(old article of my emailgroup)
Zumzum Water - A Miracle
Research by Tariq Hussain, Riyadh
By Moin Uddin Ahmed
Come the Hajj season, and I am reminded of the wonders
of Zumzum water. 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 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
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withdrawn rapidly with the help of a big transfer pump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 surface and you find
yourself believing implicitly in the miracles of this
water that Allah (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 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 (AS) searched desperately for water in the hills
of Sufwa and Murwa to give to her newly born son
Hazrat Ismail (AS). 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 God, shaped itself into a well which came to
be called Zumzum water.
Jazakumallhu Kahirun
ASIFA