Earth is an Amanah

Water: A Sacred Resource

So far we’ve discussed our role as khalifah and the sin of wastefulness. Today we talk about water — the substance that makes up 60% of our bodies, the key to all life, and one of the most neglected amanah in our daily lives. And we talk about it with a South African lens. Because we know, better than most, what it means to watch the taps run dry.

Dear listeners, what is the first thing you do when you wake up? Many of us turn on a tap. We wash our faces, we fill a kettle, we flush a toilet. We do this without thinking, without thanking, and without counting. Water is so abundant in our homes that we have forgotten: it is a gift, not a guarantee.

Allah ﷻ says in the Qur’an:

وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ ٱلْمَآءِ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ حَىٍّ ۖ أَفَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ

“And We made from water every living thing. Then will they not believe?” (Surah Al-Anbiya, 21: 30)

Every living thing. Every cell. Every leaf. Every human, animal, and microbe. Water is not just a convenience. It is the very breath of creation. And in Islam, water holds a special spiritual station. Without it, there is no wudhu. Without wudhu, there is no prayer. Without prayer, what is our faith?

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ understood the sanctity of water so deeply that he forbade wastefulness even when water was abundant. A companion, Abdullah ibn Amr RA, narrated that the Prophet ﷺ passed by Sa’d RA who was performing wudhu. The Prophet ﷺ asked: “What is this extravagance?” Sa’d RA said: “Is there extravagance in water?” The Prophet ﷺ replied: “Yes, even if you are at a flowing river.” (Ibn Majah, Ahmad)

Think about that. A flowing river. An endless supply. And still, the Prophet ﷺ said: Do not waste. Do not let the water run while you soap your hands. Do not fill a bucket higher than you need. Do not leave a tap dripping. Because every drop is counted. And every drop has a right.

Now let us bring this home to South Africa.

We remember 2017 and 2018. We remember Cape Town counting down to “Day Zero” – the day the taps would run dry. We remember two-minute showers, grey water buckets, and the shame of watching swimming pools stay full while poor communities went thirsty. That crisis was a wake-up call. But did we truly wake up?

According to recent reports, South Africa still loses over 1.5 billion litres of treated water every single day – to leaks, to pipe bursts, to negligence. That is not a technical problem. That is an amanah betrayed. Meanwhile, parts of the Eastern Cape and Northern Cape still face water shortages. And climate change promises more droughts, not fewer.

So what does Islam ask of us? Let me give you three practical, immediate actions.

First: Mindful wudhu.
The scholars estimate that the Prophet ﷺ used less than half a litre of water for wudhu. A modern tap can flow at 6 litres per minute. If you leave the tap running for your entire wudhu – from basmalah to washing your feet – you may use 10 to 15 litres. That is twenty times the Sunnah amount. Turn off the tap between washes. Use a small cup or container. Teach your children to do the same.

Second: Fix your leaks.
A dripping tap can waste 30 litres a day. That is 10,000 litres a year. Enough to fill a small swimming pool. Enough to perform wudhu 20,000 times. Walk through your home today. Listen for drips. Tighten what you can. Report what you cannot. This is not a minor thing. It is enjoining good and preventing waste.

Third: Reclaim grey water.
The water from your washing machine, your bath, your basin – that water can water your garden, wash your driveway, or flush your toilet. Millions of South Africans already do this out of necessity. The rest of us can do it out of taqwa – Allah-consciousness.

We live in a water-stressed country. That is not a punishment. It is a test. Will we continue to waste, or will we wake up?

The Prophet ﷺ said: “The best of charity is giving water.” (Ibn Majah). Charity is not only for the rich. Turning off a tap is charity. Fixing a leak is charity. Teaching your neighbour to waste less is charity.

So today, before you make wudhu, pause. Before you wash your car with a hose, think. Before you ignore that drip, remember: The same water that cleanses you for Allah’s presence is the water that grows your food, quenches your children, and keeps this beautiful land alive.

Maa is not just water. It is mercy. Do not waste it.