One Ummah News - 20 Aug 2025
Every sip of water is a mercy from Allahﷻ, but for millions in our Ummah, that mercy is out of reach. Right now, our brothers and sisters suffer not from war or famine alone, but something even more basic: dirty, contaminated, brown water. While we drink, bathe and make wudhu without a second thought, they walk for miles in dangerous heat and terrain, drink poisoned water and watch disease claim their children. This crisis is a test of our faith, our mercy, and our unity as an Ummah.
Allahﷻ tells us in the Qur’an: “And We created from water every living thing.” —[21:30]. Yet today, water—the very source of life—is denied to billions. 2.2 billion people wake up each day not knowing if they’ll find a single clean drop to drink. Almost half of the world lives in severe water scarcity. In some places, they go the entire year without any safe water, sanitation or hygiene.
The reality of the ongoing water crisis is alarming; 3.5 million lives are being lost every year to thirst and preventable disease. One in five children are without clean drinking water. It’s these kinds of numbers that we’ll never be able to fathom. They’re too unrelated, but we must do our best.
But there is another reality that we must face, and that water is not just a resource; it's a right, and a mercy from Allahﷻ. And it’s our duty as an Ummah to help those who are denied it. The Prophet ﷺ said: "The best charity is giving water to drink." [Ahmad]. Not gold, not grand gestures, simple, life-giving water. And today, that simple charity is desperately out of reach for too many people.
From the arsenic-poisoned water supply in Bangladesh to the bombed-out water systems of Gaza, our Ummah is fighting a war against thirst. When the Prophetﷺ said: “The believers, in their mutual kindness, compassion, and sympathy, are like one body.” [Bukhari], he reminded us that the suffering of one is the suffering of all. When our brothers and sisters are dying of thirst, we cannot claim to be at ease. Their suffering is our test—and their relief is our reward.
In Bangladesh, water that should give life instead carries death. Half the nation's drinking water is contaminated with arsenic, seeping through the groundwater and poisoning families with every sip.
The search for clean water in Uganda is just as deadly. Women and children trek barefoot for miles under the scorching sun. They carry empty containers that will return filled with muddy water—water that might save their families today but could kill them tomorrow. They know that if they don’t do this every day, their families won’t survive.
In Niger, one of the hottest countries on earth, only 56% of people have access to any clean water source. The situation becomes even more heartbreaking in schools, where 78% lack basic drinking facilities. Even then, the children who are fortunate enough to go to school sit in classrooms trying to learn while their bodies are failing.
Meanwhile, in Palestine, the crisis has reached catastrophic levels. The people are not just starving—they're critically dehydrated. Almost 100% of Gaza's water and sanitation facilities have been damaged or destroyed, turning what should be a fundamental human right into an impossible luxury.
For most of us, we know that our thirst will pass—really, it’s just a reminder to reach for a glass of water or turn on a tap. But for 2.2 billion people worldwide, thirst is a constant companion, and it’s also a reminder to them, but theirs is very different. Theirs is a reminder that they don’t have a choice. That water is inaccessible to them, a distant miracle.
Imagine having to wake up each morning knowing that the water you need to survive is hours away. And that same water might allow you to make it to tomorrow, but eventually, it’s going to kill you. Imagine watching your loved ones fall ill from the very water that was supposed to sustain them, but having no choice but to keep drinking it.
This is not imagination for our brothers and sisters living in water-scarce regions. This is what they face, day in and day out, and it's happening right now while other parts of the world debate which bottled water brand tastes better.
When the Prophetﷺ spoke about water, he wasn't just talking about a practical need—he was revealing a profound truth about mercy, community, and our obligations to one another. Water, in Islamic understanding, is not a commodity to be hoarded but a blessing to be shared.
Sa’d ibn ‘Ubadah reported: “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, my mother has died. Shall I give charity on her behalf?’ The Prophetﷺ said, ‘Yes.’ I said, ‘Which charity is best?’ The Prophetﷺ said, ‘A drink of water.’” —[Sunan al-Nasā’ī]. The Messenger of Allahﷺ taught us that the best Sadaqah we can give, the best way we can help out those in need, is by providing water, the very essence of life. He understood that water is the foundation upon which all other forms of help can be built. Without water, there can be no health, no education, no economic development, no sustainable future.
Water scarcity doesn't just cause thirst—it is the start of what ends up destroying communities. When families have to spend hours each day searching for water, their children aren’t able to go to school. When the only available water is contaminated, healthcare systems become overwhelmed with preventable diseases. When communities fight over scarce water sources, social bonds break down and conflicts arise.
Women and girls bear the heaviest burden in this crisis. In many water-scarce regions, they are responsible for water collection, which means they walk for hours daily, often missing educational opportunities and risking their lives. Young girls who should be learning to read and write, instead learn to balance heavy water containers on their heads and navigate dangerous terrain in search of life's most basic necessity.
The economic impact is just as devastating. Communities without reliable water sources cannot develop agriculture, attract businesses, or build the infrastructure they need to grow and thrive. Entire regions remain trapped in cycles of poverty because they lack access to something as fundamental as clean water.
The overwhelming nature of the water crisis can make us feel helpless, but the reality is quite different. Water projects have some of the most immediate and lasting impacts of any humanitarian intervention. A single well can serve hundreds of families for decades.
Villages where children once spent their days walking for water now have schools filled with smiling students excited to transform their future, thanks to you. Communities that were once divided by competition for scarce resources begin working together to maintain and protect their new water sources.
Providing clean water is a perfect example of Sadaqah Jariyah—ongoing charity. Every person who drinks from a well, every child who stays healthy because of clean water, every community that thrives because of reliable water access gives you ongoing Ajr.
Last year, you helped One Ummah provide clean water to 2,287,420 people in need. Together, we developed 469 water access points, where hundreds of thousands of people can access clean water every day. Families don’t have to trek barefoot for hours in search of water, because 167 bore wells and 25 deep well tubes now provide clean, reliable access minutes away from their homes.
We restored dignity to villages by installing 237 hand pumps. To help those facing acute water shortages, we installed 20 large-capacity hand pumps and 20 traditional water wells; lifelines for communities during the harshest of seasons. When emergencies struck, our rapid-response emergency desalination projects ensured that millions had access to safe drinking water.
We take our mission of transforming lives through clean water and sanitation projects seriously. Everything we do should be for Allah’sﷻ sake, and ultimately, He sees everything we do, and sees into our hearts where our true intention lies. We only want to do what is best for the Ummah in a way that pleases our Creator, and we do that by holding ourselves accountable through Islamic guidance, the Qur’an and Sunnah.
As Muslims, we shouldn’t just walk through life, only concerned with ourselves—we are members of a global Ummah with obligations that extend far beyond ourselves. The Qur’an reminds us: "Whoever saves a life, it is as if he has saved all of mankind." —[5:32].
The water crisis is not just a humanitarian challenge—it's a test of our faith, our compassion, and our understanding of what it means to be part of the Ummah. When we have easy access to clean water while our brothers and sisters die from thirst, we are called to examine not just our Zakat and Sadaqah, but our entire relationship with the blessings Allahﷻ has granted us.
This is not about guilt or obligation in the sense of it being a burden. This is about recognising the opportunity Allahﷻ has given us to do good, transform lives and build our Akhirah. This is about understanding that our comfort and their suffering are not separate realities, but interconnected parts of a single, united Ummah.
The shocking statistics should frighten each of us: 3.5 million preventable deaths each year, 2.2 billion people without safe drinking water, and countless communities trapped in cycles of poverty and disease. But behind every statistic, behind every number is someone just like us—someone with a wife, a husband, a family hoping for better.
We live in a time of unprecedented capability. We have the technology, the resources, and the knowledge to solve the global water crisis. What we need is the will to make it a priority and the commitment to see it through.
Every time we turn on a tap, we should remember that millions of people walk for hours for dirty water. Every time we take a clean, refreshing drink, we can think of those who have never tasted truly clean water. Not to feel guilty, but to feel connected—to understand that we are part of something bigger than ourselves, our Ummah, and that our blessings come with the opportunity to bless others.
The Prophet ﷺ said: "The best of people are those that bring most benefit to the rest of mankind." —[Daruqtni]. Today, in this moment, we have the chance to be counted among them.
