Zam Zam, the pure water

[M I D O]

Zam Zam well has a very sacred significance for the followers of Islam. It is located within the Masjid al Haram in Makkah, near the Kaaba, the holiest place in Islam.

Going by the historical accounts, followers of Islam believe that the Zam Zam well was revealed to Hagar, the wife of Abraham. She was desperately seeking water for her infant son Ishmael, but could find none. Legends have it that to quench the thirst of her little kid, Hagar ran seven times back and forth in the scorching heat between the two hills of Safa and Marwa, looking for water. To relieve her of her anguish, God finally sent angel Gabriel who scraped the ground and paved the way for the emergence of Zam Zam well. A relieved Hagar, later confined the pool of water of the Zam Zam well with sand and stones. Another version behind the creation of Zam Zam well is that Ishmael scraped the ground with his heel and the Zam Zam simply appeared.

The grandfather of the Islamic Prophet Mohammed (pbuh), Abdul Muttalib, is said to have rediscovered the well after it had been neglected and had filled with sand. He took care of the Zam Zam well and used to serve its water to Arabs who came to Makkah on pilgrimage.

The story of Hagar and the divine creation of the Zam Zam well is still emulated by pilgrims coming to Makkah either during the Umrah or the Hajj. Like Hagar, pilgrims run between the hills of Safa and Marwa seven times.

In Islamic world, it is a common perception that the water of the Zam Zam well is divinely blessed. The Zam Zam water is believed to cure many illnesses. Nothing surprising, pilgrims who come to Makkah make it a point to drink Zam Zam water from this well. The Zam Zam water is served to the public through coolers positioned throughout the Masjid al Haram in Makkah and the Masjid al Nabawi in Madinah. Pilgrims also have the facility to fill Zam Zam water canisters from special taps which they can take home for relatives and friends as special gifts from the holy land