The Water of Zamzam

The Water of Zamzam

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:

“The best water on the surface of the earth is that of Zamzam. In it there is a food for the hungry and a cure for the ill”.

He (pbuh) also said:

“The water of Zamzam is for the purpose for which it is drunk”.

Explanation of the Hadith

Jibril (peace be upon him) made Zamzam flow by the Command of Allah , the Almighty as an honor to Isma'il and his mother after Prophet Ibrahim had left them in a deserted valley near the present day site of the Holy Ka'ba . She panicked because of the desolation of the place and asked her husband: "To whom are you going to leave us?"

He said: "To Allah, the Almighty."

She said: "In Him I trust. Did He order you to do that? " .

He replied:" Yes".

As he left, he prayed to Allah, the Almighty to provide them with company and means of subsistence. The mother of Isma'il said: "Then, Allah would never desert us."

In return for her deep faith, Allah caused the Well of Zamzam to flow.

It is remarkable that Zamzam flows amidst such solid, igneous crystallized , nonporous rocks and that the flow has continued for more than 3000 years , in spite of all the digging and burying that has taken place in and around it on several occasions . The daily flow is between 11 and 18.5 liters per second. The source of water was not known until tunnels were dug around Makkah. Workers noticed that water gushed through fine cracks that extended for long distances in all directions around Makkah. This verifies the hadith of the Prophet (PBUH)   that states,"Zamzam is the strong strike of Jibril and the water from Allah to Isma'il."

Thus, Zamzam is a tangible miracle that highlights the dignified status of Prophet Ibrahim, who is the father of the Prophets, and Isma'il who helped him build the Ka'ba, as well as his truthful mother Hajar.

It is narrated that 'A'ishah , the mother of the believers (A.S.), used to bring Zamzam water with her to Madinah whenever she visited Makkah and so did the Prophet (PBUH)  to give it to the ill so as to pour it over their bodies and thus become cured by Allah's Will.

Ibn al-Qayyim said in his book "Zad Alma'ad", that he, along with others, "had amazing experiences with the water of Zamzam. We drank it to be cured from several illnesses and we were cured. I also saw people surviving by only drinking Zamzam for 15 days and more and they did not feel hunger." All of this verifies the hadith of the Prophet (PBUH).

In his book "Nayl al-Awtar" ash-Shawkani says that the hadith of the Prophet (PBUH) indicates that the water of Zamzam will be of benefit in both this world and the Hereafter.

Scientific research has proven that Zamzam is unique in its natural characteristics as it is hard carbonated water , which is rich in beneficial natural elements that range are around 2000 mg. per liter , while the same percentage in other kinds of well water does not exceed 260 mg  per liter .

The chemical elements in Zamzam can be divided into firstly, positive ions like that of sodium (250 mg per liter), calcium (200 mg per liter), potassium (20 mg per liter), and magnesium (50 mg per liter). Secondly, negative ions like sulphur (372 mg per liter), bicarbonates (366 mg per liter) nitrates (273 mg per liter), phosphates (0.25 mg per liter) and ammonia (6 mg. per liter).

Each of these ingredients plays a major role in the vital functions of the cells of the human body. It is a well-known fact that there is a direct relationship between the imbalance of the chemicals in the human body and various illnesses. Mineral drinkable and undrinkable water has been used for many centuries to cure many diseases like rheumatism, to activate blood circulation, and is used to replace some elements that may be lacking in the body. Mineral drinkable water plays a role in curing many diseases like acidity of the stomach, indigestion, heart disease and others. On the other hand, mineral undrinkable water is beneficial in curing other diseases like rheumatism, arthritis and dermatological ailments.

Moreover, it has been proven that there are no microbes whatsoever in the water of Zamzam and the surrounding rocks. Even those microbes present in all kinds of soils are absent in the case of Zamzam.

All Praise be to Allah, the Almighty who ordered Jibril (peace be upon him) to made Zamzam flow and made the water flow to Zamzam from very fine cracks far away from the well, thus granting us the blessed water of Zamzam that has been mentioned in several Ahadith of the Prophet (pbuh).