Al-Zamazmah
Al-Zamazmah, is one of the ancient professions known in the holy city of Makkah Al-Mukarramah in western of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia since the middle of the fourteenth Hijri century. Al-Zamazmah is a group of independent individuals led by a Sheikh appointed by the Governor of Makkah Al-Mukarramah Province. Their functions included providing water to pilgrims, worshipers, and visitors in the Grand Mosque from Zamzam water, or delivering Zamzam water to the houses of those who wish it.
History of Al-Zamazmah profession
The work of Al-Zamazmah began with the appearance of the profession of supplying water and catering in the era of Abdulmuttalib Bin Hashim, the grandfather of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and it remained in his lineage for a long period until it was transferred to Al-Zubair's family, who then involved others in the work after the increasing number of pilgrims. Over time, several Makkah-based families engaged in the profession of supplying water to pilgrims, a service known as “Al-Zamazmah.” The Zamazimah families were distributed throughout the Grand Mosque, prior to the provision of chilled and non-chilled Zamzam water in dispensers placed across the prayer areas and corridors of the mosque.
Work Practices of Al-Zamazmah
The Zamazmah and their approximately nine hundred sons were responsible for arranging earthenware containers, small drinking tools, followed by the process of fumigating Zamzam with rose, kadi, and flowers, wearing traditional dress including scarves, turbans, and sidery.
Each Zamazmah family had a "khulwa", which are specified rooms in the basements of the Grand Mosque for placing their utensils of pitchers, drinking tools, carpets, rugs, and copper basins engraved with Quranic verses.
Each pitcher had a unique mark recognized by the Zamazmah themselves, written with "beeswax with ash" to form a black colour that's difficult to erase, to help each Zamazmah identify his own pitchers and to avoid losing them.
Zamzam water was brought from the water carriers who transported it from the Zamzam well directly to the Zamazmah's rooms distributed in the corridors of Haram after Fajr prayer and in Ramadan after Dhuhr prayer using water pouches made of leather. Each room had large and small water racks made of iron and wood with drinking tools and pitchers distributed on them, so that pilgrims, visitors, and residents of Makkah al-Mukarramah could drink from them at all times. The Zamazmah also participated in cleaning the holy Kaaba during the reign of the Founding King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud.
Organization of Al-Zamazmah
In 1982, a Royal Decree was issued for the responsibility of supplying water to the pilgrims inside the Grand Mosque to be under the jurisdiction of the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques (formerly), and the work of Zamazmahs became collective as part of the Unified Office of Zamazmahs, which represents a group of Zamazmahs in accordance with an administrative and financial regulation established by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. Subsequently, five branch centers were established to serve Makkah al-Mukarramah, which included handcarts, vehicles, and Zamzam water tanks. At that time, the filling was done manually, then the number of centers increased to about ten, and in the 2019, the Unified Zamazmah Office became a company.
Sources
Encyclopedia of the Culture of the Meccan Society during about a century and a half. Ismail Katbakhana. 1436 AH / 2015 AD.
Ministry of Information.
Al-Zamazamah Company.