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Zamzam Water:
Allah’s Gift to Believers
By Tariq
Hussain and Moin Uddin Ahmad
Come the Hajj
season, and I am reminded of the wonders of Zamzam water. Let me
go back to how it all started. In 1971, an Egyptian doctor wrote
to the European Press, a letter saying that Zamzam 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 centre of the
city of Makkah, all the wastewater of the city collecting through
the drains fell into well holding the water.
Fortunately, the news came to late Saudi 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 Zamzam 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 desalinating engineer. 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
(pilgrims) ever since it came into existence at the time of
Ibrahim (SAWS), many many centuries ago. |
