THE DATE (Khajoor) AND ITS USES AS DESCRIBED IN THE QUR'AN

THE DATE (Khajoor) AND ITS USES AS DESCRIBED IN THE QUR'AN

In a number of Qur'anic verses, the humble date is honoured as one of the blessings of Paradise. (Qur'an, 55:68) When this fruit is examined, it can be seen to have a great many benefits. The date is one of the oldest known species of plant and its the only food of preference not only for its delicious taste but also for its nutritious properties. New benefits imparted by the date are being discovered every day and has come to be used as a medicine as well as a food. These benefits of the date fruit are noted in Surah Maryam.

For Expectant mothers:

The pains of labour drove her to the trunk of a date-palm. She [Maryam] said, "Oh if only I had died before this time and was something discarded and forgotten!" A voice called out to her from under her, "Do not grieve! Your Lord has placed a small stream at your feet. Shake the trunk of the palm towards you and fresh, ripe dates will drop down onto you. Eat and drink and delight your eyes…" (Qur'an, 19:23-26)
There is considerable wisdom in the way that Allah recommends Maryam to eat this fruit. The date is an excellent choice of food for the pregnant women and for those who have just given birth. This is a widely accepted scientific fact. The date has one of the highest sugar levels, 60-65%, of all fruits. Doctors recommend that pregnant women be given foods containing fruit sugar on the day they give birth. The aim behind this is to energise and revitalise the mother's weakened body and at the same time to stimulate the milk hormones and increase the levels of mother's milk essential to the new-born baby.
In addition, loss of blood during birth leads to a fall in body sugar levels. Dates are important from the point of view of enabling sugar to enter the body and prevent blood pressure from dropping. Their high calorific value strengthens people weakened by illness or suffering from extreme fatigue.

The medical identification of the benefits of the date only became possible in recent times. Yet it was set out fourteen centuries ago in the Qur'an that Allah revealed to Maryam that she should eat dates.

For Diabetics:

Dates also contain a form of sugar that gives the body high levels of mobility and heat energy and which can be easily broken down in the body. Furthermore, this sugar is not glucose, which rapidly raises the level of blood sugar but the fruit sugar fructose. A rapid rise in blood sugar levels in diabetics in particular has a damaging effect on a great many organs and systems, especially the eyes, kidneys, heart and circulatory system and nervous system. High blood sugar is one of the main causes of disorders as serious as loss of sight, heart attacks and kidney insufficiency.

Rich in vitamins and its other benefits

Dates contains many vitamins and minerals. They are very rich in fibre, fat and proteins. They also contain sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, sulphur, phosphorus and chlorine, as well as vitamins A, beta-carotene, B1, B2, B3 and B6. Further Dates have high iron levels, a human being can meet his or her iron requirements by eating just 15 dates a day and will thus
be protected from disorders arising from iron deficiency.

Dates have high amount of potassiums which are important in regulating the water balance in the body. Moreover, by helping oxygen to reach the brain, potassium enables one to think clearly. In addition, it provides the appropriate features for body fluids and stimulates the kidneys to expel toxic bodily wastes. It helps bring down high blood pressure and the formation of healthy skin.

The calcium and phosphate in dates are important elements for skeletal growth and balancing the body's bone structure. The high levels of phosphorus and calcium in dates protect the body against bone weakness and help reduce such disorders.

Scientists have recently discovered the way in which dates reduce stress and tension.

The vitamin B1 in dates facilitates the health of the nervous system, assists the transformation of the carbohydrates in the body into energy and the use of protein and fats to meet the body's needs whereas Vitamin B2 assists in the burning of protein, carbohydrates and fats for the provision of bodily energy and cell renewal.

Eating dates during Ramadan:

It is said that one should break our fast by eating dates. Ever wondered Why?? Well, as mentioned above dates are rich in all kinds of vitamins and minerals which are required for our body. Hence, when we eat a date fruit for breaking our fast we get all the energy that is required in our body which we would have otherwise taken normally when we are not fasting. In simple words it provides instant energy. Also, fatigue is one of the complaints during fasting (Why you should consume potassium rich foods during fasting days). As our body is well stocked up on food in the fatty tissues and the liver has a moderate supply of glucose to compensate for fasting. Unfortunately, it will not be released into the bloodstream if there is a deficiency of potassium in the blood. Hence, eating Dates before and after fast helps overcoming the same.

And there are many more............................

All these facts about dates reveal Allah's infinite knowledge and compassion for human beings. As we have seen, the benefits of the date, only recently established by modern medical science, but revealed in the Qur'an many years ago.