Quran Tells That Fresh Water Is A Blessing

Percentage Of Fresh Water On Earth

Animation Of Waterfall

Saline water in oceans, seas and salty groundwater make up about 97 percent of all the water on Earth. Only 2.5–2.75 percent is freshwater, including 1.75 to two percent frozen in glaciers, ice and snow, 0.5 to 0.75 percent as fresh groundwater and soil moisture, and less than 0.01 percent of it as surface water in lakes, swamps and rivers. The atmosphere contains 0.04 percent of water. Most of the world’s Freshwater is frozen in ice sheets.

From the information above we can draw the following facts:

  1. Almost all water (97%) on earth is salty.
  2. Fresh sweet water is a rare commodity and if not a system to replenish … it would have finished long ago.
  3. Mountains are also a source of Freshwater.

Fresh Water Is A Rare Commodity

Animation Of Waterfall In Rainbow colors
Now, look at how the Quran tells us these facts which we just discovered recently. In Surah Waqiah 56:68-70 Quran is pointing to the first two facts that we now know and tells us that it is all by the Blessing of God that we are getting a continuous supply of fresh sweet water. This fact we just discovered very recently that almost all of the water in this world is salty and the only 2.5% freshwater would have finished if not a blessing of the water cycle and bringing it down from clouds.

٦٨ أَفَرَأَيْتُمُ الْمَاءَ الَّذِي تَشْرَبُونَ

٦٩ أَأَنْتُمْ أَنْزَلْتُمُوهُ مِنَ الْمُزْنِ أَمْ نَحْنُ الْمُنْزِلُون

٧٠ لَوْ نَشَاءُ جَعَلْنَاهُ أُجَاجًا فَلَوْلَا تَشْكُرُونَ

And have you seen the water that you drink?

Is it you who brought it down from the clouds, or is it We who bring it down?

If We willed, We could make it salty, so why are you not grateful? Surah Waqiah 56: 68-70

Rain fall and Umbrella
The reality that rainwater carries no salt is again a blessing. As salts cannot evaporate hence cannot join the water cycle. More than 90 percent of the water that evaporates belongs to oceans and seas with salt in it. The laws that rule the evaporation of water are designed in order that the water is purified and disposed of its salt content and other impurities. The water of oceans and seas is not palatable and drinkable, while rainwater is sweet and drinkable.

٤٨ وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ الرِّيَاحَ بُشْرًا بَيْنَ يَدَيْ رَحْمَتِهِ ۚ وَأَنْزَلْنَا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً طَهُورًا

And it is He who sends the winds as good tidings before His mercy, and We send down from the sky pure water. Surah Furqan 25:48

Miracle in the use of word “مَاءً”

There is also a miracle in the use of word “مَاءً” as this simply means water in any form. Quran do not use the proper words for Rainfall which in Arabic can be “الْوَدْقَ”, “غَيْثٍ”, “مَطَرٍ”  but instead Quran used مَاءً so that later when we calculate the annual precipitation this word would have the capacity that it covers all forms of precipitation (rain, snow, or hail).

 Quran Miracle: Mountains & Fresh Water

Mountain top covered with snow
Secondly, as in Surah Mursalat verse 27 below, the Quran is clearly telling us that high mountains have Freshwater. This is again a miracle as 1400 years ago how could someone have said this fact in a desert like Arab which now proved with 100% accuracy as there is not a single mountain that has snow on its top containing salts. All of the mountains which have frozen ice sheets are a source of pure Freshwater.

٢٧ وَجَعَلْنَا فِيهَا رَوَاسِيَ شَامِخَاتٍ وَأَسْقَيْنَاكُمْ مَاءً فُرَاتًا

And made therein mountains standing firm, lofty (in stature); and provided for you water sweet (and wholesome)? Surah Mursalat 77:27

DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE IMPORTANT WORDS USED IS GIVEN BELOW