

we supposed to use water to the extent

of our need but never to abuse.

Allah does not love that you should waste,

so do not waste.

But just as a point of reflection

and conclusion,

water is tasteless,

it's colorless,

it's odorless

and neutral.

However, its unassuming looks

disguise just how crucial it is to life

on earth and to living of living organisms.

Water calms.

It relaxes.

It revitalizes.

It hydrates

and purifies,

quenching first.

Water sustains life. In fact, water is the

liquid of life.

The metaphors in which water is used to

symbolize paradise,

You find righteousness

and Allah's mercy

are quite frequently mentioned in the Quran.

From the numerous Quranic ayaat and references to

cooling rivers and rains and springs and fountains

of drinking water in paradise in Surah Muhammad,

Surah Khashia. We can certainly deduce that water

is an essential component

not only of life on this earth,

but also of the landscape of paradise.

May we be deserving

of the promised reward

where Allah

says,

glad tidings

to those who believe

and those who manifest their belief in good

deeds.

For them will be gardens.

For them shall be gardens in paradise

through which flows running water.

May Allah grant us to benefit from that.