The water of 'Zamzam'

The water of 'Zamzam'

The idolatrous practices do not end at the Black Stone. The devil has indeed instilled in the human being the worship of objects that cannot benefit nor harm him. A further idolatrous superstition is connected to the water of Zamzam. This water is available inside the Masjid Al-Haram and is regarded to be sacred by Muslims and that it is able to cure one's ailments! Muslim historians claim that the well of Zamzam was made to flow for Hagar and her infant Ishmael when the two of them ran in desperation between the hill tops of the Safa and Marwah in search of water.

This story, which has no reference in the Quran, finds its roots in the Biblical story of Abraham's slave wife Hagar when she was sent away to the wilderness of the desert with her child Ishmael. The Biblical narration goes that in desperation and fear of dying out of thirst, Hagar ran back and forth between two hill tops in search of water, at which point God mercifully produced for her a gushing well from which she and Ishmael drank (Genesis 21:14-21).

The absence of such narration in the Quran could only mean that the hadith writers borrowed the Biblical story then conveniently modified it to fit the surroundings of the Masjid Al-Haram in Mecca.

There is one snag though! When we read the Biblical story of this event we find that it took place in the wilderness of Beer-Sheba which is located south of Jerusalem, between Gaza and the Dead Sea. Obviously this is nowhere near Mecca where the water of Zamzam is extracted! This, wide disparity of locations, together with the fact that there is no Quranic evidence to substantiate or invalidate this story, adds a great deal of uncertainty about the story connected to the water of Zamzam!

One thing is for certain; there is nothing in the Quran that says that we should idolize and hold sacred any object, whether it is the water of Zamzam or the Black Stone, thinking that either could benefit us in any way. On the contrary, doing so is in direct violation of 5:76, 21:66📍 and other verses as mentioned. A genuine worshipper of God arrives at the Masjid Al-Haram to worship and commemorate God and not to idolise any physical object.

Editor's note: One of my aunts observed no less than 14 Umrahs and a few Hajjs over the years. At the end of every journey she used to return home from Mecca with a good supply of water from Zamzam in the belief that it will cure her from various illnesses. She used to fill little bottles with the water and distribute them among members of the family! Her good intention aside, up until the time of her passing away, all the water she brought back never cured her nor any family member of any illness!

📍৫:৭৬

قُلْ أَتَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَمْلِكُ لَكُمْ ضَرًّا وَلَا نَفْعًا ۚ وَاللَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

কোৱা, তোমালোকে আল্লাহৰ বাহিৰে এনে বস্তুৰ ইবাদত কৰা নেকি যিয়ে তোমালোকৰ কোনো ক্ষতি বা উপকাৰ কৰাৰ ক্ষমতা নাৰাখে? আৰু আল্লাহেই সৰ্বশ্ৰোতা, সৰ্বজ্ঞ।

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২১:৬৬

قَالَ أَفَتَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنْفَعُكُمْ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَضُرُّكُمْ

তেওঁ ক’লে, ‘তেনেহ’লে তোমালোকে আল্লাহৰ পৰিবৰ্তে এনে বস্তুৰ ইবাদত কৰা নেকি যিটোৱে তোমালোকৰ কোনো উপকাৰ কৰিব নোৱাৰে আৰু অপকাৰো কৰিব নোৱাৰে?

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