HONEY AND ISLAM
HONEY AND ISLAM
Yemeni Sidr Do’ani is our most popular honey with those who follow Islam, especially during the holy month. As well as making a fantastic gift, it can also be used as an alternative to dates to break the fast, within the Iftar feast, and especially on the tea / coffee tray for serving after the Iftar has been eaten. Here we look at the religious importance of honey, bees and the Sidr tree in Islam.
Honey has been deeply rooted in Arabic culture for centuries and Arabic physicians have studied its medical benefits. Visitors to the local library in the Hadramout Mountains of Yemen can view the Targig Al Hassal, a compilation of honey treatments written by scholars Abdallah Ibn Mohammed and Al Fairous Abadi during the 14th century. Honey also features in Yemeni poetry dating back hundreds of years, where it's praised as an embodiment of love, beauty and pleasure.
Its medical applications are mentioned in the Qur'an, in a surah called The Honey Bee:
"And the Lord inspired the bee, saying: Take your habitations in the mountains and in the trees and in what they erect. Then, eat of all fruits and follow the ways of your Lord made easy (for you)'. There comes forth from their bellies a drink of varying colors wherein is healing for men. Verily in this is indeed a sign for people who think" (Surrah An-Nahl 28,29).
The Quran admires the technical skill of the bees is in producing sweet honey from the bitter juices of plants and Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) maintained that medicines administered by physicians are bitter, but those given by God are as sweet as honey. He was known to drink a glass of honey and water on an empty stomach. He considered honey to be shifa (having healing properties), evidenced by the following quotes:
“Honey is a remedy for every illness of the body, the Qur’an is a remedy for all illnesses of the mind, therefore I recommend to you both remedies: the Qur’an and Honey” Prophet Mohammed (pbuh)
“If a person eats honey, a thousand remedies enter his stomach, and a million diseases will come out”
“The condiment of drink is honey. It guards the heart, and drives away cold from the chest”
“Healing is in three things: a gulp of honey, cupping, and branding with fire [cauterization]. But I forbid my followers to use branding with fire”
“Honey sharpens the sight and strengthens the heart”
“He who desires protection, let him eat honey”
“He who eats three radawat of honey per month will be protected from serious illness”
“By Him in whose hand is my soul, eat honey, for there is no house in which honey is kept for which the angels will not ask for mercy”
“If a man dies and honey is found within him, fire will not touch his body”
Honey is also mentioned as one of the foods of Paradise:
"The description of Paradise which the pious have been promised is that in it are rivers of water the taste and smell of which are not changed; rivers of milk of which the taste never changes; rivers of wine delicious to those who drink; and rivers of clarified honey, clear and pure; therein for them is every kind of fruit; and forgiveness from their Lord. [Surah Muhammad 47:15]
We know that honey is one of five foods recommended by the Prophet (pbuh) and one of the heavenly foods served in paradise. In particular our Yemeni Sidr Honey is highly revered. Considered sacred, the Sidr tree is mentioned four times in the Qur’an to emphasise its beauty, strength and grandeur:
Chapter 34 (Sura) Saba, verse no 16
Chapter 56 (Sura) Waaqiah, verse no 27 to 33
Chapter 53 (Sura) Najm, verse no 7 to 12
Chapter 53 (Sura) Najm, verse no 16-17
In Sura Saba the Sidr tree is mentioned as an earth tree while in other Sura, it is mentioned as a paradise tree (Sidrat al-Muntaha). According to some traditions, Jesus’ crown of thorns was made from the branches of this tree.
The Sidr fruit was the first thing Prophet Adam (pbuh) ate when he was made to descend to earth. The tree was used during the time of King Suleiman (pbuh) and the Pharaohs to build palaces and temples.
Click here to learn more about our luxury Yemeni Sidr Do’Ani raw honey.