What is in a date?

In the name of God, compassionate & merciful بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ | Peace be with you السلام عليكم

As Ramadan is coming up, we may as well get in the spirit of it all! Now, I'm sure most of you know that it's sunnah to break our fast with these shrivelled up little bundles of joy.

Salman ibn Amir Dhabi related that the Prophet said: "Break your fast with dates, or else with water, for it is pure (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi)."

There's nothing tastier than the sweet bite of a date to break your fast when you've spent a long day fasting. Seriously. Now I don't know about you guys, but when I break my fast with a date, I actually smile with relief. But enough rambling about how amazingly delicious dates are - I need to explain to you why dates are not only awesome tasting but are actually very, very good for you.

Did you know that dates have so many natural fibres and nutrients that just one date fulfills the minimum requirements of a healthy and balanced diet? Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a logical thinker, I tell you! What a perfect and understandable way to break the fast!

Some benefits of eating dates include...

• Encouraging the growth of happy (yes, I said "happy") bacteria in the intestines if consumed regularly. Also, in regards to the intestines, dates cure any disturbances in those creepy things (intestines creep me out, especially in the horror movies where people's intestines fall out and - STAY ON TOPIC KIM, ON TOPIC!).
• Being a quick source of energy as dates are digested very easily.
• Making a weak heart happy (uh, yeah! I said "happy" again! That word totally fits the context).
• Being used for medical purposes, such as preventing abdominal cancer.
• Brothers, close your eyes for this one if you wish - dates also have been proven to strengthen the uterus during the late stages of pregnancy, improve the growth of the fetus and are also very beneficial while breastfeeding.
• Keeping the eyes healthy.

Furthermore, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) once likened the good, God-fearing and pious of Muslims to the date palm, by saying, "Among trees, there is a tree like a Muslim. Its leaves do not fall."

Now, do you know why we were encouraged by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to break our fast with one or more dates? The benefits of dates are numerous, however I was especially fascinated with the fact that dates are a quick source of energy. When do we need energy more than a hard, tiring day of fasting? Again, the Prophet's logic was simply brilliant.

So, watcha waitin' for? Stock up on the dates for Ramadan!

KimDonesia,
The Australian



Peace & respect ★

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