Islamic View of River Care

Protection of religion with regard to river and water relates closely to the need to perform ablution for daily prayers and other acts of worship. At the level of exigencies, water is indispensible for hygiene and cleaning. At the enhancement level, riversides can become magnificent backgrounds and landscapes for mosques, beautifying their surroundings and infusing soothing effects for those who perform prayers therein.

Protection of life is impossible without water. Rivers and seas are the main sources of food and drinking water. The Quran highlights this life-giving quality of water: “And Allah has sent down the water from the sky and therewith gives life to the Earth after death.” (Quran 16:65). At the exigency level, protection is extended to the different species of animals and plants, which in turn, also benefit humans in terms of food sustainability and balanced nutrition. Even the preservation of insects and algae is vital in sustaining rich bio-diversity and the cycle of life in a population. In a hadith, the Prophet said that there was a reward for serving any animate (living) being.

With regard to the human intellect, rivers provide man with scenery and ambiances that foster peace of mind. There are many scientific findings, including a recent one by Natural England last year, indicating that interacting with Nature reduces anxiety, stress and depression, and ultimately contributes to happiness. Rivers also provide nourishment and habitats for birds and other creatures. Rivers provide recreational spaces for humans to rest their minds and bodies, and improve their wellbeing.

River protection is essential to ensure inter-generational justice, so that future generations can enjoy natural resources of the same quality that we do or better. However, in some contexts, where overpopulation is the main contributing factor for river pollution and degradation, family planning can be considered one of the solutions at the exigency level of Islamic objectives.

At the enhancement level, it is important to promote rivers as national heritage and natural treasures collectively shared by all citizens across generations.

From the Islamic perspective, rivers are owned by the community as a whole. Therefore, no one has the right to claim exclusive ownership over them. The Prophet succinctly stressed that “people are partners in three things: water, pastures, and fire”. However, at the exigency level, allowing any party to have concessions over water supply management is permissible in Islam as long as no injustice is caused by imposing, for instance, unreasonable water tariffs.

Finally, rivers can become tourist attractions that provide economic benefits to local communities and the rest of the country, provided that their natural state and beauty are carefully preserved.

Given the conformity of river rehabilitation and protection with the overarching Syariah objectives, the Muslim community should support and become actively involved in this laudable initiative, as it is part and parcel of collective responsibility to their religion and the environment.

By Ahmad Badri Abdullah. The writer is research fellow at IAIS Malaysia, with a focus on maqasid al-shari’ah (the higher objective of Shari’ah), usul al-fiqh and contemporary Islamic jurisprudence discourse, particularly in the subject of systems thinking and its application in Islamic philosophy of law