The Miracle of Zam-zam

Standing for the last time on the peak of Marwa, Hagar must have wondered if she were hallucinating, when she thought that she had heard a voice. She forced herself to be quiet, and she listened harder than she probably ever had before. It was a voice! Fighting down the flood of relief that threatened to engulf her completely, Hagar cried out: "O’ (whoever you may be)! You have made me hear your voice; have you got something to help me?" Then looking down into the valley below her, Hagar saw an angel of Allah standing beside the dying Ismael.[1]

The angel, who was Gabriel (Jibril), then used the heel of his foot to strike the ground near Ismael. At the very spot that Gabriel struck, water came miraculously gushing out of the ground, spreading in all directions. Despite her precarious and weakened state, Hagar struggled down off Marwa, and hurried as best she could to Ismael, and to the newly formed Well of Zam-zam, Dropping to her knees at the edge of the water, Hagar formed an earthen basin around the spreading water, thus preventing Zam-zam from becoming the spring-fed headwaters of a river. She then began to scoop the water into her water skin."[2]

Hagar quickly drank her fill from the healing waters of Zam-zam. Immediately thereafter her milk miraculously returned, and Hagar was able to suckle Ismael, who was unexpectedly revived by Hagar's milk. Once both mother and infant were refreshed and invigorated, Gabriel spoke to Hagar. "Don't be afraid of being neglected, for this is the House of Allah which will be built by this boy and his father, and Allah never neglects His people."[3]

How great must have been Hagar's gratitude and thanksgiving to Allah! Her initial faith in having had herself and Ismael entrusted into the care of Allah had been totally vindicated.