Yoghurt, Halva and Zamzam

By Dr. Muhammad Hafizullah

Thousands of cartons of yoghurt are unpacked on the premises of Masjad Nabvi to ensure that everyone receives at least one for Iftari. They are produce of local dairy and are packed to match international standards. Most are full of fat and some conscious of 'cholesterol' offer low fat yoghurt. Iftari starts immediately as Azaan echoes in the skies and it has to finish and the remnants collected and taken out of the mosque before the start of prayers. In this brief time, people start with dates and then enjoy the freshly baked bread with yoghurt. A local version of condiments called 'dukka' more like chat masalah is very well-liked and many mix it thoroughly for taste and some as a prescription of easy digestion. This is becoming popular and many Zaireen bring it home in reminiscence of good old days spent in Medina. Some of the more experienced ones get hold of more than one and preserve it for the Sehri and after Iftari consumption. Those fond of Lassi quickly mix yoghurt with Aab Zamzam and stir it with a spoon to make concentrated version of Lassi and enjoy it.

Halwa is very well entrenched in the menu of local cuisine. The residents of Medina take pride in preparing halwa in many ways. Whereas the 'official' halwa - offered by the designated hosts is of semolina -flour based and is distributed on mass scale; the locals bring in small quantities of different varieties for their own consumption and limited distribution. Halwa is served in disposable small plates making a thin layer. Special varieties include that produced with dates and then different varieties of dates produce different flavours - enjoyed more by those who understand the fine intricacies and flavours. Some add nuts of different varieties and others have it with eggs.

There is one thing that is in plenty and served cold and that is Aab Zamzam. It's interesting to observe that people literally hoard four to six glasses of water in front of them. Of course it depends on the weather, in hot summer with soaring temperature, the first item for the most is cold life bestowing Aab Zamzam. After a short lull in Iftari there is another series of demands for the holy water. There are many God fearing volunteers who would leave their own Iftari to provide Zamzam from nearby water coolers on demand.

There is abundance of supply and very rarely would one encounter an empty cooler or a cooler without disposable glasses. I have tried quite a few times to calculate the number of locally produced good quality glasses consumed per day but my calculator goes into a 'non- response' mode and denies access to actual figures. On average a person has three to four rounds of Zamzam at Sehr; at Iftar a person may consume four to seven glasses and subsequently another eight to ten for water and tea. Same glasses are used for many other purposes like distributing dates and storing seeds of dates, distribution of nuts, Gehwa and different varieties of tea, sweets and storing of used and unused tissue papers.

Same glasses are used in Makkah for pouring water to cool down during Tawaf and Saee. Many bring the glasses with them to their hotels to use for drinking water or tea. Multiply that with the number of devotees, make it double as they are being used extensively both at Khanai Kaaba and Masjad Nabvi; add to it the glasses being used at main mosques in Makkah and Medina and somewhere on the line one loses the count of number of glasses being used and the amount of Zamzam being utilised. In case of Zamzam add the holy water being taken in large cans to their respective destinations and then this has been going for centuries.

After Maghrab prayers people enjoy rounds of tea being served freely by the locals. Residents of Makkah and Medina must be the biggest patrons of large sized thermoses in the world. As the Asr prayers concludes thousands of people carrying big thermoses filled with different varieties of tea make their way into Harmain Shareefain. Commonest tea served is sweet black tea without milk, consumed by the majority.

Gehwa is a special local tea prepared more like coffee and brewed to perfection; though locals enjoy it but people from sub continent have still not developed a taste for it. Ginger tea is a special type of tea made of ginger and promoted to have the additional effects of easing digestion. Special Massala tea is the closest rival to our classical tea, served with added condiments similar to the tea served in north of India and Nepal. Though Urdu is spoken as a second language and people of subcontinent dominate in numbers in Harmain Shareefain but they have not been able to introduce their version of tea to Arabs. And resultantly one misses the Pakistani version of black tea!

Medina hosts the biggest 'party' in the world and not for one day but for a whole month. Here people are not restricted for want of invitation rather they are implored to accept the invitation and join for food. Here the hosts are in search of guests and without any introduction the guests are invited for Sehr and Iftar. People are presented the best of the best food and that too totally free of cost! The most unique phenomenon is that everything is done, only to win the approval of Allah Subhanau Taala and please His Prophet, PBUH.