The Zum Zum Water:
The following was sent to me by FelixArabia13113@aol.com; may Allah Almighty always be pleased with him.
Dear Brethren in Islam,
As'salamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatu Allah Wa Barakatuh (GOD's peace, mercy and blessings be upon
you) and upon your family as well.
Dear Osama,
Please read this wonderful story about Zamzam Water.
With my Best Wishes,
Ayiub.
Research by Tariq Hussain, Riyadh.
Come the Haj season, and I am reminded of the wonders of Zum Zum
water. Let me go back to how it all started. In 1971, a doctor wrote
to the European Press, a letter saying that Zum Zum water was not fit
for drinking purposes. I mmediately 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 doctor's provocative statement.
He immediately ordered the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources
to investigate and send samples of Zum Zum 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
seawater).
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
what ever 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, or 6 x 4.5 meters was the well that supplied
millions of gallons of water every year to Hajjis and millions of
gallons to visitors 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 Zum Zum 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 Zum Zum well could be internally connected to the Red
Sea.
How was it possible when Makkah is about 75 kilometers 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 analyzed in our own laboratory were found to be almost
identical.
The difference between Zum Zum water and other water (city water)
was in the quantity of calcium and magnesium salts. The content of
these was slightly higher in Zum Zum 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 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 Zum Zum water.
1. This well has never dried up. On the contrary it has always
fulfilled the demand for water.
2. It has always maintained the same salt composition and taste
ever since it came into existence. Its potability has always been
universally recognized as pilgrims from all over the world
visit Ka'aba every year for Haj and Umrah, but have never complained
about it. Instead, they have always enjoyed the water that
refreshes them.
3. Water tastes different at different places. Zum Zum water's
appeal has always been universal.
4. 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
odor problems. But in the case of the Zum Zum water well, there
wasn't any sign of biological growth.
Centuries ago, Bibi Hajra A.S. searched desperately for water in
the hills of Safa and Marwa 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 you know
Jazak Allah-o-Khaira.
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