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.
(random picture from
internet)
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withdrawn rapidly with the help of a big transfer pump which was installed at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 contained fluorides that have an effective
germicidal action. Moreover, the remarks of the European laboratories showed
that the water was fit for drinking.
(random picture from
internet)
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.
.
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, Hagar
(raa) searched desperately for water in the hills of Safa and Marwa to give to
her newly born son Ismail (pbuh) 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.