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Zamzam
Arabic:
zamzam
Sacred well in Mecca, situated few metres to the east of the Ka'ba.
The Zamzam is also called the well of Ismail. The well is 35 metres deep, and is marked by an elegant dome. The water is considered health-giving, and pilgrims (hajjis) collect it on bottles and bring back home to their own countries. One of the last things a hajji tries to do, is to dip his or her future burial clothes in the Zamzam.
Muslim tradition tells that the Zamzam was opened by the angel Jibril, to save Hagar and her son Ismail from dying of thirst, when they were out in the desert. From the sources available, the Zamzam appears to have been revered since long before Muhammad, that is from pre-Islamic times.
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By: Tore Kjeilen
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