Modern Research on the Water of Zum Zum

[Zainab_M]

 

 


By Tariq Hussain


We came here again to perform the Omrah, and I am reminded of the
wonders of Zumzum. Well of Zumzum is the well that Allah caused to
flow at Mekkah for Prophet Ibrahim's wife Hajar and for his oldest son
Ismael, (peace be upon them all). 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 waste water 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 surfac e and you find yourself believing implicitly in the
miracles of this water that Allah 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 Allah, shaped
itself into a well which came to be called Zum Zum water.

Please pass this on to everyone to know the facts of great wonders of
Zumzum.

[Heba E. Husseyn]

lovely article sis.  would it be possible to quote the source?

[N. Truth Seeker]

this was a very informative task carried out by tareq hussain.  it appeared in quite a few websites.  here's one of the links.
http://www.islamherald.com/asp/interesting_articles/a_well_called_aab_e_zamzam.asp