As known, the first concepts of people, our distant ancestors, concerning the water and its properties were formed on the base of religion considerations and instructions. However, according to authors presenting the materialistic ideology, vise versa, the first concepts of people regarding the environment have facilitated originating various kinds of religions…

Beginnings of the world religions – Buddhism, Zoroastrianism (fireworship), Judaism, Christianity, and Islam – had the tremendous importance for human society, since religions were not limited by some statements and rules of certain religious dogmas mandatory for their believers, but established a holistic doctrine based on its own philosophy, legislation, and ethics. All this promoted forming a peculiar type of the intellection and behavior of their believers.
All life of a human being from his birth to his death is related to the water: he is both a water consumer and user. He uses water for creating his environment, recreation, and other purposes. One can say the water plays a critical role in his life, along with his daily bread. This circumstance has affected his behavior with respect to the environment and to other people in his neighborhood. The initial deficit of fresh water or difficulties related to water supply in some places have caused arising of special water relations among people within society or a religious community, which should be regulated by some generally recognized rules and norms. It is obvious that religions could not be outside of developing the appropriate statements sanctified by God.

Nevertheless, such an approach as “the water, and water relations in the light of ethic and moral requirements,” being untraditional and peculiar, was not presented in the literature open to general use. Therefore, discussing the role of water in human life from the point of view of the religion, we have sometimes used indirect information and facts, for example, attitudes of religions towards irrigated farming or nature as a whole.

Chapter of book: Water & Ethics (Thoughts of Professional and Citizen)
Author: Abrar Kadirov