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What is the explanation of the Hadith: "And the most evil water on the face of the earth is the water of Wadi Barhout, the remainder of Hadramout, like swarms of locusts among insects, it flows in the morning, and by evening there is no trace of it"?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Al-Tabarani narrated a hadith from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) in which the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) described Zamzam water as "the best water on the face of the earth," containing "food that satiates and a cure for illness," and that "the worst water on the face of the earth is the water of Barhout" in Wadi Hadramawt.

Al-Munawi stated that Ibn Hibban authenticated the hadith, and Ibn Hajar said that its narrators are trustworthy. "Food that satiates" means providing fullness, and "a cure for illness" means healing from diseases if drunk with a righteous intention. As for Wadi Barhout, it is a deep well in Hadramawt, and Al-Zamakhshari mentioned that it contains the souls of disbelievers. Yaqut al-Hamawi stated that Wadi Barhout is in Yemen or Hadramawt, and it contains the souls of disbelievers and hypocrites. It is a dark valley, and its water is black and putrid. The Shafi'is dislike using this water for purification or other purposes.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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