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Benefits of Zumzum. The best water on earth

Translated by: Dr. Faheem Bukhatwa.

04th Shawal 1429H

3rd October 2008AD

In the name of Allah most gracious most Merciful.

 

 

Zumzum water well is one of the important parts inside the holy mosque of Kaba. It is the most famous well on earth due to its spiritual and unique status amongst the Muslims in general; and more specifically to those doing Hajj.

 

It is that water well which was blown open by angel Gabriel inside the holy mosque. It was when Ibrahim (PBU) left his baby son Ishmael and his mother Hajer in that then barren valley; which had no water or plants. When they ran out of water, and Hajer was exhausted in search for water running between the two peaks (Safa and Marwa) looking into the horizon for a saviour. And it was when she gave up that the mercy of Allah; with Allah’s grace did come.

 

Benefits of the water of Zumzum.

 

The messenger (PPBU) said: {the water of Zumzum is for what ever it is drunk for}. The messenger (PPBU) also said: {The best water on earth is the Zumzum water. It is a food for the feeding and a cure for ailments}.

 

The messenger (PPBU) said: {A clear sign which distinguish us from the hypocrites is that they do not fill them selves when they drink from Zumzum}.

 

3a-esah said: “the messenger (PPBU) used to carry Zumzum water in containers. He used to pour it on the sick and give them drinks off it”

 

Habeen Ebn-Thabit asked 3ata (ÚØÇÁ): “Will I take Zumzum water on me? He answered: “the messenger (PPBU) did, and so did Hasan and Husain”. In fact all the companions used to generously offer Zumzum water to their visitors.

 

Abu-Thur Gafari said: “I spent 30 days and nights eating no food except the water of Zumzum. I put on weight and never felt hunger”

 

Many Muslims use and depend on Zumzum water to treat many ailments. This of course is conditioned with; having the right faith within the heart, entrusting and delegating to Allah, and having the confidence into Allah.

 

Source of the name:

The well was called Zumzum because of the abundance of the water. Some say the name was due to lack of dispersing of the water and due to it remaining collective in close proximity during flowing. It is reported that Hajer said those words: “Zum, Zum” as she was pushing earth round the water to contain it. The words zum zum meaning stay together, don’t go to waste.

 

Zumzum has many names, amongst them: Zumzum, Zomam, Gabriel’s kick, Ishmael’s drink, the filler, the secret reserve, Ailment-cure, Hunger-feeder, drink of the honest.

 

Story of Zumzum well

Zumzum first appeared in the year 2572 before the birth of the Messenger Muhammad (PPBU). That makes it approximately 4000 years using the lunar calendar. Prophet Abraham came to Mecca along with Ishmael’s mother and the baby son Ishmael. Abraham left the mother and the baby in where Zumzum is today. She had a water container from which she drank and kept breast feeding the baby until the water ran out. Her milk dried up and baby was in pain from hunger and she thought he was about to die. She saw the peak of the hill Safa bright so she went to see if there is help there. And she kept waking between the peeks of the two hills Safa and Marwa. After doing the walk seven times between them she went back to the baby that’s when she heard a strange sound. She said: “I hear your voice, help us if you have goodness”. That’s when Gabrail kicked the ground and the water came out. Seeing the water seeping Hajer kept pushing the earth round it so it won’t go away before she got the water container. She drank and survived with her baby.

 

Zumzum was the start of civilization in Mecca. The first people to settle where in a caravan from the land of Sham they were called: “Jarhum”. They saw birds at Zumzum water when they knew no water did exist there before. They found Hajer and asked her permission to settle by the water. She gave permission to settle but as long as the water remains a gift to all.

 

Settlements in Mecca increased after Abraham and Ishmael built the Kaaba mosque beside the water well. Another tribe immigrated from the south called “Yamaniah” who became known as Khuza3a. That was when the “Damp of Ma-reb” was destroyed. Kuza3a eventually took over the up keeping of the mosque. The children of Ishmael left Mecca. The responsibly of up keeping the mosque was transferred to Kussay ben Kilab in the 5th century AC when he pushed Khuza3a back by force. He then allowed Kouraish into Mecca and divided the area amongst them. Zumzum had by them was ignored and almost dried up until it was re-dug by Abdul-Muttalib ben Hashem the grandfather of the messenger (PPBU). That was immediately after the famous elephant incidence.

 

Kuraish tried to prevent Abdul-Muttalib from digging the well. They ridiculed him and fought him off. He had one son and was considerably weak within the tribe. And he made his famouse promise of sacrificing a son to God if he was to be blessed with ten children. Even after the well was dug and the water started flowing again they kept on knocking down the basin he built to collect the water for the pilgrims. And he kept rebuilding.

 

Time went by; Abdulmuttalib got married againd and he was blessed with ten boys. And he had to fulfill his promise of sacrificing one of his children. He used random lottery to determine which of his children to sacrifice. The fate made the chance be to select Abdullah to be sacrificed. And that was the father to be of the messenger (PPBU). The lottery was repeated ten times; and every time it was always his name which came up to be sacrificed by slaughter. Until the solution of sacrificing the son by sacrificing 100 camels instead. And it was.

 

Changes to Zumzum

For a long time Zumzum was two medium size reservoirs, one used for drinking and the other used for waduu. Zumzum was a well surrounded with rocks and stones in a simple form of a building. The Khalifa Jaffer Al-Mansour was the first to build a dome over the well in the year 145 H.

 

This was followed by Khalif Abu-Jaffar with the laying of marble stones on its ground. A sealing was then built for it, and the small dome was decorated by covering it in mosaic. A new large dome was built in the year 160 h. Zumzum was refurbishment and rebuilt in the year 220 H by the Khalifa Al-Moutasem.

 

Major changes:

1)       After a fire in the mosque on 28th Shawal the year 82 H, the mainitenance included Zumzum well.

2)       In the year 815 H the dome was refurbished by Jamal uddeen Muhammad

3)       In the year 844 H the marbels of Zumzum was renewed by Sultan Kaitbay (ÞÇíÊÈÇí)

4)       In the year 982 H in the ottoman erra much attention was given to Zumzum especially by Sultan Saleem 2nd.

5)       In the years 1083, 1187 and 1203 the building round Zumzum was renewed.

6)       In the year 1201 H  the dome was renewed by Sultan Ahmed.

7)       Up to that time  (Year 1300 H) the biggest architectural work was carried out by sultan Abdul-hameed 2nd by an architect called Muhammed Sadeq.

8)       In our modern time, Zumzum was rebuild further away from the mosque because it obstructs the large number of pilgrims doing tawaf round the Kabba. Pumps are used to pump water to the new location with two separate rooms for men and women. Thousands of years later Zumzum is still the main drinking water for the inhabitance of the city of Mecca and round it, and the pilgrims who take some of it away with them.

 

 

 

Notes:

    1. Ansar (or Al-Ansar): The inhabitants of the city of Almadina that received and supported the messenger (PPBU) when he immigrated from Mekkah in the very early years of Islam.

    2. Aya (or Ayah): is a verse of the Koran.

    3. Arafa (or Arafah or Arafat): is a mountain that represents the climax of the Hajj worship. All doing Hajj must stay at this location on the same day.

    4. Duaa: a prayer in the form of talking to Allah; praising him and asking him for help.

    5. Ferdose: is the highest level of the all the gardens of Eden or paradise.

    6. Hadeeth: is something reported that the messenger said. It includes all the speeches and ceremonies he gave. It is usually narrated or told by one of his companions. There is a list of hadeeths approximately 14000 that are reported and checked to be genuine. No more hadeeths are acceptably added to this list.

    7. Hajj: is the worship of pilgrimage.

    8. Hijra: the event of the immigration of the messenger from Mekkah to Madina. This event marks the start of the Islamic calendar. the Islamic calendar has 12 months based on the lunar cycle, each is 29.5 days. Hijra is also used as a name for the Islamic dating system.

    9. Iman: belief or faith

    10. Jihad: is striving in the line of Allah in many forms. Includes a very wide scope varying from improving oneself to fighting a defensive war in protection of Allah's word.

    11. Khalifa: is the Muslim ruler. Head of the Islamic empire. Exact translation: "Successor".

    12. Madinah: A city in the Arabian peninsula (in the country known now as Saudi Arabia). A city where the messenger had to immigrate to.

    13. Mekka: is the holiest city or Muslims. It contains the Ka'aba mosque with the famous black cubical shape. Some say it was first built by Adam, and some say by Abraham. It is where all Muslims face in their daily prayers.

    14. Nafilah: a voluntary prayer other than the five obligatory prayers; performed at any time.

    15. Ommah: is the Arabic word for a nation. It usually refers to the Islamic nation unless otherwise specified.

    16. PPBU: Peace and Prayers Be Upon him. A statement Muslims use any time they mention the name of the messenger or make a reference to him.
    17. Qadr (night of Qadr): The night when the first revelation of the Koran took place. Most likely it happened during one of the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan.

    18. Sunni: is a the title of  those Muslims who are suppose to be following the life style of the messenger. This differentiates them from the Shiaa of Iran.

    19. Sunna (Sunnah): Is how the Messenger PPBU lived, what he did or said. It includes the way he dressed, ate, drank, prayed, interacted with other people and fought. Basically, sunnah is the life style of the messenger PPBU. It is considered the second source of legislation in Islamic laws and it is considered an important reference to be used for concluding arguments and disputes. It is also a title used to call the main stream Muslims who make 90% if all Muslims.

    20. Tawaf: part of the pilgrimage (Hajj) ritual. It involves walking round the Kaaba Mosque in anti-clock wise direction a number of seven circles.

    21. Wathoo (wadoo): a washing up ritual done by Muslims before each of the five daily prayers known as ablution.

Faheem Bukhatwa, my email address is : faheemfb@gmail.com