Chapter -3 The Promise At Zam Zam

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The well of Zamzam, which disappeared when the Arabs placed idols at the Kaaba, remained buried under the sand. Thus, for many years the people of Quraysh had to fetch their water from far away. One day 'Abd al-Muttalib was very tired from doing this and fell asleep next to the Kaaba. He had a dream in which he was told to dig up Zamzam. When he woke up he was puzzled because he did not know what Zamzam was, the well having disappeared many years before he was born. This same dream would reoccur for a few days.  However, in those dreams, the name of the well was alternated between Zam-zam, Barrah, and Mudnunah.

After a few nights of this reoccurring dream, finally, Abdul Muttalib’s dreamed differently, this time he dreamed about the long-lost location of the well.  When he woke up, Abdul Muttalib quickly went to the location with his son Al-Harith.  When they arrived at the place, which was between the idols Isaf and Nailah, he heard the same voice from his dreams telling him to dig in the ground between the two idols.

Additional info:  The idol Isaf was once a real-life man while Nailah was a woman.  Both of them came from Yaman.  They fell in love and they both came to Makkah to perform the Haj together.  One day when there were few people around the Kaabah, they snuck into the Kaabah and committed adultery.

By the will of Allah, they were turned into stones.  When people found the stones, they brought them out and placed them outside of the Kaabah.  Since Isaf was well-known at the time, they recognized that the stones were actually of Isaf and his lover, Nailah.

The stones later were made idols and were revered and worshiped The next day he had the same dream, but this time he was told where to find the well.

'Abd al-Muttalib and his son Al Harith, they together began to dig. The work was so difficult that Abd al-Muttalib made an oath to Allah that if one day he were to have ten sons to help him and stand by him, in return he would sacrifice one of them in Allah's honor. After working for three days they finally found the well of Zamzam. Pilgrims have been drinking from it ever since. 

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The years passed by and 'Abd al-Muttalib did have ten sons. 

They grew into fine, strong men and the time came for him to keep his promise to Allah. He told his sons about the promise and they agreed that he had to sacrifice one of them To see which one it would be, they decided to draw lots, which was the custom of Quraysh when deciding important matters. 'Abd al-Muttalib told each son to get an arrow and write his own name upon it and then bring it to him. This they did, after which he took them to the Kaaba where there was a man whose special task it was to cast arrows and pick one from among them. This man solemnly proceeded to do this. On the arrow he chose was written the name of 'Abd Allah, the youngest and favorite son of 'Abd al-Muttalib. Even so, the father took his son near the Kaaba and prepared to sacrifice him.

Many of the Quraysh leaders were present and they became very angry because 'Abd Allah was very young and much loved by everyone. They tried to think of a way to save his life. Someone suggested that the advice of a wise old woman who lived in Yathrib should be sought, and so 'Abd al-Muttalib took his son and went to see if she could decide what to do. Some of the Makkans went with them and when they got there the woman asked, 'What is the price of a man's life?' They told her, 'Ten camels', for at that time if one man killed another, his family would have to give ten camels to the dead man's family in order to keep the peace among them.

So the woman told them to go back to the Kaaba and draw lots between 'Abd Allah and ten camels. If the camels were chosen, they were to be killed and the meat given to the poor. If 'Abd Allah was picked then ten more camels were to be added and the lots drawn again and again until they finally fell on the camels.

„Abd al-Muttalib returned to the Kaaba with his son and the people of Mecca. There they started to draw lots between „Abd Allah and the camels, starting with ten camels. „Abd al-Muttalib prayed to Allah to spare his son and everyone waited in silence for the result. The choice fell on „Abd Allah, so his father added ten more camels. Again the choice fell on „Abd Allah, so they did the same thing again and again, adding ten camels each time. 

Finally, they reached one hundred camels, and only then did the lot fall on the camels. „Abd Allah was saved and everyone was very happy. 'Abd al-Muttalib however, wanted to make sure that this was the true result so he repeated the draw three times and each time it fell on the camels. He then gave thanks to Allah that He had spared „Abd Allah's life. The camels were sacrificed and there was enough food for the entire city, even the animals and birds. 'Abd Allah grew up to be a handsome young man and his father eventually chose Aminah, the daughter of Wahb, as a wife for him. It was a good match for she was the finest of Quraysh women and 'Abd Allah the best of the men. 

He spent several months with his wife but then he had to leave her and travel with one of the caravans to trade with Syria. On his way back to Mecca from Syria 'Abd Allah became ill and had to stop off in Yathrib to recover. The caravan, however, continued on its way and arrived back in Mecca without him. On hearing of 'Abd Allah's illness, „Abd al-Muttalib sent another son, al-Hareth, to bring 'Abd Allah back to Mecca, but he was too late.

When he arrived in Yathrib „Abd Allah was dead. Aminah was heartbroken to lose her husband and the father of the child she would soon give birth to. Only Allah knew that this orphan child would one day be a great Prophet.