Editing Water (section)

==In Religions==
Water also holds an important place in the Abrahamic religions and scriptures. In the Torah, water praises the divine essence. According to narrations, the universe was first submerged in water, and God created the sky to separate the waters [above the sky] from waters [below] (Genesis 1:1). The Essenes, a Jewish sect living in the Dead Sea in the first and second century BCE that later largely converted to Christianity, bathed several times a day and had built several large pools for this purpose. Running water is highly important for Mandaean Christians, who usually live by the river in order to perform their religious ritual ablution. In Christian theology, water is the first station of the Holy Spirit and the creator of life. The Gospel of John states, "No one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born and their birthplace is water and the Spirit" (3:5). Baptism is the most well known water related ritual in Christianity.

In Islam, water is of great value as one of the means of purification. In Quran, the Arabic word for water (Ma') and its derivatives have been used 63 times. It has been introduced as the source of life (21:30) and the means of human welfare and survival (67:30) on which the divine throne is built (11:7). Moreover, both revelation and rain are sent down by God and are both described as mercies and sources of life.

Some [[Hadith]] sources recommend seeking intercession and asking for blessing from rainwater. Beyond this, there is a special communal prayer for rain that has been periodically performed from the early times to today. In both Sunni and Shia jurisprudential sources there are entries for types of water rituals, including the book Tahaarah under entries: tathir (purification), wudhu (ablution), ghusl, and so on.
In mystical and Sufi culture, water is used extensively as a symbol, metonymy, and allegory. For example, it has been interpreted as divine knowledge and wisdom, and as a metaphor for prophets and divine personages, the perfect human, and the realm of meaning and theological discourse (revelation and inspiration). [[Isma’ili|Ismaili]] Shiites believe water is the sign of "science of [[imamate|Imamah]] and al-Ḥujjah".