Zamzam water is the finest of all waters, for it is the most noble, the most glorious, the most esteemed, the most costly, and the most precious, since it was drawn by the Angel Jibril—peace be upon him—and quenched the thirst of Ishmael—peace be upon him.
Zamzam water in the Sunnah
In the two Sahihs[al-Bukhârî et Mouslim qu’Allah lui fasse Miséricorde], it is reported that the Prophet sallâ l-Lahû ‘aleyhi wa sallam- said to Abî Dharr when he stayed forty days and forty nights between the Ka‘bah and its boundaries, having no food other than Zamzam water:
“It is a complete sustenance.”
The Best Water on Earth
According to ‘Abdallah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father), the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“The best water on Earth is Zamzam water (1); it satisfies hunger and heals.
And the worst water on Earth is water from the Barhout Valley near Hadramaut (2); it is like the leg of a grasshopper—it flows in the morning and dries up by evening.”
(Reported by Tabarani and authenticated by Sheikh Albani in Sahih Targhib no. 1161)
(1) This is water from a spring located in Mecca near the Ka’bah.
(2) This is the name of a city in Yemen.
The One That Quenches
According to Abu Tufayl, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) said regarding the water of Zamzam (1):
“In those days we called it ‘the one that satisfies’ (2) and we found that it was very helpful in feeding families.”
(Reported by Abd al-Razzaq and authenticated by Sheikh Albani in Silsila al-Sahiha, no. 2685)
(1) The sacred Zamzam water is water from a spring located in Mecca near the Ka’bah.
(2) It is mentioned in some hadiths of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him) that this water is a food that satisfies hunger.