Run and the Divine Grace

Zamzam
Hagar’s Run and the Divine Grace

The water of Zamzam is a manifestation of divine mercy unlike anything else in human history.
Its story, rooted in a historical event but emanating from divine will, begins when Prophet Abraham,
by God’s command, leaves his wife Hagar and their son Ishmael in a desolate and arid valley.

Hagar’s desperate running seven times between Safa and Marwah in search of water is seen
both as the peak of motherly love and the pinnacle of trust in God. And at the very moment
her search ends, God brings forth water from beneath Ishmael’s heels: "ZAMZAM..."

This event is not merely a miracle but also a sign of monotheism, patience, and submission.
That day, the water became a source not only for the desert but also for the spiritual thirst of
humankind that would last until the end of time.

Over time, Zamzam became the reason for the founding of the city of Mecca near the Kaaba —
a center of life — and turned into one of the lifelines of the sacred geography that shaped the
paths of prophets, sages, and millions of believers.

Water Opened by Prayer;
Zamzam is not merely water. It is prayer materialized.
It is God’s direct answer to Hagar’s prayer, “Water for my child.”
In this sense, every drop carries the trace of a prayer.

That is why the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
“Zamzam becomes whatever it is drunk for.”
This is the most concise expression of its spiritual dimension.
Some drink it for healing — and find it.
Some drink it for knowledge — and reach wisdom.
Some drink it for peace of heart — and find tranquility.

Zamzam is a grace that takes shape according to the inner world of the drinker.
This removes it from being merely a material object;
it becomes a spiritual phenomenon.

Zamzam and the Inner Journey
For the people of Sufism, Zamzam is not the cure for external thirst, but for the internal one.
For man’s true drought is in the desert of the heart.
And Zamzam is a fountain of mercy blossoming in the inner world of those who seek.

The sages say:
“Zamzam flows for those who sacrifice their hearts.”

Because this water is not just drunk; it is realized.
Hagar’s seven runs symbolize the dervish’s journey of disciplining the self — the Seyr-i Suluk.
And Zamzam is the spiritual grace granted at the end of that journey.

With each sip, the “I” within you dissolves, and only “You” remains.
That “You” is nothing but the beauty of the Divine.

Zamzam is also the water of nothingness.
For it appeared in the absolute void of the desert.
And whoever reaches that state of nothingness, mercy gushes from their heart like Zamzam.

Zamzam and the Kaaba / Water Flowing to the Center
Zamzam’s closeness to the Kaaba is no coincidence but wisdom.
Zamzam is the body of the Kaaba.
The Kaaba is the soul of Zamzam.
One is the House of God, the other is water coming from Him. Together, they cleanse both the
outside and the inside of man.

Drinking Zamzam after circumambulation purifies not just the body but also the intention.

In Sufism, “to drink” means to take something within, to unite it with oneself.
The one who drinks Zamzam is filled with mercy, purified, and transformed.
With every sip, a lifetime of heedlessness dissolves, and the heart comes alive again.

The Constant Reminder of Zamzam;
Today, millions of people, while drinking Zamzam, unknowingly take into themselves Hagar’s trust,
Abraham’s submission, and Ishmael’s patience.
That water still flows…
This inexhaustible source for centuries is not just a blessing but a herald of a secret:
“Let the servant ask sincerely… If God wills, He brings forth mercy even from stone.”

Zamzam teaches us this.
And with each sip, it reminds you:
You are not truly thirsty; you have only forgotten your source…

Dr. Özer Akpınar
Researcher-Historian