- “He used to carry Zamzam water in small water-skins and larger leather water-skins, and would pour it over the sick and give it to them to drink.”
Al-Tirmidhi (1/180) recorded it, as did al-Bukhari in al-Tarikh al-Kabir (2/1/173) and al-Bayhaqi (5/202), through Khallad ibn Yazid al-Hanafi, from Zuhayr ibn Mu‘awiyah, from Hisham ibn ‘Urwah, from his father, from ‘A’ishah: “She used to carry Zamzam water and relate that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to …” the hadith. The additional wording is al-Bukhari’s, and he said: “No one corroborates him in this.” That is, this al-Hanafi narrator. He was trustworthy, as Ibn Hibban stated, though he also said: “He would sometimes err.” Al-Hafiz said in al-Taqrib: “Truthful, though he would sometimes be mistaken.” For this reason, al-Tirmidhi said after it: “A good hadith; we know it only through this route.”
It has a supporting report through Abu al-Zubayr, who said: “We were with Jabir ibn ‘Abd Allah, speaking together, when the ‘Asr prayer came due. He stood and led us in prayer wearing a single garment, which he had wrapped tightly around himself, while his cloak was laid aside. Then Zamzam water was brought, and he drank, then drank again. They said, ‘What is this?’ He replied, ‘This is Zamzam water. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said of it: “Zamzam water is for whatever purpose it is drunk.”’ He said: Then, while he was in Medina, before Mecca was conquered, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sent to Suhayl ibn ‘Amr, saying: ‘Send us some Zamzam water as a gift, and do not neglect it.’ So he sent him two large leather water-skins.”