Islam & Conserving Water

 

It is undisputable that without water, life on this planet would cease to exist. Even if water were available in abundance, this would not justify misusing this precious commodity and thus threatening our very existence. Living in a desert country in which water is scarce, where almost all the water we drink comes from desalination, should make it imperative for every one to ensure that their water consumption is highly regulated and controlled.

At present, this is certainly not the case. It may already be too late to solve the problem of producing vast quantities of water at great expense and then wasting it. Nonetheless, we must try to find some solutions.

The mosque is a place for worship where Muslims gather five times a day to perform congregational prayers. It has also played a crucial role throughout Muslim history in serving as a place of education and learning. Among the things taught in the mosque has been for people to observe moderation and avoid excess in all things.

In direct contradiction to this teaching, the mosque has now become one of the places where the wastage of water is even worse than in other places. This becomes very evident when observing people performing their pre-prayer ablutions (wudu), which are required of all Muslims.

The very people who waste water when they come to the mosque may have heard the imam on Friday stressing the need for conserving water and using it carefully. Despite what they heard, taps are left running at full force by those performing ablutions. Water pours from the tap while sleeves are being rolled up or shoes being removed — well before any water is applied to any part of the body. In large mosques as many as 30 taps may be seen gushing non-stop for as long as half an hour.

On average, no less than five cubic meters of water a day is wasted at these mosques. At mosques in markets and shopping centers, the loss may reach 20 cubic meters — or 20 tons. This is a very conservative estimate since no one knows for sure — or has ever tried to determine — how much water is wasted in one mosque, let alone the thousands of mosques found all over the country.

I have a suggestion that may help with this problem. It should be made mandatory that every mosque meet certain specifications for water consumption. Only specially designed taps that allow the water to flow at a reduced speed should be fitted at mosques. The overall amount used per day should also be regulated. This might motivate people to be aware of the need to conserve water, particularly in places of worship.