with this divinely provided secure water supply they

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History ofHistory ofMaqam Ibrahim a.s.Maqam Ibrahim a.s.

andand

Well of ZamzamWell of Zamzam


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History

The path of man's historical and spiritual journey is paved andornamented with historical icons from altar to minaret - and fromeast to west. Human history is paradoxical: full of icons of the pastthat can never be surpassed. The Well of Zamzam and MaqamIbrahim are among these icons, both reflecting the mingled historyof humanity and divinity.

Literally 'maqam' means station as in high place and dignified rank.According to the Qur'an, Prophets Ibrahim and Ismail (peace beupon them) together built the Kaaba. To reach the top of the Kaaba,Prophet Ibrahim stood on a large rock and his feet left their prints,

bearing witness of his great deed for all time. And it is there atMaqam Ibrahim that the father and son, Prophets Ibrahim andIsmail, are believed to have prayed after building the Kaaba.


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Footprint of Prophet Ibrahim a.s.

The rock itself is on abase of stone builtover 20cm of marblethat stands in theground. The actualfootprints of ProphetIbrahim's are of an

oval rectangularshape and have beenentirely plated insilver. Because of thepassing of time, itscolors vary betweenshades of white,black and yellow.


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1967


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A dome was firstplaced overMaqam Ibrahim in810 H and it has

been rebuilt atintervals.

1967


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Construction ofnew dome overMaqam Ibrahima.s.


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ZAM ZAM WaterResearch by Tariq Hussain, Riyadh

In 1971, an Egyptian doctor wrote to the European Press, a letter sayingthat Zamzam was not fit for drinking purposes. I immediately thought thatthis was just a form of prejudice against the Muslims and that since his

statement was based on the assumption that since the Ka'abah was ashallow place (below sea level) and located in the center of the city ofMakkah, all the wastewater of the city collecting through the drains fell intowell holding the water.

Fortunately, the news came to Shah Faisal's ears who got extremely angryand decided to disprove the Egyptian doctor's provocative statement. Heimmediately ordered the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources toinvestigate and send samples of Zamzam to European laboratories fortesting the potability of the water. The ministry then instructed the JeddahPower and Desalination Plants to carry out this task. It was here that I was

employed as a desalting engineer (chemical engineer to produce drinkingwater from seawater). I was chosen to carry out this assignment. At thisstage, I remember that I had no idea what the well holding the water lookedlike.


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I went to Makkah and reported to the authorities at the Ka'abah explaining mypurpose of visit. They deputed a man to give me whatever help was required. Whenwe reached the well, it was hard for me to believe that a pool of water, more like asmall pond, about 18 by 14 feet, was the well that supplied millions of gallons of water

every year to hajis ever since it came into existence at the time of Hazrat Ibrahim,many, many centuries ago.

I started my investigations and took the dimensions of the well. I asked the man toshow me the depth of the well. First he took a shower and descended into the water.Then he straightened his body. I saw that the water level came up to just above his

shoulders. His height was around five feet, eight inches.

He then started moving from one corner to the other in the well (standing allthe while since he was not allowed to dip his head into the water) in search of anyinlet or pipeline inside the well to see from where the water came in. However, theman reported that he could not find any inlet or pipeline inside the well. I thought ofanother idea. The water could be withdrawn rapidly with the help of a big transferpump which was installed at the well for the Zamzam storage tanks. In this way, thewater level would drop enabling us to locate the point of entry of the water


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Surprisingly, nothing was observed during the pumping period, but I knew that thiswas the only method by which you could find the entrance of the water to the well. SoI decided to repeat the process. But this time I instructed the man to stand still atone place and carefully observe any unusual thing happening inside the well.

After a while, he suddenly raised his hands and shouted, "Alhamdullillah! I have foundit. The sand is dancing beneath my feet as the water oozes out of the bed of the well."Then he moved around the well during the pumping period and noticed the samephenomenon everywhere in the well. Actually the flow of water into the well throughthe bed was equal at every point, thus keeping the level of the water steady.

After I finished my observations I took the samples of the water for EuropeanLaboratories to test. Before I left the Ka'abah, I asked the authorities about the otherwells around Makkah. I was told that these wells were mostly dry.

When I reached my office in Jeddah I reported my findings to my boss who listenedwith great interest but made a very irrational comment that the Zumzum well could beinternally connected to the Red Sea. How was it possible when Makkah is about 75kilometers away from the sea and the wells located before the city usually remaindry?


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The results of the water samples tested by the European laboratories andthe one we analyzed in our own laboratory were found to be almostidentical.

The difference between Zamzam and other water (city water) was in thequantity of calcium and magnesium salts. The content of these was slightlyhigher in Zamzam. This may be why this water refreshes tired hajis, butmore significantly, the water contains fluorides that have an effectivegermicidal action. Moreover, the remarks of the European laboratoriesshowed that the water was fit for drinking. Hence the statement made by theEgyptian doctor was proved false. When this was reported to Shah Faisalhe was extremely pleased and ordered the contradiction of the report in theEuropean Press.

In a way, it was a blessing that this study was undertaken to show thechemical composition of the water. In fact, the more you explore, the morewonders surface and you find yourself believing implicitly in the miracles ofthis water that God bestowed as a gift to the faithfuls coming from far andwide to the desert land for pilgrimage.


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Let me sum up some of the features of Zamzam

This well has never dried up. On the contrary it has always fulfilled thedemand for water.

It has always maintained the same salt composition and taste ever sinceit came into existence.

Its potability has always been universally recognized as pilgrims from allover the world visit Ka'abah every year for hajj and umrah, but have

never complained about it. Instead, they have always enjoyed the waterthat refreshes them. Water tastes different at different places.

Zamzam's appeal has always been universal.

This water has never been chemically treated or chlorinated as is thecase with water pumped into the cities.

Source: RESEARCH AND INFORMATION NETWORK (RAIN), P O Box 26119, Isipingo Beach, Durban, SouthAfrica 4115.e-mail : [email protected] Director : Abu-Bakar Dawjee


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History of Zamzam

Historically, Ibrahim - a prophet in Judaism, Christianity and Islam - has linksto both places. Maqam Ibrahim, in fact, was named after him. The story ofZamzam water begins nearly 4000 years ago, when, according to the HolyQuran, Allah ordered Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) to bring hiswife, Hajera (Hajar) and their child Ismail to Makkah from (Bilad Al-Sham)the Levant. Makkah the place where the Kaaba was later built was then adry valley without vegetation or water.

Allah told Prophet Ibrahim to leave them with some supplies of food andwater and return to (Bilad Al-Sham). Their supplies quickly ran out andwithin a few days, Hajera and Ismail were suffering from both hunger anddehydration.

As the infant Ismail cried out in thirst, in desperation, Hajera ran up and

down, back and forth for seven times in the heat between the two hills calledSafa and Marwa seeking water and trying to find help.

Eventually, Hajar collapsed and prayed to Allah for deliverance.


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Zamzam

Allah sent his Angel Jibreel(Gabriel) for their help. He struck

the ground with his foot and aspring of water gushed forth fromthe earth and the two were saved.

As her baby cried, his feet rubbed

the sand where miraculously, aspring bubbled out at his feet.Thus Zamzam water was foundand the Well of Zamzam wascreated.

Because of the story, the Well ofZamzam is also known as TheWell of Ismail.


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The name 'Zamzam' comes from the Arabic verb phrase zom-zomwhich means stop flowing, gathering or enclosing, a command repeated by

Hajera during her attempt to contain the spring water. As the water bubbledup from the earth at her son's feet; Hajera cupped and gathered the sandaround the water to preserve it.


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With this divinely provided securewater supply they were able to tradewater with passing merchants andnomads for food and supplies.

After a while, Prophet Ibrahim returnedfrom the Levant (Bilad Al-Sham) hewas amazed to see them running aprofitable well.

One of the companions of the Prophetsaid that before Islam, the water wascalled Shabba or satisfying. It wasfilling and helped them nourish theirfamilies.

It was also known as 'Marwiah'meaning quenched or quenching; and'Barakah' meaning blessing as well asother names mostly unfamiliar and nolonger used.


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The well has existed for four thousandyears with 26 centuries betweenProphet Ismail's time and the time of

Abdul Muttaleb, the grandfather ofProphet Muhammad (peace be uponhim).

Furthermore, the Well of Zamzam andits water have long been revered bythe people of Makkah, specifically bythe Quraish, one of Makkhah's nobleand prominent clans.

Later, an Islamic ruler, Abu Jaffar Al-Mansour, built a protective fencearound the well and paved the areaaround it with white marble. The domethat sheltered the well was studdedwith rubies. Biir Zamzam 1954


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During the reign of King Faisal ibnAbul Aziz, laboratory tests wereconducted on Zamzam water samples.After analysis, it was found that the

difference between Zamzam water andother water (city water) was in thequantity of calcium and magnesiumsalts. The content of the elementswere slightly higher in Zamzam water.More significantly, the water containsfluorides that have an effective

germicidal action.

Zamzam water's appeal has alwaysbeen universal. The water has neverbeen chemically treated or chlorinated.In most wells, bacteria and fungi growwhich makes the water unpalatablebecause of bad taste and bad odor. InZamzam water, however, there was nosign of bacteria or fungi.


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Biir Zamzam 1346H

1346H (1928)


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According to the Muslim collection of Hadith, Abu Dzharr Al-Ghifari,a companion, noted that when he first arrived in Makkah during theearly days of Islam, he survived only on Zamzam water for a whole

month. Not only did he satisfy his hunger and thirst, he becameobese.

Several studies proved that the water of Zamzam well is the finestand healthiest mineral water on earth. Scientific studies were made

to analyze the Zamzam water and found that this water includehigher levels of calcium, fluoride and magnesium which refreshesand strengthens those who drink it.

Biological growth and vegetation can never exist in Zamzam wellunlike other wells. As a result, this water has never been chemicallytreated or chlorinated.


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Zamzam also heals sicknesses, as the Prophet Muhammad (peacebe upon him) stated long ago before modern studies. The bestwater on the face of the earth is the water of Zamzam; it is a kind of

food and a healing from sickness.

Zamzam well is 4 meters in width and 35 meters deep located underthe eastern part of the Kaaba and south of Maqam Ibrahim.

When chemical Engr. Mueen Al-Deen Ahmed, a former employee ofthe then Ministry of Agriculture and Water, collected some samplesof its water, he was surprised to see that a six by four meter pond

can supply water that has quenched the thirst of millions of peoplesince the time of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him).


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The well, which has never run dryhas always maintained a very

distinctive taste. Its uniquenesshas been universally recognizedas pilgrims from all over the worldvisit the Kaaba every year.

In 1373 H (1956) a pump wasinstalled in the Zamzam well andthe surrounding pipes wereextended as well. Zamzam wasmade available and accessible forall visitors with water cooled by

Zamzam ice-cubes all over theHoly Mosque of Makkah as well asthe Holy Mosque in Madinah.


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To this day pilgrims and visitors returnto their families and friends carryingthis mysterious liquid which springs

from the Well of Zamzam: the springthat continues to flow, revered andunique along with Maqam Ibrahim,engraved upon human history andmemory

Source:http://www.arabnews.com/?page=21&section=0&art

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=21&section=0&art

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with this divinely provided secure water supply they

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