The Water Cycle On Earth Is Constant
Selections from the Book The Story of The Beginning of Creation and The Creation of Adam, peace be upon him …
Written by Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi...
Episode (30)
Allah Almighty said: {He sends down from the sky, rain, and valleys flow according to their capacity, and the torrent carries a rising foam. And from that [ore] which they heat in the fire, desiring adornments and utensils, is a foam like it. Thus Allah presents [the example of] truth and falsehood. As for the foam, it vanishes, [being] cast off; but as for that which benefits the people, it remains on the earth. Thus does Allah present examples.} [Ar-Ra'd: 17].
Allah Almighty likened the guidance He sent down to His Messenger for the life of hearts and souls to the rain sent down for the life of bodies. He compared the general and abundant benefits contained in guidance, which people are in great need of, to the necessary general benefits of rain. He also compared the hearts that carry guidance and their differences to valleys that receive flowing water: a large valley that holds a lot of water is like a large heart that can contain much knowledge, while a small valley that holds only a little water is like a small heart that can contain only a little knowledge, and so on.
He also likened the desires and doubts in the hearts when the truth reaches them to the foam that rises above the water and the impurities that rise to the surface when metal is heated and refined. This foam and impurity float on the surface, clouding the water until they are removed and vanish, leaving behind the pure, beneficial water and the refined metal. Similarly, doubts and desires remain in the heart until they are rejected and overcome through sound arguments and resolute intentions. Once they are gone, the heart remains pure and clear, containing only what benefits people—knowledge of the truth, preference for it, and desire for it. Falsehood is removed and obliterated by the truth, as stated: {Indeed is falsehood, [by nature], ever bound to depart."} [Al-Isra: 81]. So He said here: {Thus does Allah present examples.} [Ar-Ra'd: 17].
In the previous verse, the parable of truth and falsehood in this life is presented. Falsehood may float, rise, and appear prominent, but it is like foam or impurity that soon dissipates and is discarded, lacking any real substance or cohesion. Truth, on the other hand, remains calm and steadfast. Some may think it has receded, vanished, or died, but it endures on earth, like revitalizing water or pure metal that benefits people; {Thus does Allah present examples.}. Likewise, He determines the outcomes of doctrines, beliefs, actions, and statements. He is The One, The Dominant, the Ruler of the universe and life, knowledgeable of the apparent and the hidden, of truth and falsehood, and of what remains and what perishes.
There is also a scientific truth in the verse stating that the Earth's water cycle is constant as long as life exists, and that it is impossible to increase or decrease the amount of water by even a drop, water evaporates from plants and vegetation, and what all living beings consume returns to the Earth in its entirety, undiminished, through their waste or remains. When glaciers and snow melt, they do not add new water, as they are originally from the Earth's water. This stable and measured water cycle has been anticipated by and is reflected in the verses of the Holy Quran.
In His mercy, Allah Almighty has made the water in a form and manner that allows for its optimal benefit. Rain falls from the sky, washing and purifying the earth, cleansing the air of smoke, dust, and pollution. This renews the land, clears the sky, and refreshes the air. Ibn Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, said: "Then contemplate the profound wisdom in the rain falling from above to water the valleys, hills, and plains, both low and high. If Allah Almighty were to water the earth from one side only, the water would reach the elevated areas only after it had accumulated in the lower areas, leading to corruption. Therefore, His wisdom required that He waters it from above, creating clouds as the water carriers of the earth, and then sending the winds to carry the water from the sea and fertilize it, just as the male fertilizes the female."
In His wisdom, Allah Almighty has created water in various forms: some flows on the surface of the earth as rivers, some remains on its surface as seas, and some is stored underground as well water. In His mercy, He has provided both fresh and salty water, and He made the fresh water—such as river water—flow to prevent it from stagnating and decaying, and to avoid the decay of land animals that die in it. He also made the water stored underground accessible and reachable, as He said: {And indeed, We are Able to take it away.} [Al-Mu'minun: 18].
Al-Qurtubi said: This refers to the stored water, and it is a threat and warning; meaning that it is within Our power to remove it and cause it to sink, leading to the destruction of people through thirst and the ruin of their livestock. This is similar to the verse: {Say, "Have you considered: if your water was to become sunken [into the earth],} [Al-Mulk: 30]. The Quranic verses are numerous in discussing water, its significance, and its topics. How precious is this water? How many blessings do we only realize the importance of after they are lost? Allah Almighty spoke the truth when He said: {and then We separated them and made from water every living thing? Then will they not believe?} [Al-Anbya: 30]. Without Allah and then the water He created, there would be no growth, no vegetation, and no life.
- Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi, The Story of The Beginning of Creation and The Creation of Adam, peace be upon him, pp. 197-201.
- The Story of Creation, Al-Kharaan, p. 76.
- The Key to the Abode of Happiness, Ibn al-Qayyim, p. 223.
- Tayseer Al-Kareem Al-Rahman in the interpretation of the words of Al-Mannan, Al-Saadi, p. 168.
- In the Shade of the Qur’an, Qutb, 4/2054.
For further information and review of the sources for the article, see:
The Book of The Story of The Beginning of Creation and The Creation of Adam, peace be upon him on the official website of Sheikh Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi:
