Lesson 46
Water Origin of Life
الماء أصل الحياة
Scientific and Quranic perspectives on water. Technical vocabulary and extended analytical writing combine in this intellectually rich unit.
Water and Life Vocabulary
ArabicTransliterationMeaning
مَصْدَرmaṣdarsource / origin
دَوْرَة مَائِيَّةdawra māʾiyyawater cycle
شُحّshuḥḥscarcity
أَزْمَة مِيَاهazmat miyāhwater crisis
تَحْلِيَةtaḥliyadesalination
وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمَاءِ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ حَيٍّ أَفَلَا يُؤْمِنُون
Wa-jaʿalnā min al-māʾi kulla shayʾin ḥayyin afalā yuʾminūn
"And We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?" (21:30)
يُتَوَقَّعُ أَنْ يُعَانِيَ ثُلُثُ سُكَّانِ الْعَالَمِ مِنْ شُحِّ الْمِيَاهِ بِحُلُولِ عَامِ أَلْفَيْنِ وَخَمْسِين
Yutawaqqaʿu an yuʿāniya thuluthu sukkāni l-ʿālami min shuḥḥi l-miyāhi biḥulūli ʿāmi alfayni wa-khamsīn
It is expected that a third of the world's population will suffer from water scarcity by the year 2050.
- Quranic science: This verse (21:30) preceded modern scientific understanding of water as the basis of life a prominent example of iʿjāz ʿilmī (scientific miracle).
- يُتَوَقَّع أَنْ: "It is expected that" passive Form V with subjunctive a standard academic forecast formula.
- بِحُلُول: "By the arrival of / by" a temporal expression using a verbal noun in genitive after بِ.
- Technical Arabic: Science terminology in Arabic is built on classical roots تَحْلِيَة from حَلَا (sweet) the desalination plant literally "sweetens" the water.