💧 Ismail and the water of Zamzam

1. Allah told Ibrahim (peace be upon him) to bring his wife Hajar and their baby Ismail to a dry valley, far away. There were no trees, no water and no people. Today, this valley is the city of Makkah.

2. Hajar asked Ibrahim: did Allah tell you to do this? Ibrahim said yes. Hajar said: then Allah will not leave us alone. Ibrahim made dua: Our Lord, I have settled some of my children in a valley with no crops, near Your sacred House (Ibrahim 14:37).

3. Soon the water was finished, and baby Ismail was thirsty. Hajar ran up a small hill called Safa to look for help, then across to another hill called Marwah. She ran between them seven times. Today, pilgrims walk between Safa and Marwah to remember her.

4. Then Allah sent an angel, and water burst out of the ground near baby Ismail! It was the water of Zamzam. Hajar drank and gave her baby milk. People still drink Zamzam water today.

5. Birds began to fly over the valley, because there was water. Travellers saw the birds and came. They asked Hajar if they could live there, and she said yes. Ismail grew up among them and learned their language.

6. When Ismail was a boy, Ibrahim saw in a dream that Allah was asking him to sacrifice his son. Ismail said: O my father, do what you are commanded. You will find me, if Allah wills, among the patient (As-Saffat 37:102). They both obeyed, and Allah sent a great sacrifice in Ismail's place. Muslims remember this at Eid al-Adha.

7. Later, Allah told Ibrahim to build a house for worshipping Allah. Ismail brought the stones, and Ibrahim built the walls of the Kaaba. As they worked, they prayed: Our Lord, accept this from us. You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing (Al-Baqarah 2:127).

8. Ismail became a messenger and a prophet. Allah praised him: he was always true to his promise. He told his family to pray and to give zakah, and Allah was pleased with him (Maryam 19:54-55).