A Miracle of Prophet Moses or a Chemistry Connection

Next to air, water is the most familiar substanceThis particular incident may be taken as yet
on the earth and an adequate supply of water isanother miracle of Moses. Whatever, the actual
essential to life. Whereas, the cycling of waterand factual case might be from the religious point
serves to replenish our supply of fresh water, theof view, the happenings at Marah may be
importance of unpolluted and clean drinking wateranalyzed from the chemical point of view and a
can not be underestimated as we could liveplausible explanation might be given to purification
without food for nearly a month but withoutprocess of water. The water at Marah, a dessert
water we would last only a few days. Accordinglyplace, was probably alkaline and hence bitter and
getting a dependable supply of fresh water hasslippery in nature, the two important properties of
long been both a necessity and a problem, thean alkaline solution. In fact waters of dessert
gravity of which may be realized from the wellareas become alkaline as a result of solubilisation
known case-history of Prophet Moses and hisof salts of alkali and alkaline earth metals due to
own people, the Israelites.percolation of rain waters. Later on the waters,
When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt intohaving these hydroxides, are concentration due to
the wilderness, he encountered a large dessertevaporation.
area where potable water was scarce.  WhileThe said log was probably a large part of an old
very many people know the Biblical anddead tree and had been bleached by the
Qur’anic accounts of how Moses wasscorching heat of the sun in the dessert. Such
commanded by Allah to strike a rock with hisbleaching could have oxidized the alcoholic groups
miraculous Asa (stick) for getting water to quenchin cellulose to carboxylic acidic groups and these
the thirst of his people, a peculiar incident at aacidic carboxylic groups served to neutralize the
place namely Marah, is less known. At Marahbasic hydroxyl groups of alkaline water. Whereas
water was available but it was not potable due toit is simple acid-base chemistry which students,
its bitterness and slippery nature. Since theeven at foundation level can understand today, at
Israelites could not drink this water, they againthat time it was certainly not less than a miracle
made Moses pray Allah to make water potablewhen people had no idea of science and
for them. According to the accounts in Exodus,technology. Nevertheless, not only chemistry
when Moses yielded to their request, he wasconnections were there but also Moses was
commanded by Allah to get thrown a particularcommanded by none less than the Almighty to
dried log of a dead tree into the said water body.make use of both the chemistry connections and
When Moses made his people follow Allah’sthe available Technology at that moment for
command, the bitterness of water vanished soonbenefit of his people.
and water became potable.