Dr. Mirza Arshad Ali Beg

arshadalibeg@gmail.com

 

Quran and Hadith provide mankind in general and Muslims in particular the knowledge on foods that should be included in an ideal diet. The Prophet SAWS was not only the Messenger but also One who showed us the path for healthy living and has given us a large number of formulae based on which we can have relief from a number of ailments just by controlling the diet. There is a large number of plants, and plant products, vegetables, fruits, flowers, grains and fodder that have been mentioned by name in the Quran and their usefulness described in the Hadith. The following paragraphs describe the wisdom behind the usefulness of some of the plants mentioned in the Quran and Hadith.  

Allah has according to verse 31: 20 “made His bounties flow in exceeding measure, both seen and unseen”. His bounties work for us all the time; some times we can see them and some times we do not. It is only in things that we can comprehend that we can see Allah’s grace, but in many of them it is beyond the sphere of our knowledge.  

This is also the case with plants and plant materials whose values have been described in several verses in the Quran as a (i) source of food and nutrition for mankind as well as animals, (80:24-32, “And let man look at his food and how We provide it”), (ii) remedy for different ailments, (according to Allah’s Prophet “there is no disease, except ageing, for which there is no remedy”), (iii) means to demonstrate the powers of Almighty Allah in fashioning the landscape of the earth with the green vegetative cover (2: 22, 25, 126) and above all (iv) to think and thank Allah for His several gifts of nature (55: 11, 52, 68). For each of the bounties, however Allah has ordained in verse7:31 “But waste not by excess for Allah does not like wasters.” Sober food, good and wholesome is accordingly not to be divorced from offices of religion, only the caution against excess applying strictly. 

Among the several verses that describe the plant habitat, species, and the mechanism by which Allah governs the cycle of production, fruition, reproduction and His wonderful artistry in Creation and fashioning the earth, mention may be made of one of the beautiful nature passages. He says in verse 6:95, “It is Allah who causes the seed grain and the date-stone to split and sprout. He causes the living to issue from the dead and He is the One to cause the dead to issue from the living. That is Allah: then how are you deluded from the truth?” The whole scenario of Creation, beginning from the humble animal needs and dependence on vegetables has been placed in this verse and mankind has been asked to contemplate on the interaction of the living being and the dead soil.  

Among some of plant materials mentioned in the Quran and Hadith are the fruits, grains, flowers and herbs, melons, grapes, citrus, squash, figs and dates. At verses 55:10 to 55:13 the Quran states: “And the earth, He has set it for (His) creatures; Therein is fruit and palms having sheathed clusters; And the grain with (its) husk and fragrance, and poses the question: Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?” In the same sura the Quran says at verse 68, “Therein are fruits and palms and pomegranates and in the following verse it again poses the question: “Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?”  

The seed grain and date-stone mentioned in verse 6:95 include the mono and dicotyledons respectively. The former include cereals such as wheat, barley, rice, millets while the latter include pulses such as beans, peas, gram and other seeds. Date palm is a monocotyledon, which for desert populace represents food, fruit, confectionery, thatch and pillars for houses, and shady groves in oases, besides a standard measure of wealth and well being. Plant life processes start with the interaction of water with the soil, which releases the salts that interact with the seeds and causes them to split, with one part shooting up, seeking the light, and forming the leaves and the visible parts of the future tree. The other part digs deep down into the dark and forms the root that seeks the nutrients from the soil for sustenance of the plant. This is what the Quran requires us to ponder over. 

This verse should be seen in the context of verse 6:98 which says “It is He who has produced you from a single soul: Then there is a resting place and a repository: We detail Our signs for people who understand.” It is one of the many wonders of Allah’s Creation that from one person mankind has grown to be so many, and each individual has so many faculties and capacities and yet mankind is all one. In the next verse 6:99 the Quran says, “It is He who sends down rain from the skies, with it We produce vegetation of all kinds: From some We produce the green (pigment: Chlorophyl) out of which We produce close compounded grain out of the date palm from which come clusters of dates hanging low and near; and then there are gardens of grapes, and olives and pomegranates, each similar in kind yet different in variety when they begin to bear fruit. Feast your eyes with the fruit and the ripeness thereof. Behold! In these things there are signs for people who believe.” In the sojourn of the life we have to respond to Allah’s hand in fashioning our ecosystem and us.

The dates are highly nutritious, full of sugar (60%), and small quantities of fat (2%), proteins (2%), and minerals (2%). They are eaten even when semi-ripe but are available in the ripe or dried form. Date production necessitates a climate of plenty of sunshine, minimal rainfall, yet good access to water, which to a large extent is only provided by oases. According to Imam Bokhari, the Prophet, SAWS said, "There is a tree among the trees which is similar to a Muslim in goodness, and that is the date palm tree." Fibrous dates were a favoured food of the prophet who said, "Whoever takes seven 'Ajwa dates in the morning will not be affected by magic or poison on that day." 

Prophet, SAWS loved the vegetables and fruits of the cucurbitaceae family, which includes squash, cucumber and melons. Imam Bukhari states that melon was among one of the fruits most often eaten by the Prophet, SAWS and was recommended by him for health.  

Melon is one of the few fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C and beta-carotene, besides being rich in potassium (24% of the USRDA). The body uses potassium to help eliminate excess sodium, which in large amounts can cause blood pressure to rise. In an international study carried out on more than 10,000 persons, it was found that those with the highest potassium level had the lowest range of blood pressure. Additionally potassium helps in keeping a check on the low-density lipoprotein, LDL, which is hazardous in that it sticks to the artery walls of the body. Melons also provide a very rare nutrient called folate, a B vitamin, which is essential in combating birth defects and heart disease. A study of almost 4,000 mothers revealed that those who got enough folate were 60% less likely to have children with brain and spinal cord defects. Additionally, men can benefit from folate since it controls the levels of a chemical called "homocysteine" in the body, which when allowed to exist in excess can contribute to clogging the artery and thus lead to heart disease. 

Garlic, onion, lentil, and manna (a gummy saccharine secretion found on a species of tamarisk), salwa (quails), and mannifera are mentioned in the Quran at verse 2:61 to describe the situation created by rebellious children of Israel who murmured at the sameness of their food that they got in the desert. They were evidently hankering after the delicacies of Egypt, the land they had left in favour of freedom. 

Figs are mentioned in the Quran among the four symbols that refer to Allah’s Light or Revelation, which offer man the highest destiny. The Prophet, SAWS had, according to Imam Bokhari, this to say about figs: "If I had to mention a fruit that descended from paradise I would say this is it because the paradisiacal fruits do not have pits...eat from these fruits for they prevent hemorrhoids, prevent piles and help gout." Figs are a top source of fibre, as well as potassium and vitamin B6. Fibres result in bulkier stools, which lessen the incidence of constipation, hemorrhoids and colon cancer. They also lower cholesterol and the risk of heart disease. Just one fig provides 20% of the USRDA of fibre. A Harvard University study of 43,757 men ages 40 to 75 found that those who got the most fibre had about half the risk of getting a heart attack compared with those who got the least. Furthermore, men who added just 10 grams of fiber a day to their diet (6 figs) lowered their incidence of heart disease by 30%. This could also be why fibrous dates such as Ajwa were the favored food of the prophet. 

It is well known that the Prophet, SAWS loved grapes. The Quran mentions grapes alone 11 times. Grape juice has recently been found to be an important source of flavanoids that can lower risk for cancer, lower cholesterol, prevent hardening of the arteries and fight heart disease. In 1996 scientists noticed that although the French ate four times as much butter and lard as the Americans and had higher cholesterol and blood pressure yet they had two and a half times less incidences of heart attack. The general public may have been thrilled with the conclusion that it was the flavanoids in red wine that were responsible for the lower incidence, however, it does not make any difference for the Muslims since the recent findings indicate that grape juice contains the same flavanoids and nutrients as red wine, in about half the concentration, with none of the undesired side effects of alcohol.  

Luffa or squash, is a type of Gourd of the cucurbita genus has been described in the Quran with reference to Jonah or Ayub AS in verse 37:145 and 37:146 when he “was cast forth on the naked shore in a state of sickness, And We caused to grow over him a spreading plant of the gourd kind.” The gourd is a creeper that can spread over any roof or structure and it gave Jonah both shade and sustenance.  

Squash is among the vegetables that were a favourite of the Prophet SAWS. A Hadith from Bukhari quotes Ibne Malik as saying, "A tailor invited the Prophet to a meal that he had prepared, and I went along with the Prophet, SAWS. The tailor presented barley bread and soup containing gourd and cured meat. I saw the Prophet, SAWS picking the pieces of gourd from around the dish, and since then I have kept on liking gourd." Recent findings on squash and gourd suggest that they contain such a rich array of vitamins and minerals and other compounds that scientists have just begun to quantify its healing power. Squash is one of the richest sources of vitamin C and beta-carotene (25% and 66% respectively). Importance of vitamin C is realized from the observation that people who have more vitamin C in their diet over time have fewer lung ailments since the vitamin gets transported to the lining of the lungs and serves as an antioxidant there. 

The exclusion of meat from the soup of squash and meat, which the tailor served as meal to the Prophet SAWS in the above episode narrated by Ibne Malik should be taken as the guideline for the food and nutrition for all mankind and not just Muslims. It would be wise for all of us to include many of the vegetables and fruits in our diet. Allah has blessed us with many good foods and in the Quran it is stated at 7:160, "Eat of the good foods We have provided for you."  

The good food, according to the Quranic and Hadith descriptions, is one that contains the essential elements that include the well known anti-oxidants beta-carotene, vitamin C and vitamin E. The anti-oxidants neutralize unstable molecules called free radicals, which are a by-product of chemical as well as metabolic reactions. They are unstable because they have one of their many pairs of electrons missing an electron. This free radical forcibly acquires an electron from a healthy molecule and destroys it. Such reactions in the animal body are potential factors in illnesses. Free radicals thus play a major role in the development of cancer, heart disease, aging, cataracts and impairment of the immune system.  

Free radical reactions are impossible to avoid in the scenario of lifestyle change. Animal products, especially red meat, contain the highest amount of these substances. Cooked red meat contains nitrates, which combine with by-products of protein in the meat to form hetrocyclic amines. These compounds can cause cancer. Several reports on carcinogenic substances show that oven-broiled, pan-fried or grilled/barbecued chicken, hamburger, grilled steak contain much more of these carcinogens than cooked vegetables. A low-fat diet containing plenty of vegetables and fruits but no meat would cause the least amount of free radical damage. The latter can be neutralized by the antioxidants viz. beta-carotene, vitamin C and vitamin E contained in vegetable and fruits diets that are low in the oxidants and were the main components of the diet of Prophet SAWS.