Dates in Quran and Hadith - Nature & Health Benefits

Dates

Mawlana Ahmad Raza Attari Madani

Dates are from among the foods that the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم ate. It is included among the most beloved of foods to the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. Date palm trees grow from forty to fifty feet in height and two to six feet long clusters grow on it. When its fruits (dates) are unripe they are green in colour and around one inch long, and when they ripen, they become red/yellow in colour.[1]

The nature of dates

The nature of dates is that they are warm in the second stage and dry in the first stage.[2]

Mention of dates in the Holy Quran

Date palm trees, date gardens and dates have been mentioned in several places of the Holy Quran, let us read some of them. Just as Allah Almighty states:

(1) اَیَوَدُّ اَحَدُکُمۡ اَنۡ تَکُوۡنَ لَہٗ جَنَّۃٌ مِّنۡ نَّخِیۡلٍ وَّ اَعۡنَابٍ تَجۡرِیۡ مِنۡ تَحۡتِہَا الۡاَنۡہٰرُ ۙ

Would any of you like ˹this˺ that he has a garden of date-palms and grapevines beneath which rivers flow;[3]

(2) یُنۡۢبِتُ لَکُمۡ بِہِ الزَّرۡعَ وَ الزَّیۡتُوۡنَ وَ النَّخِیۡلَ وَ الۡاَعۡنَابَ وَ مِنۡ کُلِّ الثَّمَرٰتِ ؕ اِنَّ  فِیۡ  ذٰلِکَ لَاٰیَۃً  لِّقَوۡمٍ یَّتَفَکَّرُوۡنَ ( ۱۱)

He brings forth from it crops, and olives, and date-palms, and grapes, and all kinds of fruit for you. Surely in this there is certainly a sign for those who contemplate.[4]

(3) وَ ہُزِّیۡۤ  اِلَیۡکِ بِجِذۡعِ النَّخۡلَۃِ  تُسٰقِطۡ عَلَیۡکِ  رُطَبًا جَنِیًّا ( ۲۵)

And grasp the date-palm, shaking it towards yourself, it shall drop fresh, ripe dates upon you.[5]

In this verse Sayyidatunā Maryam رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا was told to pull the dry branch that she was sitting beneath towards herself which would cause ripe, fresh dates to fall on her. We learn from this that eating dates is beneficial for pregnant women. Dates contain high levels of iron, which is highly beneficial for the health of the baby. However, one should reduce or increase their intake of dates in accordance with their health.[6]

Hadith about dates

(1) Sayyidunā Anas b. Mālik رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ narrates that the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said:

One night, I had a dream in which I saw myself in the home of ꜤUqbah b. NāfiꜤ and fresh dates were brough before us, which are known as the dates of Ibn Ṭāb. I interpreted this to mean we will achieve a high rank in the world, will have a good outcome in the Hereafter and there is no doubt that our religion is better and superior.[7]

(2) Sayyidunā ꜤAlī b. Abī Ṭālib رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ narrates that the Noble Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم stated, “Give fresh dates to those of your women who give birth, and if fresh ones are not available, give them dry ones.”[8]

(3) Sayyidunā Anas رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ reports:

My mother, Umm Sulaym رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا, told me to deliver a basket of dates to the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, but I did not find him in his home. He صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم had gone nearby to the home of one of his freed slaves, who had invited the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and prepared some food for him. When I arrived, he          صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم was already eating and invited me to join him. The host had prepared tharīd using meat and gourd. I saw that the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم liked gourd, so I began to gather pieces of gourd and place them in front of him. Once we had finished eating, he صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم returned home. He صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم then started to eat and distribute the dates until there were none left.[9]

(4) Sayyidunā ꜤIkārāsh b. Dhuwayb رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ relates:

A tray full of tharīd and fat was brought to the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. We all began to eat from it and I was moving my hand around the entire plate, so the Noble Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said to me, “O ꜤIkārāsh, eat from one place, as it is one type of food.” Then a tray containing different types of fresh dates was brought, so the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم moved his hand in all directions. He صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم then said, “O ꜤIkārāsh, eat from wherever you wish, as it contains various kinds of dates.”[10]

(5) Sayyidatunā ꜤĀˈisha al-Ṣiddīqa رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا narrates that the Noble Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “O ꜤĀˈisha, those whose homes do not contain dates, are hungry. O ꜤĀˈisha, those whose homes do not contain dates, are hungry.” He صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم repeated these words two or three times.[11]

(6) Sayyidunā Abū Hurayra رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ mentions, “The Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم was once distributing dates among his Companions and gave me seven dates; one of them was tough.”[12]

(7) Sayyidunā Anas b. Mālik رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ reports: “The Noble Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم would open his fast by eating a few dates before salah. If there were no fresh dates, he صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم would open it with dry dates, and if there were no dry dates either, he صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم would take a few sips of water.”[13]

We learn two rulings from this hadith: the fasting person should open their fast before salah; opening the fast after Maghrib salah is permissible but it is against the Sunnah. The second is that eating a few days (three or five) for iftar is from the Sunnah. However, if nothing is present at that time, the fast can be opened after salah. From this order we come to know that opening the fast with fresh dates is best, and if these are not available then dry dates.

During Ramadan, many dates enter the marketplace and people usually buy them and even have them sent to the masjid; this hadith is the origin for all of this. The Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم did not open his fast with bread, rice or any other complex food.[14]

Benefits of dates

Dates are very nutritious food which have countless medical benefits. Let us read some of them:

• They strengthen the stomach and liver
• They help digest food
• They plump up the body
• They help in blood production.[15]
• They remove phlegm.

Imam al-Dhahabī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه states, “By feeding the pregnant woman dates, اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه she will give birth to a male child who will be handsome, forbearing and gentle-natured.”[16]

Note: All foods and medicines should only be consumed after consulting with your doctor.