Drinking Zamzam water is a religious tradition and is considered one of the most highly virtuous acts in Islam. Although not an obligatory part of the Hajj or Umrah, Zamzam water is invariably drunk by the pilgrims, as an act of following the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ. It is also a tradition to bring Zamzam water back home when returning from Hajj or Umrah.
Zamzam Well (زمزم) is located inside Masjid Al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The exact location of the Zamzam well is on the east side of the Ka'aba, approximately 20 meters (66 feet) away. In Islamic tradition, the water from this well is considered the purest. It is also considered to be highly virtuous water that cures diseases. Hadith 3261 of Sahih Al-Bukhari states that if one is struck by fever, it can be cooled with Zamzam water.
Translation - Narrated Abu Jamra Ad-Dabi: I used to sit with Ibn `Abbas in Mecca. Once I had a fever and he said (to me), "Cool your fever with Zamzam water, for Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: 'It (the Fever) is from the heat of the (Hell) Fire; so, cool it with water (or Zamzam water).
The Prophet Ibrahim عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ, on Allah’s سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ Command, left his wife Hazrat Hajirah and his infant son Ismail in a barren land, where Mecca is situated these days. They only had a skin of water and some dates. Soon, the stock of dates and water was exhausted, and little Ismail and his mother started feeling extreme thirst, but there was nothing around.
In desperation, Hazrat Hajirah ran up between the nearby hills of Safa and Marwa in search of water but could not find it. When she came back, Allah’s سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ help came through the Angel Jibril, and a miraculous spring of water emerged on the site where little Ismail was rubbing his heels. The flow of water was so heavy that Hazrat Hajirah said “Zamzam”, which translates to “Stop Stop”. Hence, the name Zamzam was associated with this source of water. This event is mentioned in Hadith 3362 and 3363 of Sahih Al-Bukhari, as follows:
Translation - May Allah bestow His Mercy on the mother of Ishmael! Had she not hastened (to fill her water-skin with water from the Zamzam well)? Zamzam would have been a stream flowing on the surface of the earth." Ibn `Abbas further added, "(The Prophet) Abraham brought Ishmael and his mother (to Mecca) and she was suckling Ishmael and she had a water-skin with her.'
Gradually, people started to settle around this well, which eventually transformed into the city of Mecca. Over the years, this well was buried in sand and vanished.
Centuries after this miraculous event, the Zamzam well was rediscovered in the 6th century CE. Hazrat Abdul Muttalib, the grandfather of the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ, is reported to have had a series of dreams about the location of the Zamzam well. Eventually, he decided to find the lost well of Zamzam. After a hectic effort, he finally succeeded in uncovering the Zamzam Well, near the Ka’aba, where it is situated to this day.
Since Hazrat Abdul Muttalib rediscovered this well, he was made the custodian of Zamzam water. He used to serve the pilgrims with Zamzam water and food on the occasion of the traditional Pilgrimage of Ka’aba, since before the advent of Islam. The tradition of serving the pilgrims with the Zamzam water continued even after the arrival of Islam.
On the occasion of his first and final Hajj, the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ formally introduced the rituals of Hajj. The tradition of drinking Zamzam water during and after the performance of Hajj and Umrah was also included in these rituals, not in the form of an obligation but just as an optional act. Hence, drinking Zamzam water became a Sunnah, which all Muslims religiously follow since then.
Although there is no specific time or occasion associated with drinking Zamzam water, as per Sunnah practice, it is highly virtuous to drink it during the course of performing different Hajj and Umrah Rituals.
In general, Pilgrims mostly prefer to drink Zamzam water on the following occasions during Hajj:
Drinking Zamzam water during Hajj and Umrah or at any other time is highly virtuous, as it has been the practice of the Prophet (Sunnah). Although it is not compulsory for Hajj or Umrah, pilgrims often follow the Sunnah of the Prophet by drinking Zamzam water during and after completing various Hajj and Umrah rituals.
Most of the Pilgrims also bring Zamzam water with them after performing Hajj and Umrah and distribute this sacred water among their friends and relatives back home. Every Muslim loves to drink this water with religious passion, considering it an act of following the Sunnah of the Prophet.