17 Ramadan 1431

Last night, I polished off two bottles

of pure water,

but my hands were scented,

with white ginger

from a lotion

that I picked up

years ago

at a hotel

in Malaysia.

It is hot, and water relieves the heat. One of the acts of worship recommended on various nights of Ramadan is ghusl. In practice under the circumstances, this means taking a shower and letting the water flow over one's head, right side and left side in sequence. Showers in Iran are tiled rooms. I like the water to be cool.

We fast, and Imam Reza (`a) tells us that by fasting we should feel the pain of those who are hungry and thirsty. As I dry off from the shower at night and sip more cold water, I recall how many people don't have access to clean water.

Here is a map of projected water scarcity for 2025.

Here is another.

According to UN statistics, about 700 million people in 43 countries are under "water stress" and suffer from water shortages. About one-sixth of the global population does not have access to clear drinking water, and one-third to basic sanitation.

The number of refugees from the world's dry regions, according to UN statistics, surpassed the number of displaced persons fleeing from armed conflict in 2009.

As we drink water in the nights and bathe ourselves, let's remember the 700 million under water stress in our prayers.