God's Pharmacy
Nourishment lies at the centre of the lives of all living things, including humans. The continuation of life depends on the sustenance and healthy functioning of the digestive system which turns food into a usable state by the body through the aid of enzymes, each of which are incredibly specific to their substrates. The nutritional benefits of certain naturally occurring food have remained unknown for many years and scientists are now beginning to recognise them.
Is it a coincidence that food benefiting a specific organ resembles that organ in appearance? For instance, kidney beans are true to their name and resemble the human kidney. They are a rich source of minerals and vitamins which reduce cholesterol, and help to maintain stable blood glucose levels, reducing the risk of developing kidney disease as a result of diabetes. A walnut resembles a tiny brain, consisting of foldings and creases which divide the walnut into what corresponds to the left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrum and lower cerebellum of the brain. It is now known that these nuts help to develop neuron transmitters for improved brain function. Figs are full of seeds which could be seen to resemble sperm cells. It was in fact found that figs increase the number of sperm, as well as improve their mobility which helps them penetrate through the oocyte membrane, thus improving male fertility. Olives, with an oval shape like the female oocyte, assist the health and functioning of the ovaries.
The Qur’an refers to olives in sura al- Nahl, verse 10-11: ‘He sends down water from the sky. From it you drink, and from it come the shrubs among which you graze your herds. By it He makes crops grow for you, as well as olives and dates and grapes and fruit of every kind. There is certainly a Sign in that for people who reflect.’, the ‘sign’ being the numerous benefits of olives, including the recent discovery that the linoleic acid of olives are useful for breast-feeding mothers, aiding the child’s development and growth.
Black cumin seeds are one of the most intriguing seeds, containing more than 100 known chemicals. The black seed was considered a matchless remedy by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), who said: ‘Use this black seed, for it has a cure for every disease except death’. Scientists have recently started recognising these health benefits, which were known by the Prophet more than 1400 years ago. It is now known that these seeds relieve all types of cold symptoms when ground and inhaled through the nose, and can also be used as an oil to relieve muscle pain, to name but a few. The prophet was no scientist, yet he was aware of these health benefits hundreds of years before scientific evidence proved them…
Is it also by chance that the above food is mentioned in the Qur’an which began to be revealed around 609 CE, well before any scientific research was conducted, with their benefits to the human body? The Qur’an in fact mentions several of the fruits that modern science is now beginning to show to have a preventive effect on disease. Taking the fig as an example, we know that the fig tree, Ficus carcia, grows on light and medium soils. But how does the soil know which nutrients to provide and how much? Likewise, does the fruit have the intelligence to absorb from it the exact concentration of nutrients it requires? And how are those nutrients digested and processed by the fruit to allow us to benefit from them?
The answers are simple. The system operates in perfect order created by the sole Owner and Governor of the universe. Olives, figs, walnuts, and kidney beans are just a humble selection from God’s pharmacy.
