Zamzam
Definition
Zamzam is the miraculous spring that burst from the earth beneath the feet of the infant Ismail as his mother Hajar ran in desperate search for water between the hills of Safa and Marwa. Ibn Kathir records narrations about its extraordinary nature: the angel Jibril struck the earth, or the infant's feet kicked the ground, and water appeared. Hajar built a small dam of earth to contain it — the spring that would have run freely into the desert. The Zamzam spring has flowed without interruption for thousands of years, providing water to pilgrims in the millions, and its origin in the helplessness of an infant and his mother's trust in God makes it one of the most powerful symbols of divine provision in Islamic consciousness.
As understood in the classical tradition of Ibn Kathir and the scholars of his school.
Appears in
1 book in the library
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