Uses of Date (khajoor)

Scientific name:  Phoenix dactylifera L.
English Name:  Date palm
Local Name:  Khajoor
Arabic Name: Balah
Family:  Arecaceae
Habit & Habitat: Cultivated tree, may be found self grown.
Part used: Fruit

Medicinal uses: Heart diseases, skin diseases,
antidote, swelling of kidney,
intestinal pain, heart attack, wound healer, diarrhea, labour pain, sexual weakness, stomach pain, piles, physical strengthing, shrill the voice, liver disorders.

References from Holy Quran:
* Surah Al-Bakara, Verse 266: Would any of you wish to have a garden with date-palms and vines(pure).

* Surah 16. An-Nahl, Verse. # 11: “With it He causes to grow for you the crops, the olives, the date-palms, the grapes and every kind of fruit. Verily! In this is indeed an evident proof and a manifest sign for people who give thought”.

* Surah-An-Nahl, Verse 67: And from the fruits of date-palms and grapes, you drive strong drink and goodly provision.

* Surah Israa,Verse 91: “ Or you have a garden of date-palms and grapes and cause rivers to gush forth in their midst abundantly.”

* Surah Al-Mumenoon, Verse 19: Then We brought forth for you therewith gardens of date-palms and grapes, wherein much fruit is for you and whereof you eat.

* Surah Yaseen, Verse 34: And we have made therein gardens of date-palms and grapes and we have caused springs of water to gush forth therein].

* Surah Al-An‘âm Verse. # 99: And out of the datepalm
and its spathe come forth clusters of dates hanging low and near and gardens of grapes, olive and pomegranates, each similar (in kind) yet different (in variety and taste). Look at their fruits when they begin to bear and the ripeness thereof. Verily! In these things there are signs for people who believe.

* Surah Ar-Ra‘d. Verse. # 4: and date-palms, growing, into two or three from a single stem root, or otherwise (one stem root for every palm), watered with same water.

* Surah 19. Maryam(Mary), Verse. # 25: “And shake the trunk of the date-palm towards you, it will let fall fresh ripe-dates upon you.”.

* Surah Yaseen. Verse: 34: And We have made therein gardens of date-palms and grapes and We have caused springs of water to gush forth therein. * Surah 55. Ar-Rahmân, Verse. # 11-28: Therein are fruits, date-palms producing sheathed fruit-stalks (enclosing dates).

* Surah 80. ‘Abasa, Verses. # 27-29: And We cause therein the grain to grow and grapes and clover plants (i.e.green fodder for the cattle) and olives and date-palms.

References From Ahdith:

* Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (Radiyallahu Anhuma) narrated that The Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, “There is a tree among the trees which is similar to a Muslim (in goodness). Its leaves do not fall. What is that tree? The Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) himself said, “that is the date palm tree.”

* Hazrat S’ad bin AbiWaqas (R.A) narrated that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, “He who eats seven dates of Madina (Ajwa dates) every morning, will not be affected by poison and magic on the day he eats them.”

* Hazrat Abdullah bin Abbass (Radiyallahu Anhuma) narrated that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, “The ‘Ajwah is from Paradise and it is an antidote against poison. The Kamah (truffles) is a type of Manna and its water (extract) cures the eye.

* Abdullah ibn Jaafar radiyallahu anhu says, “I saw Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) eating Qith’a (cucumbers or snake cucumber) with fresh dates.”

* Hazrat Aisha (Radiyallah Anha) reports that, “Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) ate watermelon with fresh dates.”.

* In Arabic the word “Qitha” is used for both ‘cucumber-khira’ and ‘snake cucumber-kakri’.

(Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Tabe Nabi)

Distribution in world:

Pakistan, N.Africa, India (Rajistan, Maharashter), Iraq, Saudi Arabia.

Flowering Period:

Mar-April

Chemical constituents:

Vitamin A, B, C, pectin, sugars in fruit Oxalic acid from seeds (stones) [8]. When dates are mature, they contain reasonable amounts of vitamins A, B1, B2 and niacin. Dates are a good source of potassium, calcium and iron and also contain chlorine, copper, magnesium, sulphur and phosphorous. The sugar content of ripe dates is about 80%; the remainder consists of protein, fat and mineral products including copper, sulphur, iron, magnesium and fluoric acid. Dates are high in fiber and an excellent source of potassium.