Zamzam: Difference between revisions

The term "Zamzam" is derived from the repeated root "zam," which signifies the act of restraining or gathering. Linguistically, it denotes water that is either slow-moving or abundant in flow. [1] In religious and historical terminology, "Zamzam" refers to the revered well situated near the Kaaba in Mecca, whose origins are traditionally linked to the era of Prophet Ibrahim (a.s). [2]

According to Mas'udi, a historian of the 4th century AH, the Iranians, considering themselves descendants of Prophet Ibrahim (AS), would travel to Mecca during the Sassanid era. [3] It is said that after performing the circumambulation of the Kaaba, they would murmur over the well, and for this reason, it became known as Zamzam. [4]

* Shifa' Suqm (Healing of illness) [5]

According to verse 37 of Surah Ibrahim, after Prophet Abraham (pbuh) brought his wife Hajar and his son Ishmael to the arid land of Mecca, where there was no water or vegetation, [6] and left them there as commanded by God, they soon faced severe thirst. In search of water, Hajar made seven trips between the hills of Safa and Marwa. [7] On the seventh time, while she was on Marwah, she saw water gushing from beneath Isma'il’s feet. [8]

There are variations in the details of this incident. Some sources attribute the emergence of water from the Zamzam well to the striking of Ishmael's heel on the ground. Others suggest that it was the action of Gabriel, who appeared in human form, either by rubbing his foot or hand on the ground that caused the water to spring forth. [9]

According to Abu al-Walid al-Azraqi, a Shafi'i historian of the 3rd century AH, the emergence of a water spring in that desolate and barren region drew the attention of animals and birds. The activity of birds near the Zamzam well caught the eye of a passing caravan from the Jurhum tribe. They approached the well, drank from its water, and filled their containers. Consequently, this tribe settled around Zamzam, leading to the establishment and growth of the city of Mecca. [10]

During the leadership of Amru ibn Harith over the Jurhum tribe, there was a significant lapse in their reverence for the sanctity of the Masjid al-Haram and the Kaaba. Acting on Amru’s order, sacred objects such as the Black Stone (Hajar al-Aswad), offerings, and various items stored in the Kaaba—including weapons and swords—were thrown into the Zamzam well, which was then filled with soil. Over time, the well’s location was flattened, and its existence was gradually forgotten. [11] Even when the Khuza'a tribe succeeded the Jurhum in power, the Zamzam well remained hidden and undiscovered. [12]