Water Wastage

Allah (ﷻ) says in the Glorious Qur’an: “And waste not by extravagance. Verily, He likes not Al-Musrifoon (those who waste by extravagance).” [Surah al-An ‘am, 141]

He (ﷻ) also says: “Say, ‘Just think: if all your water were to sink deep into the earth who could give you flowing water in its place?” [Surah Mulk, 30]

Imam Ahmad (6768) and Ibn Maajah (419) narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (ﷺ) passed by Sa‘d when he was doing wudoo’, and he said, “What is this extravagance, O Sa‘d?” He said: Can there be any extravagance in wudoo’? He (ﷺ) said, “Yes, even if you are on the bank of a flowing river.”

As the heatwave continues to persist across the UK, there are many calls from authorities and water companies around rationing our usage of water. Hosepipe bans are being introduced, along with guidelines around taking shorter showers, turning off taps while washing dishes or brushing our teeth, and limiting use of washing machines/dishwashers etc.

However, as Muslims it shouldn’t take a heatwave or official guidelines to make us understand the value of water. This precious commodity and has been protected through the Qur’an and hadith. There are billions around the world who do not have access to water every day. We should take this opportunity to thank Allah (ﷻ) for blessing us with free access to water, and be mindful that neither we ourselves or our families are wasteful in its use.

May Allah al-Kareem grant access to clean and nutritious water to all those suffering around the world, Ameen.

From the duas that should be said in the evening.