Ain Zubaydah

Her name was (Amat al-Aziz) and her nickname was (Zubaida). She was the granddaughter of the founder of the Abbasid state (Abu Ja’far al-Mansur) and the wife of Caliph Harun al-Rashid.

She combined the noblest lineage, the most abundant knowledge, the most extensive piety, and the most exquisite beauty.

However, all of this was not the reason for her immortalization, but rather another reason.

She was the founder of the greatest endowment project known to history, serving the pilgrims of her era. Its benefits continued across time and space, extending to vast lands for centuries!

Here’s a brief overview of the project:

The name of the project: (Ain Zubaydah) to provide water to pilgrims. The (Darb Zubaydah) Trail is attached to it to serve them.

The reason for the project: She saw the suffering of pilgrims to obtain water, and the deaths of many of them. At that moment, she swore, “I swear by God Almighty that I will work so that no pilgrim dies of thirst from today on.”

Funding agency: Zubaydah, who said, “Work even if a single blow of the axe costs you a dinar.”

Cost: One billion dinars, equivalent to 6,000 kg of pure gold.

Implementing agency: The Abbasid dynasty’s most accomplished engineers and builders, under Zubaydah’s supervision and guidance.

Project sections: There are two parts:

Zubaidah Spring: To transport water from nearby springs and mountains to the holy sites, most notably Wadi al-Nu’man Spring and Hunayn Spring, to a large well on the outskirts of Mecca, approximately 16 km long.
Zubaidah Trail: A paved pilgrimage trail connecting Baghdad to Mecca, 1,500 km long, with numerous watering and resting facilities.

Obstacles: The canal’s path traverses rugged terrain, including mountains and valleys of varying elevations, and water must flow continuously by natural flow. Evaporation is also a problem.

Solutions pursued: Building underground reservoirs with consistent water depths, raising them in the valleys on stone pillars, bridges, and culverts, and isolating the canal and covering it with stones to prevent evaporation.

Implementation period: Ten years.

Project delivery: At that time, Zubaydah said, “Whoever owes us something, we forgive them, and whoever owes us something, we give it to them and bestow upon them a generous gift.”

Finally, a waqf project that began with an oath, was completed with generosity, and concluded with benevolence, is no wonder it remains an enduring human legacy!