BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM
by Karimah bint Dawoud, Muslim chaplain and well being writer
karimahscuisina@live.co.uk
For those of us venturing to the masjid for taraweeh ,night prayers during Ramdhan please consider boosting your immune system during this time. too many people, full of flu cold and coughs to attend taraweeh even though they should be home in bed.
Please consider taking an electuary, its part of Islamic medicine and will boost your health inshallah during this physically, mentally and spiritually testing time inshallah.
In the sunan of Ibn Maja,(marfu), from the hadith of Abu Harayra, radialahu anhu, it says,
” anyone who takes an electuary on three mornings of every month, he will not be touched by major affliction.” Ibn Maja. tibb,7.the isnad includes al -Zubayr Ibn Sa’id who is matruk.
Definition of an Electuary
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An electuary is a medicinal paste composed of powders, or other medical ingredients, incorporated with sweeteners to hide the taste, like syrup, honey, jam, etc., for the purposes of oral consumption.
“the prophet, salah ala alaihi wa salem, used to drink honey with water, on an empty stomach; herein lies a most notable secret for the preservation of health that is only to be grasped by the astute and discerning..this we shall mention, if God wills, under his guidance for the Preservation of Health.”
BOOSTING THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
There are various herbs/spices that boost the immune system and two of the strongest are Echinacea and golden seal.
GOLDEN SEAL
I was told that golden seal is more suitable for people who have a tendency to get hay fever, asthma and eczema and that Echinacea is for others.
Personally I take golden seal, with honey and water as its mentioned, this is an electuary. Some of you will not like it as its very bitter and you would rather take a tablet when you have a cold, but Islamically we should used these types of medicines first , after making duaa they are considered “simple” medicines, if this does work then we can take a ” compound ” medicine, which pharmaceutical would come under.
Goldenseal is a bitter that stimulates the secretion and flow of bile, and can also be used as an expectorant. It also has strong activity against a variety of bacteria, yeast, and fungi, such as E. Coli and Candida.
Goldenseal is used for infections of the mucus membranes, including the mouth, sinuses, throat, the intestines, stomach, urinary tract and vagina.
Goldenseal is used for the following conditions:
- minor wound healing
- bladder infections
- fungal infections of the skin
- colds & flu
- sinus and chest congestion
Side Effects and Safety
Goldenseal should not be taken by pregnant women. One of goldenseal’s chief constituents, berberine, has been reported to cause uterine contractions and to increase levels of bilirubin. Goldenseal should not be used by people with high blood pressure. Those with heart conditions should only use goldenseal under the supervision of a health professional.
The safety of goldenseal in nursing women, children, and people with kidney and liver disease is unknown.
Side effects are rare, but include irritation of the mouth and throat, nausea, increased nervousness, and digestive problems. The liquid forms of goldenseal are yellow-orange and can stain.
ECHINECHEA
General Uses
Several laboratory and animal studies suggest that Echinacea contains active substances that enhance the activity of the immune system, relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and have hormonal, antiviral, and antioxidant effects. For this reason, professional herbalists may recommend Echinacea to treat urinary tract infections, vaginal yeast (Candida) infections, ear infections (also known as obits media), athlete’s foot, sinusitis, hay fever (also called allergic rhinitis), as well as slow-healing wounds. One study even suggests that Echinacea extract exerted an antiviral action on the development of recurrent HSVI when supplied prior to infection.
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/echinacea-000239.htm
Side effects and contraindications
Reported adverse effects of Echinacea are primarily allergic in nature and also include anaphylaxis, asthma attacks, thrombocytopenic purport, leucopenia, abdominal pain, nausea,dysuria, arthralgia, myalgia, and dizziness.[27] These tend to be infrequent, mild, and transient.[28][29] Echinacea should not be taken by persons with progressive systemic and auto-immune disorders, connective tissue disorders, or related diseases. It should not be used with immunosuppressants or hepatotoxic drugs,[29][30] and has the potential to interfere with anesthesia
“Echinacea”. American Cancer Society. 26 June 2007. Retrieved 24 March 2008.
Karimah's Cuisina Quranic Cooking 
i dont think it would be easy for me to find any of these here in Egypt can you suggest any other herbs or seeds
as salaam alaikum, in Egypt there are many wonderful herbs and Islamic herbal practitioners,maashallah, you will have to start asking around , may Allah make it easy for you ameen
Another possible side effect of Golden Seal is over production of yeast throughout the system as is with any antibiotic, the opposite happens. Some of the symptoms are swollen and achy joints, yeast infection, urinary tract inflammation. This side effect comes from overconsumption of this electuary(herb). I only share of my witnessed experience of 16 yrs of practicing natural medicine and herbology (phytotherapy). There are other herbs that work just well as infection fighting combos such as cinnamon, burdock root, neem, cayenne pepper, all of these work well with Echinecea and also prevents the immune system from immunity(if you will) to a single herb (electuary). ~a naturalist
as salaam alaikum ukti love, barak allah feeki for your reply, its a blessing from Allah, please feel free to add your comments and share your wonderful knowledge
i have read that golden seal should be used for hayfever, asthmatic eczema types, that includes me, inshallah acidopholis would counteract the yeast infection.
I really love your attitude toward yourself and your body. Thank you for spreading the goodness!
-Linda
sallams linda, thank you for your compliment and encouragement
Assalamualaikum sister Karimah, I have experienced wonderful, positive results from taking bee’s propolis as an immune system booster. Impending colds and flues are almost immediately cured just after 2 to 3 drops of this miraculous substance. I’ve had ear infection which makes them unbearably itchy for 10 years and it is now gone masyAllah. My son’s sinus problem too is so much reduced, Alhamdulillah. However we need to be careful in choosing the ones that do not contain alcohol.