اللهُمَ إنَّا نَعُوذُ بِكَ مِن جَهْدِ البَلاءِ ودَرْكِ الشَّقَاءِ وسُوءِ القَضَاءِ وشَمَاتَةِ الأعْدَاءِ

POMEGRANATE

رُمَّانٌ‏‏ : قال تعالى‏:‏‏{‏فِيهِمَا فَاكِهَةٌ وَنَخْلٌ وَرُمَّانٌ‏}‏ ‏(‏الرحمن ‏:‏ 68‏)‏ ويُذكر عن ابن عباس موقوفاً ومرفوعاً‏:‏ ‏(‏ما مِن رُمَّانٍ من رُمَّانِكم هذا إلا وهو مُلقَّحٌ بحبَّةٍ من رُمَّانِ الجَنَّةِ‏)‏ والموقوفُ أشْبَهُ‏.‏ وذكر حَربٌ وغيره عن علىٍّ أنه قال‏:‏ ‏(‏كُلُوا الرُّمَّانَ بِشحْمِه، فإنه دباغُ المَعِدَةِ‏)‏‏.‏ حلوُ الرُّمَّان حار رطب، جيدٌ للمَعِدَة، مقوٍ لها بما فيه من قبْضٍ لطيف، نافع للحلق والصدر والرِّئة، جيدٌ للسُّعال، وماؤه مُلَيِّن للبطن، يَغْذى البدن غِذاءً فاضلاً يسيراً، سريعُ التحلُّل لرِّقَّته ولطافته، ويُولِّد حرارة يسيرة في المعدة وريحاً، ولذلك يُعين على الباه، ولا يصلح للمَحْمُومين، وله خاصيَّة عجيبة إذا أُكل بالخبز يمنعه من الفساد في المعدة‏.‏وحامضه بارد يابس، قابض لطيف، ينفع المَعِدَة الملتهبة، ويُدِرُّ البَوْل أكثرَ من غيره من الرُّمَّان، ويُسكِّنُ الصَّفْراء، ويقطع الإسهال، ويمنع القىء، ويُلطِّف الفضول، ويُطفىءُ حرارة الكبد، ويُقَوِّى الأعضاء، نافع من الخَفَقان  الصَّفراوى، والآلام العارضة للقلب، وفم المعدة، ويُقوِّى المَعِدَة، ويدفع الفُضول عنها، ويُطفئُ المِرَّة الصفراء والدم وإذا استُخرجَ ماؤه بشَحْمه، وطُبِخَ بيسير من العسل حتى يصير كالمرهم، واكتُحِلَ به، قطع الصفرة من العَيْن، ونقَّاها من الرطوبات الغليظة، وإذا لُطخ على اللِّثَة، نفع من الأَكلة العارضة لها، وإن استُخرج ماؤهما بشحمهما، أطلَق البطن، وأحْدَر الرُّطوباتِ العَفِنَةَ المُرِّية، ونفع مِن حُميَّات الغب المُتطاوِلة‏.‏ وأما الرُّمَّان المزُّ، فمتوسط طبعاً وفعلاً بين النوعين، وهذا أمْيَلُ إلى لطافة الحامض قليلاً، وحَبُّ الرُّمَّان مع العسل طِلاءٌ للداحِس والقروح الخبيثة، وأقماعُه للجراحات، قالوا‏:‏ ومَن ابتلع ثلاثةً من جُنبُذِ الرُّمَّان في كل سنة، أمِنَ مِنَ الرَّمد سنته كلَّها‏

Ibn Al Qayyim wrote : Allah says: "In them are fruits, and date palms, and pomegranates." (Quran 55:68). It is reported from Ibn Abbas, both as a statement and as a narration from Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم: "There is not a single pomegranate among your pomegranates that is not pollinated with a seed from the pomegranates of Paradise," with the statement being more likely to be authentic.

Additionally, it is mentioned that Ali Radi Allaho Anh said: "Eat pomegranates with their fat (the white part/cushion between the seeds), for it coats the stomach." Sweet pomegranate is warm and moist, beneficial for the stomach, and strengthens it due to its gentle astringency. It is good for the throat, chest, and lungs, and is effective for coughs. Its juice softens the stomach, providing excellent nourishment that is light and easily digestible. It generates a mild heat and gas in the stomach, thus supporting vitality, although it is not suitable for those with fevers. An interesting property is that when eaten with bread, it prevents spoilage in the stomach.

The sour pomegranate is cool and dry, with a subtle astringent quality. It benefits an inflamed stomach and promotes urination more than other types of pomegranates. It helps alleviate yellow bile, stops diarrhea, prevents vomiting, soothes excess secretions, and cools the liver, strengthening the organs. It is also effective for symptoms of yellow bile and heart pain, as well as stomach discomfort.

When its juice is extracted with its fat and cooked with a bit of honey until it becomes like an ointment, and then applied as an eye salve, it can eliminate yellow discoloration from the eyes and cleanse them of thick moisture. If applied to the gums, it can alleviate pain from sores. If the juices of both the sweet and sour pomegranates are extracted with their fats (white part between the seeds), they can help relieve constipation and eliminate foul and stagnant fluids from the body, providing relief from prolonged fevers.

As for the sour pomegranate variety called "Mazz (sour)," it is intermediate in nature and effects between the two types, slightly leaning towards the gentle quality of the sour one. The seeds of pomegranate mixed with honey can treat Dahis (septic finger) and foul sores, while the flowers can be used for wounds. It is said that whoever swallows three pomegranate flowers each year will be protected from Ophthalmia (conjunctivitis) for the entire year.

Ibn al-Baytaar wrote : All types of pomegranates (Rumman) have an astringent taste, but the degree of astringency varies. Some are sour, some are sweet, and some are highly astringent. The benefits of each type correspond to its dominant flavor. The seeds of the pomegranate are more astringent and drying than its juice, and the peels are even more so in both aspects. The unripe pomegranate that falls off the tree while still developing a flower is much more astringent than the peel.

Pomegranates are nutritious and good for the stomach. The sweet variety is tastier but produces moderate heat in the stomach and causes bloating, making it unsuitable for those with fevers. The sour variety is better for inflamed stomachs and acts as a diuretic, though it is less palatable and is astringent. Dried sour pomegranate seeds, if ground and sprinkled on food or cooked with it, prevent excess fluids from reaching the stomach and intestines. When soaked in rainwater and consumed, it benefits those who cough up blood. It is also helpful when used in baths for ulcers in the intestines and chronic vaginal discharges. The juice of sour pomegranates, when cooked and mixed with honey, is effective for mouth ulcers, stomach ulcers, infections, excessive tissue growth, earaches, and ulcers in the nasal cavity.

The pomegranate flower (Gulnar) is astringent and drying, strengthens the gums, and promotes wound healing. Its decoction can be used as a mouthwash for bleeding gums and loose teeth. Some claim that swallowing three whole dried Gulnar flowers can prevent eye inflammation for a year. Pomegranate peel has similar astringent properties to Gulnar and is effective for the same conditions. A decoction of the pomegranate tree’s root, when consumed, kills and expels intestinal parasites.

Isaac ibn Imran: Pomegranate is strong in expelling foul humors from the stomach and is beneficial in treating chronic recurring fevers.

Others: Pomegranate is helpful for itching and scabies and strengthens the stomach without causing harm. Its juice and syrup are effective in treating hangovers.

Al-Razi in "Prevention of the Harm of Foods": Sweet pomegranates cause slight bloating, but this bloating dissipates quickly, and they can even stimulate appetite. Sour pomegranates, on the other hand, linger longer in the stomach, cause bloating, and cool the liver significantly, especially with prolonged use. They can be harmful to people with cold temperaments, as they overcool the liver, causing indigestion and diarrhea. Sour pomegranates also produce wind and reduce sexual desire. Therefore, people should follow them with candied ginger, strong drinks, and stews with garlic and spices.

In Al-Mansuri: Sweet pomegranates cause thirst, while sour ones quench yellow bile and blood, and alleviate hangovers and vomiting.

Ibn Sina in "Cardiac Medicines": Sweet pomegranates are moderate and align with the temperament of the soul due to their gentle sweetness, especially for the liver.

Harun: The juice of sweet pomegranates, when placed in a bottle under the hot sun until it thickens, and then used as kohl (eye salve), sharpens the vision. The older the juice, the better it is.

In the second part of the Canon: All types of pomegranates have cleansing and astringent properties, even the sour variety. Sour pomegranates, however, irritate the throat and chest, while sweet ones soothe them and strengthen the chest. They are effective against all types of fevers and stomach inflammations. It is better for those with fevers to suck on the fruit after their meal to prevent vapors from rising rather than consuming it beforehand, which would direct fluids downward. Sweet pomegranates are beneficial for the stomach due to their mild astringency and are good for heart palpitations. If a whole sweet pomegranate is cooked in syrup and then crushed and applied to the ear, it relieves swelling in the ear significantly. The juice of sour pomegranates is beneficial for treating eye ulcers when applied as Kohl. The flour made from sour pomegranates is also helpful for improving the appetite of pregnant women, as is their syrup, particularly the sour variety.

If pomegranate peel is cooked in water until it becomes mushy and about four dirhams (a unit of weight) of it is taken with the water it was cooked in, and two ounces of old wheat bran are added, a porridge can be made. When it’s fully cooked, oil is added, and if this is eaten by someone with severe diarrhea, it stops it completely and provides healing. When the decoction is drunk by someone suffering from incontinence, it will help retain urine.

Additionally, sour pomegranate peel can be mixed with an equal amount of gallnut (oak galls) and crushed, then cooked with vinegar until it thickens. This mixture can be made into small pills the size of peppercorns. Taking 10-15 of these pills benefits those with intestinal ulcers and stops diarrhea, healing the intestines and rectal sores.If pomegranate peel is burned and mixed with honey and applied as a poultice to the lower abdomen and chest, it benefits those coughing up blood. Ground pomegranate peel or its concentrated juice, when mixed with honey and applied to smallpox scars and other blemishes for several days, will remove the scars.

Israeli: Pomegranate peel is cold and dry, and if its decoction is combined with roasted, peeled barley and rice, it helps with diarrhea and soothes intestinal abrasions. Gargling with its water strengthens the gums, and when used as a wash, it strengthens the rectum and stops bleeding from hemorrhoids. Pomegranate peel, when ground and consumed in a quantity of 15 grams with warm water, expels intestinal worms effectively.

Ibn Zuhr in his book on foods: Pomegranates have a unique and praiseworthy quality, especially when eaten with bread, as they prevent food from spoiling in the stomach. Sour pomegranates cut through stomach phlegm and all other forms of phlegm. If food is cooked with sour pomegranate, it will not spoil in the stomach, and the same effect is seen with the sweet pomegranate syrup. Both types of pomegranate juice help prevent bodily humors from becoming putrid.

Al-Ghafiqi: The juice of sweet pomegranates, when cooked in a copper vessel, is good for ulcers and foul-smelling nasal infections. Sour pomegranate juice is effective against malignant mouth ulcers.

From "The Two Experiments": The blood produced by sweet pomegranates is thin, but when consumed regularly with food, it nourishes the body by enhancing food’s flavor and drawing nutrients to the organs while minimizing bodily waste. Sweet pomegranates also calm hot vapors in the body and balance them. Sour pomegranates are even more potent in this regard. The syrup made from both types of pomegranates strengthens the stomach, quenches thirst, and prevents vomiting and nausea. When pomegranates are juiced with their pulp and the water is used for gargling, it is beneficial for ulcers in children's mouths.

Sweet pomegranate syrup, when taken with water by someone suffering from tuberculosis, moisturizes the body. Similarly, consuming fresh pomegranates nourishes the body. When pomegranate juice is used in an enema, especially when cooked with dill sticks, it dries the excessive fluids in the uterus. If mixed with vinegar, it helps with redness of the skin (erysipelas).

Ibn-e-Sina wrote: The sweet pomegranate is cold in the first degree and moist, while the sour variety is cold and dry in the second degree. The sweet pomegranate helps suppress yellow bile, prevents excess fluids from flowing into the internal organs, and is beneficial in all its forms, even the sour variety, for its cleansing and astringent effects. The seeds of the pomegranate mixed with honey are useful for treating hangnails.

Wounds and Ulcers: Pomegranate seeds mixed with honey can be used as a poultice for rough, malignant ulcers and can stop the bleeding in wounds, especially burns. Pomegranate flowers are helpful in sealing wounds with their heat. The sweet variety has a mild laxative effect.

Head: Pomegranate seeds with honey can treat earaches and can be used to treat nasal congestion. The seeds, when powdered and mixed with honey, are effective for oral thrush. Boiled sweet pomegranate can be applied to the ear to reduce swelling. Pomegranate syrup or concentrate is beneficial for treating hangovers, especially the sour variety.

Eyes: The juice of sour pomegranates mixed with honey is useful for treating conjunctivitis. The juice of sweet and bitter pomegranates, when mixed with honey, can treat eye inflammation and night blindness.

Chest: The sour pomegranate can roughen the throat and chest, while the sweet variety softens and strengthens them. Drinking pomegranate seeds mixed with rainwater is beneficial for coughing up blood and can cleanse the chest.

Digestive System: Pomegranate is good for digestion, particularly in treating stomach inflammation and in balancing stomach acids. The sweet variety is suitable for the stomach due to its mild astringency, while the sour variety may cause discomfort. The rind and juice are more beneficial for enhancing appetite in pregnant women. Sour pomegranate syrup helps to regulate fluid retention in the body, especially when consumed by feverish patients. The mild pomegranate is often more beneficial than apples or quinces for digestion.

Urinary System: The sour pomegranate increases urine output more than the sweet variety, but both are diuretic. Pomegranate with honey helps treat stomach ulcers and is beneficial for diarrhea, especially the sour type.

Fever and Inflammation: Pomegranate syrup is effective in treating fevers and inflammations. The sweet variety, however, may worsen conditions in individuals with hot fevers.