Muslim body ropes in mosques for water conservation campaign

Activists of Sunni Board of India are out appealing to Muslims since the past two months to save water during 'Wazu', the customary cleansing ritual before prayers.

"Saving water is the most pious duty and the Prophet himself had advocated it some 1400 years ago asking the devout to use it in minimum quantity even while doing Wazu",said president of the Sunni Board of India Mohd. Shahabuddin Khan .

The importance of water conservation is being propagated among the Muslims by the organisation through seminars and discourses in mosques especially after the Friday prayers. "We are telling the devout to use pots (lotas) while performing Wazu instead of using running water from the taps to check water wastage," Shahabuddin said.
The body has also been distributing pots free of cost to the mosques, he said. The aim is to reach out to some 100 mosques every month, he said adding that the response to the campaign so far has been very encouraging.

"People are realising that unknowingly they had adopted the wrong practice which was also against the teachings of Islam which forbids unnecessary use and wastage of things," Sahabuddin Khan said.

He cited a verse from the holy Quran which asks the "pupil to take care of everything on the earth and the almighty would take care of all".

Stressing the far sightedness and relevance of the preachings of the Prophet in today's context, Khan said had the humanity heeded them, the scene would have been different.

Not just from the state capital, clerics from neighbouring Barabanki and Kanpur districts and townships of Sandila and Kakori also coming forward to join the campaign, Shahabuddin said.