Hadith for Children

Blessings of Zamzam

Muhammad Javed Attari Madani

The final Prophet of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said:

زَمْزَمُ لِمَا شُرِبَ لَهُ

Zamzam is for whatever ˹purpose˺ it is drunk for.^{^[1]}

Zamzam water is a special type of water. It satiates hunger, quickly quenches thirst, treats many illnesses, and improves memory. In fact, this blessed water is useful to fulfil every permissible purpose اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه.

A man in Makkah once ate sattu flour^{^[2]} which had a needle in it, and it became lodged in his throat, putting his life in danger. He was advised to drink Zamzam water with the intention of gaining salvation from this problem, and he regained his health through the blessings of drinking Zamzam water.^{^[3]}

Zamzam water has the same nutritional benefits as food. The Companion Sayyidunā Abū Dharr al-Ghifārī رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ said, “I stayed between the Kaʿba and its drapes for thirty days with nothing to eat and drink except Zamzam water, which I continued to drink until the hunger pains stopped.”^{^[4]}

So why is Zamzam water so special? Well, there are two reasons. Firstly, the spring of Zamzam appeared when Prophet Ismāʿīl عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم rubbed his heels in the sand as a baby. Secondly, it has the blessed saliva of our noble Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم in it. The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم once drank Zamzam water and placed the remaining water back into the well.^{^[5]} Therefore, we should respect this water, drink it with the right hand whilst standing and facing Qibla, drink it in three sips, and not waste it. It is a Sunnah to drink Zamzam water while standing.^{^[6]}