Why Drinking ZamZam Water While Standing is Halal: 5 Hadiths
C.J Ahmed-15.06.2023
Drinking ZamZam water while standing is not haram for a Muslim because even the prophet (sal) drank Zam Zam water while standing as mentioned in several authentic hadiths.
“The Prophet (sal) drank Zamzam (water) while standing.(Bukhari)
(Bukhari and Muslim)
Reconciling the Various Hadiths on Drinking While Standing
There are some hadiths where the prophet (sal) fobade drinking while standing.The thing that has gone wrong among Muslims is that many have only come to a conclusion based on one or two hadiths and have not reconciled all the available sahih hadiths on the subject. As a result of this, they fall in to misjudged opinions and assumptions. there are similar examples of prophet(sal) forbidding one thing in one hadith and allowed it in another hadith. For an example,
Abu Hurayrah (rali) related that a man asked the Prophet (sal) about a fasting person
fondling [his wife] and he allowed it for him. Another asked him and he forbade
it. The one who he permitted was an old man and the one he forbade was a young
Man (Abu Dawud-graded sahih by Albani)
In this hadith it is very clear that the prophet (sal) forbade the young man because his sexual urge is strong and would not have been able to control his urge and would have broken his fast by having intercourse with his wife.(by penetrating his penis on to her vagina). the reason for allowing the old man was because he could control his urge. these are supported by so many other authentic narrations. The other example is in the next proof.
Praying Two Unit Prayers after It Was Prohibited
Umm Salamah said (rali):
“I heard the Messenger of Allaah (sal) prohibiting them (two units after the
Afternoon prayer), but later on I saw him praying them. When he prayed them, he had offered the
afternoon prayer. He then came to me while a number of women from the Haraam clan of the
Ansar were sitting with me. He prayed these two units of prayer. I sent a slave-girl to him and
told her: Stand beside him and tell him that Umm Salamah has asked: Messenger of Allaah, I
Heard you prohibiting these two units of prayer (after the afternoon prayer) but I see you praying
them yourself. If he makes a sign with his hand, step backward from him. The slave-girl did so.
He made a sign with his hand, so she turned away from him. When he finished his prayer, he said:
O daughter of Abu Umayyah, you asked about the praying of two units of prayer after the
afternoon prayer. In fact, some people from the ‘Abul-Qays clan had come to me with the news
That their people had embraced Islam. They hindered me from praying the two units after the
noon prayer. It is those two units.”
(Abu Dawud-graded sahih by Albani)
In this hadith, it is very clear that the prophet himself told why he prayed the two unit after afternoon prayers because he was asked why. This shows clearly there is no contradiction in the Sunnah of Rasulullah (sal). but no one asked the prophet on the issue on why he drank while standing while forbidding some sahaba from doing the same. so the correct conclusion. is we should not make this an issue and come to our own conclusion of what he would have really meant. Because no matter how much we try we won't be able to come to the correct conclusion.
Drinking ZamZam water while standing is not haram for a Muslim because even the prophet (sal) drank Zam Zam water while standing as mentioned in several authentic hadiths.
- Narrated Ibn `Abbas:
“The Prophet (sal) drank Zamzam (water) while standing.(Bukhari)
- Ibn 'Abbas told that when he brought the Prophet a bucket of Zamzam water he drank it while standing. (Muslim)
- Ibn 'Abbas reported that Allah's Messenger (sal) drank (water) from Zamzam in a bucket while he was standing.(Muslim)
- Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:
- Ibn Mas’ood (rali) said:
(Bukhari and Muslim)
Reconciling the Various Hadiths on Drinking While Standing
There are some hadiths where the prophet (sal) fobade drinking while standing.The thing that has gone wrong among Muslims is that many have only come to a conclusion based on one or two hadiths and have not reconciled all the available sahih hadiths on the subject. As a result of this, they fall in to misjudged opinions and assumptions. there are similar examples of prophet(sal) forbidding one thing in one hadith and allowed it in another hadith. For an example,
Abu Hurayrah (rali) related that a man asked the Prophet (sal) about a fasting person
fondling [his wife] and he allowed it for him. Another asked him and he forbade
it. The one who he permitted was an old man and the one he forbade was a young
Man (Abu Dawud-graded sahih by Albani)
In this hadith it is very clear that the prophet (sal) forbade the young man because his sexual urge is strong and would not have been able to control his urge and would have broken his fast by having intercourse with his wife.(by penetrating his penis on to her vagina). the reason for allowing the old man was because he could control his urge. these are supported by so many other authentic narrations. The other example is in the next proof.
Praying Two Unit Prayers after It Was Prohibited
Umm Salamah said (rali):
“I heard the Messenger of Allaah (sal) prohibiting them (two units after the
Afternoon prayer), but later on I saw him praying them. When he prayed them, he had offered the
afternoon prayer. He then came to me while a number of women from the Haraam clan of the
Ansar were sitting with me. He prayed these two units of prayer. I sent a slave-girl to him and
told her: Stand beside him and tell him that Umm Salamah has asked: Messenger of Allaah, I
Heard you prohibiting these two units of prayer (after the afternoon prayer) but I see you praying
them yourself. If he makes a sign with his hand, step backward from him. The slave-girl did so.
He made a sign with his hand, so she turned away from him. When he finished his prayer, he said:
O daughter of Abu Umayyah, you asked about the praying of two units of prayer after the
afternoon prayer. In fact, some people from the ‘Abul-Qays clan had come to me with the news
That their people had embraced Islam. They hindered me from praying the two units after the
noon prayer. It is those two units.”
(Abu Dawud-graded sahih by Albani)
In this hadith, it is very clear that the prophet himself told why he prayed the two unit after afternoon prayers because he was asked why. This shows clearly there is no contradiction in the Sunnah of Rasulullah (sal). but no one asked the prophet on the issue on why he drank while standing while forbidding some sahaba from doing the same. so the correct conclusion. is we should not make this an issue and come to our own conclusion of what he would have really meant. Because no matter how much we try we won't be able to come to the correct conclusion.