Published on 12th October, 2002

Water

Courtesy of IFSA

Allah says in the Quoran:

“And He it is Who sends the winds as good news heralding His mercy, 
and We send down purifying water from the sky” 
(Surah al-Furqan; 48)

Overview

Water, fibres, vitamins, minerals, calories, sugars, proteins and fats are our nourishment. They all need to be taken into the organism in form of food and drink on a frequent basis and in a balanced manner. Allah mentions fruits such as dates, pomegranates, figs and olives, nourishment from mountains (minerals), water, meat and vegetables in al-Quoran. A surplus of some of these (fat, proteins, minerals like salt and sugar) can lead to illness. Our Prophet ('s) mentions remedies and in the Traditions many types of food are encouraged.

It is essential for every biochemical reaction that the element of water is present. For our immune system, our ability to think clearly, our blood circulation, water is equally important.

Allah mentions in the Quran that his seat is on water (H2O) and that His (swt) throne extends over the heavens and the Earth (H). He says that He brought forth every living thing from water. It is also purifying and cleansing as mentioned in the Quran. Furthermore, it gives us some essential minerals which are dissolved in it.
 
Thus water is the source and basis of all life, even in its most extreme form (chemobacteriae, alive in sulphurous streams of up to 500 degrees Celsius temperature). 

Our Prophet Mohammed ('s) drank water before he ate food (the stomach is to be 1/3 for water, 1/3 for food and 1/3 empty). He ('s) also urged people who got angry to drink water. It dissolves the hormones (adrenaline) and cools the blood. Water solves the blood and makes it thinner and easier to flow through fine capillaries in our extremities such as the fingers and feet. When we eat food after drinking water, the blood is prepared to give away digestive acids via the stomach walls and the blood-pressure stays stable and one does not get tired after eating, if enough water is present. Water is taken into the blood from the cartridge in the mouth already and also via the stomach wall, very quick. 

Dehydration

In case of diarrhoea, the contents of the stomach are not broken down because they can not be digested and they are toxic, so the amount of minerals dissolved in the liquid contents of the stomach and intestines goes higher than in the blood and sucks out water from it. This leads to a thin faeces and to dehydration.

We might think that in winter when we feel less thirsty, the need for water is less than in summer. But that is a trap and leads to dehydration on a big scale. The cartridges (mouth) can still be wet and you can have a lack of water in your body at the same time. A very clear indicator of a lack of water is an itching feeling in your ears and your eyes because these dry out first before anything else does. These organs (eyes and ears) are also most sensitive to a lack of water, because the capillaries are very fine. The optic and acoustic senses are the first ones to fade away before one dies of thirst in the desert. However, the water contained in the food is not enough to wash out the toxins from the blood via the liver and kidneys into the urine. 

We all tend to drink too little water and the long term effects are diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke and cancer. We drink too much black tea, coffee, juices and so on, which actually require more water to be digested than they contain because of the surplus sugar in them. We get used to the lack of water in the body and dehydrate over years. This leads to fast aging, bad skin and bones, etc. In all processes of digestion and in all chains of metabolism H2O plays a dominant role as a solvent. It also helps us wash out ammonium which increases in the blood after digestion of proteins in the form of urine.

Other environmental toxins such as CO, salt and CO2 are also expelled with the help of water such as sweat, urine, breath vapour, tears, dripping and spittle. Water is best taken in small and frequent doses (sips). Not too much at once (leading to a washing out of minerals) and not too little (dark urine, thick blood, headache). 

Garlic or Gingko

People from the tropical countries sweat more genetically and also through secondary adaptation (heat, life style). They need more water than people in the north, far away from the Equator. But if people from the north move to warm countries, they too need more water after 3 years or so and the volume of their blood increases. The volume of the blood also depends on the amount of solvents therein. It can be increased temporarily through Garlic or Gingko. Thirst increases after eating these and after drinking sufficient water the blood starts flowing better and the blood pressure goes down. The brain starts working better and the body becomes fitter. So eat Garlic and Ginkgo. Many Doctors will tell you that it does not make a difference, you need medicine to cure a disease. They need to keep the pharmaceutical industry alive. But I, as a Biologist, can tell you, how to prevent diseases, apart from accidents, genetic disorders and some cases infections, although these can be prevented as well. 

Some Precautions

It is also important to study the types of water around us. Not all water is good. Some tap-water is too hard and contains too much calcium. Tap water nowadays is rich in female hormones (preservatives) and pesticides. Other water has too much NaCl (salt). Pure seawater is too rich in salts and needs to be distilled.

The best water is low in NaCl. Too much lack of minerals, such as pure rain water in the mountains or distilled water can be dangerous too because it will cause osmosis and suck out the minerals of the cells. It needs to be mixed with minerals.

Provided with kind permission from:
IFSA, Islamic Forum for Science and Arts
Surf: www.ummah.com/ifsa
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(Edited,  25/05/01)