Zaitoon (Olive) Is Cure For Seventy Diseases
Zaitoon (Olive) Is Cure For Seventy Diseases “Eat the olive oil and massage it over your bodies since it is a holy (Mubarak) tree.” (Tirmizi, Ibn Maja)
Zaitoon (Olive) the sign of peace and friendship in this world has its description in the Holy Qur’an Allah says: By the fig and olive, And the mount of Sinai, And the city of security We have indeed created man in the best of molds. Then do we abase him (to be) the lowest of low Except such as believe and do righteous deeds for they shall have a reward unfailing What then, can after this, make you deny the last judgment Is not Allah the wisest of judges” (The Fig, Surah 95)
The plant of olive goes up to a height of 3 meters, its leaves are bright green and very attractive and the fruits are of bright bluish or violet color, possessing a metallic taste. It is known from old ages. While excavating ancient Egyptian graves, vessels full of olive oil were found with other articles. According to the scholars of Hadith, on the subsidence of Toofan-E-Nooh, when the water level came down, the first thing on the earth that was seen, was the olive plant. The plant is extensively found in Asia Minor, Palestine, Roman territory, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, Italy, North Africa, Algeria, Tunisia, California in America, Mexico, Peru, and the South zone of Australia. Usually, it is imported from Spain, Italy, France, Turkey and Greece. Though olive fruits are very nutritious, it is not usually eaten due to its metallic taste. Rather, pickles of its fruits are largely consumed in Europe. The fruits preserved in vinegar are imported from Greece and liked very much in Europe and Arabian countries.
Olive oil is a good preservative for other eatables too. Sardine and other fishes are tinned and preserved in olive oil. The smoke-less burning of olive oil is a peculiar feature, which produces a bright light. Holy Qur’an stresses the importance of Zaitoon on several occasions: (141-M-AlInaam-6), (99-K-AlInaam-6), (11-K-AlNahl-16), (AlNoor-35), (Moominoon). Hazrat Sayyed Al-Ansari narrates that the Prophet said “Eat the olive oil and massage it over your bodies since it is a holy (Mubarak) tree.” (Tirmizi, Ibn Maja) Hazrat Alqama Bin Amir narrates that the Prophet said, “There is olive oil for you, eat it, massage over your body since it is effective in Hemorrhoids (Piles).” (Ibn Al-Jozi, Zanbi)
Hazrat Aqba Bin Amir narrates that the Prophet stated, “You have the olive oil from this Holy (Mubarak) tree, treat yourself with this, since it cures the Anal fissure (Basoor).” Khalid Bin Saad narrates “I came to Madinah with Ghalib Bin Al Jabr. Ghalib became ill during the journey. Ibn Abi Ateeq came to see him and told a narration from Hazrat Aisha that the Prophet told him about the cure in Kalonji. We crushed a few seeds of Kalonji and mixed them with olive oil and dropped in both nostrils, after which Ghalib became healthy.” (Ibn Maja, Bukhari)
Hazrath Abu Hurairah narrates that the Prophet stated, “ Eat the olive oil and apply it (locally), since there is a cure for seventy diseases in it, one of them is Leprosy.” (Abu Naim)
Hazrat Zaid Bin Arqam narrates, “We have been directed by the Prophet that we should treat the Pleurisy with Qust-e-Behri (Qust Sheerin) and olive oil.” (Tirmizi, sanadeAhmed, Ibn Maja)
Olive oil has a place in the Govt Pharmacopeia of USA and Britain (British Pharmacopoeia). Both of these countries have given prime importance to olive oil for the treatment of various ailments and have fixed standard parameters to evaluate its purity. It contains Palmitic Acid, Oleic Acid, Linoleic Acid, Stearic Acid, Meristic Acid, and Glycerides. It is not dissolved in water but in Alcohol, Ether, Chloroform, and Liquid Paraffin. The adulterants very often used in the olive are the seeds of Tea Plant, and Arachis oil in the market samples of olive oil. Sometimes Machine Gun oil and refined Mobile oil are also found. Olive oil is extracted from the ripened fruits. The unripe and over-ripe fruits contain less amount of the oil. The fruits are processed three times. Successively, the first round oil is the best in quality, golden in color, with a light fragrance, and is known as virgin oil. Some varieties of olive oil remained unchanged in its effectiveness for years together. It contains therapeutic potential even if it is a thousand years old. Despite the prime importance and holiness given by Qur’an and Prophet Muhammad, no work has been done to find out its efficacy for ailments other than Haemorrhoids, Anal fissures, skin diseases, pleurisy, and leprosy, which are already described by the Prophet, whereas the Prophet himself tells us that it contains the cure for seventy diseases. According to Ibn Al-Qayyim the red-colored oil is better than the blackish one. It is exhilarant, glows up the facial complexion, provides prevention against poisons, regulates the digestive process, expels intestinal parasites, makes the hair lustrous, and minimizes aging problems. The massage of olive oil with common salt over the gums is a remedy for several diseases of gums and teeth.
The local application of olive oil or the water extracted from the crushed olive oil leaves is effective on boils, rashes, and itching. The chronic ulcers and boils, which show difficult healing conditions, are healed up with the use of olive oil locally. According to Zahbi, it strengthens the hair and body, hence could be used as a good tonic for old age problems and to delay the aging process.
It is also useful for sexual weakness. A combination of normal saline with olive oil is highly effective in burn cases. The decoction of olive leaves in water is effective against mouth and lips ulcers and allergic dermatitis. The concentrated aqueous extract of olive leaves and fruits is very effective against dental cavities, and application of this solution shows very good effects on Leukoplakia in the mouth. This solution is applied with vinegar on the Alopecia, grows the hair and removes the Alopecia. It is also stated that the local application of this extract removes the scars of smallpox and boils. The powder of seeds mixed with butter is effective in brittle nails. The pickles prepared from olive fruits are a good appetizer and remove constipation. The smashed leaves are applied locally to check excessive perspiration. The water extracted from the leaves with honey is used as Ear drops and is effective in various Ear ailments. The oil procured by burning olive wood is effective against all fungal infections viz, Ringworm, T.versicolor, etc.
in addition to Eczema, Psoriasis, Dandruff, and Alopecia. The local application of olive oil on the scalp is highly effective against dandruff. It grows the hair and checks, the loss of hair.
The application of olive oil in the eyes relieves the inflammation. The massage of olive oil over the body tones up the muscles and organs, and it relieves muscular pains. Some physicians also advocate the massage of olive oil for epilepsy. It relieves the Sciatic and arthritis. The ointment prepared from olive oil are very good healing agent. It heals the sinus and fistula very quickly. 25ml of olive oil mixed with 250ml of barley water, if taken internally, is highly effective against chronic constipation.
It is a good Diuretic and, hence, is used in Ascites. It also removes kidney stones. A conventional regimen is also available comprising olive oil and other herbal drugs having potential against the Gall bladder stones. It is stated that this regimen dissolves and expels the gallbladder stone. In view of the research carried out in the USA and England, it is concluded that it is a good nourishing diet during the ailments of the kidney, where nitrogen-containing food/proteins to take is contra indicated.
Since, the Prophet stated that it is a good remedy for Anal fissures, hence for the same complaint patients were advised to take two spoonfuls of olive oil at bedtime and an ointment was applied on the fissure locally at retiring and in the morning, prepared from 8 spoonfuls of olive oil and 2 spoonfuls of ground henna leaves. This showed very good effects against the problem.
It is a good tonic for hair and maintains the luster. Its combination with other prescribed drugs of Tibb-al-Nabwi is a good remedy for Psoriasis and Eczema. The impressions of several doctors practicing in the Middle East and North Africa reveal that no case was detected of Gastro Intestinal Carcinoma, among those who were used to consuming olive oil.
Japanese doctors also endorse this fact and have the opinion that olive oil prevents the incidence of Carcinoma in G.I.T. The Prophet stated that it is a good remedy for intestinal inflammations. Therefore, it was used in the cases of G.I.T ulcers and found very effective. It is also observed that no remedy equates the benefits of olive oil in hyper acidity and gas troubles.
The Prophet recommended the use of olive oil in Pleurisy. Keeping this in view, olive oil was administered for various diseases of the Respiratory tract, and it was observed that the regular users of olive oil were least affected by common cold and coryza and pneumonia. The clinical experiences of well qualified and highly established doctors in the profession who take a keen insight in the Prophet’s medicine reveal that olive oil is a good supportive treatment in Tubercular infection of either site. According to a narration of Kahlid Bin Saad in Ibn Maja, one spoonful of Kalonji was pulverized and mixed with 12 spoonfuls of olive oil. This suggestion was dropped into the nostrils morning and evening for the cases of chronic cold and epistaxis. The results were found highly positive.