Water Conservation in the Qur’anic Perspective:  A Thematic Analysis of Ethical Water Usage in Purification Rituals

Mohammad Asrori; Muhammad Muhammad; Mohamad Zubad Nurul Yaqin; Wafda Firyal; Finadatul Wahidah

doi:10.21697/seb.5854

Published: 2025-05-07

Water Conservation in the Qur’anic Perspective: A Thematic Analysis of Ethical Water Usage in Purification Rituals

Mohammad Asrori

, Muhammad Muhammad

, Mohamad Zubad Nurul Yaqin

, Wafda Firyal

, Finadatul Wahidah

Studia Ecologiae et Bioethicae

Section: Articles

https://doi.org/10.21697/seb.5854

Abstract

Water conservation represents a pressing global issue, especially in light of the growing scarcity of clean water resources. As the world’s second-largest religion, Islam places significant emphasis on the prudent and responsible use of water, both in religious rituals and in everyday life. This study investigates the concept of water conservation from a Qur’anic perspective, with particular attention to the ethical dimensions of water usage in purification practices. Employing critical thinking and analytical methodologies, it adopts a thematic exegesis approach within the interpretive framework of al-Adabī al-Ijtimāʻī. The findings indicate that the Qur’an presents water as a fundamental source of life, a symbol of purity, and a divine blessing that must be protected. Although Islam prescribes ritual purification before certain acts of worship, current practices of water use in these contexts frequently deviate from the conservation principles espoused in Islamic teachings. Therefore, fostering a collective ethical awareness among Muslims regarding water use is essential for minimizing waste and advancing sustainable conservation efforts.

Keywords:

water conservation, Qur'an, purification rituals, ecological stewardship, sustainable resource management, Islam and ecology, religion and ecology

Download files

PDF

Citation rules

Asrori, M., Muhammad, M., Nurul Yaqin, M. Z., Firyal, W., & Wahidah, F. (2025). Water Conservation in the Qur’anic Perspective: A Thematic Analysis of Ethical Water Usage in Purification Rituals. Studia Ecologiae Et Bioethicae. https://doi.org/10.21697/seb.5854

Cited by / Share

Licence

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

References

Abbas, Haitham Khudair, and A. M Jenan Marza Hamza. 2018. “The Legitimate Reasons for the Maintenance of Water.” Journal of Babylon Center for Humanities Studies 8, no. 4: 121–38.
Google Scholar

Affairs, Kuwait Ministry of Awqaf & Islamic. 1427. Al-Muwsuʻah Al-Fiqhiyah Al-Kuwaitiyah. Kuwait: Dār al-Salāsil.
Google Scholar

Ahmadi, Imam. 2021. “Tafsir Ekologi: Dikursus Hidrologi Dalam Al- Qur’an [Ecological Interpretation: Hydrological Discourse in the Qur’an].” Sinda Comprehensive Journal of Islamic Social Studies 1, no. 3.
Google Scholar

Akkad, A.A. 1989. “Water Conservation in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions.” Desalination 72, no. 1–2 (April): 185–205. https://doi.org/10.1016/0011-9164(89)80035-9.
Google Scholar

Al-Anṣārī, Zakariyā. 2000. Asnā Al-Maṭālib Fī Sharḥ Rawḍ Al-Ṭālib. Bairūt: Dār al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiah.
Google Scholar

Al-Bayhaqī, Aḥmad b. al-Ḥusanīn. 2003. Al-Sunan Al-Kubrā. Bairūt: Dār al-Kutub al-ʻIlmiyah.
Google Scholar

Al-Jazāirȳ, ʻAbd al-Raḥmān. 2003. Al-Fiqh ʻalā Al-Maẓāhib Al-Arbaʻah. Bairūt: Dār al-Aṣlāḥ.
Google Scholar

Al-Nairat, Khawlah. 2023. “Environmental Problems in Saudi Arabia.” Mawdoo3.Com. 2023.
Google Scholar

Al-Naysabūrȳ, Abū Bakr Muḥammad. 1985. Al-Awsaṭ Fī Al-Sunan Wa Al-Ijmāʻ Wa Al-Ikhtilāf. Saudi Arabia: Dār Ṭayyibah.
Google Scholar

Al-Ramlī, Muḥammad. 1984. Nihāyah Al-Muḥtāj Ilā Sharḥ Al-Minhāj. Bairūt: Dār al-Fikr.
Google Scholar

Al-Ṣābūnī, Muḥammad ʻAlī. 1997. Ṣafwah Al-Tafāsīr. Cairo: Dār al-Ṣābūnī.
Google Scholar

Al-Sharbīinī, Muḥammad. 1415. Al-Iqnā Fī Ḥall Alfāẓ Abī Shujāʻ. Bairūt: Dār al-Fikr.
Google Scholar

Al-Shawkanī, Muḥammad b. ʻAlī. n.d. Nayl Al-Awṭār Min Aḥādīth Sayyid Al-Akhbār Sharḥ Muntaqī Al-Akhbār. Egypt: al-Ṭabāʻah al-Muniriyah.
Google Scholar

Al-Shawkanī, Muḥammad b. ʻAlī. 1987. Al-Durarī Al-Muḍiyah Sharḥ Al-Durar Al-Bahiyah. Bairut: Dār al-Kutub al-ʻIlmiyah.
Google Scholar

Al-Ṭabarī, Muḥammad b. Jarīr. 2000. Jāmiʻ Al-Bayān Fī Ta’wīl Al-Qur’ān. Bairut: Muassasah al-Risālah.
Google Scholar

Al-Ṭabrāinī, Abū al-Qāsim. n.d. Al-Muʻjam Al-Awsaṭ. Cairo: Dār al-Ḥaramayn.
Google Scholar

Al-Zuhailȳ, Wahbah. n.d. Al-Fiqh Al-Islamī Wa Adillatuh. Bairūt: Dār al-Fikr.
Google Scholar

Anggraeni, Djayanti Presti. 2024. “Sungai Indonesia Tercemar Sampah Plastik [Indonesian Rivers Polluted by Plastic Waste].” Www.Rri.Co.Id. 2024. https://www.rri.co.id/daerah/552299/sungai-indonesia-tercemar-sampah-plastik.
Google Scholar

Anwar, Muhammad Junaid. 2021. “An Islamic Ecological Perspective of Water Resources Management.” Al-Qalam 26, no. 2: 284–98.
Google Scholar

As-Sirjaani, Raaghib. 2021. “The Importance of Water to Human Beings.” Www.Islamweb.Net, 2021. https://www.islamweb.net/en/print.php?id=234511.
Google Scholar

Bajash, Fahem. 2020. “Al-Tikrār Fī Al-Qur’an Al-Karīm: Ḥaqīqahtuh Wa Ahamiyatuh Dawāʻiyuh Simātih [Repetition in the Holy Quran: Its Reality, Importance, Motives and Characteristics].” Albaydha University Journal 2, no. 2: 308–18. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.56807/buj.v2i2.72.
Google Scholar

Basri, Basri, M. Zubad Nurul Yaqin, Muhammad Muhammad, and Naylul Izzah Walkaromah. 2024. “Reconstruction of Ittjāh Al-Adabī Al-Ijtimāʻī: Interpreting the Qur’an from an Inclusive Perspective.” AL QUDS : Jurnal Studi Alquran Dan Hadis 8, no. 3 (December): 593–608. https://doi.org/10.29240/alquds.v8i3.7229.
Google Scholar

Blankinship, Lisa A., Sarah Gillaspie, Khaled Obaideen, and Basil H. Aboul-Enein. 2024. “‘… And We Have Made from Water Every Living Thing’: Water Conservation and the Holy Qur’an.” Environmental Conservation 51, no. 2 (June): 79–84. https://doi.org/10.1017/S037689292300036X.
Google Scholar

Buccione, Giulia, Emily Oster, Brian Knight, Elisa Macchi, Dan Bjorkegren, Lydia Assouad, Peter Hull, et al. 2023. “Religious Messaging and Adaptation to Water Scarcity: Evidence from Jordan Click Here for Latest Version,” 1–79.
Google Scholar

Farhat Naseem Alvi, Abdul Manan Cheema, and Sadia Rafiq. 2024. “The Ripples of Responsibility: An Islamic-Inspired Analysis of Water Management.” Al-Idah 42, no. 1 (June): 42–58. https://doi.org/10.37556/al-idah.042.01.0908.
Google Scholar

Florena, Fenfen Fenda, Ferli Septi Irwansyah, and Karman Karman. 2021. “The Future of Water: Technology, Challenges, and Islamic Perspective.” Jurnal Kajian Peradaban Islam 4, no. 2: 111–23. https://doi.org/10.47076/jkpis.v4i2.70.
Google Scholar

Furkanİ, Mehterhan. 2017. “Jamal-i Khalwatî Al-Aksarayî’s Work Asraar Al-Wudû: Study and Critical Edition.” Mütefekkir 4, no. 7: 173–95.
Google Scholar

Gudorf, Christine E. 2010. “Water Privatization in Christianity and Islam.” Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics 30, no. 2: 19–38. https://doi.org/10.5840/jsce20103023.
Google Scholar

Hassan, Shabbir. n.d. “What Is Tawaf in Islam.” Thepilgrim.Co. Accessed April 16, 2025. https://thepilgrim.co/what-is-tawaf/.
Google Scholar

Hossain, Mohammad Zakir. 2001. “Water: The Most Precious Resource of Our Life.” Global Journal of Advanced Research 2, no. 9: 1436–45. http://books.google.com/books?id=AYgEFsz0tCQC.
Google Scholar

ʻAllām, Shawqī Ibrāhīm. 2022a. “Al-Nahy ʻan Al-Isrāf Fī Istiʻmāl Al-Mā’ ʻind Al-Wuḍu’ (Prohibition of Wasting Water during Ablution).” Https://Www.Dar-Alifta.Org/. 2022. https://www.dar-alifta.org/ar/fatawa/18011.
Google Scholar

ʻAllām, Shawqī Ibrāhīm. 2022b. “The Necessity of Preserving the Environment and the Warning of the Holy Sharia against Polluting River Waters.” Https://Www.Dar-Alifta.Org/. 2022. https://www.dar-alifta.org/ar/fatawa/17525.
Google Scholar

Imamudin, Mochamad. 2012. “Peran Air Dalam Perspektif Al-Qur’an: Air Sebagai Sumber Kehidupan [The Role of Water in the Perspective of the Qur’an: Water as a Source of Life].” El–Hayah 3, no. 1: 41–45. https://doi.org/10.18860/elha.v3i1.2220.
Google Scholar

Jabłoński, Maciej. 2011. “Prawno-Administracyjne Aspekty Ochrony Wód w Polsce.” Studia Ecologiae et Bioethicae 9, no. 4 (December): 49–62. https://doi.org/10.21697/seb.2011.9.4.04.
Google Scholar

Jury, William A., and Henry J. Vaux. 2007. “The Emerging Global Water Crisis: Managing Scarcity and Conflict Between Water Users.” Advances in Agronomy 95, no. 07: 1–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2113(07)95001-4.
Google Scholar

Kavezeri-Karuaihe, Selma T., Naser I. Faruqui, Asit K. Biswa, and Murad J. Bino. 2003. “Water Management in Islam.” Journal of Range Management 56, no. 4 (July): 397. https://doi.org/10.2307/4004046.
Google Scholar

Koehrsen, Jens. 2021. “Muslims and Climate Change: How Islam, Muslim Organizations, and Religious Leaders Influence Climate Change Perceptions and Mitigation Activities.” WIREs Climate Change 12, no. 3 (May): 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.702.
Google Scholar

Kurni, Waesul. 2016. “Air Dalam Al-Qur’an Dan Fungsinya Dalam Kehidupan [Water in the Qur’an and Its Function in Life].” Jurnal Al-Ashriyyah 2, no. 1: 129–50.
Google Scholar

Ling, Tong. 2022. “A Global Study About Water Crisis.” Proceedings of the 2021 International Conference on Social Development and Media Communication (SDMC 2021) 631, no. Sdmc 2021: 809–14. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.220105.148.
Google Scholar

Loodin, Najibullah. 2021. “The Role of Islam in Water Resources Management: Could It Be Integrated into International Water Law Principles (IWLP) for the Islamic-Dominated States?” Oregon State University. Oregon State University.
Google Scholar

Mahmud, Bakr. n.d. “Problems of Drinking Water Pollution in Egypt and How to Treat It.” Http://Egyptfilters.Com/. Accessed December 2, 2024. http://egyptfilters.com/Viewer/Default.aspx?Lang=2&Page=69&NewsID=19.
Google Scholar

Marshall, Samantha. 2011. “The Water Crisis in Kenya: Causes, Effects and Solutions.” Global Majority E-Journal 2, no. 1: 31–45. http://www.american.edu/cas/economics/ejournal/.%0Ahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Globe.gif.
Google Scholar

Mehta, Prashant. 2012. “Impending Water Crisis in India and Comparing Clean Water Standards among Developing and Developed Nations.” Scholars Research Library Archives of Applied Science Research 4, no. 1: 497–507.
Google Scholar

Mohamad, Abdul Basir, and Nurbazla Ismail. 2023. “Environmental Preservation and Water Pollution from the Islamic Perspective.” Samarah: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga Dan Hukum Islam 7, no. 2 (June): 997. https://doi.org/10.22373/sjhk.v7i2.16019.
Google Scholar

Muhammad, Muhammad. 2023. “Al-Ittijāh Al-Adabī Al-Ijtimāʻī Dalam Tafsir Al-Qur’an Penghambat Moderasi Beragama: Studi Analisis Tafsir Keindonesiaan [Al-Ittijah Al-Adabī Al-Ijtimāʻī in the Interpretation of the Qur’an, an Obstacle to Religious Moderation: An Analysis Study of In.” Kontekstualita: Jurnal Sosial Keagamaan 38, no. 1: 33–46. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.30631/kontekstualita.38.1.33-46 33.
Google Scholar

Muhammad, Muhammad, M. Zubad Nurul Yaqin, Fakhris Khusnu Reza Mahfud, and Fahd Mohana S Alahmadi. 2024. “Freedom That Is Not Absolute: Ecological Ethics and Human-Nature Relationship in the Qur’an.” Studia Ecologiae et Bioethicae 22, no. 4 (July): 17–27. https://doi.org/10.21697/seb.5821.
Google Scholar

Muhammad, Sheriffdeen, and S. Amal. 2020. “Religious Based Water Management Campaigns for Sustainable Development: Prospects and Challenges.” IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 477, no. 1 (March): 012018. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/477/1/012018.
Google Scholar

Munawarah. 2021. “Esensi Urgensi Bumi Sebagai Reservoir Air: Tinjauan Tafsir Ekologi [The Urgency of the Earth as a Water Reservoir: An Ecological Interpretation Review].” Mu Aʾṣ Arah : Jurnal Kajian Islam Kontemporer 3, no. 1: 36–42. https://doi.org/10.18592/ muẚṣarah.v17i1.3002.
Google Scholar

Nāṣif, Naʻīmah ʻAbd al-Fattāḥ. 2007. “Al-Mā’.. Tilk Al-Niʻmah Al-Muhaddarah [Water.. That Wasted Blessing].” Https://Www.Alukah.Net/. 2007. https://www.alukah.net/culture/0/921.
Google Scholar

Nisa, Zahra Zainun. 2017. “Konsep Pengelolaan Air Dalam Islam [The Concept of Water Management in Islam].” Jurnal Penelitian 14, no. 1: 77. https://doi.org/10.28918/jupe.v14i1.815.
Google Scholar

Noorhidayati, Salamah, Imam Ahmadi, and Nadia Roosmalita Sari. 2022. “Developing Hydrotheology Concept in Islamic Perspective.” Asian Social Science and Humanities Research Journal (ASHREJ) 4, no. 1: 30–36. https://doi.org/10.37698/ashrej.v4i1.93.
Google Scholar

Noreen, Sadia. 2024. “Analytical Study of Water Conservation and Its Use in the Light of Sirat Al-Nabi ( PBUH ).” Remittances Review 6588, no. November 2023: 837–53. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.33282/rr.vx9il.66.
Google Scholar

Rahmatina, Nada, Wardani Wardani, and Riza Saputra. 2022. “Water Crisis Solutions In The Qur’an And Science.” Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Ushuluddin 21, no. 2 (December): 221. https://doi.org/10.18592/jiiu.v21i2.7220.
Google Scholar

Rasool, Hafiz Faiz. 2024. “Islamic Responses to Environmental Protection and Sustainability: Principles and Contemporary Applications.” AL-QUDWAH 02, no. 04: 78–85.
Google Scholar

Review, World Population. n.d. “Religion by Country 2024.” Worldpopulationreview.Com. Accessed January 8, 2025. https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/religion-by-country.
Google Scholar

Sadowski, Ryszard. 2025. “The Role of Christianity in Ecological Awakening: Foundations for Christians’ Sustainable Behavior Toward Nature.” Problemy Ekorozwoju 20, no. 1 (January): 15–24. https://doi.org/10.35784/preko.6835.
Google Scholar

Sadowski, Ryszard F. 2009. “'Religion and Ecology' – Nowy Paradygmat Poznawczy ['Religion and Ecology' – The New Scientific Paradigm].” Studia Ecologiae et Bioethicae 7, no. 1: 213–20. https://doi.org/10.21697/seb.2009.7.1.14.
Google Scholar

Sadowski, Ryszard F. 2018. “Znaczenie Humanistyki Dla Kształtowania Realistycznych Relacji Człowieka Do Przyrody [The importance of the humanities in shaping a realistic relationship between humans and nature].” Studia Ecologiae et Bioethicae 6, no. 3: 5–18. https://doi.org/10.21697/seb.2018.16.3.01.
Google Scholar

Sadowski, Ryszard F., and Zafer Ayvaz. 2023. “Biblical and Quranic Argumentation for Sustainable Behaviors Toward Nature.” Problemy Ekorozwoju 18, no. 1: 152–63. https://doi.org/10.35784/pe.2023.1.15.
Google Scholar

Samways, David. 2021. “‘Population and Our Contemporary Ecological Crisis’. in C. Nellist, Ed. Climate Crisis and Creation Care: Historical Perspectives, Ecological Integrity and Justice. 286-307. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.” C. Nellist.
Google Scholar

Sayem, Md. Abu. 2021. “Islam and Environmental Ethics.” Islamic Studies 60, no. 2: 157–72. https://doi.org/10.52541/isiri.v60i2.1438.
Google Scholar

Setya, Devi. 2023. “Jangan Boros Air! Berapa Banyak Penggunaan Air Wudhu Yang Disunnahkan? [Don’t Waste Water! How Much Use of Ablution Water Is Sunnah?].” Www.Detik.Com. 2023. https://www.detik.com/hikmah/khazanah/d-7105192/jangan-boros-air-berapa-banyak-penggunaan-air-wudhu-yang-disunnahkan.
Google Scholar

Shakhs, Ahmed El, and Dalia Mohammed Ezzat. 2018. “Water in Islamic Architectur: Study of The Water Dispensary (Sabil).” Majallah Al-Imarah Wa Al-Funun Wa Al-Ulum Al-Insaniyah 3, no. 1 (October): 1–16. https://doi.org/10.12816/0047906.
Google Scholar

Siraj, M A, and M A K Tayab. 2017. Water and Scriptures. Edited by K. V. Raju and S. Manasi. Water and Scriptures. Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50562-6.
Google Scholar

Suratkon, Azeanita, Chee Ming Chan, and Tengku Syamimi Tuan Ab Rahman. 2014. “SmartWUDHU’: Recycling Ablution Water for Sustainable Living in Malaysia.” Journal of Sustainable Development 7, no. 6 (November): 150–57. https://doi.org/10.5539/jsd.v7n6p150.
Google Scholar

Whitney, Elspeth. 2015. “Lynn White Jr . ’ s ‘ The Historical Roots of Our Ecologic Crisis ’ After 50Years” 8: 396–410.
Google Scholar

Yahya, Mustapha, and Faculty O F Arts. 2021. “The Importance And Maintenance Of Water To Man , Animals And Plants In Islam.” Gusau Journal of Islamic Studies (GUJIS) 1, no. 1: 1–10.
Google Scholar

Yusuf, Deviana Matudilifa. 2023. “Sebagian Besar Sungai Di Indonesia Tercemar, Apa Pengaruhnya Terhadap Penyediaan Air Minum? [Most Rivers in Indonesia Are Polluted, What Impact Does This Have on Drinking Water Supply?].” Https://Nuwsp.Web.Id/. 2023. https://nuwsp.web.id/artikel/6993.
Google Scholar