al-Ilam al-Multazim bi-Fadilat Zamzam
- Author died
- 1179 AH
- Editions
- Dar al-Basha'ir al-Islamiyyah lil-Tiba'ah wal-Nashr wal-Tawzi'
al-I‘lam al-Multazim bi-Fadilat Zamzam (The Indispensable Notice on the Virtue of Zamzam) is a concise treatise on the history, names, and virtues of the well of Zamzam, written by the Ottoman Shafi‘i scholar Ahmad al-Shafi‘i (d. 1179 AH / 1765–1766 CE) .
Author and Context
The author, Ahmad ibn Ali al-Shafi‘i—identified in bibliographic works as Ahmad al-Ghazzi al-Azhari and in Ottoman records as Ahmad ‘Izz Efendi—served as the chief of hadith scholars (ra’is al-muhaddithin) at the Hagia Sophia Mosque in Istanbul (Constantinople) and was buried in Üsküdar . He composed the treatise as a short, accessible work on the properties and history of Zamzam that could be read in one or two study circles .
Structure and Contents
The text is organized into an introduction, three thematic chapters, and a conclusion :
- Introduction (Muqaddimah): Details the physical description and measurements of the well within al-Masjid al-Haram, noting its distance of approximately forty cubits from the Ka‘bah based on Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, its depth, and that the Abbasid caliph Abu Ja‘far al-Mansur was the first to tile it and pave its surrounding ground with marble . It also lists fifteen traditional names for the well (including Shabba‘ah, Murwiyah, Nafi‘ah, ‘Afiyah, Maymunah, Barrah, Madnunah, Kafiyah, Mu‘dhibah, Shifa’ Suqm, Ta‘am Tu‘m, Hazmat Jibril, and Suqya Isma‘il) and explains their linguistic origins and significances .
- Chapter One (al-Bab al-Awwal): Discusses those who first brought forth or re-excavated the well of Zamzam across historical eras .
- Chapter Two (al-Bab al-Thani): Examines the specific virtues, spiritual benefits, and blessings of drinking Zamzam water .
- Chapter Three (al-Bab al-Thalith): Addresses the comparative ranking and hierarchy of excellence between Zamzam and various other waters .
- Conclusion (Khatimah): Investigates the nature of celestial water descending from the sky and discusses whether it possesses inherent color and taste .
Publication History
The work was first printed in 1331 AH (1912–1913 CE) in Mecca at Matba‘at al-Taraqqi al-Majidiyyah al-‘Uthmaniyyah at the expense of Muhammad Majid al-Kurdi al-Makki . A critical edition prepared by Ramzi Sa‘d al-Din Dimashqiyyah was published in 1422 AH (2001 CE) by Dar al-Basha’ir al-Islamiyyah in Beirut as part of the Liqa’ al-‘Ashr al-Awakhir bi-al-Masjid al-Haram series .
Answer updated