SmartWUDHU’: Recycling Ablution Water for Sustainable Living in Malaysia

The ablution ritual consumes large amount of water, especially in musollas and mosques, where the greywater is allowed to run free and drain away. As quoted in the Hadith, Prophet Muhammad reminded Muslims to avoid wastage, even when performing the cleansing ritual or ablution prior to prayer. The ritual, locally known as known as wudhu’, requires a Muslim to wash exposed body parts with clean water. In Malaysia, most ablution system consists simply of a row of water taps with a drainage trough to carry the greywater to main drains. As the tap is usually left running, much good water is wasted in the process. Considering the unnecessary wastage, a simple recycling system can be designed to collect, treat and reuse the ablution water within a close-loop system for non-potable water applications, such as toilet flushing, general washing, plants watering and flowerbed cultivation. This approach does not only introduce practical engineering solutions in promoting sustainable living, it is also in-line with the Islamic principles of using natural resources in a prudent manner. By referring the University’s own mosque, a study was conducted to develop and verify a conceptual model of the ablution water recycling system, named SmartWUDHU’, which fulfills the requirements of Islamic teachings yet viable from the engineering perspective. A simple ablution water output prediction model was next proposed to more accurately quantify the capacity and efficiency of the close-loop water recycling system. Water quality check was also carried out to gauge the effectiveness of treatment against regulated standards as well as religious provisions. The SmartWUDHU’ system, retrofitted or installed new, exemplifies a successful merge between engineering know-how and religious doctrines for enhanced quality living now, and into the future.