Raw onions, health properties and Sunnah

[kayra]

:salam:

My 2-year-old has never been able to keep down any form of medicine, so when she gets a cold, we treat her with liberal helpings of raw onion! In fact, when she was teething, she used to happily munch on a large wedge of raw onion for hours. Local sisters have told me it has antibiotic properties; people are even advised to chomp on raw onions before travelling to a new region of the country, as it strengthens the immune system and helps protect against "new" germs.

The question is: is it against the Sunnah to eat lots of raw onion (and garlic - very healthy too!) in general, or only if one intends to go to the masjid afterwards?

:ws:

[Sulaiman84]

:salam:

I've heard pretty much the same thing. I was told to eat raw onions in my food in India to prevent getting food poisoning. I've also heard it's good when you travel to foreign countries you should eat the local honey as the first thing. Garlic is another natural anti biotic but I dunno if you wanna be chompin on that and be around people.

Excerpt from Ibn Al-Qayyim :rahma:'s book Tibb An-Nabawi:

Abu Dawud narrates in his Sunan that A'ishah :anha: was asked about onions and she said, " The last meal that Rasulullah :saw: had included onions in it."

In the Sahihain it is also narrated that Rasulullah :saw: disallowed those who eat onions from entering the masjid.

The onion is hot in the third degree and has an excess wetness, helps against pollution and prevents hot wind (meaning in the stomach). It also excites the sexual drive, strengthens the stomach, helps semen production, makes the color lighter, dissolves the phlegm, and cleanses the stomach.

Onion grains help against vitiate (lack of pigment in certain areas of the skin) and are used as an ointment around the area affected by alopecia (A skin disease characterized by loss of hair, partial or total). Further, warts will dissipate effectively when onions are blended with salt (and used as an ointment on the warts). When someone feels nauseous after taking a laxative, smelling onions will help against vomiting. Also the onion will dissipate the smell of laxatives, and when onion water (extract) is administered through the nose, it will clear the head. Used as ear drops, onion extract also helps against weak hearing, Innitus, pus and water that accumulates in the ear. also, onion grains are used as an eyeliner, to dry out the water that attacks the eye, i.e. cataracts, when the grains are blended with honey and used on the white part of the eye.

Cooked onions are nutritious and helps against icterus, jaundice, coughing and roughness in the chest. It is also diuretic and relaxes the bowels. It also heals dog bites when its water (extract) is blended with salt and rue and squeezed on the affected area. Finally, it will open the orifices of the hemorrhoids when used as suppository.

Onions cause migraines, headaches, flatulence and bring darkness to the sight

Eating onions in excessive amounts or regularly cause forgetfulness, affects the mind and changes the odor of the mouth and the taste of food. It also bothers those in your presence and the angels. Cooking onions dissipates these side effects of the onion. The Sunan narrated:

"The Prophet :saw: ordered those who eat onion and garlic to kill them (make them milder) by cooking."

Also, chewing rue leaves dissipates the odor of the onions.

[kayra]

:salam:

Brother, that was exactly what I was looking for. May Allah give you and your family good health.

Erm... Now I have to Google "rue"!

:ws:

[Quraatulain]

:salam:

Interesting stuff mashaAllah...

[Sulaiman84]

:ws:

Ameen. To you and yours as well.

It's good information to know. Especially if one doesn't like to take conventional medication or is not near a hospital.

[kayra]

:salam:

How is the availability and use of hikmat medicines(traditionally practiced by hakeems) in turkey ?

:jazak:

:salam:

Hmm, can you explain the exact definition of hikmat medicines please? I thought hakeem came from the same word as hikmat, and doctors in Turkey are still called hakeem :)

If you mean herbal medicine - Luqman Hakeem (or Lokman Hekim as they say in Turkish) is widely-known, and lots of "aktar" (herb/ spice/ natural medicine shops) call themselves that. Every time I walk into a little aktar shop to buy black seed or fenugrek or chamomile, the shopkeeper tries to persuade me to buy a special mix of "27 herbs" in "special honey" guaranteed to make my unborn baby healthy or make me put on weight or give me a glowing skin. My husband is offered the same "27" (or was it 47?) herbed honey for "energy" and "strength". Is this the kind of medicine you mean?

:ws:

[kayra]

:salam:

Maybe thats what it has evolved into in turkey. In India where I come from it is basically herbal medicine. Also reference is made to unani(greek) medicine. In several parts of India herbal medicine(unani and ayurvedic) is still very popular and you will find hakeems practising this. Before the onslought of allopathic medicine this was probably the main medicine.

There are general remedies for common problems but as far as I know the hakeem will treat people individually and remedies differ from person to person based on the hakeems discretion.

Anyway just was curious about the situation in turkey.

:jazak:

:salam:

Interesting. I once worked in an over-priced celebrity "health center and spa" place (back then I enjoyed the irony) and these people were into all kinds of "alternative health and healing". As well as Yoga, Tai Chi and so on, there were reflexology experts, dieticians, etc., and I got really interested in Ayurvedic theories and concepts (but could never decide if I was pitta or vata!). Also, my family has always believed in hot-water-fresh-lemon-and-honey to be the cure for all colds, while my father added freshly squeezed garlic to his, and we would drink mint tea for "tummy aches" and so on - using natural foods and herbs as medicine was just a given. I used milk thistle when I had liver problems, fenugrek when I was breastfeeding, ginger for nausea and so on. So I've always been fascinated by Allah's naturally-occurring medicine!

It's been so long since I "dabbled" - what does ayurveda say about the "black seed" or black cummin?

:ws:

[verdana]

Onions cause migraines, headaches, flatulence and bring darkness to the sight

Eating onions in excessive amounts or regularly cause forgetfulness, affects the mind and changes the odor of the mouth and the taste of food. It also bothers those in your presence and the angels. Cooking onions dissipates these side effects of the onion.

Does anyone know if this is proven scientifically? I wouldn't dare to ask such a naive question if the saying was a Hadith or prophetic expression, however, the words here belong to Ibn Al-Qayyim. I don't dispute his scholarship in Deen, but just want to know scientific evidence to it if there is any.

As for this,


"The Prophet :saw: ordered those who eat onion and garlic to kill them (make them milder) by cooking."

It needs to be properly referenced. Because prohibition of onions and eating mildly cooked ones is sort of contradictory. Also I heard somewhere that this saying belongs to Amiral Mu'minin Umar r.a.

[kayra]

Because prohibition of onions and eating mildly cooked ones is sort of contradictory.

:salam:

Prohibition? I never read that our beloved Prophet :saw: prohibited eating onions altogether, brother. Just that he didn't approve of brothers eating raw onions before going to the masjid and breathing raw onion fumes over everybody! Cooking onions removes a lot of the "breath" pungency.

But I would be interested to learn the authenticity of the hadith about his last meal :) (if "authenticity" if the right word)

:ws:

[verdana]

:salam:

Just that he didn't approve of brothers eating raw onions before going to the masjid and breathing raw onion fumes over everybody!

:ws:

By prohibition I meant prohibition before going to masjid. But then again, in the hadith it doesn't say don't come to masjid if you have eaten "raw" onion. If the cooking advice had been suggested in the hadith, then there could be inconsistency in this regard. I kind of lazy minded to express what I think today.

Off topic:

Sis. Kayra may I seek your advice on something that sunk my friend in grief nowadays?

Here what he says:

I want to move to a new a townhouse. Because in my present townhouse next to door neighbor is extremely picky about noise..yet, we've got 2-year old very active girl; she runs up and down and all. New townhouse apartment that we made application offered us a place where doors are almost adjacent to that of neighbor -who seems to be a lonely wretched guy (deduced from his all over crashed car parked in front of his townhouse). Neither did I like this place, nor my wife.. before moving in, we asked for different apartment to be offered to us in the same complex. There are other available ones..

But the problem now is, that available apartments are those that are close to non-practicing so called Muslim families whom my wife doesn't like. I don't like them either, but I can avoid visiting them or but wife can't. They just can come over to us anytime they wish..

I strongly don't want my wife to deal with them.. because they bring about noticeable bad character and do effect my wife.

On the other hand, wife doesn't want to reside anywhere else because there is no other families to interact with.. There is one muslim family but far from my work.

Also, the reason I want to move to the place with non-practicing families is that, there are two students of mine and I want to spend much time with them to teach Qur'an, adab, manners and Deen.

I don't know what to do... on one hand we can educate two students, on the other hand my wife can compromise in her beautiful attitude and manners.

Need your advice.

[Sulaiman84]

:salam:

It's in the Sunan of Abu Dawud :rahma: along with many more sayings about onions and garlic. Here are a few:

Book 27, Number 3814:

Narrated AbuSa'id al-Khudri:

The garlic and onions were mentioned before the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him). He was told: The most severe of them is garlic. Would you make it unlawful? The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Eat it, and he who eats it should not come near this mosque until its odour goes away.

Book 27, Number 3815:

Narrated Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman:

Zirr ibn Hubaysh said: Hudhayfah traced, I think, to the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) the saying: He who spits in the direction of the qiblah will come on the Day of Resurrection in the state that his saliva will be between his eyes; and he who eats from this noxious vegetable should not come near our mosque, saying it three times.

Book 27, Number 3816:

Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar:

The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: He who eats from this plant should not come near the mosques.

Book 27, Number 3817:

Narrated Al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah:

I ate garlic and came to the place where the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) was praying; one rak'ah of prayer had been performed when I joined. When I entered the mosque, the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) noticed the odour of garlic.

When the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) finished his prayer, he said: He who eats from this plant should not come near us until its odour has gone away.

When I finished the prayer, I came to the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) and said: Apostle of Allah, do give me your hand. Then I put his hand in the sleeve of my shirt, carrying it to my chest to show that my chest was fastened with a belt. He said: You have a (valid) excuse.

Book 27, Number 3818:

Narrated Mu'awiyah ibn Qurrah:

The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) forbade these two plants (i.e. garlic and onions), and he said: He who eats them should not come near our mosque. If it is necessary to eat them, make them dead by cooking, that is, onions and garlic.

Book 27, Number 3819:

Narrated Ali ibn AbuTalib:

It is forbidden to eat garlic unless it is cooked.

Book 27, Number 3820:

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin:

Khalid said: AbuZiyad Khiyar ibn Salamah asked Aisha about onions. She replied: The last food which the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) ate was some which contained onions.



As for the scientific evidence, there's loads of information on the net about the many benefits and some harms of onions.

[verdana]

:salam:

It was very enlightening and informative.

:jazak:

:ws:

[Sulaiman84]

:salam:

Brother verdana,

I think you have a liking to listening to different Qurraa'. If that's so, I wanted to share this page with you (if you don't have it already).

http://english.islamweb.net/ver2/engblue/audio.php?page=rewaya



On a side note, I go to this site to listen to Qur'an only.

[kayra]

Sis. Kayra may I seek your advice on something that sunk my friend in grief nowadays?

Here what he says:

I want to move to a new a townhouse. Because in my present townhouse next to door neighbor is extremely picky about noise..yet, we've got 2-year old very active girl; she runs up and down and all. New townhouse apartment that we made application offered us a place where doors are almost adjacent to that of neighbor -who seems to be a lonely wretched guy (deduced from his all over crashed car parked in front of his townhouse). Neither did I like this place, nor my wife.. before moving in, we asked for different apartment to be offered to us in the same complex. There are other available ones..

But the problem now is, that available apartments are those that are close to non-practicing so called Muslim families whom my wife doesn't like. I don't like them either, but I can avoid visiting them or but wife can't. They just can come over to us anytime they wish..

I strongly don't want my wife to deal with them.. because they bring about noticeable bad character and do effect my wife.

On the other hand, wife doesn't want to reside anywhere else because there is no other families to interact with.. There is one muslim family but far from my work.

Also, the reason I want to move to the place with non-practicing families is that, there are two students of mine and I want to spend much time with them to teach Qur'an, adab, manners and Deen.

I don't know what to do... on one hand we can educate two students, on the other hand my wife can compromise in her beautiful attitude and manners.

Need your advice.

:salam:

Please tell your friend that my advice is: Keep looking for good neighbors. Your first duty is to your family (as far as I know), and one of your duties to your wife includes providing her with good neighbors (again, this is what I remember, but I never memorized the list of a husband's duties!). If you know for a fact that the non-practicing Muslim families have a negative effect on your wife, then you do NOT want them as neighbors! They will also be spending time around the child. You should try your hardest to surround your family with good examples during your absence (while at work). The adab, manners and deen of your family are more important than that of your students. Good neighbors are more important for a peaceful home environment than the bricks and mortar of the house itself; personally I feel that location (like proximity to students/ work) should take second place - the expense and time spent on commuting is worth it.

Regarding the two-year-old daughter: two-year-olds are the noisiest neighbors I can think of. I have no advice to give unless you can afford to soundproof the walls! When my own daughter starts experimenting with the pitch of her lungs (think: supersonic shriek, like an electric drill going through glass, aluminium and concrete simultaneously), I feel very sorry for the neighbors; luckily, my own neighbors, despite all being adult, are equally loud at times. It's not fair of the neighbor to make you feel uncomfortable about your daughter's noise. We were all two years old once, and despite my mother's fond memories of angelic children, I know that ALL children are noisy.

:ws:

[kayra]

:salam:

Brother Sulaiman, thank you for the additional information. InshaAllah the prohibiton of raw onions and garlic doesn't apply to sisters/ babies who rarely leave the house! If so, may Allah forgive me for my ignorance. It would be good to hear a specific exception made for sisters (as they don't need to attend masjid). But in any case, it's really important because I'm the one preparing my husband's meals!

:ws:

[verdana]

:salam:

Kayra abla, your sincere advice is highly appreciated.

:jazak:

:ws:

[verdana]

:salam:

Brother verdana,

I think you have a liking to listening to different Qurraa'. If that's so, I wanted to share this page with you (if you don't have it already).

http://english.islamweb.net/ver2/engblue/audio.php?page=rewaya



On a side note, I go to this site to listen to Qur'an only.

:ws:

I appreciate it. Truly it is a garden of blessed flowers. I've been listening to it for hours now. This is a treasure of recitations.. May Allah reward you.

:jazak:

[Sulaiman84]

:salam:

:wk:

[perthelizabeth]

They will also be spending time around the child. You should try your hardest to surround your family with good examples during your absence (while at work). The adab, manners and deen of your family are more important than that of your students.