3 September 2010 / ,
Muslims believe that the water of the Zamzam Well in Mecca is divinely blessed and can satisfy hunger and thirst and heal diseases.
Muslims believe the Zamzam Well was revealed to Hagar, the second wife of Abraham and mother of Ishmael, around 2000 B.C. She was desperately seeking water for her infant son in Mecca. She ran seven times back and forth in the scorching heat between the hills of Safa and Marwah, looking for water. God then sent the Archangel Gabriel, who dug a hole in the ground and caused the spring to appear. Hagar surrounded the pool of water with sand and stones. Abdul Muttalib, the grandfather of the Prophet Muhammad, rediscovered the well after it had been neglected for centuries. He became the guardian of the well, charged with maintaining it. Pilgrims traveling to Mecca traditionally bring bottles of Zamzam to distribute amongst friends and relatives in their countries. While Zamzam is noted to have a mineral-rich, heavy texture and taste, the Zamzam water distributed by Saudi authorities today is often diluted with other spring water.
