Dietary And Medicinal Hadiths

[Qa'im]

 

as-salaam `alaykum,

 

I wanted to dedicate this thread to various foods the Ahl al-Bayt have recommended and their specific benefits.

 

 

وعن علي بن محمد ، عن أحمد بن أبي عبدالله ، عن أبان ابن عبد الملك ، عن إسماعيل بن جابر ، عن أبي عبدالله ( عليه السلام ) ، قال : إنا لنبدأ بالخل عندنا كما تبدؤون بالملح عندكم وإن الخل ليشد العقل .

 

Imam Ja`far as-Sadiq [a] said, "We start our meals with vinegar like you start yours with salt, and surely vinegar strengthens the intellect." (al-Kafi)

 

"Acetic Acid bacteria helps memory and response times in middle-aged and elderly patients" https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jaam/6/7/6_7_60/_article

 

 

محمد بن يحيى ، عن أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى عن محمد بن سنان ، عن موسى بن بكر قال : قال لي أبوالحسن ( عليه السلام ) : مالي أراك مصفرا ؟ قلت : وعك أصابني ، فقال : كل اللحم ، فأكلته ، ثم رآني بعد جمعة وأنا على حالي مصفرا ، فقال لي : ألم آمرك بأكل اللحم ؟ فقلت : ما أكلت غيره منذ أمرتني ، قال : كيف تأكله ؟ قلت : طبيخا ، قال : لا كله كبابا ، فأكلته ، ثم أرسل إليّ فدعاني بعد جمعة فاذا الدم قد عاد في وجهي ، فقال : الآن نعم .

 

Imam Musa al-Kadhim [a] said to a man, "Why is it that you are looking pale?" The man said, "I am ill." The Imam [a] said, "Eat meat." So he ate meat, and after a Friday, the man was still looking pale. The Imam [a] said, "Did I not command you to eat meat?" The man said, "I have not eaten anything other than it since you commanded me." The Imam [a] said, "How did you eat it?" The man said, "Cooked." Imam al-Kadhim [a] then said, "No, eat it as a kebab." So he ate kebab, then the Imam sent [a man] to him and called him after a Friday, and behold, the blood had returned to his face. (al-Kafi)

 

"Conclusions: Minced beef is more rapidly digested and absorbed than beef steak, which results in increased amino acid availability and greater postprandial protein retention. However, this does not result in greater postprandial muscle protein synthesis rates." http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/98/1/121.long

 

 

وعن محمد بن علي ، عن ابن بقاح ، عن الحكم بن أيمن ، عن أبي اُسامة ، عن أبي عبدالله ( عليه السلام ) ، قال : قال رسول الله ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) : عليكم باللحم ، فإن اللحم ينمي اللحم ، ومن مضى به أربعون صباحا لم يأكل اللحم ساء خلقه ، ومن ساء خلقه فأطعموه اللحم

 

The Prophet Muhammad said, "Eat meat, for flesh makes flesh grow. Whoever has forty mornings pass by him in which he did not eat meat, his nature is worsened. Feed meat to he whose nature is worsened." (Wasa'il ash-Shi`a)

 

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/eat-your-meat-the-muscle-building-bounty-of-beef-and-fish.html

 

 

ـ محمد بن يعقوب ، عن محمد بن يحيى ، عن محمد بن موسى رفعه ، عن أبي عبدالله ( عليه السلام ) ، أنه قال : سويق العدس يقطع العطش ويقوى المعدة ، وفيه شفاء من سبعين داء ، ويطفئ الصفراء ، ويبرد الجوف ، وكان إذا سافر ( عليه السلام ) لا يفارقه ، وكان يقول ( عليه السلام ) إذا هاج الدم بأحد من حشمه يقول له : اشرب من سويق العدس ، فإنّه يسكن هيجان الدم ، ويطفئ الحرارة .

 

Imam Ja`far as-Sadiq [a] said, "Lentil stew cuts off thirst and strengthens the stomach. There is a cure from seventy ailments in it, and it extinguishes the yellow bile and cools the abdomen. Drink lentil stew, for it calms the eruption of the blood, and extinguishes the heat." (Wasa'il)

 

Lentils are high in magnesium, which improves the flow of blood, oxygen, and nutrients throughout the body. They also remove bile in the digestive tract, and stabilize blood-sugar levels: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=52

http://www.livestrong.com/article/410170-is-lentil-soup-healthy/

 

وقال صلى الله عليه وآله : من استعمل الخشبتين امن من عذاب الكليتين .

 

The Prophet Muhammad said, "Whoever makes use of the two pieces of wood (the toothstick and toothpick) is safe from the affliction of the kidneys." (Tubb an-Nabawi)

 

Link between chronic kidney disease and poor oral hygiene: http://cjasn.asnjournals.org/content/6/1/218.full

 

 

 وقال صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم : عليكم بالاهليلج الاسود فانه من شجر الجنة طعمه مر وفيه شفاء من كل داء .

 

The Prophet Muhammad said, "Upon you is the black myrobalan, for it is from the trees of Paradise. Its taste is bitter, and in it is treatment for every malady." (Tubb an-Nabawi)

Black myrobalan treats asthma, constipation, hair loss, heartburn, gum pain, graying hair, mouth ulcers, vaginal inflammation, and more: https://natural-herbal-remedies.knoji.com/black-myrobalan-medicinal-properties-greying-and-losing-of-hair-remedy/

 

 وقال صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم : اسقوا نساءكم الحوامل الالبان فانها تزيد في عقل الصبي .

 

The Prophet Muhammad said, "Give your pregnant women milk to drink, for it increases the intellect of the child." (Tubb an-Nabawi)

Children with mothers who drank milk during pregnancy have a higher IQ: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/10072366/Drink-milk-to-increase-childs-IQ-pregnant-women-told.html

                                                                                                                                   

عنه، عن أبى يوسف، عن القندى، عن المفضل بن عمر، عن أبى عبد الله (ع) قال: ذكر له الحمى فقال: إنا أهل بيت لا نتداوى إلى بافاضة الماء البارد يصب علينا، وأكل التفاح.

 

Imam Ja`far as-Sadiq [a] said, "We, the Ahl al-Bayt, do not treat a fever except by pouring cold water on ourselves and eating apples". (al-Mahasin)

 

Apple water as a home remedy for fevers: http://health.howstu...for-fevers2.htm

 

 

وعن علي بن الحكم ، عن أبيه ، عن سعد ، عن الاصبغ ، عن علي ( عليه السلام ) ، قال : إن نبيا من الانبياء شكا إلى الله قلة النسل في امته ، فأمره أن يأمرهم بأكل البيض ، ففعلوا ، فكثر النسل فيهم .

 

وعن نوح بن شعيب ، عن كامل ، عن محمد بن إبراهيم الجعفي ، عن أبي عبدالله ( عليه السلام ) ، قال : من عدم الولد فليأكل البيض ، وليكثر منه .

 

وعنهم ، عن سهل بن زياد ، عن على بن حسان ، عن موسى بن بكر ، قال : سمعت أبا الحسن ( عليه السلام ) يقول : كثرة أكل البيض تزيد في الولد

 

 

Imam `Ali said, "A prophet from the prophets complained to Allah about the paucity of progeny in his nation, so He commanded him to command them to eat eggs. So they did and the progeny became many in them."

 

Imam Ja`far said, "Whoever lacks in offspring, then let him eat eggs and he is to do much of it."

 

Imam Musa said, "Much eating of eggs increases one in offspring."

 

Poached or soft-boiled eggs are high in Vitamin D and B6, which spur the production of progesterone, a hormone necessary for pregnancy. Eggs also contain B12 and selenium, which increase sperm count.

 

 

وعن عدة من أصحابنا ، عن أحمد بن أبي عبدالله ، عن أبيه ، ( و ) عمرو بن إبراهيم جميعا ، عن خلف بن حماد ، عن يعقوب بن شعيب ، عن أبي عبدالله ( عليه السلام ) ، قال : لدغت رسول الله ( عليه السلام ) عقرب ، فنفضها ، وقال : لعنك الله فما يسلم منك مؤمن ولا كافر ، ثم دعا بملح ، فوضعه على موضع اللدغة ، ثم عصره بإبهامه حتى ذاب ، ثم قال : لو يعلم الناس ما في الملح ما احتاجوا معه إلى ترياق.

 

A scorpion stung the Messenger of Allah , so he shook it off and he said, "Allah curse you, neither a believer nor a kafir is safe from you." Then he called for salt, and placed it on the place of the sting. Then he pressed it with his thumb until it dissolved. Then he said, "If the people knew what was in salt, they would not have need of theriac with it." (al-Kafi)

 

Salt alleviates the pain of bug bites due to its anti-septic and anti-inflammatory properties. http://www.top10homeremedies.com/home-remedies/home-remedies-for-mosquito-bites.html

 

 

اسحاق بن ابراهيم عن ابي الحسن العسكري عليه السلام : حضرته يوما وقد شكا إليه بعض إخواننا فقال : يا ابن رسول الله إن أهلي يصيبهم كثيرا هذا الوجع الملعون قال : وما هو قال : وجع الرأس قال: خذ قدحا من ماء وإقرأ عليه ( أو لم يرى الذين كفروا أنّ السماوات والارض كانتا رتقاً ففتقناهما وجعلنا من الماء كل شيء حيّ أفلا يؤمنون) ثم اشربه فإنه لا يضره إن شاء الله تعالى

 

A man said to Imam `Ali al-Hadi [a], "O son of the Messenger of Allah! My people are inflicted much with a cursed pain."

The Imam asked, "And what is it?"

The man said, "Headaches"

The Imam said, "Take a glass of water, and recite upon it 'Have those who disbelieved not considered that the heavens and the earth were a joined entity, and We separated them and made from water every living thing? Then will they not believe?' (21:30). Then, drink it, for it will not be harmful, God-willingly." (Tibb al-A'immah by an-Nisapuri)

 

Water-deprivation causes headaches: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14979888

 

 

 وقال صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم : عليكم بالكرفس فانه ان كان شيء يزيد في العقل فهو هو . 

 

The Prophet Muhammad (s) said, "Eat celery, for if there is a thing that increases the intellect, then it is it." (Tubb an-Nabawi)

Celery reduces inflammation in the brain and memory problems: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101013122601.htm

 

وعنه ، عن أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى ، عن القاسم بن يحيى ، عن جده الحسن بن راشد ، عن أبي بصير ، عن أبي عبدالله ( عليه السلام ) قال : قال أمير المؤمنين ( عليه السلام ) : الدهن يلين البشرة ، ويزيد في الدماغ ، ويسهل مجاري الماء ، ويذهب القشف ، ويسفر اللون.

Imam `Ali عليه السلام said, "Ointment softens the skin, increases in the brain, eases the stream of fluids, takes away coarseness of skin, and brightens the colour."

الحسن بن الفضل الطبرسي في ( مكارم الأخلاق ) قال : كان النبي ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) يحب الدهن ويكره الشعث ، ويقول : إن الدهن يذهب البؤس ، وكان يدهن بأصناف من الدهن ، وكان إذا ادهن بدأ برأسه ولحيته ، ويقول : إن الرأس قبل اللحية ، وكان ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) يدهن بالبنفسج ، ويقول : هو أفضل الأدهان ، وكان ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) إذا ادهن بدأ بحاجبيه ، ثم شاربيه ، ثم يدخل في أنفه ويشمه ، ثم يدهن رأسه ، وكان يدهن حاجبيه من الصداع ، ويدهن شاربيه بدهن سوى دهن لحيته.
 

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله used to love ointment and dislike dishevelment, and he would say, "Ointment removes misery." And he would anoint with (different) types of ointment. When he anointed, he began with his head and his beard, and he would say, "The head is before the beard." And he صلى الله عليه وآله used to anoint with violet. And he would say, "It is the best of ointments." When he صلى الله عليه وآله anointed, he began with his eyebrows, then his mustache, then he would enter into his nose and smell it, then he would anoint his head. And he would anoint his eyebrows from the headache, and anoint his mustache with ointment equal to the ointment of his beard.

 

Lavendar oil helps your body produce antioxidants, which fight toxins and pollutants in your body.
It prevents your body from increasing its blood glucose levels.
It prevents liver and kidney dysfuncton.
It alleviates migraines, anxiety, sleep disturbance, depression, trauma, and postpartum disorder.
It reduces the development of Alzheimer's disease.
It fights bacterial and fungal disorders.
It speeds the healing of burns, cuts, s[Edited Out]es, sores, and wounds.

http://draxe.com/lavender-oil-benefits/

 

وقال صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم : إذا ولدت المرأة فليكن اول ما تأكل الرطب الحلو والتمر فأنه لو كان شيء افضل منه اطعمه الله تعالى مريم حين ولدت عيسى عليه السلام

The Prophet Muhammad (s) said, "If a woman gives birth, then let the first thing she eats be sweet fresh dates and dried ones, for if there were a thing better than it, Allah would have fed it to Mary when she gave birth to Jesus." (Tubb an-Nabawi)

"Dates fruit consumption during late pregnancy has been shown to positively affect the outcome of labour and delivery without adverse effect on the mother and child.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28286995

 

محمد بن يعقوب ، عن علي بن محمد بن بندار ، عن أبيه ، عن محمد بن علي الهمداني ، عن حنان ، قال : كنت مع أبي عبدالله ( عليه السلام ) على المائدة ، فناولني فجلة ، فقال : يا حنان ! كل الفجل ، فإن فيه ثلاث خصال : ورقه يطرد الرياح ، ولبه يسربل البول و وأصله يقطع البلغم    

A man was with Imam Ja`far [a] sitting at a table, and the Imam handed him a radish. The Imam said,    "Eat radish, for there are three characteristics in it: its leafage banishes flatulence, its kernel causes urine to descend, and its root cuts off phlegm." (Wasa'il ash-Shi`a)

Radishes are a good treatment for gastric problems and urinary disorders:
https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/health-benefits-of-radish.html

Radish juice is the best home remedy for phlegm and mucus:

http://www.jemsrecipes.com/radish-juice-best-home-remedy-for-phlegm/

https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/health-benefits-of-radish.html

 

بى رحمه هللا قال: حدثنا محمد بن ابى القاسم عن محمد بن علي الكوفي عن عبد هللا بن عبد الرحمان االصم، عن الهيثم بن واقد، عن مقرن، عن أبى عبد هللا عليه السالم قال: سأل سلمان رحمة هللا عليه عليا صلوات هللا عليه عن رزق الولد في بطن أمه، فقال: ان هللا تبارك وتعالى حبس عليه الحيضة فجعلها رزقه في بطن أمه

Salman [r] asked `Ali [a] about the sustenance of a child in the belly of its mother. The Imam replied, "Allah withholds her menstruation, and He makes it a source of its sustenance in the belly of its mother."  (`Ilal ash-Shara'i`)   

"The endometrium is the innermost glandular layer and functions as a lining for the uterus, preventing adhesions between the opposed walls of themyometrium, thereby maintaining the patency of the uterine cavity. During the menstrual cycle or estrous cycle, the endometrium grows to a thick, blood vessel-rich, glandular tissue layer. This represents an optimal environment for the implantation of a blastocyst upon its arrival in the uterus. The endometrium is central, echogenic (detectable using ultrasound scanners), and has an average thickness of 6.7 mm.    During pregnancy, the glands and blood vessels in the endometrium further increase in size and number. Vascular spaces fuse and become interconnected, forming the placenta, which supplies oxygen and nutrition to the embryo and fetus."

[Sumerian]

Beautiful thread. Absolutely beautiful. May Allah reward you for your efforts. And may Allah keep all the believers healthy.

[muhibb-ali]

Advantages of Apples:

عنه، عن بعضهم، عن أبى عبد الله (ع) قال: أطعموا محموميكم التفاح، فما من شئ أنفع من التفاح.

From him, from one of them,Abu Abdullah (as) has said: ‘Feed the apples to your feverish ones, for there is none from the things which is more beneficial than the apple’.

عنه، عن أبى يوسف، عن القندى، عن المفضل بن عمر، عن أبى عبد الله (ع) قال: ذكر له الحمى فقال: إنا أهل بيت لا نتداوى إلى بافاضة الماء البارد يصب علينا، وأكل التفاح.

From him, from Abu Yusuf, from Al Qindy, from Al Mufazzal Bin Umar,When the fever was mentioned to Abu Abdullah (as), He said: ‘We the Ahlulbait (as) do not cure (fever) except by the pouring of the cold water upon Us, and eating the apple’.

(Al Mahasin)

[Qa'im]

Apple water as a home remedy for fevers: http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/natural-medicine/home-remedies/home-remedies-for-fevers2.htm

[_Fatima]

Assalamu aleikum wb. Thank you for sharing. Insha'Allah we all benefit from this thread and keep our health and eman secure and steadfast.

Here is a small extract from Al-Risala al-Dhahabiya fi al-Tibb [the golden medical dissertation] wherein Imam Al Ridha [as] discusses the various seasons of the year and the food and drinks which must be used therein. 

As for the season of spring, it is of the rest of time, and its beginning is March (Adhar); and therein day and night are good; the earth becomes soft; and the power of phlegm terminates; the blood becomes excited; and one must use light food and meat; and he must refrain from eating onions and garlic and sour (things) and he must use laxative therein; and he must use therein bloodletting and cupping.

April (Nisan) is thirty days; day lengthens therein; the temper of the season becomes strong, the blood moves; the east wind blows; roasted foods are used therein; what is prepared with vinegar; the meats of (birds and animals which are) hunted; drink water before breakfast; smell flowers and scent.

May (Ayyar) is thirty one days; the winds become clear there in, it is at the end of the season of spring, one must refrain from salty foods, think meat such as heads and beef, and yogurt; entering the bathroom at the beginning of day is useful therein; and sport before lunch is reprehensible therein.

June (Huzuyran) is thirty days; the power of phlegm terminates therein; the time of the yellow bile comes; one must refrain from tiredness and eating abundant meat; one must smell musk and ambergris; it is useful to eat cold vegetables such as endive and purslane, to eat greens such as cucumber, purgative manna, ripe fruit, to use soured things; of the meat is goat and young goat; of the birds is chickens, dull – yellow partridge (tahiyujj), francolins; yogurt and fresh fish.

As for July (Tammuz), it is the heaviest of all the months of the year and the most harmful of them towards man. That is because of the intense heat which occurs when water goes down.

August (Ab) is thirty one days; the simoon (hot wind) becomes intense therein; cold becomes exited at night; the north wind blows; temper becomes good through patting and moistening; it is useful to drink yogurt; one must decrease sport, and smell cold flowers.

September (Aylul) is thirty days; the air becomes good therein; the power of the black bile becomes strong; having laxative is good, it is useful to eat sweets and moderate various kinds of meats such as that of young goats and mutton; one use therein perfume with moderate temper, and refrain from eating melon and cucumber.

October (Tishrin al Awwal) is thirty one days, various winds blow in it; one must breathe the east wind, avoid bloodletting and taking medicine; it is useful to have meat in spices; one must decrease drinking water; and sport is praiseworthy in it.

November (Tishrin al Thani) is thirty days; seasonal rains comes down in it, one must not drink water at night, take a mouthful of warm water in the early morning every day, avoid eating vegetables such as celery, mint and watercress.

December (Kanun al Awwal) is thirty – one days, storms become strong and cold becomes intense in it; it is useful to have all that which has been mentioned in November (Tishrin al-Thani); one must be cautious of having cold foods and guard against cupping and bloodletting; and he must use therein foods which are actually and potentially hot.

January (Kanun al Thani) is thirty – one days; the power of phlegm is strong in it; one must have a mouthful of warm water before breakfast; one must have in it hot vegetables such as celery, watercress, and leek; entering the bathroom and massaging (the body) with al – Khayri ointment is useful in it, one must be careful of sweet things, eating fresh fish and having yogurt.

February (Shibat) is twenty – eight days; the winds become different in it; rain increases, grass appears; water flows in the hollow; it is useful to eat garlic, the meat of bird and animals which are hunted and fruit; one must decrease eating sweet; abundant sport and movement is praiseworthy therein.

Reference: Life of Ali bin Musa ar Reza [as] – Baqir Sharif Qarashi 

https://www.imamreza.net/old/eng/imamreza.php?id=5656 (new link)

http://www.imamreza.net/eng/imamreza.php?id=5656 (old link no longer works)

Edited May 1, 2018 by Hameedeh
new link

[:Sami II]

(salam) dear bother Qaim ,
I hope you and your family are well, I really miss the skype talks we use to have.
Mashallah such beautiful words from the most beautiful humans ever created.
May I clarify some definitions please with your permission?
When our beloved :Rasool a.s and our beloved :Imam-al-Khadim a.s. refers to the meat in these glorious hadiths of theirs, are they talking about the meat found in a Big Mac, the local butcher or the supermarket? 
Are they referring to the meat from the animal that is injected with estradiol, testosterone,  progesterone, the estrogen compound zeranol, the androgen trenbolone acetate, and progestin melengestrol acetate these days? 

Are they also referring to the animal that must be injected with antibiotics like;

Penicillin (Procaine)
Pfi-Pen G, Agricillin, Procaine Pen G
Penicillin (Procaine/
Benzathine)
Durpen, Benzapen, Pen BP-48
Oxytetracycline
Terramycin, Agrimycin-100, Oxy-Tet 100
Oxytetracycline
Liquamycin LA-200, Procure 200, Biocor 200
Erythromycin
Erythro-200, Erythromycin-200, Gallimycin-200
Tylosin
Tylan 200, Tylosin Injection
Sulfadimethoxine
Albon Inj. 40%, Sulfadadinj
Amoxicillin
Amoxi-Inject
Ampicilli
Polyflex
Ceftiofur Sodium
Naxcel
Tilmicosin
Metaphaylaxis
Florfenicol
Nuflor Injectable Solution
Ceftiofur Hydrocloride
Excenel
Sulfamethazine Cow
Sustain III
Sulfamax
Sulfamethazine
Sustain III
Sulfamax
Enrofloxacin

Are they referring to the  thousands of animals kept in the most disgusting inhumane environments, crammed into small spaces, packed into small containers, transported around the world for months in temperatures of + 50 C, given no food or water, then mercilessly slaughtered so we can have a big mac or mc kebab?

So getting back to the glorious hadith, when these great personalities refer to the meat and it's healing power, are they referring to the meat used today?

Because I believe today's meat has no healing power, but causes more damages to the human health, unless it's organic,free range, hormone free and anti-biotic free which is not possible to acquire for most people.

eg.

One of the damages to human health in injecting these hormones to the meat we eat are lower concentration of sperm and possible sub fertility in men.

https://www.organicconsumers.org/scientific/growth-hormones-fed-beef-cattle-damage-human-health

We all know the widespread use of antibiotics these days have caused such a condition that we are headed for the biggest human catastrophe ever witnessed in our history to all life as we know it.

A world without effective antibiotics is a terrifying but real prospect. The situation is so acute that the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr Margaret Chan, has warned of "a post-antibiotic era, in which many common infections will no longer have a cure and once again, kill unabated" (7th April 2011).

http://www.ciwf.org.uk/our-campaigns/antibiotics-health-crisis/

 

With all due respect dear brother, is the meat referred by the holy beloved personalities the same as the meat today, and would the benefits of todays meats be the same as those mentioned in the hadiths?

 

Let's look at the  lentils mentioned in the other glorious hadith, is it pesticide, herbicide and GMO free ?

Did the soils back in the days of our beloved :Rasool a.s contain more nutrients thus yielding better crops?

Once again if I may ask the question do the lentils today have the same properties as mentioned above?

These GMO lentils cannot be referred to as lentils anymore as they don't have the same DNA.

 

On the topic of milk, is the hadith referring to cow's, goat's or camel's milk ?

You do realise back then they did not pasteurise and homogenised their milk to the extent today, and then radiate it.

You do realise they drank raw milk which is illegal these days to obtain for human consumption.

The cows back then actually ate real grass and roamed around the paddocks happily.

So with regards to milk, do they still have such benefits, as i can source many studies that show the opposite with todays processed milks.

 

Please forgive an old man like me if I'm getting in too deep, but I always thought that our magnificent perfect deen was more then a place to quote valuable hadiths and somehow mix them up with not the whole picture of what is really going on these days and how the world has changed.

Back in those days before the multi nationals got involved, food was a cure for many ailments.

Nowadays unfortunately it is used as a weapon to cross sell other products like pharmaceuticals.

Perhaps we should research more before quoting such beautiful hadiths and try to get the definitions correct and give a more up to date realistic holistic explanations because when you omit certain  truths it could change the meaning of the hadiths and resulting in being taken the wrong way.

But then what do I know as I'm just an old useless man trying to make into the cook of the 313 inshallah.

And as the cook I would like to offer my :imam a.s real wholesome food like it use to be in the old days.

My duas to you and your family.

 

ws

[Qa'im]

Sami,

I fully agree with your concerns regarding antibiotics in meats, and (over here anyway) organic free-range hormone-free alternatives exist. That being said, the two hadiths above are quite simple: one is about protein retention in minced beef, and the other is on meat's role is building and maintaining muscle. This applies to non-organic meats too, regardless of their other problems. As for milk, another hadith in the same section notes the preference of cow milk over goat milk. If your post is suggesting a vegan diet, vegan diets often result in deficiencies in iron (especially in women), calcium, zinc, B12, and protein, which is why many resort to taking supplements.

[Chaotic Muslem]

Salam,

Thanks for the nice topic. I was studying these hadiths years ago, thought of writing some commentary on them but hold it.

Uncle Sami made good points but I am going to bring it down to a more basic level so we can be all on the same page.

 Lets start with : How islam views food vs How modern medicine views food

Modern Medicine:

well basically , what is being promoted is that food = energy. As adults, our bodies are well developed and since we live in times of excess of food then we should not be bothered about maininting the good health but about the excess of the good healthy life style which is the excess of food.

Doctors are known to be almost ignorant about nutrition. So most of these nutrition recommendations are coming from non physicians. Most of these recommendations are about keeping track of calories intake per serving, avoiding high energy food like fats and preferring quick yielding energy foods like carbohydrates.

Few new diets been added to the canonical diet recommendations but the general rule stands : Food= energy. 

Islam view of Food:

Well, lets first see what's the islam view of health. Health in modern definition is state of wellness. It also can mean that someone can recover from illness to health, this is too a healthy status.

Health in Islam is a gift from Lord. It is the state of keeping this body functioning well so we may worship the creator. We must strive to be productive, building on earth, being good community members, being useful and helpful, being good fathers and mothers, being able to perform the obligatory worships from salat and sawm and hajj.

Body in this sense is sacred and should be treasured. It shouldn't be harmed intentionally, nor be strained up to the limit of not being able to worship the Creator. It should be nourished and maintained.

The food role here is not to keep us surviving (not only fuel) but to keep us functioning as best as possible. Food isn't seen as energy unless we are talking about death and life situation where we are allowed to consume anything that can keep us breathing. Food is seen as active ingredients that not only fuel and maintain the wellness of body but also shapes how it functions. It interacts with the body and become and active part of it.

I posted a topic about merging 2 souls which was not about merging souls but about organ transplantation. The article claimed that many recipients  of organs experience  changes in personality, and not only got the organ from the donor but also some of their habits or tastes.

 Islam says a similar thing. There is a hadith from Imam Ali in which he explains how a man repents from eating haram food (or food obtained by haram means) and the way is to degrade the muscles that grow out of that haram meat then build new muscles by eating halal meat.

In islam we also find that eating pork can lead to lack of jealousy. 

In the above hadiths, they are talking about effects of not taking meat for 40 consecutive days, which will result in having bad manners (change in personality).

Also, Islam views food generally as being either Tayyib or Khabith. Tayyib is something that belong to goodness, its roots are goodness and its consequences are goodness and its current state is in goodness. All positive attributes are associated with it, good taste, good look, good nutrient, good health, no illness, no harm, etc

Kabith is something malicious. It may appear good or taste good, or it may appear bad and taste bad but in both cases it will lead to sickness, wickedness and all bad things.

Allah said in Quran that He made it legal for us to consume all Tayyib foods and made it forbidden upon us to consume all Kabith foods.

Food that comes from nature dose not come as isolated sterile nutrients only like our modern canned food. A good example is the breast milk. Breast milk is the best food for any human child. It has all the needed nutrients as well as immune cells and components from the mother as well as some germs from the mother. 

These germs from breast milk (as well as germs from the natural birth) form the normal flora of the child gut ( the germs that live in the human gut ). They found in recent years that these germs are essential ( not helpful, not beneficial but essential) for the well being of the humans. These germs contribute to our nutrition, breaking down some food that we can't break down with out own enzymes, breaking down some poisons, synthesising vitamins and collaborating with our immune cells in the protection of the gut as well as making a physical barrier against the walls of the gut protecting it from injury, being penetrated by harmful germs etc ( This physical barrier when being broke by the sinful act of homosexuals, if one of the parties is HIV positive, the virus will immediately reach the blood stream and the victim will be diseased on spot)

And in recent years they found that antibiotics (specially before 3 years of age) are very harmful for the normal flora of gut and has irreversible effect on our immune system. The case of acquiring antibiotic resistance by means of ingesting meat is well documented in scientific journals.

There is more to it but I'm just retrieving this from memory so pardon for any errors.

[:Sami II]

Sami,

 

I fully agree with your concerns regarding antibiotics in meats, and (over here anyway) organic free-range hormone-free alternatives exist. That being said, the two hadiths above are quite simple: one is about protein retention in minced beef, and the other is on meat's role is building and maintaining muscle. This applies to non-organic meats too, regardless of their other problems. As for milk, another hadith in the same section notes the preference of cow milk over goat milk. If your post is suggesting a vegan diet, vegan diets often result in deficiencies in iron (especially in women), calcium, zinc, B12, and protein, which is why many resort to taking supplements.

I'm vegan about 75% of the time, and as recommended by our beloved :Rasool a.s we must eat meat occasionally.

Interestingly a gorilla's diet mainly consist of plants and yet has the highest level of muscle mass to body ratio. 

Edited August 1, 2015 by :Sami II

[ultra]

Interestingly a gorilla's diet mainly consist of plants and yet has the highest level of muscle mass to body ratio.

Never thought about that :O

[Aquib Rizvi]

Assalaamualeykum,

 عنه، عن محمد بن عيسى، عن علي بن مهزيار قال: تغديت مع أبي جعفر عليه السلام فأتى بقطاة فقال: إنه مبارك وكان أبي عليه السلام يعجبه وكان يأمر أن يطعم صاحب اليرقان يشوى له فإنه ينفعه.

 

It is narrated from the narrator of the previous Hadith from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Ali ibn Mahziyar from who has said the following: 

 

“I once had lunch with abu Ja‘far, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, and sand grouse was brought. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is blessed; my father liked it and would instruct to feed roasted to one who suffers from jaundice; it benefits him.’”

 

• al-Kafi by Kulayni, Vol 6, Pg 312, H 5
• Allamah Majlisi: Saheeh (Mirat ul Uqool 22/134)

[Qa'im]

وعن علي بن الحكم ، عن أبيه ، عن سعد ، عن الاصبغ ، عن علي ( عليه السلام ) ، قال : إن نبيا من الانبياء شكا إلى الله قلة النسل في امته ، فأمره أن يأمرهم بأكل البيض ، ففعلوا ، فكثر النسل فيهم .

 

وعن نوح بن شعيب ، عن كامل ، عن محمد بن إبراهيم الجعفي ، عن أبي عبدالله ( عليه السلام ) ، قال : من عدم الولد فليأكل البيض ، وليكثر منه .

 

وعنهم ، عن سهل بن زياد ، عن على بن حسان ، عن موسى بن بكر ، قال : سمعت أبا الحسن ( عليه السلام ) يقول : كثرة أكل البيض تزيد في الولد

 

Imam `Ali said, "A prophet from the prophets complained to Allah about the paucity of progeny in his nation, so He commanded him to command them to eat eggs. So they did and the progeny became many in them."

Imam Ja`far said, "Whoever lacks in offspring, then let him eat eggs and he is to do much of it."

Imam Musa said, "Much eating of eggs increases one in offspring."

Poached or soft-boiled eggs are high in Vitamin D and B6, which spur the production of progesterone, a hormone necessary for pregnancy. Eggs also contain B12 and selenium, which increase sperm count.

[Qa'im]

وعن عدة من أصحابنا ، عن أحمد بن أبي عبدالله ، عن أبيه ، ( و ) عمرو بن إبراهيم جميعا ، عن خلف بن حماد ، عن يعقوب بن شعيب ، عن أبي عبدالله ( عليه السلام ) ، قال : لدغت رسول الله ( عليه السلام ) عقرب ، فنفضها ، وقال : لعنك الله فما يسلم منك مؤمن ولا كافر ، ثم دعا بملح ، فوضعه على موضع اللدغة ، ثم عصره بإبهامه حتى ذاب ، ثم قال : لو يعلم الناس ما في الملح ما احتاجوا معه إلى ترياق.

A scorpion stung the Messenger of Allah , so he shook it off and he said, "Allah curse you, neither a believer nor a kafir is safe from you." Then he called for salt, and placed it on the place of the sting. Then he pressed it with his thumb until it dissolved. Then he said, "If the people knew what was in salt, they would not have need of theriac with it." (al-Kafi)

Salt alleviates the pain of bug bites due to its anti-septic and anti-inflammatory properties. http://www.top10homeremedies.com/home-remedies/home-remedies-for-mosquito-bites.html

[Qa'im]

اسحاق بن ابراهيم عن ابي الحسن العسكري عليه السلام : حضرته يوما وقد شكا إليه بعض إخواننا فقال : يا ابن رسول الله إن أهلي يصيبهم كثيرا هذا الوجع الملعون قال : وما هو قال : وجع الرأس قال: خذ قدحا من ماء وإقرأ عليه ( أو لم يرى الذين كفروا أنّ السماوات والارض كانتا رتقاً ففتقناهما وجعلنا من الماء كل شيء حيّ أفلا يؤمنون) ثم اشربه فإنه لا يضره إن شاء الله تعالى

A man said to Imam `Ali al-Hadi [a], "O son of the Messenger of Allah! My people are inflicted much with a cursed pain."

The Imam asked, "And what is it?"

The man said, "Headaches"

The Imam said, "Take a glass of water, and recite upon it 'Have those who disbelieved not considered that the heavens and the earth were a joined entity, and We separated them and made from water every living thing? Then will they not believe?' (21:30). Then, drink it, for it will not be harmful, God-willingly." (Tibb al-A'immah by an-Nisapuri)

 

Water-deprivation causes headaches: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14979888

[guest050817]

On 31/07/2015 at 3:47 AM, Qa'im said:

 

as-salaam `alaykum,

 

I wanted to dedicate this thread to various foods the Ahl al-Bayt have recommended and their specific benefits.

 

 

وعن علي بن محمد ، عن أحمد بن أبي عبدالله ، عن أبان ابن عبد الملك ، عن إسماعيل بن جابر ، عن أبي عبدالله ( عليه السلام ) ، قال : إنا لنبدأ بالخل عندنا كما تبدؤون بالملح عندكم وإن الخل ليشد العقل .

 

Imam Ja`far as-Sadiq [a] said, "We start our meals with vinegar like you start yours with salt, and surely vinegar strengthens the intellect." (al-Kafi)

 

"Acetic Acid bacteria helps memory and response times in middle-aged and elderly patients" https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jaam/6/7/6_7_60/_article

 

 

محمد بن يحيى ، عن أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى عن محمد بن سنان ، عن موسى بن بكر قال : قال لي أبوالحسن ( عليه السلام ) : مالي أراك مصفرا ؟ قلت : وعك أصابني ، فقال : كل اللحم ، فأكلته ، ثم رآني بعد جمعة وأنا على حالي مصفرا ، فقال لي : ألم آمرك بأكل اللحم ؟ فقلت : ما أكلت غيره منذ أمرتني ، قال : كيف تأكله ؟ قلت : طبيخا ، قال : لا كله كبابا ، فأكلته ، ثم أرسل إليّ فدعاني بعد جمعة فاذا الدم قد عاد في وجهي ، فقال : الآن نعم .

 

Imam Musa al-Kadhim [a] said to a man, "Why is it that you are looking pale?" The man said, "I am ill." The Imam [a] said, "Eat meat." So he ate meat, and after a Friday, the man was still looking pale. The Imam [a] said, "Did I not command you to eat meat?" The man said, "I have not eaten anything other than it since you commanded me." The Imam [a] said, "How did you eat it?" The man said, "Cooked." Imam al-Kadhim [a] then said, "No, eat it as a kebab." So he ate kebab, then the Imam sent [a man] to him and called him after a Friday, and behold, the blood had returned to his face. (al-Kafi)

 

"Conclusions: Minced beef is more rapidly digested and absorbed than beef steak, which results in increased amino acid availability and greater postprandial protein retention. However, this does not result in greater postprandial muscle protein synthesis rates." http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/98/1/121.long

 

 

وعن محمد بن علي ، عن ابن بقاح ، عن الحكم بن أيمن ، عن أبي اُسامة ، عن أبي عبدالله ( عليه السلام ) ، قال : قال رسول الله ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) : عليكم باللحم ، فإن اللحم ينمي اللحم ، ومن مضى به أربعون صباحا لم يأكل اللحم ساء خلقه ، ومن ساء خلقه فأطعموه اللحم

 

The Prophet Muhammad said, "Eat meat, for flesh makes flesh grow. Whoever has forty mornings pass by him in which he did not eat meat, his nature is worsened. Feed meat to he whose nature is worsened." (Wasa'il ash-Shi`a)

 

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/eat-your-meat-the-muscle-building-bounty-of-beef-and-fish.html

 

 

 

Salamunalaykum,

Excellent thread.

I wanted to contribute something here, it is interesting to note that the hadith specifically states that the man was looking pale. It could be highly possible that the man was aneamic. The Imam a.s recommended eating meat. I decided to do some research and it could be highly likely that this man had Iron deficiency aneamia.

Iron deficiency anaemia can result in an individual having a pale complexion:

1. http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Anaemia-iron-deficiency-/Pages/Symptoms.aspx

Secondly, one of the ways to cure Iron Deficiency aneamia is to eat meat.

"To treat your anemia, your doctor may suggest eating more meat—especially red meat (such as beef or liver), as well as chicken, turkey, pork, fish, and shellfish."

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/anemia/treatment

Interesting also - and this may be speculation, but mince may cook at lower heats, or take less time under the heat to cook, relative to say, lean meat. And research shows that under higher temperature's it is converted to the less desirable non-haem form.

"http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/New-facts-about-iron-in-meat

 

Interesting it is reported to eat it as a Kebab - are kebabs not with the bread and vegetables - ofcourse this is speculation but if this is also another meaning of kebab the following may be relevant:

"

• Eat Red Meat and Vegetables Together - Eat a combination of red meat and plant foods (vegetables, pasta, rice, legumes, fruits). Eating meat with plant foods will also help the body use more of the non-haem iron by up to four times. Examples of iron-rich meals include meat and vegetable stir-fry, a meat sauce with pasta and vegetables, or a lean beef salad sandwich."

http://www.beeflambnz.co.nz/index.pl?page=10_tips_to_improve_your_intake&m=308

 

Edited January 17, 2016 by Tawheed313

[unknownshiamuslim14]

Salam alaykum jamiyan

Does anybody know where to purchase the medicine book of imam Reza (as)?

Det complete version in english?

I have looked and looked but nothing did i find.

Thanks in advance.

[Qa'im]

 

 وقال صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم : عليكم بالكرفس فانه ان كان شيء يزيد في العقل فهو هو . 

 

The Prophet Muhammad (s) said, "Eat celery, for if there is a thing that increases the intellect, then it is it." (Tubb an-Nabawi)

Celery reduces inflammation in the brain and memory problems: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101013122601.htm

[Ibn Al-Shahid]

If possible, could you clarify why our 'Urafaa abstain from meat even though Wasail Al-Shi'a, vol 25, is filled with positive ahadeeth on meat?

[Qa'im]

On 20/04/2016 at 7:11 AM, Ibn Al-Shahid said:

If possible, could you clarify why our 'Urafaa abstain from meat even though Wasail Al-Shi'a, vol 25, is filled with positive ahadeeth on meat?

I suppose this could be for several reasons: meat is a luxury food, and the gnostics emphasize asceticism. Furthermore, they cite a saying mentioned in Sharh Nahj al-Balagha that advises against making your stomach a graveyard for animals (i.e. wasteful killing of animals just for the purpose of food). Modern meat also has a lot of added hormones and antibiotics that can lead to negative health consequences. Lastly, some of the cultures that the gnostics came from are simply more averse to the eating of meat.

Complete abstinence from meat however is unIslamic - the Quran declares our dominion over livestock, the Hajj has an animal sacrifice, and a vegan diet leads to many health deficiencies noted by our Prophet. Thus, like all things, moderation needs to be practiced, and one should eat meat at least once every forty days in order to avoid the makrooh.

[Qa'im]

وعنه ، عن أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى ، عن القاسم بن يحيى ، عن جده الحسن بن راشد ، عن أبي بصير ، عن أبي عبدالله ( عليه السلام ) قال : قال أمير المؤمنين ( عليه السلام ) : الدهن يلين البشرة ، ويزيد في الدماغ ، ويسهل مجاري الماء ، ويذهب القشف ، ويسفر اللون.

Imam `Ali عليه السلام said,

"Ointment softens the skin, increases in the brain, eases the stream of fluids, takes away coarseness of skin, and brightens the colour."

الحسن بن الفضل الطبرسي في ( مكارم الأخلاق ) قال : كان النبي ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) يحب الدهن ويكره الشعث ، ويقول : إن الدهن يذهب البؤس ، وكان يدهن بأصناف من الدهن ، وكان إذا ادهن بدأ برأسه ولحيته ، ويقول : إن الرأس قبل اللحية ، وكان ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) يدهن بالبنفسج ، ويقول : هو أفضل الأدهان ، وكان ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) إذا ادهن بدأ بحاجبيه ، ثم شاربيه ، ثم يدخل في أنفه ويشمه ، ثم يدهن رأسه ، وكان يدهن حاجبيه من الصداع ، ويدهن شاربيه بدهن سوى دهن لحيته.
 

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله used to love ointment and dislike dishevelment, and he would say, "Ointment removes misery." And he would anoint with (different) types of ointment. When he anointed, he began with his head and his beard, and he would say, "The head is before the beard." And he صلى الله عليه وآله used to anoint with violet. And he would say, "It is the best of ointments." When he صلى الله عليه وآله anointed, he began with his eyebrows, then his mustache, then he would enter into his nose and smell it, then he would anoint his head. And he would anoint his eyebrows from the headache, and anoint his mustache with ointment equal to the ointment of his beard.

Lavendar oil helps your body produce antioxidants, which fight toxins and pollutants in your body.
It prevents your body from increasing its blood glucose levels.
It prevents liver and kidney dysfuncton.
It alleviates migraines, anxiety, sleep disturbance, depression, trauma, and postpartum disorder.
It reduces the development of Alzheimer's disease.
It fights bacterial and fungal disorders.
It speeds the healing of burns, cuts, s[Edited Out]es, sores, and wounds.

http://draxe.com/lavender-oil-benefits/

[walaihusaini]

This is such a beneficial thread! May Allah reward you brother.

Edited October 20, 2016 by walaihusaini

[Qa'im]

وقال صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم : إذا ولدت المرأة فليكن اول ما تأكل الرطب الحلو والتمر فأنه لو كان شيء افضل منه اطعمه الله تعالى مريم حين ولدت عيسى عليه السلام

The Prophet Muhammad (s) said, "If a woman gives birth, then let the first thing she eats be sweet fresh dates and dried ones, for if there were a thing better than it, Allah would have fed it to Mary when she gave birth to Jesus." (Tubb an-Nabawi)

"Dates fruit consumption during late pregnancy has been shown to positively affect the outcome of labour and delivery without adverse effect on the mother and child.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28286995

[Qa'im]

بى رحمه هللا قال: حدثنا محمد بن ابى القاسم عن محمد بن علي الكوفي عن عبد هللا بن عبد الرحمان االصم، عن الهيثم بن واقد، عن مقرن، عن أبى عبد هللا عليه السالم قال: سأل سلمان رحمة هللا عليه عليا صلوات هللا عليه عن رزق الولد في بطن أمه، فقال: ان هللا تبارك وتعالى حبس عليه الحيضة فجعلها رزقه في بطن أمه

Salman [r] asked `Ali [a] about the sustenance of a child in the belly of its mother. The Imam replied, "Allah withholds her menstruation, and He makes it a source of its sustenance in the belly of its mother."  (`Ilal ash-Shara'i`)   

"The endometrium is the innermost glandular layer and functions as a lining for the uterus, preventing adhesions between the opposed walls of themyometrium, thereby maintaining the patency of the uterine cavity. During the menstrual cycle or estrous cycle, the endometrium grows to a thick, blood vessel-rich, glandular tissue layer. This represents an optimal environment for the implantation of a blastocyst upon its arrival in the uterus. The endometrium is central, echogenic (detectable using ultrasound scanners), and has an average thickness of 6.7 mm.    During pregnancy, the glands and blood vessels in the endometrium further increase in size and number. Vascular spaces fuse and become interconnected, forming the placenta, which supplies oxygen and nutrition to the embryo and fetus."

[Intellectual Resistance]

I'm supposed to be taking a month off, inshAllah i will do so right after this post, but i have just seen something on the news and i could not resist coming onto this thread to share it. We know according to an authentic tradition in al-Kafi:

The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:  'The flu is an army from the armies of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. Allah, Mighty and Majestic Sends it to the illness, to eradicate it'.  [Volume 8 - Rawdat al-Kafi]

Before i go on, i just want to make it clear, i am not giving medical advice. I urge everyone who can to get the Flu shot and do whatever they can to avoid getting the Flu. However, i am only examining whether or not there is scientific evidence to support the idea Flu can actually help play a protective role.

We read from Dr Ben Kim: http://drbenkim.com/cold-flu-difference-health.html

"Viruses are different from your cells in that they cannot duplicate themselves through mitosis and cytokinesis. Viruses are nothing but microscopic particles of genetic material, each coated by a thin layer of protein. 

Due to their design, viruses are not able to reproduce on their own. The only way that viruses can flourish in your body is by using the machinery and metabolism of your cells to produce multiple copies of themselves.

Once a virus has gained access into one of your cells, depending on the type of virus involved, one of two things can happen:

1. The virus uses your cell's resources to replicate itself many times over and then breaks open (lyses) the cell so that the newly replicated viruses can leave in search of new cells to infect. Lysis effectively kills your cell.

2. The virus incorporates itself into the DNA of your cell, which allows the virus to be passed on to each daughter cell that stems from this cell. Later on, the virus in each daughter cell can begin replicating itself as described above. Once multiple copies of the virus have been produced, the cell is lysed.

Both possibilities lead to the same result: eventually, the infected cell can die due to lysis.

Here is the key to understanding why colds and flus, when allowed to run their course while you rest, can be good for you:

By and large, the viruses that cause the common cold and the flu infect mainly your weakest cells; cells that are already burdened with excessive waste products and toxins are most likely to allow viruses to infect them. These are cells that you want to get rid of anyway, to be replaced by new, healthy cells."

There's also something a little bit more significant and very recent:  https://nypost.com/2017/07/11/the-flu-virus-might-kill-cancer-doctors-say/

"The common flu virus could be used to fight cancer, say scientists who believe it can “shatter” tumors from within.

Doctors are set to test the new treatment, using a lab-grown flu virus to attack liver cancer cells, while leaving healthy ones alone."

Doctors are set to test the new treatment, using a lab-grown flu virus to attack liver cancer cells, while leaving healthy ones alone.

Dr. Tony Dhillon, an oncologist at the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford, England, is leading the new trial.

He said it could be “potentially game changing” for patients who have been told their liver cancer is inoperable.

Currently patients with advanced liver cancer are treated with daily tablets, which only slow the growth of the cancer.

The virus, once inside the tumor’s cancerous cells, replicates, the experts explained.

They said: “Eventually the cells will become so full that they will burst, allowing the ‘flu-like’ infection to spread to adjacent cells.

“It is also hoped that the virus will also be able to penetrate tumors that have spread throughout the body."

As well as this: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160414114151.htm

"A common flu virus could be used to overcome patients' resistance to certain cancer drugs -- and improve how those drugs kill cancer cells, according to new research from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL)."

There's a lot more i could have included. Its also interesting the Prophet (saw) is said to have used the word 'army' given the Flu is literally an army of innumerable viruses. That is a very apt way to describe the Flu. 

[Intellectual Resistance]

Washing hands before and after eating:

Imam Jaffer as-Sadiq (as) has said:, 'One who washes his hand before and after food, lives a  rich life and remains safe from troubles in his body."'  [al-Kafi, Book on Foods] I also saw a similar tradition in (`Ilal ash-Shara'i`) . 

No need for me to bring evidence for this one. While Jews have something similar, that is more ritualistic than anything and i can't find anything from ancient texts of theirs which attribute washing hands to being free of disease of the body.

"Living in a world of antibacterial soap and two-liter jugs of hand sanitizer, it’s easy to forget that the connection between hand hygiene and health is a relatively recent revelation. But before germ theory, the modern concept of contagion didn’t exist—even doctors rarely washed their hands, whether they were examining patients or performing surgeries." 

From: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/doctor-who-introduced-virtues-hand-washing-died-infection-180953901/

"The importance of hand washing for human health - particularly for people in vulnerable circumstances like mothers who had just given birth or wounded soldiers in hospitals - was first recognized in the mid 19th century by two remarkable pioneers of hand hygiene: the Hungarian physician Ignaz Semmelweis who worked in Vienna, Austria and Florence Nightingale, the English "founder of modern nursing".^[61] At that time most people still believed that infections were caused by foul odors called miasmas.

In the 1980s, foodborne outbreaks and healthcare-associated infections led the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to more actively promote hand hygiene as an important way to prevent the spread of infection. The outbreak of swine flu in 2009 led to increased awareness in many countries of the importance of washing hands with soap to protect oneself from such infectious diseases. For example, posters with "correct handwashing techniques" were hung up next to hand washing sinks in public toilets and in the toilets of office buildings and airports in Germany."

From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand_washing#History

That last comment about 'and remains safe from troubles in his body' is significant, very significant. By the way, i am not advocating not using soap, but rubbing ones hand vigorously and for longer under water can have similar effects to using normal non-antibacterial soap: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/06/soap-how-much-cleaner-does-it-actually-make-your-hands/258839/

[Intellectual Resistance]

"I saw abu al-Hassan, 'Alayhi al-Salam, when making wudu (washing his hands) before food did not  wipe his hands with a towel, but he wiped them when he (the Imam) made wudu (washed his hands) after food.'" [Al-Kafi, book on Foods, chapter 46)

٢ ـ علي بن إبراهيم ، عن أبيه ، عن ابن أبي عمير ، عن مرازم قال رأيت أبا الحسن عليه‌السلام إذا توضأ قبل الطعام لم يمس المنديل وإذا توضأ بعد الطعام مس المنديل.

Interestingly, scientific evidence shows one of the most contaminated parts of ones house are in these towels we reuse. In the time of the Imams, there was no disposable paper towels, and i daresay for the majority of the world and many of us, we just dry our hands on hand towels, which is not a good idea. If you use disposable towels, that's better, but if you use the same hand towels you are increasing the risk of cross-contamination.

"The recent study, from the University of Arizona, found coliform bacteria - bacteria present in faeces which can lead to outbreaks of food poisoning and diarrhoea - in 89 per cent of kitchen tea-towels and E. coli in 25.6 per cent of towels.

The researchers said towels are more likely to be bacteria-ridden than other household items because they are used to wipe hand and surfaces that might have come into contact with raw meat products. 

Study author Charles Gerba said: 'You can cross contaminate food when you wipe your hands on a towel and then contaminate other foods or bring your hands to your mouth and infect yourself."

"Probably the most surprising things we saw were lack of hand washing and how people consistently overhandled towels—even wiping the counter with them," says lead study author Jeannie Sneed, PhD, Kansas State University food safety specialist. "Towels were the most contaminated of all the contact surfaces we tested."

https://www.prevention.com/health/hand-towel-germs

 

Whatever the reasoning of the Imams, be it the Barakah of wet food on the fingers as some traditions suggest, this was actually really good practise. If you take the fact they washed their hands before meals, and did not dry them on cloth, in those days that was pretty much the best thing you could do before eating. The only alternative better than leaving your hands wet after washing is using disposable towels. Even using those hand driers can put you in danger depending on the quality of which one you use. 

Edited January 5, 2018 by Intellectual Resistance

[Intellectual Resistance]

"'Amir al-Mu'minin, 'Alayhi al-Salam, has said that the Messenger of Allah (saw) has said, 'Do not leave a  food-stained towel at home without its being washed; it becomes plaything for Satan.'" [Al-Kafi book on Foods, C48]

This is another way of using metaphor to indicate to some sort of harm. 

"Cleaning blood stains is something that almost all of us have been faced with at some point. But whether you are attempting to clean a few small specks of blood on a piece of clothing, or a large blood spill on your living room carpet, there are certain precautions you need to take to remove the stain and the potential bacteria it contains."

http://www.aftermath.com/content/blood-stain-cleaning

It's also pretty self explanatory that blood stain, poultry meat stain, general meat stains aside, any sort of food stain is basically food for bacteria and can nurture the growth of bacteria. 

[Intellectual Resistance]

"Abu al-Hassan, al-Rida', 'Alayhi al-Salam, has said:, The excellence of barley bread over wheat  bread is like our excellence over the people. There had not been any Prophet, who did not ask to eat  barley bread and blessed it. In whichever stomach it enters, it removes every illness thereof. It is the  sustenance of the Prophets and the food of the virtuous ones. Allah, most High, disdained to make the  food of His Prophets in anything other than barley."' [al-Kafi, Book on foodstuffs]

Evidence:

"Dutch researchers used a crossover study with 10 healthy men to compare the effects of cooked barley kernels and refined wheat bread on blood sugar control. The men ate one or the other of these grains at dinner, then were given a high glycemic index breakfast (50g of glucose) the next morning for breakfast. When they had eaten the barley dinner, the men had 30% better insulin sensitivity the next morning after breakfast."
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, January 2010; 91(1):90-7. Epub 2009 Nov 4.

"University of California researchers fed two test meals to 11 healthy men, both containing beta-glucan. One meal was a high-fiber (15.7g) barley pasta and the other was  lower-fiber (5.0g) wheat pasta. The barley pasta blunted insulin response, and four hours after the meal, barley-eaters had significantly lower cholesterol concentration than wheat-eaters."
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, January 1999; 69(1):55-63

"Eating barley or foods containing barley significantly reduced levels of two types of "bad cholesterol" associated with cardiovascular risk, a St. Michael's Hospital research paper has found." https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160608095600.htm

Is BARLEY the latest superfood? Grain reduces appetite and blood sugar levels - 'helping prevent obesity, diabetes and heart disease'

• Barley found to rapidly improve people's health - in just three days
• Reduced blood sugar levels and in turn, the risk of diabetes, experts say
• Cereal also reduces a person's appetite and risk of cardiovascular disease
• Special mix of dietary fibers stimulates growth of 'good' bacteria in the gut, which regulates metabolism and appetite
• Fibers also promote the release of vital hormones, that reduces low-grade inflammation protecting against diabetes and heart disease 
• Add barley kernels to salads, soups, stews and as replacement for rice

Forgive me, but this was from the dailymail, though they sourced scientists: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3439183/Is-BARLEY-latest-superfood-Grain-reduces-appetite-blood-sugar-levels-helping-prevent-obesity-diabetes-heart-disease.html

[Intellectual Resistance]

Five claims i have posted about:

1. Flu can have a protective effect  - this is true, and the mechanism is complex and this tradition is very, very interesting.

2. Washing your hands can prevent illness of the body - this is true, and wasn't known nor emphasised until only recently for this specific cause.

3. Not drying hands after washing them specifically on towels [non-reuseable]- tea-towels are often the most contaminated object in the house.

4. Wash stained towels , for they can cause harm - this is true.

5. Barely is superior to wheat, and can help cure many illnesses - this is true, and evidenced by medical journals, who demonstrate good evidence that Barely helps control high cholesterol, the dangerous kinds of cholesterol, as well as Diabetes and many other underlying processes which lead to many of the most common illnesses we see.  If you solve high cholesterol and insulin sensitivity, as well as these other protective effects Barely has, and you basically will significantly target, to some extent , some of the biggest killers in addition to most common causes of comorbidity.

Edited January 5, 2018 by Intellectual Resistance

[MourningKarbala]

I always enjoy things like this that combine religion with science. Always helpful in practice and for the strength of my belief to know how far ahead Islam is.

[Ahmed_516478]

I love ahadith like this. It put's barakah in all our actions and elevate our most mundane deeds. Can anyone recommend any books with similar themes, either arabic or english?  Literature with sunan we can implement in our lives, including dua for activities (like the sunni book حصن المسلم), food, manners, etc.

[Intellectual Resistance]

SubhanAllah, so i have been away for a week, and during a casual reading of al-Kafi, the book of Foodstuff, i came across this tradition, once again by Imam al-Ridha (as):

"Abu al-Hassan, al-Rida', 'Alayhi al-Salam, has said: 'Nothing more useful enters the stomach of one  suffering from Tuberculosis than bread of rice.'"

 علي بن إبراهيم ، عن محمد بن عيسى ، عن يونس ، عن أبي الحسن الرضا عليه‌السلام أنه قال ما دخل جوف المسلول شيء أنفع له من خبز الأرز.

SAHEEH

There aren't actually studies measuring one particular food or another (usually) for conditions like TB. For one, it would be unethical to deny someone a certain food to test something while they have what is a serious condition. Rather, to understand whether or not the words of the Imam have been confirmed by what we know through established science, a more indirect path must be taken.

I asked the question: What do experts say is required a TB patients diet? What i found not only conform the words of the Imam, if i were to actually recommend one food for TB, this would have been at the top of the list, for many reasons.

 Tuberculosis is a condition whereby patients often become cachexic, which means when they lose a lot of weight and muscle mass. There are a number of mechanisms that seem to be at play here, and scientists differ on the exact cause, though Leptin - the hormone involved in satiety and hunger/feeling full is indicated. One major indication for worsening TB is losing weight, and different studies seek to demonstrate why this may be. Some even show the increased rate of relapse and worsening prognosis in the future. Though studies contradict and there is debate, we can accept two things: It is imperative, above everything else, to have a high calorie dense food during TB, and secondly, it is essential to have food that does not make one feel so full easily, given TB patients often have a lack of appetite, which means some of them struggle to eat as much, which then causes this cycle of weight loss.

"The best foods for TB patients would need to be high in calorie and nutrient rich to meet up rising metabolic demands and to prevent further weight loss. " From: https://www.caloriecare.com/articles/5-ideal-foods-for-a-tuberculosis-patient/

So you might be asking, why is the bread of rice, made of rice flour, relevant to this topic or discussion at all? Before i go into that, let us compare rice flour, which makes rice bread, verses another very common flour used to make bread: wheat bread. This may help us understand why the Imam gave preference to rice bread, over wheat bread.

I will use the following source to compare their nutritional breakdowns: https://www.livestrong.com/article/356371-comparison-of-nutrition-in-rice-flour-vs-wheat-flour/

Which is more calorie dense, and thus essential in helping TB patients put on weight quicker, with less effort and taking into account their lower appetite?

"One of the biggest differences between rice flour and wheat flour lies with their calorie contents. Rice flour is significantly higher in calories, as one cup of rice flour provides 578 calories, compared to 400 calories for one cup of wheat flour. The difference of 178 calories comprises nearly 9 percent of the daily recommended intake of 2,000 calories."

As we can see, rice flour has significantly higher calories gram for gram, than wheat flour. It is quite impressive that it is so calorie dense, and having rice bread will give you far more calories per gram. It means for a TB patient, who desperately needs to eat to maintain and gain weight, which is significant for the course of their disease and managing it, particularly when you take into account they have a low and suppressed appetite, rice bread is going to be so important. 

Which will help them feel full quicker?

"Both rice flour and wheat flour derive most of their calories from carbohydrates. Rice flour is higher in carbohydrates, as one cup provides 127 grams, compared to wheat flour's 84 grams. However, wheat flour is higher in fiber, with 12 grams per cup, compared to 4 grams per cup in rice flour. Fiber helps you feel full and promotes regular bowel movements;..."

This is an amazing statistic. When you have TB and you have a suppressed appetite, the one thing you want to do is keep eating despite that low appetite, because it is an essential component of the management of your condition. If you have a food which makes you feel less full, and has less fibre in it (though some fibre is important) then this will mean whatever you eat makes you less full and you are likely to eat more. SubhanAllah.

Gluten

"People who are gluten intolerant run four times the risk of developing active tuberculosis (TB) infection, suggests research published ahead of print in Thorax." Source: https://www.docguide.com/gluten-intolerance-quadruples-susceptibility-tuberculosis

Remember, while people with celiac disease are estimated to be 1% (gluten insensitive and a particular disease) those who do not have celiac but are gluten insensitive according to some reports numbers 10%, and so you have a small but notable percentage of the population who might even get worse if they eat and consume gluten. What is more interesting is that rice bread does not contain gluten. It is actually popular with those who suffer from gluten intolerance.  So those people who have a much higher risk of TB i.e those gluten intolerant can consume rice bread without it compromising their condition , or making it worse, as well as hanging their preexisting gluten intolerance. 

[Intellectual Resistance]

"Abu al-Hassan, al-Rida', 'Alayhi al-Salam, has said:, The excellence of barley bread over wheat  bread is like our excellence over the people. There had not been any Prophet, who did not ask to eat  barley bread and blessed it. In whichever stomach it enters, it removes every illness thereof. It is the  sustenance of the Prophets and the food of the virtuous ones. Allah, most High, disdained to make the  food of His Prophets in anything other than barley."' [al-Kafi, Book on foodstuffs]

This gem i quoted earlier in the post about Barley is also Saheeh:

علي بن إبراهيم ، عن محمد بن عيسى ، عن يونس ، عن أبي الحسن الرضا عليه‌السلام قال فضل خبز الشعير على البر كفضلنا على الناس وما من نبي إلا وقد دعا لأكل الشعير وبارك عليه وما دخل جوفا إلا وأخرج كل داء فيه وهو قوت الأنبياء وطعام الأبرار أبى الله تعالى أن يجعل قوت أنبيائه إلا شعيرا.

باب خبز الشعير

الحديث الأول : صحيح.

[Laayla]

On 8/1/2015 at 3:36 AM, :Sami II said:

I'm vegan about 75% of the time, and as recommended by our beloved :Rasool a.s we must eat meat occasionally.

Interestingly a gorilla's diet mainly consist of plants and yet has the highest level of muscle mass to body ratio. 

:Sami if you read this come back on SC and reserve your handle name :Sami III

I wonder why you unregistered.  What happened?

I hope you are reading.

Assalam Alikum and God bless you.