In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
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Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) gave a special attention for Dates as part of the beiever’s diet especially during the Holy month Ramadan. Allah Almighty mentioned Palm trees many times in the Quraan, and made it the food of the dwellers of Paradise, So what are the secrets of this great nutriment? Is it possible to think of using dates as remedy for some diseases? What do scientists of today say about dates?
Dates are one of the most nourishing fruits and It’s called sometimes “Bread of Desert”, More than two third of dates’ weight is natural sugar. This fruit was highly esteemed by the ancient civilizations more than 5000 years ago; ancient Egyptians considered dates as a symbol of fertility, while the Romans and the Greeks used it to ornament their stately triumph pageants[1]. Today, dates are widely-grown in the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Egypt, Iraq, Spain, Italy and the United States. There are more than 600 varieties of dates[2].
Next, we are going to explore the usefulness of dates to humans throughout the different stages of their lives.
Dates and the Prepartum period
Dates stimulate the uterus by regulating And brisking it's contractions which facilitate delivery. The uterus is a relatively large muscular organ and it urgently requires an adequate supply of natural sugar during labor and delivery. Being laxative, dates are essential for pregnant women before delivery in order to purge the colon and intestine and to facilitate delivery. The miraculousness of the Quranic verse shows evidently as Allah tells Mary:(And shake the trunk of the palm tree towards thee – thou wilt cause ripe dates to fall upon thee) [Mariam – 25]
Nutriment and medicine for children
Dates contain natural sugar which is easily absorbed and digested, thus, it is safe and comforting for children’s stomach and intestine. And the dates juice is useful especially if we mix it with Milk to become very nourishing and restorative drink for children and adults. Dates and honey paste is used for the treatment of diarrhea and dysentery in children but it should be taken three times a day.
This paste also comforts and hardening the gums during teething and facilitates the process.
It is advisable to purchase the good varieties of dates and to wash them thoroughly before use especially when used as food or remedy for children. Here, we should mention the prophetic tradition of (Al Tahneek); rubbing the newborn’s mouth with a well-chewed date and feeding him with it. Science has proved that giving the newborn some sugar dissolved in water provides the child with the necessary nutrition and improves their immunity against diseases.
And when we know that sugar in dates is the most easily absorbed and digested type of sugar so it will be suitable nutriment for newborns but the dates should be well-chewed or soaked in water to be easy for the newborn to take. This proves that the great prophet (PBUH) preceded today’s doctors to this type of nutrition. It’s no wonder that he preceded them as he is the messenger of their God.
Figure (1) Dates are the best nutriment for newborns since pregnancy and during breast feeding
An effective treatment for constipation
Dates can be used in the treatment of intestinal disturbances and it also helps the intestine perform their function effectively, and helps establishing a colony of friendly bacteria in the intestines. Dates are also highly beneficial in the treatment of constipation as the roughage provided by it stimulates sluggish bowels. They should be immersed in water at night and taken after making them into fine syrup the next morning to secure laxative effect [3].
A Remedy for Sexual Debility
Date syrup can be used as a treatment for weak heart. It can also be use for the treatment of sexual weakness. When it’s mixed with milk and honey, dates can be used as a tonic for the treatment of sexual disturbances for both sexes, And such syrup strengthens the body and raises its energy levels. The elderly would benefit from this syrup too. It improves their stamina and purges their bodies from the toxins that have accumulated in their cells along the years.
An Ideal Nutriment for Fasters
It was very weird that western physicians who treat their patients by fasting advise them by taking the natural sugar in fruits and water when breaking the fast [4]. And when we know that dates contain a high ratio of such easily-absorbed sugar then dates and water are the best nutriments for fasters.
Here we remember the Hadith of our prophet (PBUH) : (When any of you breaks his fasting he should eat dates cause dates are blessing, if he didn’t find dates then drink water cause water is purifying) [Narrated by Abo Dawood].Here we see that the prophet (PBUH) showed us the principles of effective fasting, by eating dates and drinking water at breakfast centuries before Westerns.
The prophetic wisdom out of having Dates for breakfast might be reduce the hunger and consequently, reduce the amounts of food consumed; therefore the fasting will be effective and useful. And if we remember that fasting consider the best weapon to excise toxics out of the body, then having dates ( toxin-resistive ) when you break your fast represent a real integrated treatment against weakness and fatigue resulted from the accumulation of toxic chemicals and heavy metals in the cells of the body.
Figures (2) Date lose 1/3 of their water content when dried in the sun. Dried dates contain a high ratio of natural sugar hence; they are the best food for fasters
A Treatment for Obesity
The wide variety of nutritious elements in dates makes it hunger-resistive! And when we know that the cause behind Obesity is a persisting feeling of hunger and an appetite for food which drives a person to consume larger amounts of fats and sugar when he eat his meal. So treatment by eating few dates when feeling hungry helps reduce hunger and be filled. These dates will provide the body with the necessary sugar and stimulate the intestine which reduce hunger greatly, and eventually, reduce food consumption. The miraculousness of the prophet’s saying shows as he said: (A household that has dates doesn’t feel hunger) [narrated by Muslim]. We can conclude that dates can be used to treat Obesity!.
A Remedy for Lever and Inflammations
Dates remedy Lever and purge it from toxins, Breaking the fast with dates, is one of the most magnificent of natural remedies for the maintenance and purging the Lever from accumulated toxins. And also drinking dates juice could be used in the treatment of sore throat, various types of fever, rhinorrhia and common cold[5].
A Remedy for Intoxication
Dates are an excellent remedy for alcoholic intoxication. In such a case, drinking water in which fresh dates have been rubbed or soaked will bring quick relief[3]. Here we’d like to mention one of the prophet’s (PBUH) Hadith in which he referred to dates as a remedy for intoxication. Prophet (PBUH) said: (Who eats 7 pressed dates in the morning, will not be inflected with witchcraft or poisoning that day) [Narrated by Abu Dawood]
If we deeply study the medical implications of the Hadith, we realize its miraculousness:
1- The prophet (PBUH) used the number 7. This number has significance in the universe, the Quran and the prophetic tradition. It’s enough to know that the first number mentioned in the Quran was Number 7.
2- 7 dates weigh approximately 70 grams which provides a sufficient intake of a wide variety of minerals, salts and vitamins for the body.
3- This amount is sufficient to purge the body from the accumulated toxins in the cells; like heavy metals, lead as an example. The accumulation of toxins has increased nowadays due to widespread water, air and food pollution.
4- The Hadith implicitly referred to the toxins entering the body as (Poison). He also indicated that eating dates reduces the dangers such toxins impose the body to.
5- As for the word (Witchcraft); only God knows what was meant with it.
6- The Hadith doesn’t imply that taking poison after eating seven dates would be completely harmless, In fact, doing this deliberately is considered as harming one’s self on purpose and this is forbidden in Islam. But we have to undersand that Hadith means that eating seven dates each morning reduces the harmful effects of toxicants. In order to make the process more effective, regularity with eating seven dates in the morning should be maintained. As our Prophet (PBUH) asked us to do.
And we should understand from the Hadith that eating dates everyday regularly And in order will effect our psychological state and make it more stable, God only know the truth.
Figure (3) All the parts of the palm tree are beneficial! The leaves are for building house roofs; the wood is for heating; dates are highly nutritious, even date seeds can be immersed in water and given to horses, camels and hens as perfect food.
Date in numbers:
Having high medical and nutritious value, dates are expected to be the best food for the future. Dates contain as high a percentage as 88% of carbohydrate (starch), (2.5-5%) of fat, (2.3-5.6%) of Protein and (6.4-11.5%) of Vitamins and dietary fibre. The flesh contains (0.2 – 5%) of oil, whereas the seed’s weight is (7.7 -9.7%) oil. The weight of the seed is (6.6 – 14.2%) of the date’s weight.
Dates contain Vitamins A, B1 and B2, And contain Fluorine who defeats teeth decay. Other minerals that are found in various proportions in dates include boron, calcium, cobalt, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, phosphorous, sodium and zinc. Additionally, the seeds contain aluminum, cadmium, chloride, lead and sulphur in various proportions. Selenium, element believed to help prevent cancer and important in immune function, is also found in dates.
For all of the previously mentioned benefits, date is the ideal food for the future. The fruit’s production has increased 3 times over 40 years, whereas the world population has only doubled, an indication to the rapid growth of the production of this ideal fruit[1].
And finally...
Dear Believer if you are feeling weak, don’t hesitate to take 7 dates in the morning as the prophet (PBUH) recommended. those Seven dates weigh around 70 gm, so if you take them, then you actually took 70 milligrams of calcium- which is very useful for the bones, joints and nerves, 35 milligrams of phosphorus which is nutritious to the brain and 7 milligrams of iron which is strengthens the body in general and the heart in particular.
It’s also suitable for reducing weight as it only contains 0.25 gm of fat. So if you suffer from Obesity, then this meal is the right thing for you. This prophetic meal regulates and stimulates the bowels with the10 gm of dietary fiber it contains.
So won’t you say yes to the prophetic advice?!
By: Abdul Dayem Al-Kaheel
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