DURING Haj and Ramadan seasons, many Makkawi families devote themselves to serving Zamzam water to pilgrims. Muslims believe that the Zamzam Well was revealed to Hajer, the wife of Prophet Ibrahim and mother of Ismael, around the year 2000 BC. She was desperately seeking water for her infant son, but could find none, as Hajer ran seven times back and forth in the scorching heat between the two hills of Safa and Marwah, looking for water. The water just suddenly appeared at the feet of Ismael.
Ever since, Zamzamis distributed the water to people in and around the Holy Mosque. In the past, Zamzamis who formerly did this work had to go first to the sheikh who organized the flow of Zamzam. Each Zamzami — the person carrying Zamzam — got a specified amount of the water. The water was put into a container — girba — made of goatskin. They waited in specific locations inside the Holy Mosque where each Zamzami received the pilgrims.
Before the Haj season began, Zamzamis arranged everything inside the Grand Mosque. They filled various containers with Zamzam with each Zamzami putting his special mark on the containers belonging to him. They then placed the containers on top of each other in such a way as to make a pyramid. Zamzamis also lay carpets known locally as hanabil in a particular area referred to as ‘Al-Hasawi.’ next to the Kaaba where Zamzamis waited for pilgrims. Zamzamis also traditionally used round metal containers from India which were used for serving the water.
During Ramadan, Zamzamis tend to fill Zamzam containers twice a day for Iftar and during Isha and Tarawih prayers.
Muhammad Saeed Bait Al-Mal, one of the oldest Zamzamis in Makkah, said that he began the job when he was only 12-year-old. His father, also a Zamzami, had a place not far from Al-Safa Gate in the Holy Mosque. According to Bait Al-Mal, serving Zamzam to pilgrims is a sacred and a holy job that Makkawi people honor and appreciate. He also said that there were areas in the mosque devoted to Zamzam distributors while others are reserved for sheikhs who give classes in how to perform the function.
Bait Al-Mal noted that Zamzamis used to wear a shirt with a jacket and a ‘futa.’ (Futa is a traditional cloth worn by men; it is wrapped around the waist and hangs down to the feet. Many men still wear it today.)
Since 1980, The Zamzam Office was officially established in Makkah, its function is to serve Zamzam to pilgrims.
