ZAM ZAM Water - A Miracle:
Research by Tariq Hussain,
Riyadh By MOINUDDIN AHMED
Come the Hajj season, and I am reminded of the wonders of Zumzum
water. Let me go back to how it all started. In 1971,an Egyptian doctor
wrote to the European Press, a letter saying that Zumzum water was not fit
for drinking purposes. I immediately thought that this was just a form of
prejudice against the Muslims and that since his statement was based on the
assumption that since the Ka'aba was a shallow place (below sea level) and
located in the center of the city of Makkah, the wastewater of the city
collecting through the drains fell into well holding the water. Fortunately,
the news came to King Faisal's ears who got extremely angry and decided to
disprove the Egyptian doctor's provocative statement. He immediately ordered
the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources to investigate and send
samples of Zumzum water to European laboratories for testing the potability
of the water.
The ministry then instructed the Jeddah Power and Desalination
Plants to carry out this task. It was here that I was employed as a
desalting engineer (chemical engineer to produce drinking water from sea
water). I was chosen to carry out this assignment. At this stage, I remember
that I had no idea what the well holding the water looked like. I went to
Makkah and reported to the authorities at the Ka'aba explaining my purpose
of visit.
They deputed a man to give me whatever help was required. When we
reached the well, it was hard for me to believe that a pool of water, more
like a small 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 A.S., many, many centuries ago.
I started my investigations and took the dimensions of the well. I asked the
man to show 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 all the while since he was not
allowed to dip his head into the water) in search of any inlet or pipeline
inside the well to see from where the water came in. However, the man
reported that he could not find any inlet or pipeline inside the well.
I thought of another idea. The water could be withdrawn rapidly with
the help of a big transfer pump which was installed at the well for the
Zumzum water storage tanks. In this way, the water level would drop enabling
us to locate the point of entry of the water. Surprisingly, nothing was
observed during the pumping period, but I knew that this was the only method
by which you could find the entrance of the water to the well. So I decided
to repeat the process. But this time I instructed the man to stand still at
one place and carefully observe any unusual thing happening inside the well.
After a while, he suddenly raised his hands and shouted,
"Alhamdollillah! I have found it. 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 same phenomenon everywhere in the
well. Actually the flow of water into the well through the 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 European laboratories to
test. Before I left the Ka'aba, I asked the authorities about the other
wells 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 listened with great
interest but made a very irrational comment that the Zumzum well could be
internally connected to the Red Sea. How was it possible when Makkah is
about 75 kilometres away from the sea and the wells located before the city
usually remains dry? The results of the water samples tested by the European
laboratories and the one We analysed in our own laboratory were found to be
almost identical.
The difference between Zumzum water and other water (city water) was
in the quantity of calcium and magnesium salts. The content of these was
slightly higher in Zumzum water. This may be why this water refreshes tired
hajis, but more significantly, the water contains fluorides that have an
effective germicidal action. Moreover, the remarks of the European
laboratories showed that the water was fit for drinking.
Hence the statement made by the Egyptian doctor was proved false.
When this was reported to King Faisal he was extremely pleased and ordered
the contradiction of the report in the European Press. In a way, it was a
blessing that this study was undertaken to show the chemical composition of
the water. In fact, the more you explore, the more wonders surface and you
find yourself believing implicitly in the miracles of this water that God
bestowed as a gift on the faithful coming from far and wide to the desert
land for pilgrimage.
Let me sum up some of the features of Zumzum water.
This well has never dried up. On the contrary it has always fulfilled the demand for water. It has always maintained the same salt composition and taste ever since it came into existence. Its potability has always been universally recognised as pilgrims from all over the world visit Ka'aba every year for Hajj and umrah, but have never complained about it. Instead, they have always enjoyed the water that refreshes them. Water tastes different at different places.Zumzum water's appeal has always been universal. This water has never been chemically treated or chlorinated as is the case with water pumped into the cities. Biological growth and vegetation usually takes place in most wells. This makes the water unpalatable owing to the growth of algae causing taste and odour problems.
But in the case of the Zumzum water well, there wasn't any sign of biological growth. Centuries ago, Bibi Hajra A.S. searched desperately for water in the hills of Sufwa and Murwa to give to her newly born son Hazrat Ismail A.S. As she ran from one place to another in search of water, her child rubbed his feet against the sand. A pool of water surfaced, and by the grace of God, shaped itself into a well which came to be called Zumzum water.
Please pass this on to everyone you know
Jazak Allah-o-Khairun
Research by Tariq Hussain,
Riyadh By MOINUDDIN AHMED
Come the Hajj season, and I am reminded of the wonders of Zumzum
water. Let me go back to how it all started. In 1971,an Egyptian doctor
wrote to the European Press, a letter saying that Zumzum water was not fit
for drinking purposes. I immediately thought that this was just a form of
prejudice against the Muslims and that since his statement was based on the
assumption that since the Ka'aba was a shallow place (below sea level) and
located in the center of the city of Makkah, the wastewater of the city
collecting through the drains fell into well holding the water. Fortunately,
the news came to King Faisal's ears who got extremely angry and decided to
disprove the Egyptian doctor's provocative statement. He immediately ordered
the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources to investigate and send
samples of Zumzum water to European laboratories for testing the potability
of the water.
The ministry then instructed the Jeddah Power and Desalination
Plants to carry out this task. It was here that I was employed as a
desalting engineer (chemical engineer to produce drinking water from sea
water). I was chosen to carry out this assignment. At this stage, I remember
that I had no idea what the well holding the water looked like. I went to
Makkah and reported to the authorities at the Ka'aba explaining my purpose
of visit.
They deputed a man to give me whatever help was required. When we
reached the well, it was hard for me to believe that a pool of water, more
like a small 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 A.S., many, many centuries ago.
I started my investigations and took the dimensions of the well. I asked the
man to show 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 all the while since he was not
allowed to dip his head into the water) in search of any inlet or pipeline
inside the well to see from where the water came in. However, the man
reported that he could not find any inlet or pipeline inside the well.
I thought of another idea. The water could be withdrawn rapidly with
the help of a big transfer pump which was installed at the well for the
Zumzum water storage tanks. In this way, the water level would drop enabling
us to locate the point of entry of the water. Surprisingly, nothing was
observed during the pumping period, but I knew that this was the only method
by which you could find the entrance of the water to the well. So I decided
to repeat the process. But this time I instructed the man to stand still at
one place and carefully observe any unusual thing happening inside the well.
After a while, he suddenly raised his hands and shouted,
"Alhamdollillah! I have found it. 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 same phenomenon everywhere in the
well. Actually the flow of water into the well through the 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 European laboratories to
test. Before I left the Ka'aba, I asked the authorities about the other
wells 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 listened with great
interest but made a very irrational comment that the Zumzum well could be
internally connected to the Red Sea. How was it possible when Makkah is
about 75 kilometres away from the sea and the wells located before the city
usually remains dry? The results of the water samples tested by the European
laboratories and the one We analysed in our own laboratory were found to be
almost identical.
The difference between Zumzum water and other water (city water) was
in the quantity of calcium and magnesium salts. The content of these was
slightly higher in Zumzum water. This may be why this water refreshes tired
hajis, but more significantly, the water contains fluorides that have an
effective germicidal action. Moreover, the remarks of the European
laboratories showed that the water was fit for drinking.
Hence the statement made by the Egyptian doctor was proved false.
When this was reported to King Faisal he was extremely pleased and ordered
the contradiction of the report in the European Press. In a way, it was a
blessing that this study was undertaken to show the chemical composition of
the water. In fact, the more you explore, the more wonders surface and you
find yourself believing implicitly in the miracles of this water that God
bestowed as a gift on the faithful coming from far and wide to the desert
land for pilgrimage.
Let me sum up some of the features of Zumzum water.
This well has never dried up. On the contrary it has always fulfilled the demand for water. It has always maintained the same salt composition and taste ever since it came into existence. Its potability has always been universally recognised as pilgrims from all over the world visit Ka'aba every year for Hajj and umrah, but have never complained about it. Instead, they have always enjoyed the water that refreshes them. Water tastes different at different places.Zumzum water's appeal has always been universal. This water has never been chemically treated or chlorinated as is the case with water pumped into the cities. Biological growth and vegetation usually takes place in most wells. This makes the water unpalatable owing to the growth of algae causing taste and odour problems.
But in the case of the Zumzum water well, there wasn't any sign of biological growth. Centuries ago, Bibi Hajra A.S. searched desperately for water in the hills of Sufwa and Murwa to give to her newly born son Hazrat Ismail A.S. As she ran from one place to another in search of water, her child rubbed his feet against the sand. A pool of water surfaced, and by the grace of God, shaped itself into a well which came to be called Zumzum water.
Please pass this on to everyone you know
Jazak Allah-o-Khairun