اللَّهُمَّ لا سَهْلَ إلاَّ ما جَعْلْتَهُ سَهْلاً، وأنتَ تَجْعَلُ الحَزْنَ سَهْلاً إذا شِئْتَ

THAUM (Garlic)

ثـوم : هو قريب من البصل، وفي الحديث‏:‏ ‏(‏من أكلهما فليمتهما طبخًا‏)‏‏.‏ وأهدي إليه طعام فيه ثوم، فأرسل به إلى أبي أيوب الأنصاري، فقال‏:‏ يا رسول الله، تكرهه وترسل به إلي‏؟‏ فقال‏:‏ ‏(‏إني أناجي من لا تناجي‏)‏‏.‏ وبعد فهو حار يابس في الرابعة، يسخن تسخينًا قويًا، ويجفف تجفيفًا بالغًا، نافع للمبرودين، ولمن مزاجه بلغمي، ولمن أشرف على الوقوع في الفالج، وهو مجفف للمني، مفتح للسدد، محلل للرياح الغليظة، هاضم للطعام، مطلق للبطن، مدر للبول، يقوم في لسع الهوام وجميع الأورام الباردة مقام الترياق، وإذا دق وعمل منه ضماد على نهش الحيات، أو على لسع العقارب، نفعها وجذب السموم منها، ويسخن البدن، ويزيد في حرارته، ويقطع البلغم، ويحلل النفخ، ويصفي الحلق، ويحفظ صحة أكثر الأبدان، وينفع من تغير المياه، والسعال المزمن، ويؤكل نيئًا ومطبوخًا ومشويًا، وينفع من وجع الصدر من البرد، ويخرج العلق من الحلق، وإذا دق مع الخل والملح والعسل، ثم وضع على الضرس المتأكل، فتته وأسقطه، وعلى الضرس الوجع، سكن وجعه‏.‏ وإن دق منه مقدار درهمين، وأخذ مع ماء العسل، أخرج البلغم والدود، وإذا طلي بالعسل على البهق، نفع‏.‏ ومن مضاره‏:‏ أنه يصدع، ويضر الدماغ والعينين، ويضعف البصر والباه، ويعطش، ويهيج الصفراء، ويجيف رائحة الفم، ويذهب رائحته أن يمضع عليه ورق السذاب‏.‏

Ibn Al Qayyam wrote : Garlic is similar to onions. In a Hadith, it is stated: "Whoever eats them (garlic and onions) should cook them." When food containing garlic was presented to Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, he sent it to Abu Ayoub Al-Ansari. Abu Ayoub asked, "O Messenger of Allah, you dislike it yet send it to me?" Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم replied: " I talk & whisper to the Almighty LORD to whom you do not."

Garlic is hot and dry in the fourth degree, providing strong heating effects and thorough drying. It is beneficial for those with a cold temperament, for those who are prone to paralysis, and acts as a drying agent for bodily fluids. Garlic opens blockages, alleviates gas, aids digestion, relieves constipation, promotes urination, and acts as an antidote for stings and all cold swellings.

When crushed and used as a poultice for snake bites or scorpion stings, it can help draw out poison. It raises body’s heat, reduces phlegm, alleviates gas, clears the throat, and supports overall health.

Garlic nullifies the bad effect of changing water (especially for a traveler who has to drink water from various sources), garlic is fantastic for old cough, and can be eaten raw, cooked, or grilled. Garlic helps with chest pain caused by cold and can help expel worms / leech from the throat. If crushed and mixed with vinegar, salt, and honey, then applied to a decayed tooth, it can relieve pain. A dose of about two dirhams mixed with honey water can help expel phlegm and worms. When applied with honey to vitiligo, it can be beneficial.

However, garlic has some drawbacks: it can cause headaches, harm the brain and eyes, weaken vision and libido, induce thirst, provoke yellow bile, and produce a foul mouth odor. Chewing rue leaves can help mitigate its bad breath.

Ibn al-Baytaar wrote : Garlic is warming and drying in nature. Wild garlic, in particular, is noted for its strength. Garlic has hot properties that help expel gas from the stomach, dry the stomach, and provoke thirst. It can eliminate certain intestinal worms and promote urination. If bitten by a snake or a viper, consuming garlic can be beneficial. Eating garlic—whether raw, roasted, or cooked—can soothe the throat and alleviate chronic coughs.

When mixed with honey and applied, it can heal discolorations under the eyes, and when combined with salt and oil, it can treat swellings. Garlic can also help with skin conditions like leprosy and can be mixed with various substances for other ailments, including easing toothaches and promoting menstruation when used as a wash.

Ibn Sina mentions that garlic is effective against the erosion of molars caused by thick humors and is beneficial for cold intestines if there is no fever.

Other observations note that garlic helps in the expulsion of heavy and thick humors, though it can also weaken eyesight due to its drying properties. It is good for clearing phlegm and has a strong action on the digestive system.

Indian sources claim garlic is good for gas, forgetfulness, asthma, cough, spleen issues, and expelling worms, though it is harmful for hemorrhoids and during pregnancy.

Various authors also emphasize garlic’s use for joint pain, its effectiveness in expelling phlegm, and its potential side effects on the eyes and digestion. Overall, garlic is lauded for its medicinal properties, particularly in promoting urination and easing digestive issues, but caution is advised regarding its effects on the eyes and during certain health conditions.

Al-Razi in his "Kitab al-Mansouri" mentions that garlic is harmful in hot climates and beneficial in cold ones. In "Kitaab Daf‘ Mudar al-Aghdhiyah," he states that garlic generates significant warmth in the body, but its effects are not long-lasting. It is excellent for relieving gas, helping to prevent the formation of windy colic when consumed. Garlic is also effective for chronic back and hip pain and does not produce excessive vapors that affect the head, unlike onions.

Ibn Sina remarks that the drying and stimulating properties of garlic can be harmful. However, when cooked in water to reduce its pungency, it becomes milder and can aid in fluid retention. It may also increase sexual desire by transforming phlegmatic substances in the body into gas.

Sufyan al-Andalusi claims that if garlic is ground and its pungency is reduced with fat, it can help treat abscesses and swelling, whether recent or old. Frying garlic in oil can remedy blood stagnation in the limbs and relieve aches in cold-induced cracks. Drinking this oil can soothe stomach pain, phlegmy colic, and irritation from thick mixtures.

Garlic is effective against scorpion and snake bites, as well as dog bites. It counters the thirst induced by thick, salty phlegm, especially in heated bodies. Overall, garlic is very supportive for those with cold conditions and can boost the innate heat of the elderly, but its vapors can harm the brain. Garlic should be cooked or mixed with fat to mitigate its harshness. When combined with walnuts and figs, it can prevent internal worms and aid in urinary flow, especially for the elderly. Cooking garlic and consuming it can alleviate cold coughs, particularly when mixed with beneficial potions.

Ishaq ibn Imran mentions that when garlic is mixed with vinegar and applied to areas with thick, stagnant moisture, it can help dissolve swelling caused by cold humidity. Eating raw garlic can lead to sharp, yellow bile that quickly darkens, especially in those with a hot temperament.

Ibn-e-Sina wrote :  Garlic comes in several varieties, including the common garden variety, the wild garlic (also known as garlic of the snake), and the leek-garlic hybrid. Wild garlic is more bitter and astringent compared to the others. Garlic is a warming and drying herb, typically classified as having a strong heating effect (third to fourth degrees). Wild garlic is even more heating and drying. Garlic is a strong purgative and is known for its ability to relieve bloating and gas. It has an abrasive effect on the skin, which makes it useful for treating skin conditions.

Uses for Skin & Aesthetic: Garlic, when boiled with mountain-fennel, is effective in killing lice and eggs (nits), and can be applied topically for this purpose. The ash from garlic, mixed with honey, is beneficial for treating skin conditions like vitiligo (white patches) and conjunctivitis (eye irritation). Garlic is also useful for curing "fox disease" (a condition caused by stagnant, foul material in the body).

For Wounds and Boils: Garlic helps open up deep abscesses. The ash of garlic is applied to boils and skin eruptions.

For Soothing Injuries and Ulcers: Garlic aids in skin regeneration by stimulating the growth of new tissue. Garlic ash mixed with honey can be applied to sores, scabs, and scaly skin conditions such as eczema and leprosy. Wild garlic is used for healing chronic or deep wounds when applied fresh.

For Joint and Muscle Health: Garlic is beneficial for easing Sciatica (nerve pain) as it helps to thin the blood and relieve gallbladder-related blockages.

For Head Health: Garlic is a natural remedy for headaches and migraines. Boiled or roasted garlic helps soothe toothaches, and gargling with its decoction is helpful for alleviating tooth pain, especially when mixed with frankincense.

For Eye Health: Garlic can weaken vision and cause eye eruptions when used improperly.

For Respiratory Health: Garlic clears the throat and is effective for treating chronic coughs. It also helps with chest pains, colds, and removes phlegm from the throat.

For Digestive Health: Garlic is effective in treating bloating, especially when used in a broth made with garlic, olive oil, and carrots.

For Reproductive Health: Consuming garlic in a broth made from garlic and its stems helps regulate menstruation and improves urine flow. It also aids in the expulsion of the placenta after childbirth. If mixed with honey, garlic can help alleviate excess phlegm in the body and aid in cleansing the digestive system.

For Sexual Health: Garlic, due to its strong drying and purifying properties, might be too harsh for sexual health if consumed excessively. However, when cooked and diluted with water, it can stimulate the body's natural processes and improve vitality.

For Poison and Venom: Garlic is effective against bites from insects or snakes. It has been proven to neutralize venom and can be used both internally (as a drink) and externally (as a poultice). For a dog bite or venomous animal bite, garlic combined with fig leaves and cumin can be used to stop the effects of the venom.