Al-Qur'an & Science: Have You Observed the Water that You Drink?

Water is a special creation that can be found almost everywhere in nature, in our body, in biological cells, and possibly in the whole universe. Many physical and chemical properties of liquid water are different from other fluids, which make it unique and behave mysteriously. God has stressed the importance of water in life as reflected by the presence of many relevant verses in the Qur’an, one of which is considered as His command when He asks a question, “Have you observed the water that you drink?” (Al-Waqiah, 56:68). This book is trying in a way to respond to Allah's call by exploring the properties and behavior of water using a metaphysical approach, and the integration of al-Qur’an and modern science. The scientific analysis of various relevant Qur’anic verses extensively performed throughout this book. In fact, a chapter is entirely dedicated for this purpose. The relevant Qur'anic commentary of Ibn Abbas and Ibn Kathir regarding water also referred and found tremendously useful in our effort to explore the origin of cosmic water including those found on the surface of the earth.
Various Islamic science concepts such as the pairing concept and “man as a microcosm” are also used in the study to provide the insights of certain issues about the behavior of water. The philosophical ideas of traditional Muslim scholars such as Ikhwan al-Safa' also incorporated in the research, particularly their theory of creation. Jalaluddin Rumi, another 13th century Muslim Sufi poet, famous for his many quotes about life, which are well known for being wise, thought-provoking and powerful. Like many of the great Sufis before him, Rumi was a master and authority in both the exoteric and the esoteric sciences. Following al-Ghazali, Rumi also spoke of the existence of different levels of reality, forms may change, but their essence is the same. Water can also manifest in many ways at various levels of reality, but its essence, meaning the H2O molecule, remains the same. Therefore, the presence of seven types of water as postulated in the book is not impossible, which is a combination of the visible waters and its counterpart of the unseen ones. The manifestation of water in various forms and the well-established three phases of matter namely solid, liquid and vapor, has also been duly scrutinized. Based on the mounting of evidence, there is a high possibility that water could also exist in another state of matter. The fourth state of water would fill up the missing partner of the vapor, thus completing the presence of a total two pairs of water. The liquid water is paired with the solid ice to form water that is easily visible on the earth surface. Meanwhile, the water vapor is paired with the new more subtle water, creating water that is invisible by naked eyes above the earth surface. The water vapor occupies the earth atmosphere while the new subtle water occupies the vast outer space permeating the whole solar system. Both states of water are complying the pairing concept of Islamic science as demonstrated in the discussion of various sections of the book. The detailed explanation of the strange phenomena of water given in the many chapters could provide some valuable information that may lead to new scientific knowledge about the fourth state of water phases. This discovery would probably change the way we perceive the cosmos and leads to the exploration of the outer space that ultimately would make the interstellar and inter-galaxy journey become a reality. Interestingly, there is an indication that water was already in existence before the creation of the heavens and the earth. Finally, some recommendations put forward for further scientific and engineering research that relate to water such as carbon-based nanotechnology, healthcare and anti-aging nano products, and cold fusion.