At the Friday sermon today, the Imam exhorted the congregation to conserve water when performing wudu’. He advised us to perform only one repetition instead of the recommended three, and to wipe over our socks instead of washing our feet, citing Stage 3 Water Restrictions.
Stage 3 Water Restrictions!
You know what, this is actually commendable on the imam’s part. I didn’t realise our imams were becoming so green. But I don’t see why we should stop there. Our religion gives us license to perform tayyammum when water is scarce, which allows us to purify ourselves with pure sand or dust. Taking the imam’s advice to its logical conclusion, we should disconnect the water from our wudu’ areas, and just have buckets of sand with which to prepare for the prayer.
What do you think?
Note: feel free to send us your own Friday Follies. We’ll post the more interesting ones for you to comment, kind of like a peer review for the community.
9 comments ↓
I think the intention was surely in the right place though - I have lost count how many times I have seen the floor flooded because of the copious amounts of water people use to perform wudu. Considering the Prophet (saw) performed his ablution with the minimum amount needed, I see it as a good lesson for us all.
Hmmm… someone else prayed at ICV then.
I agree with dawood above. It’s a well-intentioned thought.
I have been doing that for years (1 repetition and wiping over socks when possible).
It is good advice from the Sheikh and we do need to conserve water wherever we can.
Water conservation isn’t our problem. We pay taxes to the government to manage water supply but they’ve failed to do that. They could have easily built some more dams.
Did our beautiful Prophet (saws) not warn us against innovation in the rules of Islam? Was water not scarce in the seventh century Arabian desert? Water brings hygiene and purification. To conserve it is surely commendable, and to waste it is wrong. But washing is not wasting it.
conserving is surely part of our religion but a point made by “Thumper” is right mismanagement of the water resources all over Australia.
instead of rain water being run out from the streets into the sea, the government could have diverted them to the right areas, or the damns that are in need. Australia has both the technical and financial capabilities to do this. we have been in drought for the part 11 years and not has been done.
IN QLD WE HAVE LEVEL 5 WATER RESTRICTION, and soon will be 6.
mar et al.
Dams only go so far. They are hideously expensive in funds and to the environment. You are in long drought, adjust. Your religion has a plan B for when water is short. Hygiene is important, but it is not an excuse for waste.
Having been a part of the worlds greatest Navy, I will enlighten you with the routine of the “Navy Shower”
1. Turn on water just enough to wet entire body including hair.
2. Turn off water soap body and shampoo hair.
3. Rinse off
4. Turn off water / towel off
Total time of shower: no more than five minutes.
This rigorous regime will still keep you clean and hygienic. The point being that you can achieve the cleanliness that is next to godliness with very little water. All you have to do is put your mind to it. On the flip side it is very easy to waste water in overly luxurious showers (or ablutions),
Water is a precious and limited natural resource, you should only use what is absolutely needed. God willing the land of Oz may see normal rains soon. Until such time conserve, conserve, conserve.
Salaams,
Two points:
1) The government should get its act together.
2) I think we can conserve water better by taking short baths, and then improvise on the wudu.
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