Seerah: EP6 – History of Zamzam

Episode 6: History of Zamzam

Welcome to Seerah Pearls, which aims to highlight some tantalising learning points from each episode of the Seerah- Life of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam).

Two significant incidents occurred in the life of the grandfather of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), Abdul-Muttalib. The digging up of the well of Zam Zam and the invasion of the army of elephants both preceded the momentous birth of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam).

In multiple dreams, Abdul Muttalib was told to dig up the well of Zam Zam. Drinking Zam Zam has the virtue of being an act of worship, as it is part of the Sunnah in Umrah and Hajj. Zam Zam serves whatever purpose it is drank for. The etiquettes of drinking it include: facing the Kaba, saying ‘Bismillah’ at the start, drinking it in parts by pausing to take three breaths, drinking to your fill, and ending by thanking Allah.

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) was born in the same year as the invasion of the army of the elephants. Abraha, a ruler of Yemen, wanted to divert people away from the Kaba at Makkah, and thus built a church in Yemen. A man from the Arab tribe of Banu Kinanah defiled the church disrespectfully. This enraged Abraha, who vowed to destroy the Kaba. He gathered 60,000 troops and marched to Makkah. Further details are explored in Episode 7.