The Fig, the Olive and the Peaceful Land: Ramadan Mubarak (8)

"A man went to meet his friend who was also his lawyer, 'I want a divorce. My wife hasn't spoken to me in six months.'
'Better think it over,' replied the lawyer, 'wives like that are hard to get!'"

"Water is an essential material for human survival, therefore water quality and purity are crucial," Jasmine went on while looking in amazement at the panorama of Tumpak Sewu waterfall in Lumajang, a group of waterfalls, even it was not as fast and as wide as Niagara Falls.
"When we think about water, the words ‘clean’, ‘purity’, and ‘hygiene’ represent three historical dimensions piled on top of one another, overlapping through time. Simple ‘cleanliness’ probably lies at the bottom of everything, and seems to represent our animal and human side—not only the demands of our extremely ancient biology, but also our very ‘Neolithic’ love of grooming, orderliness, and beauty. Purity may be man-made, but also lies in deep levels of time as a psychology that produced certain reﬁned religious, or supernatural, ideologies of divine perfection and pollution that were socially imposed on animal nature and the material world. ‘Hygiene’ derives from the classical Greek word for wholesomeness and human healthiness, which then became a shorthand term for the Greek natural science of preserving and extending life. The ancient Greek sense, popularly known as ‘the regimen of health’—what we did (and do) for ourselves in order to preserve our bodies, with or without trained doctors, or publicly provided facilities. You could call it a social and cultural history of preventive medicine.
A dense mass of human history clusters around the belief that dirt is ‘bad’, and that dirt removal (cleansing) is always ‘good’. Dirt only matters out of place, and is neither ‘good’ nor ‘bad’. Nature does not care what we think, or how we respond, to matter in all its forms. But as a species, we do care, very deeply, about our own survival. There can be no disputing the link between cleansing and sur- vival. Survival is the main aim of the organism. External attacks or accidents apart, the most common and constant threats to its survival are internal poisoning and premature decay. The body defends itself from these things.
We can start the history of cleanliness from the story of ‘ellu’, an ancient Mesopotamian word meaning a type of glittering, strikingly luminescent, or beautiful cleanliness—a powerful, non-ascetic, image of beauty that was entirely guilt-free. The cosmetic routine now called ‘pampering’—baths, aromas, facials, manicures, pedicures, hairstyling, and costuming, conducted in sensuous surroundings with or without groups of friends—emerged at both ends of Eurasia during the Bronze Age from c.4000 BCE, along with most of the necessary tools and raw materials. Cosmetics are the underbelly of personal hygiene, usually ignored, often much reviled, but even now forming an essential part of personal health care and self-identity.
The Greeks are normally where the history of hygiene begins. Greek personal hygiene was a philosophy of life that went well beyond good grooming. In the name of their young goddess, princess, or high priestess of health Hygieia, the Greeks ultimately brought another permanent layer of meaning to the idea of cleanliness. We are all hygienic now.
The Roman baths and aqueducts cleansed and scoured more people in western Eurasia. Cleanliness in Roman baths was an integral part of the Roman ‘civilizing process’, and an ultra-clean, well-groomed body was their badge and symbol of citizenship. But bathing was only one part of a whole regime of grooming and hygienic self-care.

The hygienic changes during the ﬁrst ﬁfty years of the eighteenth century were still mainly personal and economic ones— most of them occurring in people’s minds and inside private homes. The result was a new market for health care. The thriving eighteenth-century health and leisure industries were bla- tantly connected to the fast-accelerating ‘wheel of fashion’. The overriding image of eighteenth-century Europe is one of supreme elegance: the perfect ‘Quality’ lifestyle of the aristocracy, gentry, and educated middle classes, for whom personal cleanliness and orderliness were now very visible marks of being ‘genteel’.
The twentieth and twenty-first centuries are by far the best documented and probably the most grimly fascinating of all the centuries embraced by the history of personal cleansing. The twentieth century itself was probably the most hygienic and cleansing-conscious era on record in all industrialized countries. It was punctuated by two world wars, both leading to periods of signiﬁcant social transition. Greek hygiene is still with us, transformed into a global industry (or rather, many industries). We still adore Roman-style bathing and pampering. Women still dominate the cosmetics market in all countries, buying mostly skin care and hair care products, followed by fragrances and colour cosmetics; but women in developed markets now prefer high-end ‘value-added’ goods.

Back to our topic about water. From an Islamic perspective, water is of profound importance. It is considered a blessing from Allah that gives and sustains life, and purifies humankind and the earth. All human beings rely on water for life and good health but, for Muslims, it enjoys special importance for its use in wudu (ablution, that is, washing before prayer) and ghusl (bathing).
Muslims believe that ensuring social justice, or equity, in society is the cornerstone of Islam, the preservation of equity, those related to water are no exception. This applies to the desire for an adequate amount of clean, fresh water, as well as anything else. A Muslim cannot hoard excess water, rather he is obliged to allow others to benefit by it. The Prophet (ﷺ) stated that among the three people Allah will ignore on the day of resurrection are:
رَجُلٌ عَلَى فَضْلِ مَاءٍ بِطَرِيقٍ يَمْنَعُ مِنْهُ ابْنَ السَّبِيلِ
'... a man possessed superfluous water on a way and he withheld it from the travelers.' [Sahih Al-Bukhari]
The Quran warns human beings against unfair distribution by stating that the riches of this world belong to Allah, His Prophet, orphans, the needy, and the wayfarer, and that these riches ought 'not (merely) make a circuit between the wealthy among you.' In fact, the recognition of water as a vital resource, of which everyone has the right to a fair share, which effectively makes water a community resource to which all, rich or poor, have a right. The Prophet (ﷺ) said,
الْمُسْلِمُونَ شُرَكَاءُ فِي ثَلاَثٍ فِي الْكَلإِ وَالْمَاءِ وَالنَّارِ
'Muslims have common share in three things: grass (pasture), water and fire (fuel).' [Sunan Abi Dawud; Sahih according to Al-Albani]
It is well accepted by Islamic scholars that the priority of water use rights is: first, shirb, the law of thirst or the right of humans to drink or quench their thirst; second, haq al-shafa, the right of cattle and household animals; and third, the right of irrigation. The environment has clear and unmistakable rights in Islam. Animals cannot be allowed to die of thirst, and the water that remains after humans have quenched their thirst must be given to them. Water is made available by Allah so that all life should receive support according to its needs, including humans, animals, and plants. Nonhuman species have rights to sufficient water that is of 'good'' quality because the water has to be suitable for 'nourishing vegetation' and for drinking by animals.

Islam covers all aspects of human life. It regulates the relationships between Allah, humans, and nature. According to Islam, nature is created by Allah for the benefit of humans. The relationship between humans and nature is based on harmony because all creatures obey the laws (sunan) of Allah. Humans are urged to explore and use natural resources sustainably. The scheme of life that Islam envisages consists of a set of rights and obligations. Broadly speaking, the law of Islam imposes four types of rights and obligations on every person: first, the rights of Allah; second, his or her own rights upon his or her own self; third, the rights of other people over him or her; and fourth, the rights of those created things that Allah has empowered humans to use for their benefit.
Humans have authority over resources, including water. However, this authority must be guided by a sense of responsibility and accountability toward both living creatures and nature. Humans should not waste resources on fruitless ventures nor should they unnecessarily damage them. When humans employ resources in their service, they should employ the best and the least injurious methods of deriving benefit from these resources.

A fundamental principle in dealing with wealth-generating resources in Islam is combating unfair distribution in order that it may not merely make a circuit between the wealthy. Islamic jurisprudence attempts to balance the reward of work and the public interest in managing resources, especially water.
The Prophet (ﷺ) discouraged the selling of water. Uthman ibn Affan, radhiyallahu 'anhu, once said, ''I adjure you by the One besides Whom there is none worthy of worship, didn't the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: Whoever buys the well of Rumah, Allah will forgive him, so I bought it for such and such and amount, then I came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and told him, and he (ﷺ) said, 'Give it to provide water for the Muslims, and the reward for it will be yours.'
The well of Rumah (بئر رومة), also known as the Well of Uthman ibn Affan (بئر عثمان بن عفان), is a historic water well in the city of Medina. So, once there was a well in a part of Madinah belonging to a Jew. It was the only source of water in that part, and the Jew charged Muslims exorbitant amounts for water. Uthman offered to buy the well, but the Jew refused. Uthman then proposed to buy half of the well, with an agreement that each would fetch on alternate days. The Jew knew Uthman as a clever businessman and was flattered to have him as a business partner, thinking that this would increase his sales. But the exact opposite happened, no one bought water from him again.
Uthman opened the well for Allah’s sake, allowing people to fetch as they wanted. The people would fetch two days’ supply on his day and ignore the Jew’s day. Despondently, the Jew offered Uthman the other half, which Uthman bought for 20,000 dirhams.
A few years later, a sahabi offered to buy up the well from Uthman. He refused, saying that he had been offered much more. The man kept increasing his offer, and Uthman kept refusing on the ground that he had been offered much more. Baffled, the man asked him who had offered so much, and how much had been offered. Uthman said, 'Allah has offered ten times the reward for charity given to Muslims.'
This saying indicates that wells can be traded, and so can their water. Thus, Muslim scholars conclude that water, like lumber and other public commodities, could be sold and traded. More specifically, most Muslim scholars subdivide water resources for trading purposes into three categories: private goods, restricted public goods, and public goods.

Water stored in private containers, private distribution systems, and reservoirs is considered a private good. This also includes water that has been extracted from wells and rivers using special equipment or obtained through water distribution companies. This water belongs to its owner and cannot be used without his permission. The owner has the right to use it, trade it, sell it, or donate it. Even though this water is private, a person in need can use it after asking for the owner's permission. Likewise, treated water can be traded because the organization responsible for the treatment has spent money and invested work in it (added value or reward for work). This ruling can encompass water from treatment plants, water privately transported and stored, and any water to obtain in which work, infrastructure, and knowledge have been invested.
Water bodies such as lakes, water streams, and springs that are located on private lands are considered to be restricted public goods. This water does not belong to its owner in the large sense of ownership; rather, the owner merely has special rights and privileges over other users. For instance, other users can use this water for drinking and basic needs, but they cannot use it for agricultural and industrial purposes without the permission of the owner. However, the Shafi'i believe that whoever digs a well owns its water, which is therefore considered to belong to the first category—private goods.
Water in rivers, lakes, glaciers, aquifers, and seas, and from snow and rainfall is a public good. Anyone has the right to use it (properly) for drinking and for agricultural and industrial purposes as long as this does not hinder environmental or public welfare. This water can be transported in pipes, canals, and containers for private use. The government should not prevent its use unless it can prove that the use will produce harm to the public welfare, damage to the environment, overuse, or unfair trade. Water falling in this category cannot be sold or bought for private interest. However, if any value is added, such as treatment, storage, and transportation, the water becomes a private good, and it can be sold to recover costs and generate profit.

Muslim scholars encourage giving water away free of charge, indicating that Allah will reward those who do so. However, they indicate that the owner of private water should not be forced to provide water free of charge except in compelling conditions, and where other sources of water are not available. Even in such conditions, the owner must be fairly compensated for the water. Although Islamic jurisprudence does not go into the specifics of setting static regulations for pricing or market control, it does put forward a set of general principles that guide the pricing of any traded goods including water.
Because the market sets the prices, most scholars agree that the government must intervene to fix prices when a merchant's conduct harms the market or the public welfare. Muslim scholars also state that whenever the interests of the merchant and those of the consumer clash, the interests of the consumer must be given priority. Scholars agree that Islam forbids speculation and manipulation of the market to raise prices and increase profit.

If water is believed as a divine blessing, then fire is believed as divine power. Fire is also frequently used to symbolize wisdom, knowledge, and power. Fire is unique to Earth and our seizure of its unique to humanity. Although space exploration has revealed that other planets hold some of the components for combustion, none have all of them or the context by which to mingle fuels, oxygen, and spark into the explosive reaction we call ﬁre. So, too, while all species modify the places in which they live and many can modify ﬁre’s environment, only humans can, within limits, start and stop ﬁre at will. Other organisms can trash forests, uproot shrubs, denude grasses, promote seedlings, and choose one plant rather than another. Some organisms breed in fresh charcoal, some forage among ash and hunt along ﬂame’s ﬂank and through clouds of smoke, some self-immolate with a vigor that bestows upon them a selective advantage in comparison with less ﬁre-prone neighbors, some like Philippine tarsiers may even grasp embers in their claws or like Australian kites seize the embers in their talons and redeposit them elsewhere, probably by accident, perhaps by intent. Nicotine-addicted chimps will toy with burning cigarettes. But only humans can kindle ﬁre, sustain it, and spread it beyond its natural habitats. Only humanity has become, for the biosphere, the keeper of the vital ﬂame. Fire’s story is a story of the Earth and, as myths emphatically insist, a story of ourselves.

Our Earth is very old—indeed, about 4.56 billion years have passed since its birth. When you stand on the surface of the Earth, you can see the wondrous ways in which components of the Earth's System interact. The geosphere consists of the solid part of our planet. You see it wherever you see exposed rock, sediment, or soil. Most of it lies underground, in the internal layers of our planet. The hydrosphere consists of all liquid water at or near the surface of the Earth. It fills oceans, lakes, underground pores, and occurs as gas in the atmosphere. The cryosphere consists of frozen water, mostly in glaciers. The biosphere consists of living organisms, from bacteria to whales. The atmosphere is the envelope of gas that encircles the planet. Flow in the air and sea transfer heat and water around the planet.
Internal energy rising from the interior and external energy coming to the Earth from the Sun keep the Earth System dynamic, so that materials cycle from component to component over time. Human society is having a growing impact on the Earth System, by extracting resources, building and farming on its surface, and emitting waste.

According to many myths, we became truly human only when we acquired ﬁre. So it is natural to assume a parallel awakening for the place we live. Rather, the Earth likely simmered through more than four billion years before its biotic broth boiled over. Some of ﬁre’s components the ancient Earth acquired only after long eons. Even more critically, those ingredients needed a durable context in which to mingle. The parts had to combine and do so consistently. Combustion has its creation story. Fire has its history.
We will continue this fire story in the next episode, bi 'idhnillah."

Jasmine then sang,

Well, you've got your diamonds
And you've got your pretty clothes
And the chauffeur drives your car
You let everybody know
But don't play with me
'Cause you're playing with fire *)