Maa’ (water, is the resource of life, the best drink there is, and one of the pillars of existence. Rather it is the most important pillar of life, as Allah has created every living thing from water.
There is a difference of opinion if water is a source of nutrition for the body, or if it only helps wash down and dissolve the food. Water is a wet, cold substance that removes heat, preserves the body’s moisture, restores the moisture that the body has lost, makes the food softer and helps carry it through the blood vessels.
There are ten standards with which we test waters freshness. First, its color should be crystal clear. Second, water should not have any odor at all. Third, water should be sweet and fresh just as the water of the Nile and the Euphrates. Fourth, water should be light. Fifth, water sources should be pure and not stagnant. Sixth, water is fresher when its sources are deeper or farther. Seventh, water should be exposed to the wind and the sun, not hidden under the earth. Eighth, water sources should not be stagnant and should be fast running. Ninth, water should be plentiful which helps purify whatever impurities it might carry. Tenth, water source be running North to South or West to East.
When all these characteristics are sought together, they will all be found in four rivers, the Nile, The Euphrates, Sayhan ( or Sayhoun) and Jay’han (or Jayhoun). In the Sahihain, it is narrated that Abu Hurairah related from the Prophet, sallalahu aleyhi wa sallam, that he said:
((سيحان وجيحان والنيل والفرات, كلها من أنهار الجنة))
“Sayhan, Jayhan, the Nile, and the Euphrates are all among the rivers of Paradise.”
As for the water being light, there are three methods to verify it. First, water should easily absorb the cold and the heat. Hippocrates said, “The water that becomes hot or cold easily is the lightest water.” Second, by weight. Third; when one wets two pieces of cotton, which are exactly the same weight, with water from two different sources, and then both pieces are dried and weighed. The one that has the lightest weight indicated the water is absorbed the lightest.
The environment that the water passes though has a profound effect on the water. For instance, water sources that are located to the north are generally cooler and their water is generally thicker due to the Northern wind. Also, the water that passes through mineral rich rocks is affected by this fact.
Fresh water is beneficial for both the ill and the healthy. Cool or chilled water is the most beneficial and had the best taste. Yet, one should not drink water soon after he wakes up, after sexual intercourse, taking a bath or eating fruit. There is no harm is one drinks water while eating, but not excessively. Rather, having a few sips of water in this case is better and does not harm the stomach but strengthens it, and quenches the thirst.
Warm water, on the other hand, swells the stomach and causes the opposite effects that we mentioned regarding cold water. Old warm water is better than fresh warm water.
Cold water is better than warm water inside the body, as it cleanses the blood and clears the head. Also, cold water removes rot and s mild and favorable for the teeth, the mood and hot weather. Yet, cold water is not good for those suffering from colds r swelling, since such cases need het to decompose. Very cold water harm the teeth and drinking it on a regular basis could cause bronchitis and chest pains.
Very hot and very cold water are very harmful to the nerves and most of the limbs and body organs. One of them decomposes (hot water) while the other concentrates moistures. Warm water relived hot mixtures, decomposes, matures and extracts excrement and brings wetness and hotness, but does not help the digestion as the food then floats up close to the upper side of the stomach. Warm water also does not quech the thirst quickly, weakens the body and causes many harmful illnesses. Yet, warm water is good for old people and those suffering from epilepsy, cold headaches and ophthalmia (inflammation of the eye).
There is no Hadith about sun heated water, not did nay of the renowned doctors of old discourage drinking it. Yet, very hot water dissolves the fat around the kidneys.
Rain Water
The Ghaith is mentioned in the Quran in many instances. The word Ghaith is soft in the ear and is delightful for the body and soul. The ears like to hear the word Ghaith, while the heart enjoys is falling.
Rainwater is the best type of water there is and the softest, most beneficial and most blessed. This is especially the case when the rainfall is accompanied by lightning and thunder and is then collected in mountains areas.
Rainwater is lighter than the other types of water because it is fresh and did not remain on the ground for a long time, in which case it would acquire some of the earth’s dryness and hard substances, this is why rainwater gets spoiled quickly because it is pure and light.
There are two opinions regarding which is softer and lighter: rainwater that falls in the spring or winter.
Those who prefer winter rainwater say that in winter, the sun’s heat is less and it this evaporates the softest parts of the seawater. Also, the air then would be clean and void of dust and consequently, would not be polluted. Hence, rainwater will not dissolve any pollutants while, and this is why rainwater is the softest and the lightest.
Those who prefer spring rainwater say that the hot sun then evaporates heavy substances in the air itself lighter and cleaner. In this case, rainwater will be the lightest and the softest at a time when the plants, the trees and the air become ready to receive rainfall.
Ash-Shafi’ narrated that Anas bin Malik, radiallahu anhu said, “Once, we were with the Prophet, sallallahu aleyhi wa sallam, when the rain fell. The Prophet, sallallahu aleyhi wa sallam removed his upper garment (until the rain fell on him) saying:
((انه حديث عهد بربه))
“It has just come from its Lord.”
Water contained in Ice and Hail
In the Sahihain, it is narrated that the Prophet, sallahu aleyhi wa sallam, used to say the following supplication after starting the prayer:
((اللهم, اغسلني من الخطاياي بماء والثلج والبرد))
“O Allah! Wash my sins with water (rain), snow and hail.”
Snow is accumulated due to the moisture in the air. We mentioned the wisdom is asking Allah to wash the sins with snow, as the heart needs the coolness and its strength. We stated before the subject of curing the ills of heart and treating them with their opposites and neutralizes.
Hail water is sweeter than snow water, while the equality of melted ice depends on its source.
We should mention that the quality of the snow is affected by the area and the mountains that it falls on.
One should avoid drinking icy water after taking a bath, sexual intercourse, sports activity, eating hot foods, when coughing and having chest pains, weak liver and cool tempers.
Water from Wells and Ground Water
Well water is not favorable, while underground water is heavy. This is because the first one (well water) rarely escapes rot, while underground water is not exposed to fresh air. Hence, one should not drink such types of water until exposing the water to air for at least a night. The worst type of well or underground water is that which runs through lead-rich stones and unused wells, especially if its soil is not good.
Zamzam Water
Zamzam water is the best, freshest, most beneficial, most beloved and most precious water there is. Further, Zamzam water dug up by Jibreel and the source that Prophet Ismail, aleyhis salaam, drank from.
In the Sahihain it is narrated that the Prophet, Sallalahu aleyhi wa salaam said to Abu Dharr, who remained at the Ka’bah for forty days without food (or drink) living on Zamzam water: “It is a nutritious food.” Muslim added that the Prophet, sallalahu aleyhi wa salaam, said:
((و شفء شقم))
"And a cure from ailment.”
Furthermore, Ibn Majah narrated that Jabir bin Abdullah related from the Prophet, sallahu aleyhi wa sallam, that he said:
((ماء زمزم لمن شربه))
“Zamzam water is for whatever was intended behind drinking it.”
We were told that ‘Abdullah bin al-Mubarak once said, “O Allah! Ibn al-Mu’ammil told us that Muhammad bin al-Munkadir related from Jabir, radiallahu anhu, that your prophet, sallalahu aleyhi wa sallam said:
((ماء زمزم لما شرب لهز فاني أشرب لظما يوم القيامة))
“The water of Zamzam is for the purpose it is drank for, and I drink it to relieve the thirst on the day of resurrection.”
The Hadith is of Hasan (sound) type.
Many other people and I have tried drinking from Zamzam water for the purpose of being cured from various illnesses, and by the will of Allah, I was indeed cured from several illnesses. I also saw people who lived on Zamzam water for a long time, fifteen days or little longer without complaining from hunger. Such people would perform Tawaf with other people at a normal pace.
The Nile
The Nile is one of the rivers of Paradise that flows from deep inside Ethiopia. It is collected from the rainfall and the floods that supply it with water. Then, Allah directs this river that flows with water to dry areas, causing vegetation, on which people and animals live, to grow and flourish.
The land that the river flows to is dry and does to keep rainwater that falls n it, which is insufficient to grow vegetation anyway. On eh other hand, when such a land receives mote than the normal rainfall, the houses and life will be destroyed. Allah has caused the rain to fall in far lands and then directed the people and the animals. When the river provides enough water for farming and to grow vegetation, the water level decreases so that the people are able to tend and harvest the vegetation. The water of the Nile has ten characteristics that we mentioned before, and this is why it is among the lightest, sweetest and freshest waters.
Seawater
The Prophet, sallahu aleyhi wa sallam said about the sea:
((هو الطهور ماؤه الحل ميتته))
“Its water is pure and its dead is allowed (to eat).”
Allah has made the sea salty for the benefit of the people and the animals on the earth. Seawater is plentiful and has sufficient amounts of animals (and fish) that die but do not get buried in it. If the seawater is fresh and sweet, the animals that would die it is would make it rotten, adversely affecting the quality of the air on the earth. Allah’s wisdom has decided that seawater is salty and even if the entire dead corpses produced on the earth were thrown in it, it would still be fresh until Allah brings this world to its inevitable end. This is one of the reasons why seawater is salty, along with its soil and sand also being salty.
Taking a bath in seawater helps relieve many illnesses and infections that appear on the skin. Drinking seawater is harmful, it causes diarrhea, weakens the body and cause rash, mage and thirst.
Those who have to drink seawater do so for certain medical purposes. In this case, seawater should be boiled in a pot that is covered by wool, which will absorb the water vapor. Then, the collected water should be squeezed out of the wool and consumed when there is sufficient amount of it. Meanwhile, the salt and the minerals will remain in the pot.
Also, one could dig a hole near the seashore to collect the water through several parallel tunnels that would make the water fresh at eh end (when it passes through them repeatedly).
If one has to drink seawater, he should first mix it with apricot pips, burning coal, Armenian argil (type of earth), oak wood or fine wheat flour. This way, most of the minerals and mud will be collected in the bottom of the pot or the cup.
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Taken from: "Healing with the Medicine of the Prophet," by Ibn ul-Qayyim