Muslims have a very special relationship with water. In the desert-dwelling populations where Islam was born, it was a coveted asset. The great Muslim cities were built around rivers. Water still accompanies each of the daily prayers, through the performance of wudu (ritual ablution); the Sharia provides rules for using and preserving it; and the Qur’an and hadith mention, numerous times, that water is essential for life. An ancient respect for this element, which covers 71 per cent of our planet’s surface, runs through Islamic teachings—but rivers are dying, ecosystems have been thrown into disarray, and pollution and plastics are making it undrinkable. While water is normally a metaphor for calm and purity, as climate change becomes climate catastrophe, we see some cities overstressed and running out of water, while others are sinking beneath the waves. This issue of Critical Muslim confronts the existential threats around water and seeks to restore the balance between the human and natural worlds.

About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centers on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.