The barakah of Zamzam water is attained by everyone who drinks it, whether he is in Makkah or not
Question

                Is offering supplication when drinking Zamzam water only for the one who is in Makkah, whether he is a resident or visitor or a pilgrim doing Hajj or ‘umrah, or is offering supplication when drinking it something that includes all Muslims in all regions? Please note that I heard a fatwa by Shaykh al-Albaani in Silsilat al-Huda wa’n-Noor, in which he said that in his view offering supplication when drinking Zamzam water is only for one who is in Makkah al-Mukarramah, but he (may Allah have mercy on him) did not mention any evidence concerning this matter.
Praise be to Allah.
	Firstly:

	The barakah 
	(blessing) in Zamzam water is a blessing that Allah, may He be glorified and 
	exalted, has instilled in the water itself no matter where it is, and it is 
	not connected only to the location of Zamzam or the time of drinking it 
	during Hajj or ‘umrah. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon 
	him) described this water itself as: “It is blessed, it (even) serves as 
	food.”  Narrated by Muslim (2473). According to a report narrated by al-Bazzaar, 
	at-Tabaraani, al-Bayhaqi and others, there is the addition, “and a healing 
	for sickness.” See as-Sunan al-Kubra (5/147).

	The apparent 
	meaning of the evidence, in sha Allah, is that this barakah is general and 
	applies to all Zamzam water, whether it is in Makkah or has been taken to 
	other countries. Therefore more than one of the scholars said that it is 
	permitted to take Zamzam water out of Makkah and that its barakah and 
	specific characteristics remain even after it has been taken elsewhere.

	Shaykh al-Islam 
	Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

	Whoever takes 
	any Zamzam water elsewhere, it is permissible; the salaf used to take it 
	elsewhere.

	As-Saawi 
	al-Maaliki (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

	It is 
	recommended to take it – meaning Zamzam water – elsewhere, and its specific 
	characteristics remain, contrary to the claim of those who say that it loses 
	its specific characteristics. End quote.

	Haashiyat 
	as-Saawi ‘ala ash-Sharh as-Sagheer 
	(2/44). Something similar is stated in Minah al-Jaleel Sharh Mukhtasar 
	Khaleel (2/273)

	Shaykh ‘Ali 
	ash-Shibraamilsi ash-Shaafa‘i (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

	The words 
	“Zamzam water is for that for which it is drunk” include those who drink it 
	anywhere other than in its location. End quote.

	Haashiyat 
	Nihaayat al-Muhtaaj 
	(3/318)

	Ibn Hajar 
	al-Haythami (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Tuhfat al-Muhtaaj 
	(4/144): he may take it back to his homeland so as to seek healing and 
	barakah for himself and others. End quote.

	As-Sakhkhaawi 
	(may Allah have mercy on him) said:

	Some people say 
	that its virtue remains so long as it is still in its original place, but if 
	it is moved elsewhere it changes. But this is something for which there is 
	no basis. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) wrote to 
	Suhayl ibn ‘Amr telling him: If my letter arrives at night, do not wait 
	until morning, and if it arrives by day, do not wait until evening, before 
	you send me some Zamzam water.

	And in the 
	report it says that he sent him two containers; at that time he was in 
	Madinah, before the conquest of Makkah.

	This hadith is 
	hasan because of corroborating evidence. Similarly, ‘Aa’ishah used to take 
	Zamzam water with her and she stated that the Prophet (blessings and peace 
	of Allah be upon him) used to do that, and that he would carry it in vessels 
	and skins, and he would pour it over the sick and give it to them to drink. 
	If a guest came to Ibn ‘Abbaas, he would honour him with Zamzam water. ‘Ata’ 
	was asked about taking Zamzam water (away from Makkah, after visiting) and 
	he said: The Prophet and al-Hasan and al-Husayn (may Allah be pleased with 
	them) used to do that.

	I have discussed 
	this in al-Amaali. End quote.  

	Al-Maqaasid 
	al-Hasanah 
	by as-Sakhkhaawi (1/569)

	In fact al-Mulla 
	‘Ali al-Qaari (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

	With regard to 
	taking away Zamzam water in order to seek barakah from it, it is recommended 
	according to scholarly consensus. End quote.

	Mirqaat 
	al-Mafaateeh 
	(9/194)

	Shaykh Ibn 
	‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked the following question:

	Is it stipulated 
	that Zamzam water should be drunk in Makkah in order to attain its barakah 
	(blessing)?

	He replied:

	That is not 
	stipulated. Therefore some of the early generations used to instruct people 
	to bring it to the country where they were living so that they might drink 
	from it. This is also the apparent meaning of the hadith, “Zamzam water is 
	for that for which it is drunk.” The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah 
	be upon him) did not restrict that to being in Makkah. End quote.

	Fataawa Noor 
	‘ala ad-Darb (Shurooh al-Hadith wa’l-Hukm ‘alayha) 

	He (may Allah 
	have mercy on him) also said:

	The apparent 
	meaning of the evidence is that Zamzam water is beneficial, whether one is 
	in Makkah or otherwise. The general meaning of the hadith narrated from the 
	Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), “Zamzam water is for 
	that for which it is drunk”, includes both drinking it in Makkah and 
	drinking it outside Makkah. Some of the early generations used to take a 
	supply of Zamzam water and carry it back to their own lands. End quote.

	Fataawa Noor 
	‘ala ad-Darb (Fataawa al-Hajj wa’l-Jihad/Baab Mahzooraat al-Ihraam).

	It says in 
	Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (1/298):

	With regard to 
	what you mentioned about Zamzam water, and that the Prophet (blessings and 
	peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Zamzam water is for that for which it is 
	drunk,” it was narrated by Imam Ahmad and ibn Maajah from Jaabir ibn 
	‘Abdullah from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and 
	it is a hasan hadith. It is also general in meaning. A more sound hadith is 
	what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said about 
	Zamzam water: “Verily it is blessed and it (even) serves as food and is 
	healing for sickness.” Narrated by Muslim and Abu Dawood; this is the 
	version of Abu Dawood – i.e., at-Tayaalisi. If you want some, you can ask 
	someone who is going for Hajj from your country to bring you some when he 
	comes back from Hajj. End quote.

	See also: 
	al-Masoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah (24/14)

	Perhaps Shaykh 
	al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on him) retracted his view that it is not 
	allowed to take Zamzam water away and seek blessing from it outside of 
	Makkah, or at least we may say that he had another view concerning this 
	matter, that was in accordance with what we have quoted here of the views of 
	the scholars.

	Shaykh 
	al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

	He (i.e., the 
	pilgrim doing Hajj or ‘umrah) may take away whatever he can of Zamzam water 
	in order to seek barakah from it. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and 
	peace of Allah be upon him) used to take it away with him in vessels and 
	skins, and he would pour it over the sick and give it to them to drink. The 
	Shaykh said in his comment on the source of this report: It was narrated by 
	al-Bukhaari in at-Tareekh and by at-Tirmidhi, who classed it as hasan, 
	from the hadith of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her); and it is 
	narrated in al-Ahaadeeth as-Saheehah (883). In fact, when the Prophet 
	(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was in Madinah, before the 
	conquest of Makkah, he would send word to Suhayl ibn ‘Amr saying: Send us a 
	gift of Zamzam water. And he would send him two containers. He (al-Albaani) 
	said in his comment on the source of this report: It was narrated by al-Bayhaqi 
	with a jayyid isnaad from Jaabir (may Allah be pleased with him). And there 
	is a corroborating mursal saheeh report in Musannaf ‘Abd ar-Razzaaq 
	(9127). Ibn Taymiyah also mentioned that the salaf used to take Zamzam water 
	away with them.

	Manaasik al-Hajj 
	wa’l-‘Umrah 
	(42). He also stated something similar in as-Silsilah as-Saheehah 
	(no. 883) under the heading: Haml Ma’ Zamzam wa’t-Tabarruk bihi 
	(2/543)

	And Allah knows 
	best.