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Mahmoud
Isma`il Shil
`Abdur-Rahman
`Abdul-Wahid
The
Well of Zamzam that gushed forth underneath the footsteps of
Isma`il, peace and blessings be upon him, is considered one of the
important elements within the Sacred Sanctuary. Actually, this
blessed Well had passed by several incidents which we are going to
mention here as follows:
Zamzam
Before Islam
It
was reported on the authority of Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased
with him, that Abraham, peace and blessings be upon him, came to
Makkah along with Hajar, the mother of Isma`il, who was a suckling
baby. He left her and her son in a place on the spot of Zamzam with
a water-skin containing some water, and set out homeward. She used
to drink and then give suck to her son until the water had all been
used up. Then, her child (Isma`il) became thirsty and she started
looking at him tossing in agony. The mother of Isma`il thought that
he was dying of thirst; so, she left him and went to the mountain
of Safa (that was the nearest mountain to her on that land). She
stood on it and started looking at the valley keenly so that she
might see somebody, but she could not see anyone. Then she
descended from Safa and when she reached the valley, she ran like a
person in distress and trouble, till she crossed the valley and
reached the Marwah mountain where she stood and started looking,
expecting to see somebody, but she could not see any. She repeated
that (running between Safa and Marwah) seven times. When she
returned to her son, she heard a voice and she said, ‘O, (whoever
you may be)! You have made me hear your voice; have you got
something to help me?’ Ibn `Abbas added, The Archangel Gabriel
stroke (dug) the earth (at the place of Zamzam with his heel or his
wing), till water flowed from that place. She started making
something like a basin around it, using her hand in this way, and
started filling her water-skin with water. Then she drank (water)
and suckled her child.” This incident was mentioned in detail by
Al-Bukhari in his Sahih.
Zamzam
was the First Sign of Permanent Settlement in Makkah
Al-Azraqi
mentioned in his Akhbar Makkah and At-Tabari in his Tarikh Ar-Rusul
wal-Muluk that some people from the tribe of Jurhum or a family
from Jurhum passed by Hajar and her child, as they (i.e. the Jurhum
people) were coming in a trading caravan from Ash-Sham (the
Levant). They landed in the lower part of Makkah where they saw a
bird hovering above the valley. Someone said, “This bird must be
hovering over water (of a well), though we know that there is no
water in this valley.” They sent two men to see what is there.
They came to Isma`il’s mother and talked to her. Then, they
returned to inform their people of the good news (that there is
water). So, they all came and settled beside the water after
getting the permission of Isma`il’s mother. The whole story is
mentioned in detail in Sahih Al-Bukhari. The narration cited that
she granted them permission to dwell in this place without having
any right to possess the water and they agreed to that.
The
area of dwellings at Makkah had been increasing especially after
Abraham and his son Isma`il, peace and blessings be upon them,
built the Sacred House. (The tribe of) Jurhum continued to take
charge of the Sacred House and (the Well of) Zamzam for a period of
time until a Yemenite tribe so called Khuza`ah emigrated to this
place after the collapse of the Ma’rib dam. Khuza`ah went into
battle with Jurhum and at the end Khuza`ah were victorious and took
charge of the Sacred House.
The
Jurhumites were finally driven out from Makkah and they were
separated in the province of Tuhamah. In the fifth century, Qusayy
Ibn Kilab established himself in control of Makkah after a fierce
battle with the tribe of Khuza`ah ending with their evacuation from
Makkah and joining Kinanah under his authority. He thereupon
brought people of Quraish to Makkah and divided it among its clans.
The Well of Zamzam at that time was neglected since it had been
buried and its landmarks were hidden completely. It continued to be
so until `Abd Al-Muttalib Ibn Hashim, the grandfather of the
Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, rediscovered it. One may
wonder: how could people of Makkah and the pilgrims drink (water)
after covering the Well of Zamzam?
The
answer is: there were wells and springs that were dug after the
disappearance of the Well of Zamzam such as the well of Al-Yusrah
that was dug by Ka`b Ibn Lu’ayy and another well so called
Ar-Rwua; they were opposite to the mount of `Arafah.
`Abd
Al-Muttalib dug Zamzam following the Incident of the Elephant after
he saw a spiritual figure in a vision saying, “Dig Zamzam.”
Then, it vanished and once again came to him and said, “Dig
Zamzam which is located between dung and blood, an ants’ nest,
and pecking ravens.”
When
`Abd Al-Muttalib woke up, he went immediately to the Sacred House
wherein he discovered the place, where a cow was to be slaughtered
at Al-Hazurah (a market in the Pre-Islamic period of Ignorance) but
it escaped from its slaughterer. Then, it was overcome by death in
the Sanctuary in the very place of Zamzam. The cow departed life
and its flesh was carried away. Then, a raven came to eat from it
and it fell in the dung and then ants gathered around what remained
of it.
`Abd
Al-Muttalib rose and started to ding in the assigned location but
people of Quraish came to him and asked him, “What are you doing,
why do you dig in the Sanctuary?” `Abd Al-Muttalib replied: “I
am going to dig this well and fight anyone who tries to bar me.”
He continued along with his sole son Al-Harith at that time to dig
despite their vehement protest. Some Quraishites disputed with them
while others stopped because they knew well `Abd Al-Muttalib’s
high-ranked pedigree. `Abd Al-Muttalib was sharply harmed until he
vowed that if he would have ten sons he would slaughter one of them
(in sacrifice). Digging continued until he found golden swords.
When the people saw the swords they said, “O `Abd Al-Muttalib, we
should have a share in what you have found.” He replied that
these swords would go to the Sacred House. He afterwards continued
to dig until water flowed in the bottom.
Then,
he built a cistern beside it and used to fill it with water along
with his son so that the pilgrims may drink thereof. But some
people of Quraish used to break this cistern by night and when `Abd
Al-Muttalib wakes up he reforms it. When their corruption to the
basin increased, `Abd Al-Muttalib supplicated his Lord (against
them), then a shadowy figure came to him in a vision and told him
to say: “O Lord, I do not make it permissible for the one who
wants to take a bath in it but it is permissible for anyone to have
a drink (of water) from it.” When `Abd Al-Muttalib woke up, he
proclaimed what he had seen in the Sanctuary, then he went out.
Afterwards, no one of Quraish corrupts his cistern unless he is
afflicted with a malady in his body. So, they stopped corrupting it
altogether.
Then,
`Abd Al-Muttalib married another woman who bore him ten sons. He
intended to sacrifice one of his sons, so he gathered them in the
Ka`bah. The lots were cast, and it was `Abdullah’s arrow that
came out. But after consultation with people they suggested to put
`Abdullah and ten camels side by side and cast lots between them.
If the arrow falls against `Abdullah, he should add more ten camels
and so forth until his Lord accepts them and the arrow falls
against the camels. The lots were cast ten times until the arrow
fell against the camels. At last `Abd Al-Muttalib became certain
that God had accepted his expiation, and the camels were duly
sacrificed.
Zamzam
in the Islamic Era
After
`Abd Al-Muttalib dug the Well of Zamzam, it became the main source
for watering the pilgrims to the Sacred House of God. With the
advent of Islam, its importance increased since many Hadiths were
reported in its favor. We may cite in this regard some of these
Hadiths as follows:
Ahmad
reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon
him, said, “Fever is from the heat of the Hell-fire; so, cool it
with Zamzam water.”
`Ali
Ibn Abu Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, also reported that
the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, performed Tawaf
(circumambulation) of Ifadah, then he asked that a bucket of Zamzam
water should be brought to him. He afterwards performed ablution
with this water and then said, “Draw water, O Banu `Abd Al-Muttalib;
were it not that people would usurp this right of supplying water
from you, I would have drawn it along with you.”
Disappearance
of the sources and springs of water before the Day of Judgment
except that of Zamzam
`Uthman
Ibn Saj narrated, “Muqatil informed me on the authority of Ad-Dahhaq
Ibn Muzahim that Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, will take away
the fresh water before the Day of Judgment. All sources and springs
of water-supply will be lost except the water of Zamzam and the
earth will issue (cast away) what is in its hollows of gold and
silver. At that moment, the man will come with a sack full of gold
and silver and offer it saying: is there anyone who accepts this
from me? He will be replied: had you offered it to me yesterday I
would have accepted it from you.”
Description
of the Well of Zamzam in the course of time
Ibn
Juraij was reported as having said that `Ata’ described to him
the way of their watering from Zamzam saying: (The Well of) Zamzam
had two cisterns in the first era; one between it and (Ar-Rukn) the
Corner through which the pilgrims would have their drink of water
and another cistern from behind for performing ablution. It had an
attached reservoir to which water comes through the gate of As-Safa
and it had no window at that time.
It
was merely a well surrounded by a fence of stones that had been
simply built. It continued to be so until the era of the `Abbasid
caliph Abu Ja`far Al-Mansur who was the first to build a dome above
the Well of Zamzam in the year 145 AH.
Zamzam
was sixty cubits length. Its bottom included three springs: one
facing the black corner, another opposite to mountains of Abu
Qubais and As-Safa, and the third one facing Al-Marwah. The width
of the mouth of Zamzam was 3.2/3 cubits.
The
commander of the believers Abu Ja`far was the first to construct
marbles on Zamzam, on the window, and to tile its floor with marble
during his caliphate. Then, Al-Mahdi reconstructed them during his
caliphate and roofed the room of Zamzam with teak at the hands of `Umar
Ibn Faraj. The little dome was covered with mosaic as well as the
building of Zamzam was restored and a large dome of teak was
constructed above the room allocated for watering the pilgrims
instead of the little dome that was above the Well of Zamzam. This
was during the caliphate of Al-Mahdi in the year 160 AH. The Well
of Zamzam and its dome was then restored and was covered with
marble during the caliphate of the `Abbasid caliph Al-Mu`tasim in
the year 220 AH.
A
description for the cistern of Zamzam
This
cistern is 39 cubits from inside and 40 cubits from outside. Its
diameter is 12 cubits and is tiled with marble. Its walls are
covered with marble. The length of its walls is 11 fingers and
their width is 8 fingers. The area of this cistern through which
the pilgrims have their drink of water is 28 cubits. This cistern
is surrounded by 12 teak cylinder. The length of each cylinder is 4
cubits. Above the room there is a dome made of teak whose outside
is green and its inside is yellow.
The
most important repairs
The
dome of Zamzam received several repairs and restorations in the
course of time. The most important of these repairs are the
following:
The
Sacred Mosque was restored in the Mamluk era during the reign of
Sultan An-Nassir Faraj Ibn Barquq after fire erupted in the Sacred
Mosque in the night of 28 Shawwal, 802 AH. The dome of Zamzam was
also restored in the year 815 AH at the hands of the Judge of
Makkah Jamal Ad-Din Muhammad Ibn Abu Dhahirah. In the era of Sultan
Qaitbai, the Well of Zamzam was restored and its marbles were
replaced in 884 AH.
In
the Ottoman era, the Sacred Mosque received great interest and
several repairs were made to the building of Zamzam especially
during the reign of Sultan Salim II, 982 AH. The dome of Zamzam was
also restored in the era of Sultan Ahmad IV, 1083 AH. Then, the
building of Zamzam was restored in the era of Sultan `Abd Al-Hamid
I, 1187 AH and once again in 1203 AH.
Before
nowadays, the greatest works of building that were made to the dome
of Zamzam was accomplished during the era of Sultan `Abd Al-Hamid
the Second 1300 AH. These works were made by the engineer As-Said
Muhammad Sadiq. Eventually, during the modern era, the building of
Zamzam was reconstructed but away from its original location since
the old building that was located near the Ka`bah used to hinder
Tawaf in the modern age because of the large number of the
pilgrims. The water of Zamzam was conducted to its new location in
the eastern part of the Sanctuary by way of engines for lifting
water and pipes. There became an assigned place for men and another
for women. Finally, it is worth mentioning that despite the passage
of thousands of years on discovering the Well of Zamzam, its water
remained and will continue to be a source of purity and cure.
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