Ramadan: 500,000 litres of Zamzam distributed daily to fasting worshippers in Saudi Arabia

With the Islamic month of Ramadan underway, over a half a million litres of Zamzam water is being distributed daily to fasting worshippers at the two holy mosques in Makkah and Medina in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Ramadan officially set in on Saturday in Saudi Arabia and Sunday in South Africa.

The Zamzam Watering Department, an affiliate of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) Mosque said the water was distributed during the onset of Ramadan.

Many Muslims break their fast with a date and water, Zamzam if it is available in their country.

The Zamzam Well is located within the Haram in Makkah, 20 meters east of the black cube, also known as the Ka’ba or the house of Allah (God).

Muslims believe the well is a miraculously generated source of water from Allah, which sprang spontaneously thousands of years ago when Ibrahim’s (Abraham’s) son ʾIsmaʿil (Ishmael) was left with his mother Hajar (Hagar) in the desert, thirsty and crying.

The name of the well comes from the phrase Zome Zome, meaning “stop flowing,” a command repeated by Hagar as she attempted to contain the spring water.

Millions of pilgrims visit and drink from the well each year during Ramadan or while performing the Hajj or Umrah pilgrimages in order to drink its water.

The water from the Well of Zamzam is a precious resource which pilgrims also bring back with them after visiting the holy lands.

Zamzam water has scientifically been proven to contain healing qualities due to its higher content of Calcium and Magnesium Salts and also natural fluorides that encompass a germicidal action.

It is also an established scientific fact that while pools or water wells tend to grow vegetation such as algae especially in warm climates, this is not the case in the well of Zamzam which has remained free from biological contaminations.

While the well is closed off to visitors and worshippers, the water is pumped into containers which is distributed across the kingdom from the King Abdullah Project in Kudai in Makkah.

The late King Abdullah inaugurated the automated project, built at a cost of SR700 million (R1.36 Billion in 2010) in September 2010 and includes 42 distribution points at its headquarters in Kudai.

Director of the Zamzam Watering Department Abdul Rahman Al-Zahrani, said in addition to the half a million litres that was distributed, 100,000 Zamzam water bottles and 13,000 containers with a capacity of 40 liters are also provided.

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