FOODS OF THE NOBEL QURAN AND SUNNAH -CUCUMBER
BY KARIMAH BINT DAWOUD
Inshallah today for iftar I will break my fast with dates and cucumber/kiwi juice. It was a custom of the prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him to eat dates with cucumber or melon as these two foods have diametrical opposing temperamental qualities. My stomach is feeling inflamed so the cucumber will inshallah cool it down and the dates will provide the necessary protection from viruses. A reminder to myself first to actually eat at least 3-5 dates first before eating any food, especially if someone else has cooked it and I don’t know them.
CUCUMBER (QITHTHA)
From the Sunnah, narrated by Abd’ Allah bin Jaffar, it is related that the messenger of Allah salah ala alaihi wa salem used tom eat cucumber (qiththa) with dates(rutab) Tirmidhi At’ima – 37
Cucumber is cold and dry in the second degree and cools heat in the stomach and is useful in bladder conditions where there is pain and inflammation. Its seeds are diuretic and its leaves, made into a poultice are beneficial for dog bites and possibly to cool swollen breast when breast feeding babies.
It’s also good for cooling high blood pressure
It’s cold in its descent in the stomach and its coolness can be harmful to a part of the stomach which is why it’s best to eat it with something warming like dates if you have no inflammation in your stomach. So it’s good alone for inflamed stomach but is there is no inflammation eat with something warming like date or raisins
Cucumber is mentioned in the Quran. Even when the Israelites we in the desert, fed on a noble diet of manna and quails, they desires other foods, including cucumber.
Cucumber is referred to in verse (2:61) of chapter (2) sūrat l-baqarah (The Cow):
Sahih International: And [recall] when you said, “O Moses, we can never endure one [kind of] food. So call upon your Lord to bring forth for us from the earth its green herbs and its cucumbers and its garlic and its lentils and its onions.” [Moses] said, “Would you exchange what is better for what is less? Go into [any] settlement and indeed, you will have what you have asked.” And they were covered with humiliation and poverty and returned with anger from Allah [upon them]. That was because they [repeatedly] disbelieved in the signs of Allah and killed the prophets without right. That was because they disobeyed and were [habitually] transgressing.
