THE
BENEFITS OF DATES
-------------------------
Muslims generally break their fast by eating dates. Prophet
Muhammad (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) is reported to have
said: "if anyone of you is fasting, let him break his
fast with dates. In case he does not have them, then with
water. Verily water is a purifier."
The
Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) used to break his
fast by eating some
dates before offering Maghrib prayer, and if ripe dates
were not available,
he used to substitute them with some dried grapes. When
they too were
not available, he used to have a few sips of water, according
to some reports.
Modern
science has proved that dates are part of a healthy diet.
They contain sugar, fat and proteins, as well as important
vitamins. Hence, the
great importance attached to them by the Prophet (sallallahu
alaiyhi wassallam).
Dates
are also rich in natural fibres. Modern medicine has shown
that they are effective in preventing abdominal cancer. They
also surpass other fruits in the sheer variety of their constituents.
They contain oil, calcium, sulphur, iron, potassium, phosphorous,
manganese, copper and magnesium. In other words, one date
is a minimum of a balanced and healthy diet. The Arabs usually
combine dates with milk and yogurt or bread, butter and fish.
This combination indeed makes a self-sufficient and tasty
diet for both mind and body. Dates and date palms have been
mentioned in the Noble Qur'an 20 times, thus
showing their importance. The Prophet likened a good Muslim
to the date palm,
saying, "Among trees, there is a tree like a Muslim.
Its leaves do not fall."
Sayyidah
Mariam (alaiyhas salaam) mother of Isa (alaiyhis salaam) had
dates as her food when she felt labour pains and during confinement.
They are definitely the "crown of sweets," and ideal
food which is easy to digest, and within half an hour of taking
it, the tired body regains a renewed vigour. The reason for
this is that a shortage of sugar in the blood is the main
factor that makes people feel hungry and not an empty stomach
as is often assumed. When the body absorbs the nutritional
essence of a few dates, the feeling of hunger becomes appeased.
When one breaking the fast with dates takes some other food
afterwards, he cannot eat much. It would seem that breaking
the fast with dates then helps one avoid excessive eating.
Experiments
have also shown that dates contain some stimulants that strengthen
the muscles of the uterus in the last months of pregnancy.
This helps the dilation of the uterus at the time of delivery
on one hand and reduces the bleeding after delivery on the
other. Dieticians consider dates as the best food for women
in confinement and those who are breast-feeding.
This
is because dates contain elements that assist in alleviating
depression in mothers and enriching the breast-milk with all
the elements needed to make the child healthy and resistant
to disease. The Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) has
emphasized the importance of dates and their effectiveness
in the growth of the fetus. He has also recommended they be
given to women.
Modern dietary institute now recommend dates to be given to
children suffering from a nervous nature or hyperactivity.
The Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) has also recommended
dates as a medicine for heart troubles, according to some
reports. Modern science has also proved the effectiveness
of date, in preventing diseases of the respiratory system.
Sayyidah
Ayisha, (RA) wife of Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam),
used to prescribe dates for those suffering from giddiness.
It is now well known that a fall in the level of the sugar
in the blood and low blood pressure are among the causes of
giddiness. She was also reported to have used dates combined
with cucumber to treat her over-slim condition! She said,
"they've tried to fatten me giving me everything. But
I did not become fat. Then they fattened me with cucumber
and ripe dates and I gained!"
Ayisha
was quite correct, as we now know that one kilogram of dates
contains nearly 3,000 calories which alone are sufficient
to supply the minimum daily requirements of an active man
for one full day. Dates are rich in several vitamins and minerals.
When the level of trace elements falls in the body, the health
of the blood vessels is affected leading to an increased heart-rate
and a consequent inability to perform its function with normal
efficiency. As dates are also rich in calcium, they help strengthen
the bones. When the calcium content in the body decreases,
children are affected with rickets and the bones of adults
become brittle and
weak.
Dates
are also important in keeping up the health of eyes. It is
quite effective in guarding against night-blindness. In the
early years of Islam, dates served as food for Muslim warriors.
They used to carry them in special bags
hung at their sides. They are the best stimulant for muscles
and so the best
food for a warrior about to engage in battle.
The
Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) used to combine dates
with bread sometimes. At other times he mixed ripe dates with
cucumber, or dates combined with ghee. He used to take all
varieties of dates, but he preferred the variety called Ajwah. |