The excavation of Zamzam
Twaha
Hussain
Abdul Muttalib was generous by nature,
agreeable soul, charitable handed, amiably social and sweet tongued. He was
also a man of firm faith. A strong and sharp religious conflict possessed his
heart and overwhelmed his soul. But it was hidden. He felt it and submitted to
it, but he didn’t explain it. He was neither able to think nor to interpret. His
father was from Mecca, where there was trade and wealth, trickery and sagacity,
and simple paganism in which there was neither any barrier nor any difficulty. His
mother was from Yasrib, where flourished agriculture and small industry and
Judaism which surpassed the paganism, therefore made it weak and decreased its
shadow and was about to obliterate it, and where was soft manners and sweet
behaviors, luxury and softness of life.
He was born at Medina. His father died while he
did not shift him to Mecca. So he grew up in the midst of his maternal uncles
and was influenced by their life, assumed their manners and adopted their mode
of life till he reached the time of youth or about/ near to it. Then his uncle
came and snatched him from his/ the comfortable and agreeable land to another
land which was hard and unbearable, where the ground/ land was barren and the
sky did not smile but for a short while. Its people used to go to other
countries and people from all countries in crowds came to them. Therefore they
exchange with one another. They exchange customs and manners as they exchange
the profits and commodities of trade with one another. And perhaps the characteristics
of Medina and the habits of Mecca roused a conflict in the mind of this boy.
Perhaps this conflict became prolonged and perhaps it became shortened. But any
way it culminated into some of moderation at last. The young boy did not finish
his youth till he became a man (matured thinker) of Quraish and became
distinguished among the rest of the young boys of the tribe. In him there was
their intelligence and sagacity, their heightness and nobility. But in him
there was aristocracy which was unknown to them and in him there was a great
attachment for religion with which they hardly pleased or they smiled for this.
But another habit of his character distinguished him sharply from them. And it
didn’t happen in his life as happened in their lives regarding the reflection,
thought and long consideration; which led him to work and agitated his life.
And a secret power what he felt and refused vehemently. But he was compelled to
submit to it and obey its order. This power would issue its order to him in
different forms. Sometimes it compelled him to do the work. As if it was his
chief object which controlled his perception and his knowledge. Therefore he
was neither able to depart from it nor able to oppose it: And sometimes it
assumed as a obvious signed a clear pictured shape, that possessed him when
sleep enveloped him and then it ordered him to do such and such thing. Third
time it ceased him giving a sweet/ soft sound/ voice, and it is nice, filling
up his ears when being awaked and asleep, it encouraged him to do such and such
work. And there was in this sound ambiguity and obscurity, and there was glory
in it (sound), the source of which was this ambiguity and obscurity. The young
boy used to deny it and was afraid of it, and the sound overwhelmed him and
insisted him on doing this. And the young boy used to fear and like this sound.
When the sound left him, he became disappointed and when it possessed him,
exceeded in possessing. And this sound didn’t pour into the ears of the young
boy with words like those are poured/ like that of -into the ears of the
people. Verily this sound made special words, strange in sound and meaning.
The task of feeding and giving drinking water
to the pilgrims involved upon him after his paternal uncle Muttalib. He used to
feed the people when they performed pilgrimage and gave drink to them. He used
to collect water for them in the tanks made of lather. He was much troubled and
found difficulty in collecting water for the pilgrims. One day or night when he
was asleep a visitor came to him. He saw his person and he did neither make
clear any identity nor any shape. He said in a strange and mild voice in which
there was politeness and cheerfulness/ roughness: “dig Taiyeba.” He asked/
said: what is Taiyeba? Then the person went away and the voice stopped. The
young boy woke up while in his mind there was panic wonder and hope. He tried
to go to sleep again so that he might see this person or hear this voice or get
clear this talk. But sleep has quarreled with his eyes and it departed from him
with (the departure of) this strange person, then he thought and prolonged his
thinking and pondered for a long time, he became restless and it increased so
much so that it was difficult for him to sleep or to wake and was disgusted
with his bed. Then he sat raised his perplexing eyes towards the sky. Probably
the sun of the day or the stars of the night might interpret this dream to him.
And lowered his eyes towards the earth, perhaps he would find in his down cast
look the interpretation of this dream. He stretched his eyes towards the Ka’ba,
perhaps the idol from among these erected idols might revealed to him the
interpretation of it. But the sky was silent and the earth was quite and there
was something on the idols of Ka’ba as if it was silent. Then his eyes came
back to him being exhausted and weary. And his soul liked very much to get the
decision/ solution/ peace of mind so that it might get for this figure
explanation but it found nothing. So panic became intense and wonder increased
and hope remained. And the young boy got up busied himself with the people in
the daily activities of life.
Then the night comes and the young boy retires
to his bed and forgets everything except that he undertook a long journey, he
exerted himself greatly to fulfill his aim until sleep spread its wings upon
him. Here he is drowned calm and quite sleep. Everything was calm around
him. everything was at rest in his mind
and body. But this strange person comes to him running in calm and quite/
suddenly till he draws near him and said to him in soft strange voice in which
there was politeness and cheerlessness, excavate Barrah. The body of the boy is
motionless and quite. But his soul is moved and restlessness. His tongue moves
without any word and his voice comes out of his two lips thinly and slowly with
these words, what is Barrah? The person went away and the sound stopped. The
sleeping person woks up with fear, panic, wonder and hope. He thinks, ponders
and became restlessness. Then he rises and asks sky, but it is silent. He asks
the earth but it is quite and asks the idols of Ka’ba but they sink/ are sunk
in silence and steins. His soul, the sky and the idols become narrow to him. He
wonders like a mad man seeking in his movement and disturbance to forget this
phantom that frightens him and excites him. Then the people go to do respective
works in life. The day finishes with its goodness, badness, sweetness and
bitterness. Night comes slowly and spreads its black mantle over the hills and
hillocks that surround Mecca. This mantle continues to expend till its veils/
it covers everything if these small lamps are not burning in the earth and
these tiny stars are not moving in the sky. And the young boy talked at night
with story tellers and he heard the stories of merchants of various unknown
countries. Some story describes the picture of Basra and its greatness, some
about Khawarniq and the castle of king Nu’maan, some mentions the famous castle
in yemen, some relates the characters of Yemenites and their tricks with
merchants, some relates/ refers the simplicity of the people of Syria and how
they are deceived by the Arabs of black crow colours, some story mentions what
causes the benefit of a person, captive profit when he sold lather in Ethiopia/
Abyssinia and some refers to the people who carried for them the wine of Bysum.
Meanwhile they are telling the strange tells of Persia and Arabia and cutting
jokes with this or that till night came and everything became peaceful, they
scattered and the young boy rose up heavily, then he went to his house slowly,
thinking if he escaped from sleep, And
thinking along with that whether this phantom possessed if he slept. Look at
him! He is confused: (slowly he is coming again) will he plunge himself in the
waves of sleep which will assume the shape before his eyes? Or will he remain
awake on the bank by driving away sleep in order to be sleepless?
Sleep must come however much he tries to
prevent it which was enabled to prevent. Because verily these roaring waves
before him will be able to cover the bank and overflow him and overflow
everything with him. And how the young boy will be able to prevent it, while
the mountains of Mecca are not able to prevent it (sleep) which has encompassed
every reason (sides). See! Do you find any movement? Hark! Do you hear any
faint voice? Everything is calm and everything is quite. How remote you are and
what oppose you have! Come to sleep and don’t fear anything. Verily these waves
will give you comfort and will not submerge you, proceed under these two arms
that have been starched to you and very soon in them you will forget
everything. And who knows! Perhaps you will find in these hands consolation for
your perplexed heart. The young boy shut his eyes and he alone reached before
him. Then the waves of sleep covered him as it enveloped other people and
things. But what? This person comes to him immediately and quietly. As he walks
upon the air till it drew near the boy and said in strange mild voice in which
there was politeness and strangeness, ‘Dig al-Maznuna’. The body of the young
boy is quite but a mark of perplexity had appeared upon his forehead. And this
low and fines voice comes from his lips and says: what is Maznuna? When the man
went away, The young boy wakes from his sleep seized with fear. Everything has
become dark to him and disappointment shrouded his reason, heart and mind. He
can neither raise his eyes towards the sky nor lower down towards the earth nor
stretch towards the idols of Ka’ba, rather it moves in a bewildered way. The
boy gets up while he says: I don’t know/ see but that I have been possessed by
a jinn/genie! If I shall enter the morning, I shall surely go to a sorcerer so
that I can find remedy to him for this disease.
Come, oh the morning! Be quick in steps! Deal
gently with this perplexing heart! Come with your sunny and bright rays. Then
separate by it these similar individuals, and remove by it these perplexing
shadows all around me. The youmg man spends a long heavy night, till the sun so
clothed the mountains of Mecca and its villages. The young man hastened to the
mosque intending to relate his case to the sorcerer. But he has not yet reached
the assemblies of Quraish in courtyard of the mosque, till his perplexity has
gone away from him and his fear has left him and his heart is filled with
tranquility and strength. How is it? Shall I say to the sorcerer that I am a
mad? And this word will spread about me. Harb bin Umaiya and his descendants
will laugh at me and the young men of Bani Makhzum will tell on me wonderful
things. That can never be! How many phantoms occupied the graves o f dead and
concealed themselves in the caves and holes when the sun illuminated and the
nature awoke, and when dark grew up and the
world slept, these phantoms spread in the space, some of them climb on
the sky and then look after the stars
and some of them descend on the earth and frighten the people. I see
that this phantom that has been making me awaken for three days is nothing but
a phantom from among these phantoms, perhaps it is shadow dead from among the
dead of the Quraish that his tribe forgot him. So they did neither visit him
nor come near to him. Perhaps he is devil from among these devils that harass
the people, then extradite obedience from them and excites them to accept its
power unwillingy. Perhaps he is an apostle of one of these deities asking
sacrifice and offerings. Many days have passed, no ewe has been brought to the
deities and no camel has been slaughtered for them and the ground of the mosque
dyed with this real hot blood, the colour and smell of which the deities love.
So oh Abdul Muttaleb, go to the deities with offering which will give them
pleasure and will remove this evil from you. The young man attended one of the
assemblies of the Quraish. There he talked and heard. But his soul was
agitated. So he did neither prolong the speech nor the hearing and rose up on
heavy mind. When he departed from the tribe Harb bin Umaiyah said to those
around him, “have you seen the sardar of Banu Hashim?” verily I have seen him
sad and I recognized sadness in his face. He has not related to us good deeds
of his father and the noble deeds of his uncle today.
The young man went to his family. When he
entered upon his wife who has not seen him since for noon, she welcomed him
bealilderingly while she said: “Tell me oh Shaiba! What do you want? I have not
seen you for days. I see you sleepless at night and restless by day, talking
very little and thinking much. I intended to ask you many times, but I fear
your answer to me and driving away me, verily I know in you Oh the people of
Qraish cheerful attitude to the women and cutting joke with them. But I don’t
find to you what I find to your people. When you are alone in the family, you
don’t speak. You are of following face if your staying with them isn’t
agreeable. Please speak, what has made you Sad? Throw away from you this
silence to which you have stieked. Be a man fo Quraish and participate your
people i.e. family/ wife in which will be beneficial for you. I remember the
day when my father brought the news that you asked him to marry me. I was glade
with this news, and I said to my breinds among the bedowin that I was very soon
going to become a wife of the quraish and win the pleasure and softness of
life, the beauty and the grace of the husband which the women in the tents of
bani Amir bin sa’sa’a would not get. And truly I have got pleasure, softness,
love, sympathy and loving care unrivaled. No more love I find of which I could be proud. Now I have not
seen your smiling tooth nor find your countenance cheerful face and speech
fluent. She said that and waited a bit. Then her husband said with mild and sad
voice. My dear Samra what has made you sorry and what has made your test
disappointment of hope. Verily I love you as a thirsty person loves sweet water
to quench his burning thirst. Verily I am pleased with you such a friendship
that removes all sorrow from my mind and endears to me the life and inspires in
me the love of it. Verily I passionately love to talk with you, to hear you and
to be your friend. Had I permitted, I neither prefer the assembly of Quraish to
your assembly nor courtyard of mosque and Darun-Nadwa to your house. But a
secret mischievous and tyrant power possesses my mind and obstructs me in every
path and leads me to what I know not and nor I wish. Oh Samra! Verily I am
sleepless at night, anxious by day and rejected mentally for a few nights.
Verily I fear of mischievous about myself.
Phantom will possess me when I should be plunged in sleep and then it
will order me in soft and strange voice, in which there was politeness and
gravity that I shall excavate which is called Taiyeba, Birrah and al-Maznunah. At
that time when I asked him what he want, his shape disappeared, his voice
stopped, and I awoke perplexedly and frightened. I want, Oh Samra, to give a
description of my dream to a sorcerer and to relate to him what I see and what
I receive, but I feared that the people would talk about me that I am a mad or the young men of
Quraish would eloquent strange things. They will say, “He has been possessed by
a familiar devote from among the Genie give suggestion of what you see”. Samra
said, “Don’t be sorry for it. Don’t fear deeply and don’t act immoderately in
listening. How many phantoms like these possess the people near us among the
Beduins, they don’t weep nor suspect with all that. What has prevented you from
going near to deities without talking the sorcerer as a middle force and making
any entreaty to him. Get up, go to them and bring offering to them. Then they
will be happy and the poor and hungry will be satisfied and this will anger a
tribe of Quraish. With a very short time the courtyard of the mosque was filled
with the people. Among them were the poor who came from valley and hillocks and
among them were the riches who appeared placing the offerings before them. The
rich like eagerly as to which of them would set high priced offerings and
surpasses others. And the poor waited and thought within themselves to be favored
with fresh and good meat. They heard that Abdul Muttalib wished to slaughter in
the forenoon. Bani Hashim flocked therefore to this, the tribe of Umayyad
disliked to this (together there). And makhzum tribe didn’t like that Abde
Manaf would overcome her. Then the noble of the Quraish engaged in the count of
offering and desired ardently in the slaughter. Fulfill this desire O the noble
of Quraish! Compete O the rich. Because in this lies satisfier the poor and the
fortune for the unfortunate. Mecca passed a day of remarkable blood shading in
which there was abundant food and drink and the idols were pleased. The young
man became happy with what he saw and forgot what caused him anxiety and
disturbed him, and he supposed that the evil had been driven away. Samra was
glad. She talked and heard a good deal. She cheered up her husband and haris
her son, with fine witticisms of the Arabs and strange stories of the Beduins. And
she said to her husband while she was combining his hair: I love this phantom
which had made you sleepless and given you trouble. Because it has set my hope
aright and showed me of which I am proud. And it has implanted in my heart a
beautiful enchanting picture of yours. So I don’t see you from today whatever
may happen but with smiling teeth, bright face and fluent tongue. And happiness
is nothing but a few moments that come to us and we don’t wait upon them nor we keep any record of them. How happier is
the heart that preserves these moments when these are happaning and put them in
stone for days together and what happens in them (important or unimportant
affairs).
Abdul Muttalib said: then you are glad, O
Samrah, verily your gladness effect in my depressed mind as water effects in
the barren land. Be happy with what you are in it and wait till Allah has
granted you better favour than it. If this insolent and haughty power is
removed from me, I shall show you how life is made pleasant and its skirt fine!
The young boy went to his bed with cheerful and
happy mind. Then he welcomed the sleep being happy for it and affectionate of
it. But this man approached him running calmly as if he was making like the
speed of the air till he neared him and bent upon him. He put his light cold
hand upon his forehead. And said in strange and soft voice in which there was
mildness and gravity, “Dig Zamzam”. The body and mind of the young boy was
agitated and his lips opened with these words, “What is Zamzam?” The phantom
said, in familiar mild voice free from gravity and strangeness and mixed with
easiness and kindness, “Don’t be exhausted, don’t get litter water, you will
give drink to the great pilgrims and it is situated between furat and Dam near
the bill of white red footed crow. The young man said, “Now I have understood”.
Then the phantom departed from him smiling while he said, “O people you are for
Allah”. The voice will not satisfy you and you will not understand except the
sayings of sorcerer! Gently, very soon the morning will enlighten. The young
man got up gladly and cheerfully. When it was morning, he entered upon Samrah
with gladdening face and bright cheer.
She said while running to him: which two of
these is more dear to me, whether your bright face or the bright sun! I don’t
see but that you have passed the night peacefully.
He said, “May be happy in the morning, O
Samrah, life has become pleasant from today. Verily this phantom which has been
possessing me for the last few nights is a good phantom which has come to me
with favour and gift. Verily he has ordered me to dig a well in the courtyard
of the mosque. I shall surely begin it from today. If I am successful in it,
then the pilgrims will drink water without any trouble and difficulty. Come O
hareth, take the pick axe, basket (made plum leaves) and shovel and follow your
father.
[‘Ala Hameshis Seerah Vol. 1, Page: 1 – 11]
حفر زمزم - طه حسين (على هامش السيرة، الجزء الأول: 1 - 11)
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