Anas b. Malik reported: A tailor invited the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) to a meal that he had prepared. Anas b. Malik said: I went along with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) to that feast. He presented to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) barley bread and soup containing pumpkin, and sliced pieces of meat. Anas said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) going after the pumpkin around the dish, so I have always liked the pumpkin since that day.  [Muslim Book #023, Hadith #5067]

Our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) liked to eat this type of vegetable. Although it’s not exactly the orange pumpkin we find at our grocery stores today, it is a vegetable from the same family as pumpkins and squash.

The following are facts about orange pumpkins, including tips & recipes for a variety of dishes!

Fast Facts about Pumpkins
The pulp from this low-fat, low-sodium vegetable is an ancient, healthful power food.
One cup of cooked pumpkin has 564 mg of potassium, 2650 IU of vitamin A (providing an amazing 310% RDA), and just 80 calories. A half-cup serving gives you a day’s worth of these protective pigments. Pumpkin also provides fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and phosphorus.

Note: Vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of preventable blindness and a significant cause of infant deaths.
Pumpkins are orange because they contain massive amounts of lutein, alpha- and beta-carotene. These nutrients turn into vitamin A in the body.

Adding beta carotene to your diet could reduce your risk of developing certain types of cancer, including prostate, and protect against heart disease. In the past, this staple was used to treat various ailments, including snakebites and…freckles!

Pumpkin seeds contain protective compounds called phytosterols, which may be responsible for shrinking the prostate.  They also contain chemicals that may prevent some transformation of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). High levels of DHT are associated with an enlarged prostate.

90% of all pumpkins sold in the United States are used for Jack-o’-lanterns.

It is He Who produceth gardens, with trellises and without, and dates, and tilth with the produce of all kinds, and olives and pomegranates, similar (in kind) and different (in variety): eat of their fruit in their season, but render the dues that are proper on the day that the harvest is gathered. But waste not by excess: for Allah loveth not the wasters.  [Qu’ran 6:141]