Water and the Living Things

Water and the Living Things

Allah, Most High, says:
“And We have made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?” (Soorah Al-Anbiya’, 21:30)
This Verse was understood by the earlier generations, and by people in our own time, and it will be understood by people in the future quite clearly: water is the basis of life.
Scientific progress has shown us many details that confirm this concept.
Water is the basis of all life, and all created beings from the virus that cannot be seen except with an electronic microscope to the entire plant and animal kingdoms could not exist without water. But the ratio of water may differ; for example, the ratio of water in the bodies of desert plants and animals is very low, and the ratio of water in the bodies of marine plants and animals is very high. But water is essential, because water is the basis for all biological, metabolic functions and chemical interactions inside cells. It is an excellent solvent and is essential for the transfer of nutrients and waste to and from cells and tissues.
Water also possesses physical properties that make it the basis for life. All liquid solutions, when they change from a liquid to a solid state, increase in density and become heaver, except for water. Allah, the Exalted, has created in it this unique characteristic; when it reaches a temperature of 4 degrees Celsius, its size increases but its density decreases, so it becomes lighter. This is why ice floats and travels around in the sea and in frozen lakes. If it were heavy, it would sink and kill off the plant and animal life in these oceans. Life would not exist, and if there is no life in the water then undoubtedly there would be no life on dry land either.
Even the air that we breathe, after chemical experiments on oxygen, including that which is emitted by trees, has its origins in water and not in carbon dioxide, because in the emission of trees there is oxygen that comes from water and oxygen that comes from carbon dioxide. It is proved scientifically that even the oxygen in the air, which is more critical for life than water, ultimately comes from water, too.
With regard to the capillary action of water, by which water rises from the roots of plants to their leaves without the aid of pumps, this is a unique characteristic that Allah, the Almighty, has created in water to make plants grow.
Hence, the Creator did not say “We have made of air every living thing,” rather He said: “And We have made from water every living thing.” Then He said: “Will they not then believe?” (Soorah Al-Anbiya’, 21:30) because the purpose of giving scientific references is mainly that of faith. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best and is Most Wise