Religion and Theology

Efforts in global environmental conservation has sought to include the ethics based religious values to help in creating awareness on the sacred aspects of nature and the need to maintain it as governed by various religious theories. Muslim offers a unique viewpoint to environmental conservation by having a significant regard towards natural aspects of life such as water, air and animals. Being a faith that originated from traditions whose backgrounds were based on dry lands, water is given a lot of respect through its capacity to give life. Wastefulness of water is forbidden and any use that has no benefit. Emphasis on water preservation is seen as a form of worship to God who intended water to be there for drinking purposes of man, animals and even vegetation.

Quran view of water
The Quran contain several verses which talks about the water cycle and the basic role played by water in ensuring the sustainability of all forms of life based on earth. It has a specific reference to the exceptional characteristics of fresh water and other water bodies such as underground springs and aquifers as it places at the apex of all other observable facts of life on earth. The teachings on conservation are contained in three principles of unity, stewardship and trust (Igbal, 5). The unity (tawhid) is reflected through the unification of God as a supreme being who is the creator of all what is in earth. To God belongs all that is in heaven and on earth, for He encompasses everything Quran (4 126) Man in all his action is answerable to God and for a man to abuse any of his natural creation is taken as a sinful act.

Conservation
Water conservation in Islamic teaching is a lifestyle that should be applied throughout the life of a Muslim at the times of both water shortages and when it is in plenty. The Quran goes ahead to encourage the children of Adam to eat and drink but not to waste any resource at the time of excess as Allah does not like wastefulness. Wasteful people of any resource are taken as enemies of the God. Special attention is given to water conservation as a tradition carried down from the teachings of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him of Islam.

Through the words of the prophet, Islamic believers are encouraged to conserve water as they are guardians of the Gods creation. From Quran (56 68-70) his life in the desert put a lot of significance to the role of water in life of a man. The Quran emphasizes on water as a gift from God and its significance in giving life is seen from the verse in Quran (21 30) We made from water every living thing. The Quran also identifies water as a gift from God to sustain life, And Allah has sent down the water from sky and therewith gives the life to the earth and all that lives in it after its death. From the hadith or acts of the prophet ideologies of stewardship or khalifa and trust or amana, the role of man is seen in safeguarding the resources bestowed under his care by God (Rahim, 12). A Muslim is not allowed to keep unto himself excess water an act that can jeopardize the use of water by others. The teaching of prophet on environment acquires a holistic approach by assuming a basic connection and interdependency between all the elements of natural world. Any depletion or misuse of one element has the capacity to affect the world with negative consequences. Muslims are even ordered to remain economical on the way they use their water. In this regard, they were advised not to perform wudu or bathing for not more than three times a day even if they happen to draw their water from a river flowing fast with water.

The Islamic teaching s puts a lot of emphasis on the attainment of harmonious relationship between physical and spiritual purifications. The role of clean water in conducting physical purification is seen in the act of performing of physical bath and ablution. Ablution is a form of washing or moisturizing the basic parts that are connected to five senses before a prayer. This includes the feet, hands, nose, mouth, eyes, and ears (Yazbeck, 34). These are parts that contain nerve endings. The action improves the concentration at the time of the prayer.

Pollution
Quran emphasizes on maintaining water pure and clean as Muslims are discouraged from polluting any water. Muslims are forbidden from urinating on stagnant water. This is seen as a way of polluting the water reservoir. In addition, the teachings prohibits against bathing on stagnant water. According to these teachings, Muslims are not allowed to empty their bowels near water sources. Do not damage earth like vandals are teachings in Quran taken to warn against polluting the environment including water whether intentionally or without knowledge. From this, any form of water pollution either by an individual or any other industrial installation is seen as an act that goes contrary to the teachings of Allah (Setia, 58). According to Quran, (5668-70) human are reminded to take care of the water they were given by God for drinking and as God has the capacity to make it bitter but wants it to be retained as it is. The verse stresses this by saying Consider the water which you drink, was it you who brought it down from the rain cloud or we If we had pleased, we could make it bitter. Water conservation and safeguarding its natural form any impurity were two important things that were set forward by the prophet (Igbal, 11).

Islamic law prohibits against development of establishment in areas that contains natural resources. These include areas such as along water canals, rivers, and aquifers to protect them from any kind of pollution that can result from human activities. The Islamic teaching which is based on Quran points at the water or ocean as the source of life. And we made from water every living thing, will they not believe The interpretation from this creates a close connection between life on land and that on the sea (Hag, 1214).

Other life in ocean
The Quran recognizes the aquatic life both as a creation of God and the living things contained by it as a source of food. The Allah made lawful for man to fish out food from sea. This is seen as a recognition that Allah had for those who would be in travel in the sea. There is a big contrast drawn between the two masses of water one which is bitter yet has the capacity to provide flesh which is as fresh as that from the sweet water. The ocean is seen as a one that was strategically placed by God to provide man with food (Yazbeck, 67). It is He who has made the sea subject that ye may eat fresh and tender from it

Various views
The wide acknowledgement if water conservation within this religion has traversed even within the legislative institutions. This has seen the Islamic religious teachings, being incorporated within the legislatives bodies like sharia laws. In legislative institutions that are based on Islamic faith, there has been a declaration of the fatwa or official faith based position which has lead to a greater conservation of water resource (Setia, 64). This is because, the declaration of wasteful of water resource as haraam or illegal act has had a greater impact on depressing the acts of wasting water.

The common entitlement and obligation of taking care of water is based on the declaration by prophet that just like fire and pasture, water should remain a common entitlement to all persons. This has formed a good basis for legislations in many Muslim countries where role of water management is bestowed on the community (Hag, 1221). If all other religions of the world would come with such defined teachings about various conservations measures, then the world would be a better place.

Summary
The Muslim teaching in regard to environment has a significant basis on reason, logic and ethics. It is true that nature has been created upon the ideology of a balance and man is the only steward and man has been passed the obligation to take care of it and ensure none of his actions interrupts this balance. The Quran emphasizes on the moral responsibility of man to safeguard water as a natural resource for the benefit off all of Gods creations including plants and animals. There is a need to apply religion as a guide to positive roles in environmental conservation.