Water is life.

“Navid and the Value of Water”

“Navid! Please make sure to turn off the tap properly. Look, water has been flowing and wasting for so long!”

These were the words Navid heard repeatedly every day, because he had a habit of leaving the tap running too long while washing his hands or face. Even when he went to take a bath, he stayed in the water for far too long. Another bad habit of his was that he never fully turned off the tap after washing or bathing.

As a result, water continued to waste until someone else came and shut it off completely. Navid’s mother was deeply troubled by this carelessness, as the tank would empty quickly, forcing the family to refill it repeatedly. Both his parents and elder sister had tried to explain it to him countless times, but Navid never seemed to understand.

One evening, Navid’s mother called everyone to the dining table after washing their hands for dinner. First his father washed, then Navid, and finally his sister. She noticed that Navid had left the tap running, and water was still flowing.

Navid, with his usual stubbornness, replied, “I did turn it off. Maybe it was slightly open because I was in a hurry.” His father’s face showed disappointment, but he remained silent

After dinner, Navid filled his glass with water. He took a few sips, then placed it back on the table to stand up. His father noticed and began asking about his studies. Navid sat back down and explained his schoolwork.

In the course of the conversation, his father advised him: “You should drink water before meals or when really thirsty, but not excessively during meals. Avoid drinking immediately after eating; wait at least half an hour. Water is a blessing from Allah. It should not be wasted. You only drank a few sips and left the rest in the glass. You should have poured only as much water as you needed. That way, the leftover water could have helped someone else instead of going to waste.”

Navid lowered his eyes, nodding quietly. Seeing this, his mother took the opportunity to explain more about his careless water habits. His father added, “You have plenty of water here, but many places in the world do not have clean water. People in some areas have to carry water from far away. When it doesn’t rain, they struggle for even a few drops.”

Navid’s elder sister said, “Our teacher was telling us that the groundwater level is falling rapidly. Soon, there may not be enough water even for crops, which could lead to famine.”

“Son, I always tell you to use water carefully and not waste it. Those who do not value Allah’s blessings lose them,” his mother added.

“I hope you will not waste water in the future,” his father concluded. Everyone then went to their rooms, and Navid went to sleep thinking about water

The next morning, Navid went to wash his hands and face but noticed that water was not coming from the tap. There was only a little water in a mug. His mother instructed him to use just a small amount to wash.

“I can’t wash with so little water!” Navid exclaimed angrily.

“Now the taps will not provide unlimited water. A government tanker will deliver a little water to each house, and we must manage with that,” his mother explained.

From that day, the tanker came in the mornings, delivering only a small amount of water to each household. Everyone had to manage carefully. Excessive water use had caused groundwater to fall drastically, so the government had set a ration: two liters of water per person. Even in streets and neighborhoods, people began fighting over water. On the day the tanker arrived with extra water, people would form long queues, and disputes often occurred when someone tried to break the line.

Navid stood in line with his water container. When it was almost his turn, a young man pushed his container close to the tanker, jostling Navid and causing him to fall.

Hearing the commotion, Navid’s mother rushed from the next room. She helped him up as he looked around, surprised.

“It seems you were dreaming,” she said. “It’s morning now. Go wash your hands and face; I’ve prepared breakfast.”

Navid went to the sink, turned on the tap, and was delighted to see water flowing normally. He quietly thanked Allah that it had only been a dream. While washing, he used a minimal amount of wate

As he finished and stepped out, he noticed the tap dripping slightly. He walked forward and firmly turned it off.