c. 2007 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) It makes perfect sense to carry water to the desert.

But why would anyone take the trouble to bring some back?

If it is “zamzam” water, the answer is 1,400 years old: Muslims returning from the Hajj pilgrimage value it as a liquid memento from the holy city of Mecca.

Once home, they drink it for its curative powers, and give small amounts _ along with dates _ to friends and relatives as a means of celebrating completion of their journey.

They may even set aside some for their death, when it can be used both as a final ablution and to wash the burial shroud.

“It’s considered that it can give you health. So if you’re sick or if you have problems, it can help,” said Syed Siddiq, 50, of Basking Ridge, N.J., who recently returned from a three-week Hajj pilgrimage.

All Muslims with the means and health are required to undertake the Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam, at least once in their lives. Siddiq and his wife, Raheel, went on their first Hajj with a group of 90 from the Islamic Society of Central Jersey.

Zamzam water comes from the Mecca valley in Saudi Arabia, site of the holy shrine toward which all Muslims face when they pray. Muslims believe that when Abraham followed God’s orders and left his wife Hagar and infant son Ishmael, he asked God for their protection. Desperate for water, Hagar ran seven times between the two hills of Safa and Marwa. Her pleas for help were answered by the angel Gabriel, who scraped his heel in the sand (some say his wing) and uncovered a small spring.

The name, which rhymes with “tom-tom,” comes from Hagar’s command that the water stop flowing, or “come together,” said Hamad Chebli, imam of the Islamic Society. The spring was later converted to a well around which the trading city of Mecca grew.

The well is now controlled by the government of Saudi Arabia, whose Zamzam Studies and Research Center runs hydrologic tests to make sure the water remains safe and abundant. It is fed by an extensive aquifer.

Nearly 3 million faithful journey to Mecca each year _ said to be the largest annual gathering in the world. They take their journey during the 12th month of the Islamic lunar year.

Once there, pilgrims spend three days symbolically retracing the steps and actions of the prophets _ from throwing seven pebbles at the devil to re-enacting Hagar’s seven runs between the two hills.

“You do get tired,” said Uzma Mughal of Hopewell, N.J., who brought some zamzam water back from her first _ and last _ Hajj. (She believes that those who have completed the pilgrimage should avoid returning for several years. “Let other people go, so it isn’t so crowded,” she said.)

It can be hot, and pilgrims have ready access to zamzam water in coolers and mosque drinking fountains.

“Over there, it is absolutely the drink of life,” said Siddiq. Some pilgrims dab it on their bodies; before the well was covered, Siddiq said, overly enthusiastic pilgrims tried to shower in it.

Airlines accommodate their Hajj passengers by allowing specially packaged bottles of zamzam water to be shipped in the cargo hold. While the water is free to pilgrims, usually they pay a fee for packaging.

Although zamzam water has a sacred history, in modern times the term “zamzam” has come to signal adherence to an Islamic way of life. Zamzam cola is popular in the Mideast, and the name is used for everything from schools to Sudanese refugee camps.

As to whether the water’s curative powers make it holy, Imam Chebli says, “Nothing is holy except God.”

Bringing home zamzam water is not a requirement of Hajj, but more of a social tradition. “Everybody wishes to drink it because it’s considered part of completing the Hajj,” he said. His daughter is named Marwa, after the second of Hagar’s hills.

Guests who haven’t completed the Hajj will drink it with the toast, “I wish to be there next year.”

Those drinking it are expected to make four wishes: the first for knowledge, the second for a tongue to remember God, the third for a humble heart, and the fourth for good health.

Like Siddiq, Mughal will keep some water for her family and give the rest away. “We believe that if you’re sick, you can drink it and be cured,” she said, although she added a caveat: “You really have to believe in it for it to work.”

(Kathleen O’Brien is a staff writer for The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J.)

KRE/JM END O’BRIEN

Editors: To obtain photos of Barbar Farooqi and Syed Siddiq, and of packaged zamzam water, go to the RNS Web site at https://religionnews.com. On the lower right, click on “photos,” then search by subject or slug.