The Benefits of Khajoor (Date-Fruit) Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim. In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. With the holy month now with upon us the importance of Kahjoor in our diets is even more significant than it was previously. Kahjoor is mentioned more times in the holy book than any other fruit, in all the date-fruit is mentioned twenty plus times over the course of Allah’s guidance,leading us to the positive benefits that it holds for us the believers. With its paper thin skin and juicy sweet flesh below it has been described as the fruit of paradise, a fruit from heaven. In addition to its Quranic references it is also found mentioned in many hadith from prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. ”He it is who sendeth down water from the sky, and therewith we bring forth buds of every kind; We bring forth the green blade from which we bring forth the thick-clustered grain;and from the date-palm,from the pollen thereof, spring pendant bunches; and (we bring forth) gardens of grapes, and the olive and the pomegranate, alike and unlike. Look upon the fruit thereof, when they bear fruit, and upon it’ ripening. Lo! herein verily are portents for a people who believe’‘ Suraj Al-Anaam: 99 ”And of the fruits of the date-palm, and grapes, whence ye derive strong drink and (also) good nourishment. Lo! therein is indeed a portent for people who have sense.” Surah An- Nahl:67 ”Seest thou not how Allah coineth a similitude: A goodly saying, as a goodly tree,its root set firm, its branches reaching from heaven’‘ Surah Ibrahim:24 ”And the pangs of childbirth drove her unto the trunk of the palm-tree. She said: Oh, would that i had died ere this and had become a hing of naught, forgotten!, Then (one) cried unto her from below her, saying: Grieve not! Thy lord hath placed a rivulet beneath thee, And shake the trunk of the palm-tree toward thee, thou wilt cause ripe dates to fall upon thee. So eat and drink and be consoled. And if thou meetest any mortal,say: Lo! I have vowed a fast unto the beneficient, and may not speak this day to any mortal’‘ Surah Maryam:23-26 Kajhoor satisfys the hunger of those who consume it and so is an excellent addition to our Ramadan fast undertaking. Date-fruit has been scientifically evaluated to contain essential sugars, fats, proteins and vitamins with many other beneficial compositions necessary for the nutrition of the daily diet. With the above composition in mind they remain the perfect item to break ones fast with, as they prevent over eating whilst nourishing the body gently as we reintroduce food once again to the system. Dates are easy to digest which once again is beneficial, those with slowed metabolisms as a result of fasting do not need a heavy reintroduction of food as this may result in rejection by the stomach and lead to developing other secondary problems e.g. dehydration as a result of the sudden expulsion. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) stated : ” Break your fast by eating dates as it is purifying” ” Whoever finds dates should break his fast with them and the one who does not should break his fast with water because it is pure” It is clear from his examples that purity is important to those who fast, why should we spend a day purifying our minds and bodies with prayer,obedience and fast only to contaminate them once again upon completion of the prescribed term? Fast gives rest to internal organs while also stabilizing the secretion of hormones that control our actions. Therefore we are more in control. Why would be want to loose this once again by placing negatives into our body, poisoning our detoxification? Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was reported to have stated ” people in a house without dates are in a state of hunger” Aside from the nutritional benefits above there are also many health benefits of consumption which originate from Allah but now have been widely accepted by the modern medical community: Pregnancy: Consuming date fruit in pregnancy has one of the widest benefits on the body , benefits to both the expectant mother and the growing fetus. Research reads that it benefits the growth of the fetus as it enriches the process of development from the blastocyst in the early days to the formation of a full term infant strengthening the internal organs and aiding cerebral development due to the high amount of vitamins present in the fruit. It is said to strengthen the mothers uterine muscle which in turn leads to better labor establishment, oxytocin present in the date fruit also aids in the vital dilation of the cervix once in labor. Post Partum (Post Pregnancy): In addition to the pregnancy benefits it is also said to lessen the amount of Lochia (Post-Partum Bleeding) and enrich breast milk-which is vital in those first few days as the mother suffers from fatigue, the process of adaptation to life as a new mother and the countless internal changes her body endures resulting from the completion of the pregnancy and birth chapter. Disorders and Disease of the Intestine: It is now medically accepted that the consumption of dates may be useful in the prevention of abdominal cancer while also regulating the intestinal flora necessary for healthy gut function. Constipation (The inability to pass fecal matter): Makes for regular bowel movements as the fiber found in the fruit helps to clean and exfoliate the gastro systems allowing the colon to function more efficiently. Those who have effective colon function are found to have less instances of cancer and rectal problems e.g. hemorrhoids from excessive straining. Diarrhea (Excessive evacuation of the intestines): As above regulation of the bowel and colon will result in more efficient cleansing and therefore will be less likely to swing towards either extreme of diarrhea or the aforementioned constipation. Diabetes: It has been shown to control and even lower the blood sugar of those who suffer from diabetes. Cardiac (Heart) Health and The Respiratory (Breathing) Systems: Fiber present is beneficial to the cardiac systems whilst Magnesium also present helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Vitamins present make the respiratory system healthy and function at top capacity. Weight Gain: As above the eating of dates pacifies hunger and therefore prevents one from over eating. Vision: Dates have been found to be effective in the prevention of night blindness. Nervous system: The nervous system is greatly boosted by the potassium found in the fruit. Consumption of the fruit is said to keep the system running healthily. Vitamin B6 which is also found is associated with better cognition, brain performance and also a higher aptitude for learning. Whether fresh or dry the health benefits are conclusive and exhaustive.The great news is that they are also readily available and reasonably priced so there’s now no excuse not to include them into our diet. May Allah help us in our understanding of those things which he provided so readily to us and make our minds open to those foods prescribed in the Quran, for he and he alone knows the benefits and advantages that those may afford us. Ameen. Ramadan Mubarak A Hussain
Posted on: Thu, 03 Jul 2014 22:29:34 +0000
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