يَخْرُجُ مِن بُطُونِهَا شَرَابٌ
مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهُ فِيهِ شِفَاء لِلنَّاسِ إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لآيَةً
لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
"There
comes forth from their bellies, a drink of varying colour wherein is healing
for men. Verily, in this is indeed a sign for people who think."
[An-Nahl 16:69]
Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله said:
Honey contains
great benefits, for it cleanses impurities from the veins and stomach etc,
whether it is eaten or applied to the skin. It is good for the elderly, the
phlegmatic and those whose humours are cold and wet. It is nourishing, aids
digestion, energizes, makes unpleasant medicine palatable, is good for the
liver and chest, is a diuretic and helps to ease coughs caused by phlegm. If it
is drunk warm mixed with rosewater it is beneficial for one who has been bitten
by a scorpion or who has consumed opium. If it is drunk on its own mixed with
water, it is good for the one who has been bitten by a rabid dog or eaten
poisonous mushrooms. If fresh meat is placed in honey, it will stay fresh for
three months, as will cucumbers, pumpkins and eggplants. Many fruits can be
kept in it for six months.
It will also preserve a dead body, and it
is known as the trustworthy preserver. If the body of one who is afflicted with
lice is painted with honey, it will kill the lice and their eggs. It makes the
hair long, beautiful and smooth. If used on the eyes like kohl it clears the
vision. If the teeth are brushed with it, it whitens the teeth and makes them
bright, and keeps the gums healthy. It opens the veins and induces
menstruation. If taken on an empty stomach it takes away phlegm and cleanses
the stomach, clearing away waste matter and restoring the correct temperature.
It does likewise to the liver, kidneys and urethra.
As well as all this, it has no side effects
and causes little harm. It may cause side effects in one who is suffering from
jaundice, but that may be counteracted by vinegar and the like, in which case
it becomes very beneficial for him. It is a kind of nourishment, a kind of
medicine, a kind of drink, a kind of sweet, a kind of cream. There is nothing that has been
created for us for a similar purpose that is better than it, or even comes
close. The ancient peoples relied on it, and in most of the
books of the ancients there is no mention of sugar at all and it was unknown to
them, for it is something that is very new. The Prophet صلّى
اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم used
to drink honey mixed with water on an empty stomach, and this is the secret of
maintaining good health that no one can understand except one who is
intelligent and blessed.
(Zaad al-Ma’aad,
4/33, 34.)
