Symbolism of water in the Holy Quran

Instructor Dr. Ahmed Taha Yasseen Al-Midhadi

Upper Euphrates Basin Development Centre

University of Anbar

Water is the mass of life, the master and the best of drinks, one of the pillars of life in the world, but its original corner. Heavens are created from its steam, and the earth from its scum, it is the most precious assets and the lost, and the material of life. The Almighty Allah said: ( and made from water every living thing?)[Al-Anbiy?’:30]. That is, we made water originally for all living people and a cause of life without which any human, no animal, and no plant would live. In his interpretation of this holy verse, al-Qartabi said three interpretations: one: he created everything from water, the second, said: Save the life of everything with water, the third, make from solid state of water everything alive.

The Qur’an’s exquisite methods of displaying the word "water" and its attachments in all its circumstances and names varied through: its origin, descent, emergence, exits and means, its fountains, vessels and drinking utensils, all of which confirm the great importance of water and that it is the elixir of life.

The word (water) is contained in the Qur'an in about sixty-three verses, in different concepts, and these concepts each time carry a different meaning that is not similar to that of the other concept, where he was inferred once on his oneness, once on the Resurrection, and once again by the Almighty tells us that he is the basis of life, and again as a soldier of his soldiers, if he wishes to make him safe, and if he wishes to make him a fatal, and once again to show people the truth of what has been brought down to them, and again He shows that he supplied his servants with water and made him fresh, and once salted, and once made him the basis of washing and cleansing.

Almighty Allah has mentioned water in the Holy Quran as masculine (water) 33 times. He mentioned it definitively 16 times. He mentioned it more denied than introduced to it, indicating that the whole matter of the water came down from the sky.

In the Holy Quran, the people of interpretation stated (water) that there were four aspects:

First: the water of the springs and rivers: like in His Almighty saying ( And We have sent down rain from the sky in a measured amount and settled it in the earth. And indeed, We are Able to take it away ) (Al-Mu’min?n:18) and ( Do you not see that All?h sends down rain from the sky and makes it flow as springs [and rivers] in the earth ). (Al-zumur 21).

Second: the water of rainfall: ( and sent down upon you from the sky, rain by which to purify you ). (Al-Anfal: 11), ( We have sent the fertilizing winds [673] and sent down water from the sky and given you drink from it. And you are not its retainers. ). (Al-Hijr: 22), ( And it is He who sends the winds as good tidings before His mercy [i.e., rainfall], and We send down from the sky pure water.) (Al-Furq?n: 48), (And sent down, from the rain clouds, pouring water ) (An-Naba:14).

Third: water of sperm: like His Almighty saying ( All?h has created every [living] creature from water. ) (An-Noor: 45), His saying ( And it is He who has created from water [i.e., semen] a human being and made him [a relative by] lineage and marriage. ) (Al-Furq?n: 54), His saying (Then He made his posterity out of the extract of a liquid disdained. ) (As-Sajda: 8).

Other interpreters add another aspect which is the abundant money, like His Almighty saying: (And [Allah revealed] that if they had remained straight on the way, We would have given them abundant rain [i.e., provision].+ So We might test them therein. And whoever turns away from the remembrance of his Lord[1771] He will put into arduous punishment. ) (Al-Jinn: 16-17).