Eating habits

Ibn Qayyim in "Medicine of the Prophet" said, “Physical ailments attack and harm the body and alter its normal functions, because of an excess amount of a substance. This type constitutes the majority of diseases and occurs, because of overeating or consuming more than what the body needs, that which brings about little benefit or is not digested easily, or due to complex meals. When [a human] habitually fills his stomach with these types of foods, he will end up with various types of illnesses, some of which take a long time to remedy. On the other hand, when one consumes moderate amounts of food and eats sensibly, the body will get the maximum benefit from this diet, as opposed to when one overeats.”

A cure for every disease

Ibn Qayyim in "Medicine of the Prophet" said, "The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: "Allah has not sent down a disease except that He has In addition sent down its cure."”

Complexity

Ibn Qayyim in "Medicine of the Prophet" said, "The most experienced doctors use medications that contain one ingredient. The medication should be similar or related to regular foods that the patient is used to eating. Cultures that consume one or only a few types of food in their regular diet, generally suffer from few illnesses, they should not use compound medicines. Those who live in cities and whose diets are complex need medicines that are a mixture of several substances or ingredients, as these are the types of medicines that most suit their illnesses. The ailments of the people who live in the deserts are usually simple and thus simple medications are suitable for them.”

Simplicity

Ibn Qayyim in "Medicine of the Prophet" said, "The medical authorities agree that whenever an illness could be fought with nourishment and diet, then medicine should be avoided. In addition, they agree that whenever it is possible to use only one substance or ingredient as a remedy, a compound remedy should not be used.”

The three states of the body

Ibn Qayyim in "Medicine of the Prophet" said, "… there are three states that the body can be in: normal, abnormal and in the middle (between normal and abnormal). When the state of the body is normal, the body is healthy. The second state occurs when the body is ill, while the third is in the middle, as one extreme does not become the opposite extreme except after passing through a middle stage.”

Coffee and liver health

In a roundtable, held at the Royal Society of Medicine in London, 2017, key research findings highlighted included a suggestion that “coffee consumption versus no coffee consumption is associated with up to a 40% risk reduction of liver cancer…” and that “…coffee consumption is consistently associated with a reduced risk of cirrhosis, with a potential risk reduction of 25-70%.”

Source: EurekAlert!, the online, global news service operated by AAAS, the science society.

In Tibb (Islamic Medicine), coffee is classified as cold and dry: food qualities.

Cinnamon and obesity

In a November 2017 study, the University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute found that the cinnamaldehyde in cinnamon improves metabolic health by acting directly on fat cells, inducing them to start burning energy and so may be of benefit in dealing with obesity.

Source: EurekAlert!, the online, global news service operated by AAAS, the science society.

Aloeswood - Arak

Oud - Agarwood - Aloeswood - Agor - Agoro Gach - Lignum Aloes - Chen Xiang

As-Suyuti in "Medicine of the Prophet" said, "Aloeswood is the wood from which the tooth-pick is made. Said Abu Hanffa: aloeswood is the best for the brushing of the teeth, for it renders speech more eloquent, frees the tongue, benefits the weakness due to disease, generates an appetite, and clears the brain. It is better if it is used moistened with rose-water. Tradition says that Ibn ‘Abbas said: In the tooth-pick there are ten benefits: it gives a pleasing perfume to the mouth, strengthens the gums, dissolves phlegm, drives scales away from the teeth, and opens the stomach for food. It is in accordance with [the Sunnah] and it pleases the Lord. It adds to a man’s merit and it gives joy to the angels. Said al-Hadi'qa: When the Prophet, peace be upon him, got up in the morning, he used to clean his mouth with an aloeswood stick.”

Image:  Hafizmuar at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16551002

Warss - Kamala - Ceylon Cornel Tree

Warss - Kamala - Ceylon Cornel Tree

Ibn Qayyim in "Medicine of the Prophet" said, "Warss is dry and hot in the second degree. The best type of warss is the red warss, which is soft in the hand and does not have much bran. Warss is used as an ointment to treat spots, rashes and pimples that appear on the surface of the skin. Warss constipates, has a dyeing quality and helps against leprosy when taken as a drink. Warss has similar benefits to sea qust (costus), and if it is used as an ointment it relieves vitiligo (skin condition of unknown cause, characterized by patchy loss of pigment), rashes, pimples and ulcers. When the clothes are dyed with warss, they strengthen the sexual drive.”

Camphor - Kaafur

Ibn Qayyim in "Medicine of the Prophet" said, "Ibn Samjun said, "There are several kinds of oud and they all carry the general name of Aluwwah. Oud is used in and out of the body and is burned alone or with other substances. There is a medicinal significance when the oud is mixed with camphor as each of them makes the other milder. In addition, burning the oud helps cleanse the air, which is one of the six necessary elements for the body's well-being."

Cinnamon - Darsi'm

As-Suyuti in "Medicine of the Prophet" said, "Cinnamon is hot and dry in the third degree. It contains within it a fragrance which strengthens the stomach. A mouthwash containing cinnamon on an empty stomach is good for dimness of vision. Cinnamon also adds strength to ointments.”

Cumin - Sanoot

Ibn Qayyim in "Medicine of the Prophet" said, "As for cumin there is a difference of opinion concerning its nature. Umar bin Bakr As-Saksaki, for instance, said that cumin is either honey or butter extract. Another opinion suggests that cumin is a seed that resembles the Kammon (cumin), as Ibn AI-Arabi has asserted. The fourth and fifth opinions suggest that cumin is the Persian cumin or fennel, according to Abu Hanifah Ad-Daynoori. The sixth opinion suggests that it is the Shibitt (dill), and the seventh opinion suggests that it is the date, according to Abu Bakr bin As-Sunni, the eighth opinion suggests that it is honey that exists in butter-skin, according to Abdul-Latit Al-Baghdadi. Some doctors stated that the last meaning is the most probable. In this case, the Cumin is prepared by blending senna powder with some honey mixed with ghee, as this is better than taking the senna by itself. Then one licks the mixture that contains the senna, as in this case the senna taste will be made milder, because of the honey and butter, which will assist the laxative power of the senna. Allah knows best.”

Quince - Safarjal

Ibn Qayyim in "Medicine of the Prophet" said, "Quince is cold and dry, constipates and benefits the stomach. Sweet quince is cold and dry and is somewhat mild. Sour quince constipates more than sweet quince and is colder and drier. All types of quince quench the thirst, stop vomiting, help produce urine and constipate. Consuming quince before the meal constipates, while consuming it after the meals softens the stool and helps the digestion process … quince jam strengthens the stomach and the liver and relieves the heart and the soul.”

Ginger - Zanjabil

Zanjibeel - Zanjabil - Zinger - Zanfil - Adrak

Ibn Qayyim in "Medicine of the Prophet" said, "Ginger is hot in the second degree and wet in the first degree. It heats the body, helps the ingestion process, softens the stomach mildly, helps open the clogs of the liver that are caused by coldness and wetness and helps against the wetness that causes sight impairment, when it is eaten or used as kohl. [It strengthens sexual power and decomposes the thick gases accumulating in the intestines and the stomach.  [It] is good for the cold temperament of the liver and the stomach. When one takes some ginger along with two measures of sugar and some hot water, it will work as a laxative and will rid the body of harmful excrements. [It] is an effective ingredient in the ointments that dissolve the phlegm.

Aniseed - Anisun

As-Suyuti in "Medicine of the Prophet" said, "Aniseed is hot and dry. It soothes internal pains, dissolves wind, increases the flow of the menses, the milk and the semen, and takes away all harm from poisons. Used as an eye collyrium it heightens vision.”

Saffron - Z'afran

Ibn Qayyim in "Medicine of the Prophet" said, "Blackseed helps against all types of cold ailments. In addition, blackseed helps introduce the effective ingredients of cold medications to the areas affected by hot and dry ailments, as it helps the body absorb the medicine quickly when taken in small dosages. The author of the 'Qanoon' and other people stated that saffron blended with camphor has similar effects, because saffron helps the camphor reach the affected area quickly. There are several types of plants that have similar effects as saffron. It is possible that the hot substance benefits in cases of hot diseases.”

Amber

Ibn Qayyim in "Medicine of the Prophet" said, "Amber is hot and dry and strengthens the heart, the mind and the senses. It In addition strengthens the body and helps relieve facial paralysis, hemiplegia (paralysis), phlegmy ailments, stomach and flatulence … [it] helps open various clogs if it is used as an ointment or as a drink. When it is inhaled [it] will relieve cold symptoms, headaches and migraines.”

Coriander

Coriander – Habbat -ul-Suda  - Kishneez  - Cilantro  - Chinese Parsley – Hu Sui

As-Suyuti in "Medicine of the Prophet" said, "Al-Bukhari says that coriander seeds are hot and dry ... Abu Harira reports an apocryphal saying, ‘yours be the seeds of coriander, for they are a cure for all diseases, save the swelling and that is a fatal disease’ … [It] is universally accepted as a panacea. Coriander seeds are useful for all diseases that are cold and wet … [They]never fail to increase the urine, the menses and the milk … They will also cure a cold. If they are boiled in fat, they are good for baldness, warts, and delusions. An ointment of coriander seeds stimulates the growth of the beard and prevents grey hair. … If eaten on bread the seeds remove wind and relieve headaches.”

Jasmine

As-Suyuti in "Medicine of the Prophet" said, "Jasmine is cold and dry. It is an aid to the aged, but much smelling of it turns the complexion yellow. The oil of jasmine is heating. If jasmine is dried, powdered up and then placed upon a thing, the black is turned white.”

Violet

Ibn Qayyim in "Medicine of the Prophet" said, "The most beneficial simple kinds of grease are regular oil, then fat and then sesame oil. As for the compound greases, some kinds are wet and cold, such as the essence of violet, which helps against hot headaches and brings sleep to the eye. It moisturises the brain, helps against cracks (or fractures) and excessive dryness of the skin. It is also a beneficial ointment against mange and dry rashes, along with helping the joints be flexible. It is suitable for those who tend to be hot during the summer.”