Dr. Hüseyin Kami BÜYÜKÖZER
Life is impossible without water. Water is one of the fundamental elements that all living things need to sustain their lives. One of the four elements called the “Anāsir Al-Arba’ah'” (air, water, earth, and fire) is water. Water is life itself. Water, which paints the sky in seven colors like a magnificent painting, is rain, and its existence grants life to all living things. The unique properties of water, which exists in all three states of matter, make the water cycle, and therefore life itself, possible. Water is a colorless, odorless, and shapeless substance that cannot even be held in the hand. However, water, found in the soil and in the air we breathe, is a resource that no other natural or artificial substance can replace.
Water, which provides peace with its sound and energy with its power, has been one of the oldest needs, from the earliest humans to the present day, for drinking, producing food, and a healthy life. The earth, saturated with water, has bestowed its bounty upon humanity, enabling the cultivation of a variety of fruits and vegetables, with Allah’s permission.
Not only human generations, but also civilizations, have developed through water. The pages of the book called History record that water plays a crucial role in the establishment, development, and sometimes even the demise of civilizations, and that almost all civilizations were founded in areas with water resources.
Water also holds immense value in our society and culture. Our elders, when offered water, respond most graciously with the phrase, “Be as sacred as water.”
We have always held water sacred, learning the divine balance between water and life, and “to be equally respectful of a single drop of water and an ocean.”
The method of controlling and collecting water through cisterns and fountains, and even treating patients with it, is a prime indicator of the longevity of our water culture. There must be a wisdom in reciting verses of healing and sustenance and breathing into the water we drink for our needs or ailments, right?
I want to recount an incident based on the medical view that the primary cause of all illnesses is dehydration, and that proper water consumption can protect against almost all diseases. He even titled his book on this subject, “You’re Not Sick, You’re Thirsty.” A medical doctor who was imprisoned during the political turmoil of his time, gave two glasses of water to a prisoner suffering from excruciating ulcer pain, as there was no medication in the prison infirmary. The pain subsided within eight minutes. Afterward, the patient continued to drink one small plastic bottle or two large glasses of water every three hours. By grace of Allah Almighty, the patient remained free of stomach pain for years.
From his first patient until his release in 1982, the doctor treated and restored more than 3,000 ulcer inmates to their health with water alone. At his first hearing a year after his imprisonment, he told the judge that he had made a significant discovery for human health and that he had written an article about this discovery to be published in Iranian and Western medical journals. He wanted to deliver this article to him before his execution. The judge was moved and reduced his sentence to three years. Later in the month, he granted early release. However, the doctor refused to accept the offer to complete his research. He obtained permission to remain in prison for a few more months, continuing his work and completing his article.
