Why does the Quran include the names of the fruits that are grown only in Arabia?

- Why are the fruits that are not grown in the Middle East like avocado and pineapple not mentioned in the Quran?

- What can we say to those who do not accept the Quran by using this as an excuse?

Dear Brother / Sister,

The Quran is not a book of physics; it is not a book of botany that gives the lists of plants either. However, many food items and fruits are mentioned in the Quran. They contain proteins, carbohydrates and fats, which are definitely necessary for human health. The Quran mentions meat, fish and milk among the food containing proteins, vegetables and fruits like wheat, onion, garlic, lentil, dates and grapes, among the food containing carbohydrates, and vegetable oil. 

“Do they not look at the earth,- how many noble things of all kinds We have produced therein?” (ash-Shuara, 26/7)

Is it possible not to claim that the verse above does not include “avocado and pineapple”? However, the result is clear:  

“Verily, in this is a Sign: but most of them do not believe.” (ash-Shuara, 26/8)

It is a more nonsensical deed to deny the Quran than denying the sun just because it does not mention “avocado and pineapple” though it has shown thousands of social, legal, psychological and ontological miracles related to science and the future for fifteen centuries, and hundreds of miracles of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

There are more important messages than “avocado and pineapple” in the Quran for those who want to believe:

“He created the heavens without any pillars that ye can see; He set on the earth mountains standing firm, lest it should shake with you; and He scattered through it beasts of all kinds. We send down rain from the sky, and produce on the earth every kind of noble creature, in pairs. Such is the Creation of Allah: now show Me what is there that others besides Him have created: nay, but the Transgressors are in manifest error.” (Luqman, 31/10-11)

In addition, the foods and fruits mentioned in the Quran are generally the ones that are known by the people living in region of Hejaz. It would be meaningless to mention the name of a fruit that the first addressees of the Quran did not now. It is known that avocado originated in Mexico and Guatemala. It became known and started to be sold in Turkey only about forty years ago; how suitable would it be to tell Arabs, the first addressees of the Quran, about it? 

In fact, avocado and pineapple act as a regulator in the carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism of the body. From this point of view, those fruits exist in the Quran in terms of the basic substances they include. As it is known, when doctors prescribe a drug, they sometimes write its name and sometimes the active ingredient.

As far as it is known, fruits did not grow in the city of Makkah during the Era of the Prophet (pbuh). (Bukhari, Maghazi 28) The people of Makkah knew the fruits that came from the cities like Madinah and Taif. Dates were grown in Makkah and grapes in Taif. Besides, fruits came to Makkah from the regions like Yemen and Syria. (Tıbb-ı Nebevî'de Meyve, Doç. Dr. Ayhan Tekineş)

Those food items and fruits mentioned in the Quran contain proteins, carbohydrates and fats, which are definitely necessary for human health. The Quran mentions meat, fish and milk among food containing proteins, vegetables and fruits like wheat, onion, garlic, lentil, dates and grapes, among food containing carbohydrates, and vegetable oil. 

It is not a coincidence that they are mentioned among many food items. There must be reasons why those food items are mentioned in the Quran, which is a divine and miraculous book and a guide for humanity up to the Day of Judgment. They cannot have been mentioned without a purpose. They must have an additional benefit to people since they were mentioned among so many vegetables and fruits.     

It is accepted also by today’s medicine that the fruits mentioned in the Quran are a good source of nutrition and are effective in the treatment of some illnesses. 

Let us start with the fruits mentioned in the Quran and their benefits. 

1. Dates

Dates are mentioned as dates and date-palms (trees) in twenty places in the Quran.

"With it He produces for you corn, olives, date-palms, grapes and every kind of fruit: verily in this is a sign for those who give thought." (an-Nahl, 16/11).

The other verses in which dates are mentioned are as follows: al-Baqara, 266; ar-Ra'd, 4; Maryam, 23, 25; al-An'am, 99, 141; ar-Rahman, 11, 68; an-Nahl, 67; al-Isra, 91; al-Kahf, 32; Taha, 71; al-Mu'minun, 19; ash-Shuara, 148; Yasin, 34; Qaf, 10; al-Qamar, 20; al-Haqqa, 7; Abasa, 29.

The hadiths about dates:

"Ajwa,¹ is among the fruits of Paradise. It is a cure against poisoning." (Tirmidhi, Tibb, 22)

"Eat dates before breakfast in the morning because they kill tapeworms." (Kanzul-Ummal, X, 26) 

Dates enable physical and mental development. It is nutritious and protective against cancer. It eliminates mental fatigue. It makes breast milk abundant and nutritious. Women who have just given birth are advised to eat dates. It cures sore throat. It relieves the complaints of bronchitis, cough and cold. It is beneficial for bone diseases.²

Date is the most nutritious fruit for the body. When they are regularly eaten before meals they dehydrate and weaken, reduces or kill worms.

Date juice may affect the stomach, but it makes fresh blood. Eating a few dates is regarded as a cure, and eating more makes a person full. Ajwa date is useful against poisoning, especially against cold-tempered poisons and scorpion stings.³

Modern medicine has discovered that dates contain more than ten kinds of elements that are very important for the human body to remain active and healthy. In addition, dates contain sugar that gives organs plenty of kinetic and heat energy and that is easy to digest and assimilate. ⁴

In addition, dates have all essential vitamins and proteins. Therefore, modern medicine regards this fruit as "chief food". Since it contains all the elements that a person needs, it is possible for a person to live only on dates.⁵

As it is known, doctors today consider it necessary to give a woman a fluid that is easy to digest and some sugary food on the day she gives birth. The purpose of this is to give energy and vitality to the mother's weak and exhausted body and tired organs, and to activate the mammary glands to excrete the milk necessary for the newborn baby. Dates have the greatest effect on the formation of milk, which is the only food of the newborn baby, and to increase the carbohydrate in its composition. This composition of mother's milk is essential for the life and strengthening of the body of the newborn baby. Allah Almighty ordered Hz. Maryam (Mary) to eat dates and to drink water on the day she gave birth:

"And shake towards thyself the trunk of the palm-tree: It will let fall fresh ripe dates upon thee. So eat and drink and cool (thine) eye!" (Maryam, 19/25-26)⁶

2. Fig

It is mentioned in one verse in the Quran:

"By the Fig and the Olive, And the Mount of Sinai, And this City of security." (at-Tin, 95/1-3). 

The Prophet praised the fig with his blessed words by stating that the fig is one of the fruits of Paradise:

"Eat figs. If I gave the name of a fruit of Paradise, I would say the fig because Paradise fruits have no stones (pits). Eat figs because fig eliminates hemorrhoids and joint pains." (Kanz, 10, 44)

There are views that the fig is both a fruit and a medicine. It is said that fig is a fine food, that it is digested quickly, that it does not remain in the stomach very long, that it reduces phlegm, cleans the lungs, prevents bladder sand, opens the blood sinuses and veins in the liver and spleen, and that is the most beautiful and beloved fruit. It is also stated that figs help to eliminate bad breath, to lengthen hair and to prevent paralysis. It is also used as a medicine to expel the excess substances in the body.⁷

Fig pulp is useful in that it removes the toxins from the intestines, lowers blood cholesterol levels, and prevents sudden increase in blood sugar in diabetic patients.

There have been studies on the anti-carcinogenic effect of the fig recently. It has been determined that the anti-carcinogenic effect comes from the substance called "benzaldehyde" in figs. Benzaldehyde was tested on fifty-seven cancer patients; nineteen patients recovered completely and ten patients partly. It was determined that the state of 19 patients got better.⁸

It is stated that raw fig milk plays a role in diminishing and even eliminating warts over time if used externally.⁹

Fig is beneficial for chronic cough, hemorrhoids, joint pains, throat, chest and larynx stiffness. It is effective in cleansing the liver and the spleen. It plays a role in cleansing and expelling the phlegm mixture from the stomach. If it is boiled in water and milk and drunk, it is beneficial for smallpox and measles.

Fig is beneficial for the snuffles caused by cold and hot air, and its juice is used as a mouthwash for mouth and gum wounds.

Fig is beneficial for pregnant and breastfeeding women and for shoulder and back pains, joint pains, and gout (which causes swelling and pains in the hands, big toe, knees and elbows) and paralysis.¹⁰

Fig is effective in shortening the convalescence and maturation of carbuncles.¹¹

3. Olive

a. Olive: Olive is mentioned in six places in the Quran:

"By the Fig and the Olive, And the Mount of Sinai, And this City of security." (at-Tin, 95/1-3),

The other verses in which olive is mentioned is as follows: an-Nahl, 11; al-An'am, 99, 141; an-Nur, 35; Abasa 29.

The bark and leaves of the olive help to increase appetite, decrease fever, facilitates urination and prevent diarrhea; it is also effective in lowering blood sugar in diabetic patients. There are substances that play a role in lowering blood pressure in olive leaves. It can be used in patients with not very high blood pressure. It helps to eliminate tapeworms. Olive leaves should be taken after meals as they irritate the stomach. It is also used for dressing simple wounds since it has a mild germicidal effect due to the tannin it contains. It can also be used in the treatment of simple first-degree burns.¹²

b. Olive oil: It is mentioned twice in the Quran:

"Also a tree springing out of Mount Sinai, which produces oil, and relish for those who use it for food." (al-Mu'minun, 23/20)

 It is also mentioned in verse 35 of the chapter of an-Nur.

The hadith of the Prophet (pbuh) about olive oil is as follows:

"Eat olive oil and spread it on your body because it is extracted from the fruit of a blessed tree." (Tirmidhzi, Atima 43; Ibn Majah, Atima 34; Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, 3, 497; Hakim, Müstadrak, 2, 398)

In a comparison between various animal and vegetable oils and margarines in terms of cholesterol, the effect of olive oil to reduce cholesterol level in the blood was witnessed. This is due to the rich unsaturated fatty acids in its content. Therefore, it is the only oil that those who complain about cardiovascular diseases can use.

There are many more compounds in olive oil that are not found in other oils; these compounds are also mentioned for their anticarcinogenic effects along with their lowering blood pressure, being a remedy, being natural antibiotics and having positive effects on digestion.¹³

Olive oil is really wonderful as the divine message states. It can stay for a long time without spoiling, and it has a wide range of benefits from cleaning and enlightenment to medicine production.¹⁴

In some verses, olive tree and olives are mentioned; in others, it is regarded as oil and food especially for those who eat its fruit. (al-Mu'minun, 23/20) Based on this, it can be said that olive oil was an important food item in the Era of the Prophet (pbuh).¹⁵

Olive oil, which contains rich nutrients and vitamins and is called the miracle of divine power, is the most easily digested oil among fats and oils. In addition to cardiovascular diseases, olive oil is also effective in the development of children's brain, strengthening their bones, and protecting the stomach against ulcer; it is also a source of vitamins and plays a role in regenerating cells and delaying aging.

Olive oil is an indispensable food source for children as it contains vitamins A, D, E and K. Olive oil decreases gastric acid whether it is consumed cold or hot. It enables the gallbladder to fulfill its duty properly and is the best absorbed oil by the intestines among fats and oils. Since it has a structure that enables the harmful substances in the blood to be removed quickly, it helps the liver to work more regularly and healthily. Olive oil is ideal for diets. It is useful in jaundice. It is used to prepare some medicines in pharmaceutics.¹⁶

Olive is also an important antidote. Therefore, it is effective in preventing hair loss.¹⁷ Beauty experts state that when natural and acid-free olive oil is applied to the roots of the hair, it causes the hair to become shiny and stronger than before. If the oil is applied on the skin, it nourishes the skin. Research has shown that if this oil is used regularly, the deformation of the skin is prevented, and the vitamin E in olive oil protects the human body from aging, from cell to bones and from brain to skin.

Olive oil plays a role in reducing the amount of harmful cholesterol in the blood, hence reducing the risk of heart attack. The biggest reason why it is so popular in Western countries is the heart health.¹⁸ Olive oil softens the stool and has a laxative effect.¹⁹ It also has biligenic effects. It is widely used in the soap industry.²⁰

4. Grapes

The word grapes is mentioned eleven times in the Quran:

"It is He Who sendeth down rain from the skies: with it We produce vegetation of all kinds: from some We produce green (crops), out of which We produce grain, heaped up (at harvest); out of the date-palm and its sheaths (or spathes) (come) clusters of dates hanging low and near: and (then there are) gardens of grapes, and olives, and pomegranates..." (al-An'am, 6/99)

Some of the verses in which the word grapes is mentioned in the Quran are as follows: al-Baqara, 266; ar-Ra'd, 4; al-Kahf, 32; Yasin, 34; an-Nahl, 11, 67; al-Isra, 91; al-Mu'minun, 19; an-Naba', 32; Abasa, 28.

The grape is used in all forms, from the first sprouts to its final form. Thin green fibers emerge from the sprouts at first; they have a sourish taste; it is also possible to cook them. As for unripe graves, they are a nice food both for the sick and the healthy. Useful syrups are made for bilious patients from unripe grapes. Unripe grape juice is also added to dishes after being boiled; it is one of the tastiest syrups. When it is fully ripe, it is the sweetest of the fruits. It is possible to store grapes by hanging them. It is really the sweetest of all the fruits that are stored. Raisins, molasses, fruit pulp and vinegar are obtained from grapes.

Grape seeds are also beneficial. Doctors make some preparations from them; they are of great benefit for weak stomachs. (Doctors state that grape seeds are very useful if people eat them by chewing and crushing them.) In short, grape is a fruit that is worth calling "the sultan of fruits". ²¹

The grape is a food with very strong medical benefits. The grape is also diuretic and sedative; it also has a laxative effect. Grapes are a great source of energy. Energy to human movement is what gasoline is to a car. Grapes are high in calories. Therefore, grapes give people vitality and fitness. It is effective in increasing the physical and mental strength. It takes part in blood production. It helps the harmful substances accumulated in the body to be thrown out. It plays a role in lowering high blood pressure. It is beneficial for stomach ulcer, gastritis, liver diseases, spleen diseases, rheumatism and joint inflammation. It is effective in relieving constipation, strengthening the heart and cleansing the blood. It helps to prevent nausea of ​​pregnant women. It cleans the skin. It helps to undergo the period of convalescence easily. It helps to pass kidney sand and stones.²²

The grape has vitamin C. This vitamin is likened to the mortar placed among the building blocks of a building. In vitamin C deficiencies, small bleeding occurs in the joints. In addition, skin pallor, general weakness and irritability are seen. The grape is good for fatigue due to the vitamin C in it as well as its calories. Another ingredient conducive to fitness in grapes is vitamin A. Vitamin C plays a role in relieving nervousness; in addition, calcium and phosphorus as well as vitamin B1 and vitamin B6 are also effective in it. Those who eat grapes will not have pale faces (thanks to the vitamins). In addition, thanks to vitamin C, there will be no bleeding foci; thanks to vitamins A and C, microbial diseases and negative appearances caused by them will not be seen in the body.²³  

5. Pomegranate

Pomegranate is mentioned in three places in the Quran:

"It is He Who sendeth down rain from the skies: with it We produce vegetation of all kinds: from some We produce green (crops), out of which We produce grain, heaped up (at harvest); out of the date-palm and its sheaths (or spathes) (come) clusters of dates hanging low and near: and (then there are) gardens of grapes, and olives, and pomegranates…" (al-An'am, 6/99).

The other verses related to the pomegranate in the Quran are as follows: al-An'am, 141; ar-Rahman, 68.

Hz. Ali states the following about pomegranate:  

"Eat the pomegranate with the membrane in it because it cleans the stomach."²⁴

Pomegranate peel, flowers and juice are used against diarrhea since they cause constipation.²⁵ Pomegranate juice is diuretic and strengthens the body and the heart. It is useful for thin people. Those who have gastrointestinal diseases, small children and pregnant women should not eat it very much.²⁶ 

6. Cherry

Cherry is mentioned in one place in the Quran:

"The Companions of the Right Hand,- what will be the Companions of the Right Hand (They will be) among Lote-trees without thorns²⁷, Among Talh trees with flowers (or fruits) piled one above another,- In shade long-extended, By water flowing constantly, And fruit in abundance. Whose season is not limited, nor (supply) forbidden." (al-Waqia, 56/27-33)

The cherry fruit, fruit stalks, flowers and stem barks are consumed. The fruits are consumed as food, while other parts are dried and prepared for use as medicine. Cherry stalks should not be thrown away; they should be dried and stored. When they are brewed and drunk like tea, they have a diuretic and antitoxic effect on the body. Fruits contain sugar, apple and citric acid, vitamins A and C; the stalks and barks contain tannin and potassium salts. Its fruits are delicious food; they are also diuretic and help to remove harmful substances accumulated in the kidneys.²⁸ It helps to clean the blood, it is useful for gout, rheumatism, arteriosclerosis and joint calcification. It is good for enlarged liver; it helps to normalize the flow of bile, to strengthen nerves, to increase body resistance, to prevent acne and to quench thirst.

Cherry tree bark has an antipyretic and constipating effect. Its flowers are effective in softening the chest and relieving cough. Its leaves are purgative.²⁹

7. Banana 

Banana is mentioned in only one place in the Quran:

"(They will be) among Lote-trees without thorns, Among Talh trees with flowers (or fruits) piled one above another,- In shade long-extended, By water flowing constantly, And fruit in abundance. Whose season is not limited, nor (supply) forbidden." (al-Waqia, 56/28-33).

The fruit called talh mandud means banana-trees with fruits piled one above another. Talh is a banana tree according to the majority of the tafsir scholars. Mandud means “piled one above another like a comb”.³⁰ Some scholars say talh does not mean banana. It is said that it is a tree similar to banana trees in the world and has fruits sweeter than honey. There are also those who interpret it differently.³¹

Banana provides all the substances that the body needs. It helps the development of bones and the shortening of the period of convalescence. It has some effects in eliminating nerve weakness and fatigue. It is beneficial for kidney and joint inflammation, and intestinal diseases. Those who suffer from chronic constipation should not eat too much of it. ³² When the banana ripens, the starch in it is transformed into sugar and quickly enters the bloodstream with other valuable substances. A ripe banana is digested in 1 hour and 45 minutes. The banana causes the formation of new protective cells in the stomach, stops the progress of the ulcer and helps to cure it.³³

Conclusion

The Quran is a sea full of various sciences and knowledge. Anyone who wants to obtain the pearls of this sea must dive deep. Although there are many great and exceptional books written by scholars and included in libraries to serve this exalted book of Allah, the Quran remains with interesting information, full of pearls and jewels and it occasionally shows them to us. It is full of things that will amaze minds and ideas, of divine lights, holy blessings, luminous gifts, and things that will help to save humanity from the miserable life and its burning fire.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) states the following:

"In it (Allah’s book) is news for what happened before you, and information about what comes after you, and judgement for what happens between you... And the original meaning of it does not diminish..."³⁴

In other words, it is an inexhaustible treasure. For this reason, valuable scholars who wrote hundreds of interpretations of the Quran in every century discussed and interpreted different aspects of the Quran, and Muslims benefited and are still benefiting from them. Inshallah as the decree "the original meaning of it does not diminish" expresses, various aspects of the Quran will be dealt with and interpreted, and the unknown aspects of it will come to light gradually until the Day of Judgment.

Footnotes:

1. Ajwa date is the name of the type of date the Prophet (pbuh) himself planted after he migrated to Madinah and looked after. Its color is close to black, has big fruits, is very nice and delicious. Ibnul-Athir, an-Nihaya, Ajwa item
2. Ayhan Yalçın, Şifalı Bitkiler Ansk., Geçit Kitabevi 1981, p.549.
3. A.Rıza Karabulut, Tıbb-ı Nebevî Ansk., Ankara 1994, p.323-326.
4. Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, Zadul-Maad, (translation), Ist, 1990, 5, 24.
5. İnci Beşoğlu, Aile Ansk., Ist, 1977, 2, 609.
6. Farika Teymur, Kur'ân ve Tıb'ta Hurma, Zafer magazine, issue 96, p.30-31.
7. Razi, Tafsir Kabir, Tafsiru at-Tin.
8. Adil Asımgil, Şifalı Bitkiler, Ist, 1993, p. 126.
9. A.R.Karabulut, ibid, 1, 346.
10. Ayhan Yalçın, ibid, p.551.
11. A. Asımgil, ibid, p.288-289.
12. Derveze, İ., Kur'ân'a Göre Hz. Muhammed'in Hayatı, Yöneliş yay, Ist, 1989. p.80.
13. Akdeniz'den dünyaya yayılan sağlık ve lezzet: Zeytinyağı, Zaman, 12 November 1995; A.Yalçın, ibid, p.610.
14. İnci Beşoğlu, ibid, 2, 612.
15. Zeytinyağı sağlık garantisi.
16. A. Asımgil, ibid, p.288-289.
17. Turhan Baytop, Farmakognozi Ders kitabı, İ.Ü. Eczacılık Fak. yay. 2, 229.
18. H. Yazır, Hak Dini Kur'ân Dili, 3, 475.
19. A.Yalçın, ibid, p.604; Hasan Günaydın, Kur'ân Işığında Faydalı Gıdalar ve Beslenme, Ist 1995, p.189.
20. Polat Has, Peygamberimizden Günümüze Beslenme, Töv., yay., İzmir 1991, p.166-169.
21. Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, 5, 382; Majmauz-Zawaid, 5, 96.
22. Turhan Baytop, ibid, 2, 208.
23. Ayhan Yalçın, ibid, 582.
24. That is the translation by Elmalılı Hamdi Yazır.
25. İlhan Yardımcı, Halk ilaçları ve şifalı bitkiler, p. 99.
26. Adil Asımgil, ibid, p.163; Ayhan Yalçın, Şifalı Bitkiler Ansk. p. 567.
27. Ibn Qayyim Zadul-Maad, 5,61.
28. H.Yazır, ibid, 7, 399.
29. A.Yalçın, ibid, p.580; H.Günaydın, ibid, p.135.
30. Polat Has, ibid, p.186.
31. Tirmidhi, Fadailul-Qur'an, 14 .

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