Bathing (ghusl)

“O you who believe! Approach not prayers with a mind befogged, until you can understand all that you say- nor in a state of ceremonial impurity (except when travelling on the road), until after washing your whole body. If you are ill, or on a journey, or one of you comes from offices of nature, or you have had marital relations, and you find no water, then take for yourselves clean sand or earth, and rub therewith your faces and hands. For God does blot out sins and forgive again and again.” (An-Nisa/ The Women [4] 43)

(In 2009 I self-published a book based on my years of research on islam and the environment (‘199 ways to please God, how to [re-]align your daily life with duty of care to Creation’ [out of print now; ISBN-10: 184426629X; ISBN-13: 978–1844266296]) … with an update in mind, am here going to first share the ‘old’ version* bit by bit.)

Climate change will have an increasingly significant impact on the availability of water in several regions of the world. This will happen as a result of the melting of glaciers on the one hand and changed patterns of precipitation on the other. In those regions where agriculture is dependent entirely on rainfall, reduced levels of precipitation would only add to already increasing stresses in the availability of water for agriculture as well as human consumption, already challenged by increased erosion. The UN International Governmental Panel on Climate Change (a scientific intergovernmental body established to provide decision-makers and others interested in climate change with an objective source of information about climate change) in November 2007 confirmed some disastrous consequences of climate change, unless humanity changes its ways and adapts drastically.

And as sea levels rise, caused by melting poles, they threaten to contaminate groundwater, affecting drinking water and agriculture in coastal zones. Increased evaporation will reduce the effectiveness of reservoirs. Increased extreme weather means more water falls on hardened ground unable to absorb it — leading to flash floods instead of a replenishment of soil moisture or groundwater levels. In some areas, shrinking glaciers threaten the water supply. Higher temperatures will also increase the demand for water for cooling purposes.

Several verses of the Quran deal with the hydrological cycle and the fundamental role water plays in sustaining life on earth (“We made from water every living thing” is mentioned at least three times in the Quran). In referring to the fertility of the soil, to the unique properties of fresh and sea water, to the course of rivers and the presence underground of springs and aquifers, and most significantly to the aquatic origin of life, the Quran places water at the top of all the natural phenomena on earth. The miracle of water is emphasized in a particular verse where God, addressing those who may doubt the truth of resurrection, first gives the example of the growth of the foetus within the mother’s womb, leading to the birth of a human being. The verse then concludes: “If you are still in doubt as to resurrection, consider this: you can see the earth dry and lifeless and suddenly when we send down waters upon it, it stirs and swells and puts forth every kind of lovely plant!” (Al-Hajj/ The Pilgrimage [22] 5)

Anas relates that when the Prophet made ablutions, he would use a quantity of water that could fill cupped hands (mudd), and when he took a full bath, he would use four times that much (sa’). Aisha narrated that: “The Prophet and I used to take a bath from a single pot called ‘Faraq’.” And Abu Salama narrated: “Aisha’s brother and I went to Aisha and he asked her about the bath of the Prophet . She brought a pot containing about a Sa of water and took a bath and poured it over her head and at what time there was a screen between her and us.”

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from his father from Aisha , that whenever the Messenger of God , did ghusl for major ritual impurity, he would begin by washing his hands, and then do wudu as for prayer. He would then put his fingers in the water and rub the roots of his hair with them. Then he would pour as much water as two hands can hold on to his head three times, and over the entire surface of his skin. And Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Urwa ibn az-Zubayr from Aisha , Umm Al-Muminin, that the Messenger of God used to do ghusl for major ritual impurity from a vessel which contained a faraq (3 sa).

Examples of action

1. Anas narrated that the Prophet used to take a bath with one sa’ or up to five mudds (1 sa’= 4 mudds) of water and used to perform ablution with one mudd of water. One mudd is about half a litre of water; one sa’ is about two litres of water. People often think they cannot do with less…but when put on a water meter, average use goes down by 10–15 per cent, so most of us can do with less…plus remember all those generations before us who used so much less and survived and all those generations after us who will have no choice but to use less.
2. Abu Jafar narrated: “While I and my father were with Jabir bin Abdullah, some people asked him about taking a bath. He replied, “A sa’ of water is sufficient for you.” A man said, “A sa’ is not sufficient for me.” Jabir said, “A sa’ was sufficient for one who had more hair than you and was better than you (meaning the Prophet ).” And then Jabir (put on) his garment and led the prayer.” Take a shower instead of a bath.
3. In Malik’s Muwatta it states: Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar used to say “There is no harm in doing ghusl with water that has been used by one’s wife as long as she is not menstruating or in a state of major ritual impurity (junub).”
4. Learn about the different causes of water pollution and how to avoid them, for example via www.water-pollution.org.uk . We may think that things like being water wise are small things, but as Ghailan narrated that Anas said: “You people do (bad) deeds (commit sins) which seem in your eyes as tiny (minute) than hair while we used to consider those (very deeds) during the life-time of the Prophet as destructive sins.”

*Where I am copying the text verbatim, some references may no longer work.