اللَّهُمَّ أصْلِحْ لي دِيني الذِي هُوَ عِصْمَةُ أمْرِي، وأصْلِحْ لي دُنْيايَ التي فيهَا مَعاشِي، وأصْلِحْ لي آخِرَتي التي فِيها مَعَادِي، واحْيِني ما كَانَت الحَياةُ خَيْراً لي، وتَوَفَّنِي إذَا كَانَتِ الوَفَاةُ خَيراً لي، واجْعَلِ الحَيَاةَ زِيَادَةً ليِ في كُلِّ خَيْرٍ، واجْعَلِ المَوْتَ رَاحَةً لي مِن كُلِّ شَرِّ

Utrujj (Citron)

أُتْرُج : ثبت فى "الصحيح": عن النبىِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه قال: "مَثَلُ المؤمن الذى يقرأ القرآن، كمَثَلِ الأُتْرُجَّةِ، طعْمُها طَيِّبٌ، وريحُها طَيِّبٌ". وفى الأُترج منافع كثيرة، وهو مركَّب من أربعة أشياء: قشر، ولحم، وحمض، وبزر، ولكل واحد منها مِزاج يخصُّه، فقشره حار يابس، ولحمُه حار رطب، وحمضُه بارد يابس، وبزرُه حار يابس.ومن منافع قشره: أنه إذا جُعل فى الثياب منع السوسَ، ورائحتُهُ تُصْلِحُ فسادَ الهواء والوباء، ويُطيِّبُ النَّكْهَةَ إذا أمسكه فى الفم، ويُحلِّل الرياح، وإذا جُعِلَ فى الطعام كالأبازِير، أعان على الهضم. قال صاحب "القانون": وعُصَارة قشره تنفع مِن نهْش الأفاعى شرباً، وقِشرُه ضِمَادَاً، وحُرَاقةُ قِشره طِلاءٌ جيد للبَرَص.. انتهى. وأمَّا لحمه: فملطِّف لحرارة المَعِدَة، نافعٌ لأصحاب المِرَّة الصفراء، قامِعٌ للبخارات الحارة. وقال الغافِقىُّ: أكل لحمه ينفع البواسير.. انتهى وأمّا حمضُه: فقابضٌ كاسر للصفراء، ومسكنٌ للخفقان الحار، نافعٌ من اليَرَقَان شرباً واكتحالاً، قاطعٌ للقىء الصفراوى، مُشَهٍّ للطعام، عاقل للطبيعة، نافع من الإسهال الصفراوى، وعُصَارَةُ حمضه يُسَكِّن غِلْمَةَ النساء، وينفع طِلاَءً من الكَلَفِ، ويُذهب بالقَوْباء، ويُستدَل على ذلك مِن فعله فى الحِبر إذا وقَعَ فى الثياب قَلَعَه، وله قوةٌ تُلطِّف، وتقطع، وتبرد، وتُطفئُ حرارة الكبد، وتُقوِّى المَعِدَة، وتمنع حِدَّة المِرَّة الصفراء، وتُزِيلُ الغمَّ العارض منها، وتسكن العطش. وأمَّا بزره: فله قوة محلِّلة مجففة. وقال ابن ماسويه: خاصية حَبِّه، النفع من السموم القاتلة إذا شُرِبَ منه وزنُ مثقال مقشَّراً بماء فاتر، وطِلاء مطبوخ. وإن دُقَّ ووضع على موضع اللَّسعة، نفع، وهو مُلَيِّنٌ للطبيعة، مُطَيِّبٌ للنكْهة، وأكثر ُهذا الفعل موجودٌ فى قشره. وقال غيرُه: خاصية حَبُّه النفع مِن لَسعات العقارب إذا شُرِبَ منه وزنُ مثقالين مقشراً بماء فاتر، وكذلك إذا دُقَّ ووُضِعَ على موضع اللَّدغة.وقال غيره: حَبُّه يصلُح للسُّموم كُلِّهَا، وهو نافع من لدغ الهوام كلها.وذُكِرَ أنَّ بعض الأكاسرة غَضِبَ على قوم من الأطباء، فأمر بحبسهم، وخيَّرهم أُدماً لا يزيد لهم عليه، فاختارُوا الأترج، فقيل لهم: لِمَ اخترتموه على غيره ؟ فقالوا: لأنه فى العاجل ريحانٌ، ومنظره مفرح، وقشرُه طيب الرائحة، ولحمه فاكهة، وحَمْضُه أُدم، وحبُّه تِرياق، وفيه دُهنٌ. وحقيقٌ بشىء هذه منافعه أن يُشَبَّهَ به خلاصةُ الوجود، وهو المؤمن الذى يقرأ القرآن، وكان بعضُ السَّلَف يُحِبُّ النظر إليه لما فى منظره من التفريح

Ibn al-Qayyim wrote : "Citron (Utrujj): It is confirmed in Sahih that Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم said: 'The example of the believer who recites the Qur’an is like the Utrujja (citron), its taste is delicious, and its fragrance is pleasant.'

The Utrujj has many benefits, and it is composed of four elements: peel, flesh, pith (sourness / acidity), and seeds, and each one has its own properties. Its peel is hot and dry, its flesh is hot and moist, its pith (sourness / acidity) is cold and dry, and its seeds are hot and dry. Among the benefits of its peel: if placed in clothes, it prevents moths, and its scent purifies the air and protects against plagues. It also freshens the breath when held in the mouth, reduces wind, and aids digestion when used in cooking like spices.

The author of Al-Qanun (Ibn Sina) said: The juice of its peel is beneficial when drunk for snake bites, and its peel is used for the same purpose as a poultice. The ash from burning its peel is an excellent ointment for vitiligo. As for its flesh: it soothes stomach heat, benefits those with excess yellow bile, and suppresses hot vapors. Al-Ghafiqi said: Eating its flesh is beneficial for hemorrhoids.

As for its pith (sourness / acidity): it is astringent and reduces yellow bile, calms heart palpitations caused by heat, and is beneficial for jaundice when taken as a drink or applied as kohl. It stops vomiting caused by yellow bile, stimulates appetite, regulates the digestive system, and helps with diarrhea caused by yellow bile. Its pith (sourness / acidity) juice also suppresses sexual desire in women, removes freckles when applied, and eliminates scabies. It removes ink stains from clothes and has a cooling and softening effect, alleviating liver heat, strengthening the stomach, reducing the sharpness of yellow bile, relieving the distress caused by it, and quenching thirst.

As for its seeds: they have dissolving and drying properties. Ibn Masawayh said: The specific property of its seeds is that they are beneficial against lethal poisons if a weight of one mithqal (around 4.25 grams) of peeled seeds is drunk with lukewarm water. When crushed and applied to the sting site, they are beneficial. The seeds are also a laxative and freshen the breath, and most of these effects are present in its peel. Others said: The specific property of its seeds is that they are effective against scorpion stings if two mithqals (around 8.5 grams) are taken with lukewarm water. They can also be crushed and applied to the sting site. Others said: Its seeds are useful against all types of poisons and stings from harmful creatures.

It is mentioned that one of the ancient kings grew angry with a group of physicians and imprisoned them, giving them only one type of food to survive on. They chose the Utrujja (citron). When asked why they chose it over other foods, they replied: 'Because it is both a herb and a fruit, its scent is pleasing, its appearance is joyful, its peel is fragrant, its flesh is a fruit, its pith (sourness / acidity) is a condiment, its seeds are an antidote, and it contains oil.' Indeed, something with such benefits deserves to be compared to the essence of existence — the believer who recites the Qur’an."

Many people think that Citron is the ORANGE or LEMON but it is not correct, although Citron belongs to Citrus family, but it is a unique fruit with features of its own as explained above.

Al-Utruj (Citrus medica): by Ibn al-Baytaar

Abu Hanifah: It is abundant in the Arabian lands and is cultivated, not wild. Some Bedouins informed me that its tree can live for twenty years, bearing fruit once a year. Its leaves resemble those of walnut trees, and it has a pleasant fragrance. Its flowers are similar to daffodils, but more delicate and fragrant. The tree also has strong thorns.

It is a plant whose fruit remains on the tree throughout the year and is well-known by everyone. The fruit is long, golden-colored, fragrant, but with a slightly unpleasant smell. Its seeds are similar to those of a pear. The pulp of Utruj, which contains the seeds, has a sour taste and a drying effect that is quite strong, as though it belongs to the third degree of cold and drying substances.

Ishaq ibn Suleiman: The pulp of Utruj is of two types: one is slightly bland and mildly sweet, while the other is intensely sour. The bland type is cold and moist in the second degree, but its coldness is stronger than its moisture. The sour type is cold and dry in the third degree, with a subtle effect of reducing heat, extinguishing liver heat, strengthening the stomach, increasing appetite, and reducing the sharpness of yellow bile. It also alleviates depression caused by yellow bile, quenches thirst, and stops bile-induced diarrhea and vomiting. It is also effective for treating skin rashes and facial spots.

Ibn Sina: The sour pulp of Utruj strengthens a hot-tempered heart and benefits from palpitations. It has an antidote effect for scorpion stings and snake bites. In the second volume of Qanoon, he mentions that it is beneficial for jaundice. If cooked with vinegar and a small amount is consumed, it kills swallowed leeches and helps expel them.

Ibn Ridwan: I found in a book on foods that its sourness counteracts stomach heat and the yellow bile produced in the stomach. Dishes made from it stimulate appetite, help with hot palpitations, hangovers, and bile-induced diarrhea. It stops bile flowing from the liver to the stomach and intestines.

Ishaq ibn Imran: Its decoction is useful for fevers and extinguishes liver heat.

Its sour pulp stimulates appetite for those with heat and is beneficial for melancholy caused by the burning of yellow bile. The white pulp between the peel and the sour pulp produces thick, cold humors.

Ibn Masawayh: It is cold and moist in the first degree, with more coldness than moisture, and extinguishes stomach heat.

Maseeh: It is useful for those with excess yellow bile and calms hot vapors.

Ibn Sina: Its pulp is bad for the stomach, causes bloating, and is slow to digest, potentially causing colic. It should be eaten on its own, without mixing it with other foods before or after. When preserved with honey, it is safer and easier to digest, and its consumption may help with hemorrhoids.

As for the peel of Utruj, it has a drying effect along with a mild sharpness, placing it in the second degree of drying. It is not cold but rather moderate, or only slightly below moderation. The peel of Utruj is difficult to digest, though fragrant, and it aids digestion in a similar way to other warm and spicy substances. For this reason, a small amount strengthens the stomach. Its water is mixed with purgatives to ease their effects.

Ishaq ibn Imran: The peel of Utruj stimulates the appetite but causes thirst.

Ibn Sina in Cardiac Medicines: The peel of Utruj is one of the uplifting, antidotal substances. Its heat enhances its effects, and it is hot and dry in the third degree. Its leaves and flowers are similar, but more delicate. In the second volume of Qanun, he states that the ash of the peel, when used as a plaster, is good for treating vitiligo. Its peel also improves bad breath when held in the mouth, and when added to food as a spice, it aids digestion. The peel itself, due to its hardness, is indigestible, but it has a dissolving property. Its decoction soothes vomiting, and the juice of the peel is beneficial for snake bites. The peel can also be applied as a poultice. The fragrance of Utruj purifies the air and combats epidemics.

The Israeli: Drinking Utruj juice helps against poisonous drugs.

Sufyan Al-Andalusi: It quenches phlegmatic thirst, and a drink made from it, when mixed with a lot of water, has the same effect.

The seeds of Utruj have a bitter taste, which indicates that they have a dissolving and drying effect in the second degree.

It is said that if Utruj (citron) is placed with clothes, it prevents them from deteriorating.

Al-Tabari: One of the main benefits of Utruj seeds is their ability to treat scorpion stings. If two mithqals (a small weight) of the peeled seeds are consumed with warm water, and the area of the sting is also covered with a decoction of Utruj, it can be beneficial. If the seeds are crushed and placed on the sting, it helps as well.

Ishaq ibn Suleiman: The seeds of Utruj dissolve swellings and strengthen the gums due to their bitterness.

Ishaq ibn Imran: Utruj leaves help digest food, warm the stomach, and open the airways if obstructed by phlegm, as they clear phlegmatic blockages.

Ibn Sina: The leaves reduce bloating, strengthen the stomach and internal organs, and their flowers are even more delicate in effect. The leaves of Utruj have a pleasant, aromatic scent with a noticeable sharpness. This makes them strengthening, drying, and lightening, and they benefit in similar ways to the peel of the fruit.

Ibn-e-Sina wrote: Citron is well-known, the oil extracted from its peel is potent, while that derived from its blossoms is milder in all aspects. The peel is warm in the first degree and dry toward the second degree. The flesh is warm and moist in the first degree, though some say it is cold and moist in the first degree, with its coolness being more pronounced. The sour juice is cold and dry in the third degree. The seeds are warm in the first degree and drying in the third degree.

Actions and Properties: Flesh: Causes bloating, Leaves: Reduce bloating, Blossoms: More effective than the leaves, Sour Juice: Astringent and balances bile, Seeds and Peel: Dissolve obstructions and, when placed with clothes, prevent moth infestation. Aroma: Purifies air and prevents epidemics.

Skin care: Sour Juice: Cleanses the skin and removes blemishes. Peel Extract: An excellent remedy for vitiligo and, when boiled, freshens breath. Peel: Improves breath when chewed.

Tumors and Sores : Sour Juice is beneficial as a topical application for ringworm.

Joint and Nerve Benefits : Oil: Extracted from the peel, it helps with nerve relaxation and paralysis. Sour Juice: Detrimental to the nerves. Helps treat facial paralysis and, when boiled, greatly freshens breath.

Eye Benefits: Sour Juice: Used as an eye wash to treat jaundice in the eyes.

Respiratory and Chest Benefits : Sour Juice: Soothes palpitations caused by heat. Preserved Flesh: Good for the throat and lungs, though the sour juice may harm the chest.

Digestive System Benefits: Flesh: Harsh on the stomach, causes bloating, and is slow to digest unless preserved or cooked with honey, which improves its digestibility. Leaves: Strengthen the stomach and intestines. Blossoms and Peel: Aid digestion when added to food. Sour Juice Boil: Soothes vomiting. Sour Syrup: Tans the stomach lining and alleviates bilious vomiting. Should be consumed alone and not mixed with other foods before or after.

Excretory System Benefits : Flesh: May cause colic.Sour Juice: Acts as a bowel binder and helps with bilious diarrhea. Seeds: Effective for hemorrhoids, possess laxative properties, and the juice reduces excessive sexual desire in women.

Antidote to Poisons: Seeds: Two dirhams' weight, consumed with drink or applied as a poultice with hot water, counteracts all poisons, especially scorpion venom. Peel and Its Juice: Effective against snake bites when consumed or applied as a poultice.