The merit of Zamzam
Does the water of Zamzam have any virtue? Is there any hadith that indicates that it has a real effect in healing and that its consumption must be preceded by an intention?

Praise be to Allah.

Zamzam is the name of a famous well located within the precincts of the Holy Mosque 38 cubits from the noble Kaaba. It is the well of Islma’il son of Ibrahim (pbuh) from which Allah the Most High gave him water when he was still an infant and felt thirsty. His mother sought water for him in vain. She went to Safa and prayed and begged for help for Ismail. Then she went to Marwa and did the same. And Allah sent Gabriel who dug the earth with his foot and water appeared.

Drinking the Water of Zamzam

The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) are unanimous in saying that it is recommended for the pilgrim in particular and the Muslim in general to drink zamzam water in all cases, because of the authentic hadith that the Prophet (peace be upon him) « drank zamzam water » (reported by Bukhari, 3/492). A.a) the Prophet (blessings and salutations be upon him) said about zamzam water, « It is certainly blessed; it is certainly real food » (reported by Mouslim, 4/1922). At-Tayalissi, 61 adds in his version, « and a remedy for illness. That is, drinking its water is a substitute for food and a cure for illness, provided one is sincere. In this regard, it has been reliably reported that Abu Dhar (pbuh) stayed in Makkah for a month and had no food other than the water of Zamzam.

Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (pbuh) said, « In the pre-Islamic era, Zamzam was a place of rivalry among the people. Entire families would come to it early in the morning to make it their first drink of the day. We considered it to help us feed our families. Al-Abbas said, « Zamzam was then called Shaba’a. The scholar, Al-Abiy, (May Allah have mercy on him) said, « It is useful for what it is drunk for. Ibn al-Mubarak entered Zamzam and said, « My Lord, Ibn al-Mu’ammal told me from Zubayr who had heard it from Jabir that the Messenger of Allah (blessings be upon him) said, ‘The water of Zamzam is useful for what it is drunk for. My Lord, I drink it to quench the thirst of the Day of Resurrection.

Their angels washed the heart of the Prophet (peace be upon him) with the water of Zamzam during his youth after removing and replacing it.

Al-Hafiz al-Iraqui (May Allah have mercy on him) said, « The wisdom that dictated the washing of the heart of the Prophet (peace be upon him) with the water of Zamzam was to make him strong enough to see the realm of the heavens and the earth, paradise and hell. Indeed, the water of Zamzam has the property of strengthening the heart and calming the mind.

The news of the Prophet’s (blessings be upon him) washing of his heart with Zamzam water was reliably reported according to Abu Dharrl who said that the Prophet (blessings be upon him) said: « In Makkah, my ceiling was removed, Gabriel came down from it, opened my heart, washed it with the water of Zamzam and then brought a container filled with gold, wisdom and faith, poured it into my chest, closed it, grabbed my hand and took me up to the lowest heaven. » (Reported by Bukhari, 3/429). The Sunnah says that the drinker should be satisfied with the water of Zamzam. That is, he should drink it until he is full.

The jurisconsults have mentioned rules to be observed when drinking the water of Zamzam:

– to face the Ka’bah;

– Mention the name of Allah;

– Interrupt the act with three breaths;

– Fill your stomach with it;

– Praise Allah once you have finished drinking;

– Sitting while drinking as one would normally do.

As for the hadith of Ibn Abbas (p.a.a) who said, « I gave water from Zamzam to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and he drank it standing up » (reported by Bukhari, 3/492)

It should be interpreted as an indication of the legality of the act and an explanation that the prohibition is only a reprobation.

They recommended the drinker to splash it on his head, face and chest, to multiply the prayers while drinking it and to intend to make it the means of satisfying his needs in this world and the hereafter, considering the hadith that says: « The water of Zamzam is useful for what it is drunk for » (reported by Ibn Madja, 2/1018) See al-maqassid al-hassana by al-Sawkhawi, p.359.

 

It was reported from Ibn Abbas that when he drank the water of Zamzam, he said: « My Lord, I ask You for useful knowledge, abundant sustenance and a remedy for every disease.

Ad- Daynawsari reported that al-Humaydi said, « We were at Sufyan Ibn Uyayna’s house and he told us the hadith: ‘Zamzam water is useful for what it is drunk for. A man stood up from the crowd and came back and said, « Abu Muhammad, isn’t the hadith that you told us about the water of Zamzam authentic?

– He said, « Yes, it is.

– He said, « I drank a seal of Zamzam with the intention that you should tell me 100 hadiths. He sat down and Sufyan told him 100 hadith.

Some jurisconsults recommend taking Zamzam water to the country as it has a healing effect. One hadith states that « Aisha (pbuh) filled bottles with it and took them away saying that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) did the same and poured it on the sick and gave them to drink. (Reported by At-Tirmidhi, 4/37).

The jurisconsults unanimously admit the use of Zamzam water for purification, but they specify that it should not be used in a way that reflects its trivialization as removing impurities, etc.

In Kashf al-quina, the scholar Al- Bahouti (May Allah have mercy on him) says: « Similarly, it is wrong to use Zamzam water for the sole purpose of removing impurity, as a sign of recognition of its nobility. However, it is not wrong to use it in minor ritual purification, according to the words of Ali: « Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) came down (to Makkah) and ordered a bucket of Zamzam water to be brought to him and he drank from it and performed ablution » (reported by Abd Allah ibn Ahmad through a reliable chain). See Nayl al-awtar, Kitab at-tahara, bab touhouriyyatou maa al-bahr.

In al-maqassid al-hassana, Al-Hafiz as-Sakhawi (May Allah have mercy on him) says: « Some people say that Zamzam retains its virtues only if it stays in place and if it is moved it loses them. This is not true. For the Prophet (peace be upon him) wrote to Suhayl ibn Amr: « If you receive my writing here in the evening, send me Zamzam water before morning; if you receive it in the morning, send it to me before evening. The same hadith states that Suhayl sent him two wineskins while the Prophet (peace be upon him) was in Madinah before the conquest of Makkah. This hadith is « beautiful » and corroborated by other versions.

Aisha used to carry some and claimed that the Prophet (peace be upon him) had done the same and used to fill bottles and buckets with it and sprinkle it on the sick and give them to drink. When Ibn Abbas received a guest, he would offer him water from Zamzam. When Ata was asked about carrying this water, he said, « The Prophet (peace be upon him) did it and so did Hassan and Housayn.

Allah the Most High knows best.

Source : Islamqa.info