Thursday, April 24, 2014
Islamic Medicine The Key to a better Life.
It was narrated that Khalid Ibn Sa‘d said: We went out and Ghalib Ibn Abjar was with us. He fell sick on the way, and we came to Madinah while he was still sick. Ibn Abi ‘Ateeq visited him and said to us. ‘You should use this black seed; take five or seven seeds and crush them and then drop them into his nose with a few drops of oil, on this side and on this side, because I heard ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, tell me that she heard the Prophet, blessings and peace of Allah be upon him, say: “This black seed is a healing for all diseases except Al-Sam.’ I said, ‘What is Al-Sam?’ He said: ‘Death’.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari)
Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “The meaning of the black seed being a healing for all diseases is not necessarily that it is to be used on its own for every disease; rather it may be used on its own or it may be used with other things; it may be used ground up or otherwise; it may be used in food or drink or nose drops or in a compress and otherwise. And it was said that the words every disease mean that every disease is treatable with it.”
Abu Bakr Ibn Al-‘Arabi said, “According to the doctors, honey is more likely to be a healing for every disease than the black seed. Yet there are some diseases in which, if that person were to drink honey, he would be harmed. Therefore if what is meant by the phrase, ‘in honey there is healing for mankind’ is in most cases, then interpreting the black seed in the same manner is more appropriate.”
Sheikh Abu Muhammad Ibn Abi Hamzah said, “The people spoke about this Hadith and interpreting its general wording in a specific manner, in the light of the comments of doctors and those with experience. No doubt this statement is mistaken, because if we believe the doctors whose knowledge in most cases is based on experience, which is founded on what they think is most likely to be the case, then believing the one who does not speak on the basis of whims and desires (i.e., the Prophet) is more appropriate than accepting their statements.” (Fat‘h Al-Bari, 10/144)
Names and categories
--------------------------
One of the most well-known names for the black seed is Habbat Al-Barakah or seed of blessing. This name is said to be connected to a black bondswoman who served the Prophet, blessings and peace of Allah be upon him, whose name was Barakah, may Allah be pleased with her. The definite article “al” indicates that it is regarded as a good omen and blessing is sought from it.
She was a great female Companion, and was known as Umm Ayman, may Allah be pleased with her. She was the nurse of the Prophet, blessings and peace of Allah be upon him, and she used to use this seed to treat the sick, acting upon the recommendation of the noble Prophet, blessings and peace of Allah be upon him.
The plant from which the black seed comes, Nigella, belongs to the plant family Ranunculaceae of which more than 20 species are found worldwide. The most famous species, which are used in medicine, are three:
• Cultivated Black seed: Nigella sativa which is also called Indian cumin or black cumin and Indian cumin. The English call it common fennel.
• Wild black seed: Nigella arvensis, which the English call small fennel.
• Syrian or Damascene black seed: Nigella damascena, which is also called Turkish. The English call it wild fennel.
Black seed: description and cultivation
--------------------------------------------
It is an herb which is cultivated for food, and grows by itself among other plants in a parasitic manner, especially in woodland areas. Black seed is cultivated around the Mediterranean basin and in Asia Minor and Iran, as well as Central Asia and the Caucasus.
It was first cultivated in India and then the Arabs transferred it to their lands and thence to Africa, especially in Nigeria and Ethiopia. It is grown a great deal as a spice in Syria, Palestine and Southern Europe.
The plant grows to a height of 10 to 40cm, with rigid, coarse stems covered with soft hairs. Its leaves are bluish-green and feathery, with small, threadlike leaves. Its flowers are large, and sky blue with a hint of green.
The ripe fruit has three follicles, and its seeds are tuberous and ragged, black in colour and egg shaped.
The Damascene black seed grows as a parasitic plant in the Mediterranean basin, the Caucasus and Asia Minor. It is grown in Europe as an ornamental plant and as a spice, especially in Germany and Italy, as well as India. It grows wild in forests between May and July. Its stem is straight, its colour is purplish, its leaves are stiff and its flowers are blue, with a long and swollen shape.
The wild black seed grows on the shores of the Black Sea, and in the Caucasus, Uzbekistan, the Mediterranean region and Iran.
Chemical composition of black seed
-----------------------------------------
Black seed contains 1.4 percent of its dry weight in the form of toxic glycosene. (Melantin glycoside is toxic if given on its own above the medicinal dose). This is melantin and contains a bitter glycoside with a ratio of 0.5-1.5 percent which is the nigellin.
It also contains essential oil at a ratio of 1.4 percent. This oil is yellow in color, with a sharp and pungent scent because it contains terpenes. This essential oil is obtained by means of distillation. The seeds also contain fatty oils at a ratio between 30.8 and 44.2 percent.
The leaves at the time of flowering contain between one and 2.2 g of vitamin C in every hundred grams of dry weight. The flowers contain a very high amount of vitamin C; according to some studies it is 1215 mg per hundred grams of flowers.
We should note that melantin is found in all parts of the plant; it is semi-alkaline and toxic, even for warm blooded creatures, and it is very toxic for fish.
With regard to Damascene black seed, its seeds contain an essential oil that is used in the manufacture of perfumes. It is yellow in colour, and has sky blue flowers. The ratio of oil is between 0.5 and 0.37 percent of its weight. The seeds also contain the semi-alkaline melantin and another semi-alkaline which is damacin. They also contain an amount of vitamin E which is soluble in fatty oils found in the seeds. The leaves contain some amount of vitamin C, which reaches 430 mg per hundred grams of flowers.
Wild black seed is very close in composition to the cultivated black seed mentioned above.
Medicinal benefits of black seed
------------------------------------
Black seed, especially the cultivated form Nigella sativa, is regarded as one of the oldest plants to be used medicinally. Ibn Sina prescribed it for the treatment of headaches and migraines, paralysis of facial nerves and cataracts. He prescribed that crushed black seed should be mixed with honey and drunk in hot water to treat and destroy kidney stones and bladder stones, and as a diuretic. He also prescribed it to be used in the form of nose drops after soaking it in vinegar, to treat headaches and migraines, the common cold and other sicknesses. Ibn Al-Qayyim mentioned that it increases the flow of milk in nursing mothers, may be used as an aphrodisiac, and may be used to regulate the menstrual cycle.
In Arabic folk medicine, it is eaten with raisins to strengthen the body, brighten the face and reduce its pallor. They also knew a way of extracting oil from the seeds, which they used to treat chronic coughs and as a medicine for asthma by adding a few drops of it -- between five and 15 drops according to age -- three times daily with tea, or with boiled chamomile flowers or with water. They also used it to treat stomach ache and bowel pain.
In Central Asia, black seed is used only as a remedy. Its name has also been known since ancient times in most medical dictionaries of Europe.
Researchers from the erstwhile Soviet Union, and Uzbek sources in particular, mention many important medicinal uses for cultivated black seed. They confirm that a tincture extracted from the seeds has calming properties and gives excellent results when used as a mouthwash to soothe tooth ache and when used in the case of stomach disease. It is used to treat stomach ache, as a laxative, and to relieve gas because of the essential oil that it contains. (Khalmatov, Sahabidiniov, Ogomovites and others).
The same sources also confirm the benefits of the tincture extracted from black seed after mixing it with vinegar, as a remedy to get rid of worms, and especially tapeworms. It also gives excellent results as a remedy for the common cold, flu and throat infections. Researchers agree that this tincture acts as a gentle soporific, as it may be used in children for this purpose.
The German researcher, Gessner, confirms the benefits of black seed as a diuretic and for increasing production of bile and milk. It may also be used to bring on menstruation in adolescent girls, and in cases of heavy periods. It is also prescribed in veterinary medicine and in many stomach remedies.
The tincture derived from the leaves of the plant shows positively inotopic effects (i.e., increases the strength of muscular contractions) and also chronotopic effects (i.e. decreases the heart rate). This results in a slowdown of the heart rate, thus calming it down and improving its function.
Damascene black seed shows a more apparent soporific effect if taken in large quantities, because of its concentrated tranquilizing effect. The damacin contained in its essential oil stimulates the nerve endings and stimulates secretion of saliva. Nevertheless scientific sources did not mention any medicinal uses for wild black seed.
Black seed and asthma
--------------------------
Black seed, and especially its oil, is used in traditional medicine as a remedy for asthma. The encouraging results of its use prompted the Egyptian researchers Al-Dakhakhani and Mahfooz to study this plant and research the active substance contained in its oil, and after exhaustive efforts that lasted for five years (this research was done in the Faculty of Pharmacy in the University of Alexandria in 1960) they were able to isolate the active substance in the form of crystals which were extracted from the oil, and they called it Nigellon. Lab animals were injected with a solution of this substance and then exposed to a spray of histamine that causes allergies and then seizures in those who have asthma. No symptoms of seizures were seen in those animals, whereas animals that were not injected with it had these symptoms from the first minute. Nigellon did not produce any toxic or disturbing reaction, even when a large amount was injected, especially into the heart. It was also demonstrated that it expands blood vessels if they have been slightly constricted. It also helps to stop stomach cramps and helps the uterine muscles to relax and stops uterine contractions.
Seventy patients who had suffered asthma for a period between five months and 40 years, and whose ages varied between 14 and 65 years, were treated with Nigellon. Most of them were chronic sufferers and were of the type who used medicines including adrenaline, ephedrine, aminophylline, anticonvulsants, cough medicines and even cortisone medications.
Sixty of these patients were given Nigellon after diluting it and reducing its concentration so that it could be administered orally, 15 drops three times a day. The other 10 were given a placebo and formed a control group.
The outcome of the study showed that the 10 who were given a placebo showed no improvement; as for those who were given the Nigellon, we may divide them into three groups:
• The first group, who numbered 39 patients: they improved noticeably; 14 of them stopped taking other medicines completely, and no longer suffered asthma attacks. The other 25 improved but continued to take other medications, but in smaller doses.
• The second group, who numbered 11 patients: three of them improved at first but then relapsed, and eight patients did not show any noticeable improvement.
• The third group, who numbered 10 patients: they did not return for checkups and we were unable to know their results.
In most of the cases which improved clinically, a noticeable rise in the patient’s energy levels was seen.
Although the ideal treatment for asthma has not yet been found, all the medicines that are used, especially those that are cortisone based, are not free of harmful side-effects. Hence, a new medicine like Nigellon, that is free of toxic side-effects, could help the patient and would be welcomed. As for the way it works, it is most likely that it works as a relaxant on the smooth muscles.
Black seed and blood pressure
-----------------------------------
Prof. Dr. Rabee‘ Al-Zawahiri (former professor in the Ain Shams School of Medicine; quoting from a lecture given by him at the 23rd Global Conference of Pharmacists in Munster, Germany) confirms that the residue of black seed that is left after pressing them reduces blood pressure.
Black seed prevents the growth of germs
-----------------------------------------------
Dr. Hafiz Junaid found, during an experiment on Bacillus subtilis that this type of germ cannot grow in food that contains black seeds, which indicates that black seed contains a substance that has the effect of warding off germs and preventing their growth.
Effect of black seed on immunity
--------------------------------------
It is well known that the immune system is the main line of defence in the body, because it is responsible for fighting germs, viruses and other disease-causing factors, in addition to the role it plays in resisting cancer. It has been stated that many modern diseases, such as cancer and AIDS, result from weakness of the immune system and its failure to resist disease. (Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment)
Dr. Ahmad Al-Qadi and Usamah Qindeel, of the Akbar Clinic and Research Institute in Springfield, Florida, carried out research on black seed, and found that this seed plays an important role in strengthening the immune system in the human body, so it offers protection against germs and other harmful biological factors.
The study was carried out on volunteers who were lacking in lymphatic helper inducer T cells in relation to the suppressor T cells. Black seeds were crushed and placed in capsules, and the volunteers were divided into three groups: the first group was treated and given 1 g of powdered black seed daily in capsule form; the second group was given a placebo capsule by mouth; the third group was not given any treatment.
Blood tests were carried out to check the ratio of lymphatic cells in the blood before and after treatment, which lasted five weeks. After the end of the research a clear and positive effect of black seed on the immune system was seen, as the ratio of lymphatic helper inducer T cells in the blood of the volunteers in the first group, who had been given powdered black seed, increased; a clear improvement was also seen in the ratio of helper inducer cells to suppressor cells as the ratio rose from 1.19 before treatment to 1.85 after treatment, whereas this ratio did not change in the placebo and control groups.
The experiment mentioned above proved beyond any doubt that black seed energizes the immune system in the human body (from an article by Dr. Abdullah ‘Abdur Razzaq Al-Sa‘eed entitled Istishfa’ Bil-Habbat Al-Sawda’. Majallat Al-Dawa’ Al-‘Arabi, September 1989). This opens the door to medicinal use of black seed in treating and healing all infectious and viral diseases and strengthening the body’s self-defence and helping it to overcome overwhelming disease-causing factors.
This also increases the Muslim’s trust in Prophetic medicine, as it calls us to seek healing by means of this blessed seed and regards it as healing for all diseases.
We have some confirmation in the field of clinical application of treatment with black seed. In a case of oozing eczema, we applied ground black seed successfully in treating a number of selected cases, but we were unable to keep an eye on these patients after recovery.
We have also seen the benefits of applying black seed oil in treating chronic eczema. We prescribed to patients who were suffering from impotency, and especially erectile dysfunction in old age, a cup of milk sweetened with honey to which half a teaspoon of ground black seed had been added, once daily, and the results were excellent. We have also seen clear success in treating two cases of failure to ejaculate.
Nutritional uses of black seed
----------------------------------
All types of black seed are regarded as spices that are used in making pastries, breads and pies; they are eaten with cheese, and may also be added to cucumber and eggplant when making pickles. In Europe they are used to make various kinds of sweets and cakes. The oil is used in the manufacture of a number of foods, and the oil that is extracted from the Damascene seed is used in the preparation of perfumes and cosmetics.
It should be noted that heating the seeds causes them to lose their essential oils, and hence to lose a great deal of their medicinal properties. Eating them in their natural state without crushing them may reduce the chance of benefiting from them, because if they are not chewed well and enter the body whole with their outer casing, then they will pass through the digestive system and come out as they went in, without any benefit being derived from them.
Hence we think that grinding or crushing them, and then taking them with food or in milk or with anything that goes with them is the ideal way to benefit from them. They are often grown in the gardens of Europe as an ornamental plant because of the beauty of their flowers. In addition to the fact that the plants give an abundant yield, they are economical and easy to grow. They also give bees abundant and sweet nectar, and beekeepers regard them as honey yielding plants, in other words bees prefer them.
Conclusion
------------
No doubt the Prophet’s call to treat disease with black seed is clear and was not given without reason, although Muslim scholars differ as to the interpretation of the general meaning of this call in the Sunnah and whether there was any specific limit to this general meaning or it was meant in absolute terms. We are inclined to favor the view of Al-Qadi Abu Bakr Ibn Al-‘Arabi, may Allah have Mercy upon him, that what is meant by the phrase: “healing for every disease” is most diseases. This is what is supported by the scholar of Arabic language, ‘Abd Al-Ghani Al-Daqar, who thinks that the Arabs often mention something in general terms in order to emphasise its importance and draw attention to what they are mentioning in general terms.
This should motivate Muslim doctors to research as much as we can in order to find out the medicinal uses of black seed in treating and protecting against disease, whether that is by using the ground seeds, the oil, the essence or whatever, and to determine the quantity to be used to treat various diseases. That is in accordance with the Prophet’s call which opens the door wide, so that we may enter it and find out for all of humanity new drugs which will reduce its pains and treat untreatable disease.
Checking the wording of the Prophet, blessings and peace of Allah be upon him, we realize that this narration indicates certainty: “Verily this black seed...”
Let us look at this Hadith and compare it with the Hadith about the pollination of palm trees, which some use to suggest that Prophetic medicine has to do with worldly affairs. The Hadith about the pollination of palm trees clearly carries a tone of speculation and uncertainty that we do not find in the narrations about the black seed. And Allah knows best.
See: Al-Tibb An-Nabawi by Ibn Al-Qayyim
Ogomovites: Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants and Essential Oils (in Russian), Moscow 1951
Ajwad Al-Haraki: ‘Alaikum bi Hadhihil-Habbah Al-Sawda’ - Majallat Hadarat Al-Islam, Vol. 18, No. 9/10, 1977
Otto Gessner: Medicinal Plants in Central Europe (in German), 1953
Dawood Al-Antaki: Tadhkirat Oolul-Albab
Khalmatov: Wild Medicinal Plants in Uzbekistan (in Russian), Tashkent 1946
‘Abdur Razzaq Al-Sa‘eed, Al-Istishfa’ Bil-Habbat Al-Sawda’, Majallat Al-Dawa’ Al-‘Arabi, September 1989
Zafir Al-‘Attar and Sa‘eed Al-Qarabi, Al-‘Asl Wal-Habbat Al-Sawda’, Majallat Hadarat Al-Islam, Vol. 14, issue No. 4, 1973
Gobanov and Krilova: Beneficial Wild Plants in the Soviet Union (in Russian), Moscow, 1976
Sahabidiniov: Medicinal Plants in Central Asia (in Russian), Tashkent, 1948
Gorbayev: Essential Oils of Plants in the Soviet Union (in Russian), 1952
Wolf and Maliyev: Guide to World Sources of Beneficial Plants (in Russian), Moscow, 1952
Ahmad Al-Qadi and Usamah Qindeel: American Journal of Biological Research
(from Islamic Medicine: The Key to a Better Life by Yusuf Al-Hajj Ahmad, Published by Darussalam)
It was narrated that Khalid Ibn Sa‘d said: We went out and Ghalib Ibn Abjar was with us. He fell sick on the way, and we came to Madinah while he was still sick. Ibn Abi ‘Ateeq visited him and said to us. ‘You should use this black seed; take five or seven seeds and crush them and then drop them into his nose with a few drops of oil, on this side and on this side, because I heard ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, tell me that she heard the Prophet, blessings and peace of Allah be upon him, say: “This black seed is a healing for all diseases except Al-Sam.’ I said, ‘What is Al-Sam?’ He said: ‘Death’.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari)
Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “The meaning of the black seed being a healing for all diseases is not necessarily that it is to be used on its own for every disease; rather it may be used on its own or it may be used with other things; it may be used ground up or otherwise; it may be used in food or drink or nose drops or in a compress and otherwise. And it was said that the words every disease mean that every disease is treatable with it.”
Abu Bakr Ibn Al-‘Arabi said, “According to the doctors, honey is more likely to be a healing for every disease than the black seed. Yet there are some diseases in which, if that person were to drink honey, he would be harmed. Therefore if what is meant by the phrase, ‘in honey there is healing for mankind’ is in most cases, then interpreting the black seed in the same manner is more appropriate.”
Sheikh Abu Muhammad Ibn Abi Hamzah said, “The people spoke about this Hadith and interpreting its general wording in a specific manner, in the light of the comments of doctors and those with experience. No doubt this statement is mistaken, because if we believe the doctors whose knowledge in most cases is based on experience, which is founded on what they think is most likely to be the case, then believing the one who does not speak on the basis of whims and desires (i.e., the Prophet) is more appropriate than accepting their statements.” (Fat‘h Al-Bari, 10/144)
Names and categories
--------------------------
One of the most well-known names for the black seed is Habbat Al-Barakah or seed of blessing. This name is said to be connected to a black bondswoman who served the Prophet, blessings and peace of Allah be upon him, whose name was Barakah, may Allah be pleased with her. The definite article “al” indicates that it is regarded as a good omen and blessing is sought from it.
She was a great female Companion, and was known as Umm Ayman, may Allah be pleased with her. She was the nurse of the Prophet, blessings and peace of Allah be upon him, and she used to use this seed to treat the sick, acting upon the recommendation of the noble Prophet, blessings and peace of Allah be upon him.
The plant from which the black seed comes, Nigella, belongs to the plant family Ranunculaceae of which more than 20 species are found worldwide. The most famous species, which are used in medicine, are three:
• Cultivated Black seed: Nigella sativa which is also called Indian cumin or black cumin and Indian cumin. The English call it common fennel.
• Wild black seed: Nigella arvensis, which the English call small fennel.
• Syrian or Damascene black seed: Nigella damascena, which is also called Turkish. The English call it wild fennel.
Black seed: description and cultivation
--------------------------------------------
It is an herb which is cultivated for food, and grows by itself among other plants in a parasitic manner, especially in woodland areas. Black seed is cultivated around the Mediterranean basin and in Asia Minor and Iran, as well as Central Asia and the Caucasus.
It was first cultivated in India and then the Arabs transferred it to their lands and thence to Africa, especially in Nigeria and Ethiopia. It is grown a great deal as a spice in Syria, Palestine and Southern Europe.
The plant grows to a height of 10 to 40cm, with rigid, coarse stems covered with soft hairs. Its leaves are bluish-green and feathery, with small, threadlike leaves. Its flowers are large, and sky blue with a hint of green.
The ripe fruit has three follicles, and its seeds are tuberous and ragged, black in colour and egg shaped.
The Damascene black seed grows as a parasitic plant in the Mediterranean basin, the Caucasus and Asia Minor. It is grown in Europe as an ornamental plant and as a spice, especially in Germany and Italy, as well as India. It grows wild in forests between May and July. Its stem is straight, its colour is purplish, its leaves are stiff and its flowers are blue, with a long and swollen shape.
The wild black seed grows on the shores of the Black Sea, and in the Caucasus, Uzbekistan, the Mediterranean region and Iran.
Chemical composition of black seed
-----------------------------------------
Black seed contains 1.4 percent of its dry weight in the form of toxic glycosene. (Melantin glycoside is toxic if given on its own above the medicinal dose). This is melantin and contains a bitter glycoside with a ratio of 0.5-1.5 percent which is the nigellin.
It also contains essential oil at a ratio of 1.4 percent. This oil is yellow in color, with a sharp and pungent scent because it contains terpenes. This essential oil is obtained by means of distillation. The seeds also contain fatty oils at a ratio between 30.8 and 44.2 percent.
The leaves at the time of flowering contain between one and 2.2 g of vitamin C in every hundred grams of dry weight. The flowers contain a very high amount of vitamin C; according to some studies it is 1215 mg per hundred grams of flowers.
We should note that melantin is found in all parts of the plant; it is semi-alkaline and toxic, even for warm blooded creatures, and it is very toxic for fish.
With regard to Damascene black seed, its seeds contain an essential oil that is used in the manufacture of perfumes. It is yellow in colour, and has sky blue flowers. The ratio of oil is between 0.5 and 0.37 percent of its weight. The seeds also contain the semi-alkaline melantin and another semi-alkaline which is damacin. They also contain an amount of vitamin E which is soluble in fatty oils found in the seeds. The leaves contain some amount of vitamin C, which reaches 430 mg per hundred grams of flowers.
Wild black seed is very close in composition to the cultivated black seed mentioned above.
Medicinal benefits of black seed
------------------------------------
Black seed, especially the cultivated form Nigella sativa, is regarded as one of the oldest plants to be used medicinally. Ibn Sina prescribed it for the treatment of headaches and migraines, paralysis of facial nerves and cataracts. He prescribed that crushed black seed should be mixed with honey and drunk in hot water to treat and destroy kidney stones and bladder stones, and as a diuretic. He also prescribed it to be used in the form of nose drops after soaking it in vinegar, to treat headaches and migraines, the common cold and other sicknesses. Ibn Al-Qayyim mentioned that it increases the flow of milk in nursing mothers, may be used as an aphrodisiac, and may be used to regulate the menstrual cycle.
In Arabic folk medicine, it is eaten with raisins to strengthen the body, brighten the face and reduce its pallor. They also knew a way of extracting oil from the seeds, which they used to treat chronic coughs and as a medicine for asthma by adding a few drops of it -- between five and 15 drops according to age -- three times daily with tea, or with boiled chamomile flowers or with water. They also used it to treat stomach ache and bowel pain.
In Central Asia, black seed is used only as a remedy. Its name has also been known since ancient times in most medical dictionaries of Europe.
Researchers from the erstwhile Soviet Union, and Uzbek sources in particular, mention many important medicinal uses for cultivated black seed. They confirm that a tincture extracted from the seeds has calming properties and gives excellent results when used as a mouthwash to soothe tooth ache and when used in the case of stomach disease. It is used to treat stomach ache, as a laxative, and to relieve gas because of the essential oil that it contains. (Khalmatov, Sahabidiniov, Ogomovites and others).
The same sources also confirm the benefits of the tincture extracted from black seed after mixing it with vinegar, as a remedy to get rid of worms, and especially tapeworms. It also gives excellent results as a remedy for the common cold, flu and throat infections. Researchers agree that this tincture acts as a gentle soporific, as it may be used in children for this purpose.
The German researcher, Gessner, confirms the benefits of black seed as a diuretic and for increasing production of bile and milk. It may also be used to bring on menstruation in adolescent girls, and in cases of heavy periods. It is also prescribed in veterinary medicine and in many stomach remedies.
The tincture derived from the leaves of the plant shows positively inotopic effects (i.e., increases the strength of muscular contractions) and also chronotopic effects (i.e. decreases the heart rate). This results in a slowdown of the heart rate, thus calming it down and improving its function.
Damascene black seed shows a more apparent soporific effect if taken in large quantities, because of its concentrated tranquilizing effect. The damacin contained in its essential oil stimulates the nerve endings and stimulates secretion of saliva. Nevertheless scientific sources did not mention any medicinal uses for wild black seed.
Black seed and asthma
--------------------------
Black seed, and especially its oil, is used in traditional medicine as a remedy for asthma. The encouraging results of its use prompted the Egyptian researchers Al-Dakhakhani and Mahfooz to study this plant and research the active substance contained in its oil, and after exhaustive efforts that lasted for five years (this research was done in the Faculty of Pharmacy in the University of Alexandria in 1960) they were able to isolate the active substance in the form of crystals which were extracted from the oil, and they called it Nigellon. Lab animals were injected with a solution of this substance and then exposed to a spray of histamine that causes allergies and then seizures in those who have asthma. No symptoms of seizures were seen in those animals, whereas animals that were not injected with it had these symptoms from the first minute. Nigellon did not produce any toxic or disturbing reaction, even when a large amount was injected, especially into the heart. It was also demonstrated that it expands blood vessels if they have been slightly constricted. It also helps to stop stomach cramps and helps the uterine muscles to relax and stops uterine contractions.
Seventy patients who had suffered asthma for a period between five months and 40 years, and whose ages varied between 14 and 65 years, were treated with Nigellon. Most of them were chronic sufferers and were of the type who used medicines including adrenaline, ephedrine, aminophylline, anticonvulsants, cough medicines and even cortisone medications.
Sixty of these patients were given Nigellon after diluting it and reducing its concentration so that it could be administered orally, 15 drops three times a day. The other 10 were given a placebo and formed a control group.
The outcome of the study showed that the 10 who were given a placebo showed no improvement; as for those who were given the Nigellon, we may divide them into three groups:
• The first group, who numbered 39 patients: they improved noticeably; 14 of them stopped taking other medicines completely, and no longer suffered asthma attacks. The other 25 improved but continued to take other medications, but in smaller doses.
• The second group, who numbered 11 patients: three of them improved at first but then relapsed, and eight patients did not show any noticeable improvement.
• The third group, who numbered 10 patients: they did not return for checkups and we were unable to know their results.
In most of the cases which improved clinically, a noticeable rise in the patient’s energy levels was seen.
Although the ideal treatment for asthma has not yet been found, all the medicines that are used, especially those that are cortisone based, are not free of harmful side-effects. Hence, a new medicine like Nigellon, that is free of toxic side-effects, could help the patient and would be welcomed. As for the way it works, it is most likely that it works as a relaxant on the smooth muscles.
Black seed and blood pressure
-----------------------------------
Prof. Dr. Rabee‘ Al-Zawahiri (former professor in the Ain Shams School of Medicine; quoting from a lecture given by him at the 23rd Global Conference of Pharmacists in Munster, Germany) confirms that the residue of black seed that is left after pressing them reduces blood pressure.
Black seed prevents the growth of germs
-----------------------------------------------
Dr. Hafiz Junaid found, during an experiment on Bacillus subtilis that this type of germ cannot grow in food that contains black seeds, which indicates that black seed contains a substance that has the effect of warding off germs and preventing their growth.
Effect of black seed on immunity
--------------------------------------
It is well known that the immune system is the main line of defence in the body, because it is responsible for fighting germs, viruses and other disease-causing factors, in addition to the role it plays in resisting cancer. It has been stated that many modern diseases, such as cancer and AIDS, result from weakness of the immune system and its failure to resist disease. (Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment)
Dr. Ahmad Al-Qadi and Usamah Qindeel, of the Akbar Clinic and Research Institute in Springfield, Florida, carried out research on black seed, and found that this seed plays an important role in strengthening the immune system in the human body, so it offers protection against germs and other harmful biological factors.
The study was carried out on volunteers who were lacking in lymphatic helper inducer T cells in relation to the suppressor T cells. Black seeds were crushed and placed in capsules, and the volunteers were divided into three groups: the first group was treated and given 1 g of powdered black seed daily in capsule form; the second group was given a placebo capsule by mouth; the third group was not given any treatment.
Blood tests were carried out to check the ratio of lymphatic cells in the blood before and after treatment, which lasted five weeks. After the end of the research a clear and positive effect of black seed on the immune system was seen, as the ratio of lymphatic helper inducer T cells in the blood of the volunteers in the first group, who had been given powdered black seed, increased; a clear improvement was also seen in the ratio of helper inducer cells to suppressor cells as the ratio rose from 1.19 before treatment to 1.85 after treatment, whereas this ratio did not change in the placebo and control groups.
The experiment mentioned above proved beyond any doubt that black seed energizes the immune system in the human body (from an article by Dr. Abdullah ‘Abdur Razzaq Al-Sa‘eed entitled Istishfa’ Bil-Habbat Al-Sawda’. Majallat Al-Dawa’ Al-‘Arabi, September 1989). This opens the door to medicinal use of black seed in treating and healing all infectious and viral diseases and strengthening the body’s self-defence and helping it to overcome overwhelming disease-causing factors.
This also increases the Muslim’s trust in Prophetic medicine, as it calls us to seek healing by means of this blessed seed and regards it as healing for all diseases.
We have some confirmation in the field of clinical application of treatment with black seed. In a case of oozing eczema, we applied ground black seed successfully in treating a number of selected cases, but we were unable to keep an eye on these patients after recovery.
We have also seen the benefits of applying black seed oil in treating chronic eczema. We prescribed to patients who were suffering from impotency, and especially erectile dysfunction in old age, a cup of milk sweetened with honey to which half a teaspoon of ground black seed had been added, once daily, and the results were excellent. We have also seen clear success in treating two cases of failure to ejaculate.
Nutritional uses of black seed
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All types of black seed are regarded as spices that are used in making pastries, breads and pies; they are eaten with cheese, and may also be added to cucumber and eggplant when making pickles. In Europe they are used to make various kinds of sweets and cakes. The oil is used in the manufacture of a number of foods, and the oil that is extracted from the Damascene seed is used in the preparation of perfumes and cosmetics.
It should be noted that heating the seeds causes them to lose their essential oils, and hence to lose a great deal of their medicinal properties. Eating them in their natural state without crushing them may reduce the chance of benefiting from them, because if they are not chewed well and enter the body whole with their outer casing, then they will pass through the digestive system and come out as they went in, without any benefit being derived from them.
Hence we think that grinding or crushing them, and then taking them with food or in milk or with anything that goes with them is the ideal way to benefit from them. They are often grown in the gardens of Europe as an ornamental plant because of the beauty of their flowers. In addition to the fact that the plants give an abundant yield, they are economical and easy to grow. They also give bees abundant and sweet nectar, and beekeepers regard them as honey yielding plants, in other words bees prefer them.
Conclusion
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No doubt the Prophet’s call to treat disease with black seed is clear and was not given without reason, although Muslim scholars differ as to the interpretation of the general meaning of this call in the Sunnah and whether there was any specific limit to this general meaning or it was meant in absolute terms. We are inclined to favor the view of Al-Qadi Abu Bakr Ibn Al-‘Arabi, may Allah have Mercy upon him, that what is meant by the phrase: “healing for every disease” is most diseases. This is what is supported by the scholar of Arabic language, ‘Abd Al-Ghani Al-Daqar, who thinks that the Arabs often mention something in general terms in order to emphasise its importance and draw attention to what they are mentioning in general terms.
This should motivate Muslim doctors to research as much as we can in order to find out the medicinal uses of black seed in treating and protecting against disease, whether that is by using the ground seeds, the oil, the essence or whatever, and to determine the quantity to be used to treat various diseases. That is in accordance with the Prophet’s call which opens the door wide, so that we may enter it and find out for all of humanity new drugs which will reduce its pains and treat untreatable disease.
Checking the wording of the Prophet, blessings and peace of Allah be upon him, we realize that this narration indicates certainty: “Verily this black seed...”
Let us look at this Hadith and compare it with the Hadith about the pollination of palm trees, which some use to suggest that Prophetic medicine has to do with worldly affairs. The Hadith about the pollination of palm trees clearly carries a tone of speculation and uncertainty that we do not find in the narrations about the black seed. And Allah knows best.
See: Al-Tibb An-Nabawi by Ibn Al-Qayyim
Ogomovites: Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants and Essential Oils (in Russian), Moscow 1951
Ajwad Al-Haraki: ‘Alaikum bi Hadhihil-Habbah Al-Sawda’ - Majallat Hadarat Al-Islam, Vol. 18, No. 9/10, 1977
Otto Gessner: Medicinal Plants in Central Europe (in German), 1953
Dawood Al-Antaki: Tadhkirat Oolul-Albab
Khalmatov: Wild Medicinal Plants in Uzbekistan (in Russian), Tashkent 1946
‘Abdur Razzaq Al-Sa‘eed, Al-Istishfa’ Bil-Habbat Al-Sawda’, Majallat Al-Dawa’ Al-‘Arabi, September 1989
Zafir Al-‘Attar and Sa‘eed Al-Qarabi, Al-‘Asl Wal-Habbat Al-Sawda’, Majallat Hadarat Al-Islam, Vol. 14, issue No. 4, 1973
Gobanov and Krilova: Beneficial Wild Plants in the Soviet Union (in Russian), Moscow, 1976
Sahabidiniov: Medicinal Plants in Central Asia (in Russian), Tashkent, 1948
Gorbayev: Essential Oils of Plants in the Soviet Union (in Russian), 1952
Wolf and Maliyev: Guide to World Sources of Beneficial Plants (in Russian), Moscow, 1952
Ahmad Al-Qadi and Usamah Qindeel: American Journal of Biological Research
(from Islamic Medicine: The Key to a Better Life by Yusuf Al-Hajj Ahmad, Published by Darussalam)
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