اللَّهُمَّ إنِّي أسْألُكَ مِن خَيْرِ ما سَأَلَكَ مِنْهُ نَبيُّكَ محمَّدٌ صَلَّى الله تَعالَى عَليْهِ وسَلَّمَ، وأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِن شَرِّ ما اسْتَعاذَكَ مِنْهُ نَبِيُّك مُحَمَّدٌ صَلَّى الله تَعَالَى عَلَيْه وسَلَّمَ وأنتَ المُسْتَعانُ وعَلَيْكَ البَلاغُ ولا حَوْلَ ولا قُوَّة إلا بالله العَليِّ العَظِيم

Zait (Olive Oil)

زَيْتٌ‏:‏ قال تعالى‏:‏ يُوقَدُ مِن شَجَرَةٍ مُّبَارَكَةٍ زَيْتُونَةٍ لا شَرْقِيَّةٍ وَلاَ غَرْبِيَّةٍ يَكَادُ زَيْتُهَا يُضِىءُ وَلَوْ لَمْ تَمْسَسْهُ نَارٌ‏‏ ‏[‏النور ‏:‏ 35‏]‏ وفى الترمذىِّ وابن ماجه من حديث أبى هريرة رضى الله عنه، عن النبىِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه قال‏:‏ ‏(‏كُلُوا الزَّيتَ وادَّهِنُوا به، فإنَّه من شَجَرَةٍ مُبَارَكةٍ‏)‏‏.‏ وللبَيْهَقِى وابن ماجه أيضاً‏:‏ عن ابن عمر رضى الله عنه، قال‏:‏ قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم‏:‏ ‏(‏ائْتَدِمُوا بالزَّيتِ، وادَّهِنُوا به، فإنه من شَجَرَةٍ مُبَارَكةٍ‏)‏‏.‏

الزَّيْتُ حار رطب في الأُولى، وغَلِط مَن قال‏:‏ يابسٌ، والزَّيت بحسب زيتونه، فالمعتصَرُ من النَّضيج أعدلُه وأجوده، ومن الفَجِّ فيه برودةٌ ويُبوسة، ومن الزيتون الأحمر متوسطٌ بين الزَّيتَيْن، ومن الأسود يُسخِّن ويُرطِّب باعتدال، وينفع من السُّموم، ويُطلق البطن، ويُخرج الدود، والعتيقُ منه أشد تسخيناً وتحليلاً، وما استُخْرِجَ منه بالماء، فهو أقلُّ حرارةً، وألطفُ وأبلغ في النفع، وجميعُ أصنافه مليِّنة للبَشْرة، وتُبطىءُ الشَيْب‏.‏ وماء الزَّيتون المالح يمنع من تنفُّط حرق النار، ويَشُد اللِّثَةَ، وورقهُ ينفع من الحُمرة، والنَّملة، والقُروح الوَسِخة، والشَّرَى، ويمنع العَرَق، ومنافعه أضعاف ما ذكرنا‏

Ibn Al Qayyam wrote : Narrated by Tirmidhi in the book of Shamail, Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم would frequently apply olive oil to his head and beard. As a result, he kept a small cloth called a Qina'a under his cap, which would become soaked with oil, resembling the attire of an oil miller.

Olive oil fills the pores of the skin and prevents what needs to be eliminated from the body. When used after bathing with hot water, it enhances the body's appearance and provides moisture. Applying it to the hair improves its condition and promotes growth, and it is beneficial for treating various ailments.

In Tirmidhi, narrated by Abu Huraira Radi Allaho Anh, it is reported that Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم said: "Eat oil and apply it."

In hot regions, such as Hejaaz and similar areas, oil is one of the essential means of maintaining health and improving the body, making it necessary for the inhabitants. In contrast, people in cold regions do not require it, although excessive application to the head can be harmful to the eyes.

The most beneficial types of oils are: olive oil, followed by butter, then ghee.

Olive oil is classified as hot and wet in its first degree, with its properties varying based on the olive variety. The finest olive oil comes from ripe olives, while oil from unripe olives is cold and dry. Red olives yield oil that is intermediate, and black olives produce oil that is hot and wet. Olive oil is effective against poisons, acts as a laxative, and helps eliminate worms. Older olive oil tends to be hotter and more prone to decomposition. When mixed with water, it becomes milder and thus more beneficial. All types of olive oil soften the skin and slow down the aging process. Additionally, salty water combined with olive oil can protect burned skin from blistering and strengthen the gums.

The two Hadiths mentioned do not specify the type of tree for the oil:

كُلُوا الزَّيتَ وادَّهِنُوا به، فإنَّه من شَجَرَةٍ مُبَارَكةٍ‏

ائْتَدِمُوا بالزَّيتِ، وادَّهِنُوا به، فإنه من شَجَرَةٍ مُبَارَكةٍ

- "Eat olive oil and apply it, for it is from a blessed tree."

- "Use olive oil and apply it, for it is from a blessed tree."

These statements indicate that the only recommended oil for consumption, cooking, or massage is blessed olive oil. It is indeed a miracle that Allah has exemplified His light (NOOR) with the olive tree.

You will never imagine how powerful were the words written (before 700 years) by Imam Zahabi. His research on Olive Oil is the best in this world. People in those times never had the concept of extra virgin, Virgin OR Pomace Oil, they only extracted the oil & used it (after filtration) for cooking, which interprets that Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the best. Imam Zahabi wrote : Zait Zaitoon Al-Infaaq is the one which is extracted from un-ripe (green) olives & its nature is cold & dry, Olive Oil which is pressed from ripe olives is moderately hot & wet natured, and as the olives ripen, more is the heat obtained in the oil. Massaging by Olive Oil strengthens the hairs (prevents hair loss) & organs, & massaging the body slows down the AGING. Drinking Olive Oil helps against poisons, cleanses the stomach, relieves stomach pains & kills the intestinal worms. All the cooking OILS weaken the stomach except Olive Oil, and Oil from un-ripe olives is the best in this concern. Narrated by Ibn Umar Radi Allaho Anh that Prophet Muhammad Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam said “ Cook with the Oil & use it for massage, as it is from a blessed tree”. Allah Said in the Holy Quran :

وَشَجَرَةً تَخْرُجُ مِن طُورِ سَيْنَاء تَنبُتُ بِالدُّهْنِ وَصِبْغٍ لِّلْآكِلِينَ

23:20 Also a tree springing out of Mount Sinai, which produces oil, and relish for those who use it for food.

Narrated by Tirmizi “Eat the Oil & use it for massaging”. Also narrated by Ibn Al Jauzi that Ilqamah Bin Amir said “You have the Olive Oil, eat it & massage with it as it is the best for PILES”. It was also narrated that whoever uses Olive Oil for massaging, Sheytaan never comes close to him / her”. Someone said that Olive Oil is the Tiryaaq for Fuqaraa', which means that it removes the POVERTY (by bringing the blessings in house & by keeping the body away from diseases). Green Olives are cold & dry, best as a food, strengthen the digestion, ignite the libido, & prevent the formation of gaseous vapors. Black Olives are hot & dry, create black bile & are difficult to digest. Salted Olives are good against fire burns. Chewing Olive leaves is beneficial for mouth ulcers, oral thrush, skin irritations, bacterial infections, Urticaria & sores.

Ibn al-Baytaar wrote : The leaves and fresh branches of the olive tree have a cooling and astringent property. The ripened and fully mature fruit has moderate warmth, while the unripe fruit is colder and more astringent.

Wild olives and their leaves are astringent. When crushed and applied as a poultice, they prevent the spread of redness in the body and help treat eczema, ulcers, and boils, malignant ulcers, and felons. When mixed with honey, it removes scabs and cleans dirty ulcers. If combined with honey and applied, it can dissolve the swelling. It also helps in reattaching scalp skin if it has come loose. Chewing the leaves heals mouth ulcers and thrush, and applying the leaves mixed with barley flour is beneficial for chronic diarrhea. Its juice, when used, can stop chronic moisture from flowing from the uterus and alleviate chronic vaginal discharges. Olive leaf juice is also used in medications to treat eyelid ulcers and mouth sores.

Ibn Sina: Olive leaves are astringent and are beneficial for treating tooth decay when boiled and held in the mouth.

From the "Two Experiments": Olive leaves are cooked in unripe grape juice until they become like honey, and when applied to decayed teeth, they remove them.

Al-Tabari: When used as an enema, olive leaf decoction benefits ulcers in the rectum and uterus. If wild olive leaves are burned and mixed with hot water, they can be applied to the sciatic nerve about four finger-widths above the heel. This can cause the area to ulcerate, draining a lot of material and destroying any decayed tissue in the nerves, leading to complete healing.

Hanging olive roots on someone stung by a scorpion will cure them. If olive roots and leaves are boiled in water and the liquid is used as a mouthwash, it will relieve headaches caused by cold. Pouring the warm liquid on the head of someone with a cold will help drain excess moisture and alleviate the cold. Breathing in the steam from this water while it is hot clears moisture from the nose and head and drains it downward, making it an excellent treatment for this condition.

Olive fruit, when applied as a poultice, helps with head weakness and malignant ulcers. The pit of the olive, when mixed with fat and flour, removes white marks on the nails. Olive water, when ground into a paste and applied to burns, prevents blistering and cleans dirty ulcers.

Ishaq bin Imran: Green olives are cold and dry, slowing digestion and tightening the stomach. They tan the stomach and stimulate appetite but are slow to digest and provide little nourishment. If preserved in vinegar, they are digested faster and tighten the bowels more effectively. When salted, olives gain heat and are lighter than those soaked in water.

Fresh olives with a ruby color constipate and benefit the stomach. If burned and applied, olives prevent malignant ulcers from spreading and remove ulcers. Black olives are hot and dry, and they spoil quickly.

Ishaq bin Imran: Black olives, along with their pits, are used in incense to treat asthma and lung diseases.

Ibn Sina (Avicenna): The humors produced by olives are minimal and undesirable. However, if eaten in the middle of a meal, they stimulate appetite and reduce the delay in food digestion in the stomach.

Sweet olive oil, made from fully ripened olives, moisturizes and provides moderate warmth. The oil pressed from unripe olives (known as Anfaaq) has both cooling and astringent properties. Sweet oil made from aged olives is stronger in heating and more effective in dissolving blockages. Aged oil from unripe olives retains its astringency, and as long as this astringency is present, it has drying properties. However, when this astringency fades, it becomes similar to sweet oil from ripe olives.

Oil made from unripe olives (Anfaaq) is more suitable for healthy individuals, especially when it is fresh, not sharp in taste, and has a pleasant smell. Such oil is used for cosmetic purposes and is good for the stomach due to its astringency, strengthening the gums and teeth when held in the mouth, and preventing excessive sweating. Aged oil from ripe olives is useful in medicines. All types of olive oil are warming and soften the skin, protecting the body from cold and facilitating movement. Olive oil softens the bowels and neutralizes the strength of poisonous substances, making the individual vomit. Drinking olive oil with barley water or hot water acts as a laxative. Oil is also useful in enemas for those with colic caused by intestinal inflammation or constipation from dry stool. Aged oil has stronger warming and dissolving properties. Wild olive oil has astringent properties and is beneficial in medicine but is less effective than the previously mentioned oils. It works similarly to rose oil in treating headaches, reducing sweating, and preventing hair loss. It also clears scalp dandruff and moist ulcers, prevents premature graying of hair when used daily, and strengthens bleeding gums when used as a mouthwash. When mixed with flour, it can be used as a paste to treat gums that are affected by excess fluids

Oil from unripe olives (Anfaaq) is more suited for healthy people. If olive oil is heated with water, cooled, and then reused, it can be applied to dry and cracked skin, wounds, and other skin conditions.

Ibn-e-Sina wrote: The olive tree is a large plant found in various regions. Olive oil can be extracted from both unripe (green) olives and ripe olives, with oil from the unripe olives being called "Anfaaq," and the oil from ripe olives being more balanced. There are different types of olive oil, such as from cultivated olives (domestic olive oil) or wild olives (wild olive oil). Aged olive oil, especially in ointments, has properties similar to castor oil or mustard oil, though it is hotter in nature. The best olive oil for healthy individuals is from unripe olives called "Anfaaq" and the finest wild olive oil is the one that tingles the tongue—if it doesn't tingle, it is not effective. Olive oil from unripe olives "Anfaaq" is cold and dry in the first degree. Wild olive oil, when ripe, is moderately hot and moist, with washed oil being more balanced and less hot. In general, ripe olives are hot, while unripe olives are cold, with the fruit and leaves of the tree being cold. Very old olive oil takes on the nature of sweet olive oil. All types of olive oil are strengthening, stimulating, and purifying. Wild olive oil can be boiled in a copper vessel until it solidifies and takes on a stronger consistency. Salted olive water is more potent than regular saltwater for purification. Aged olive oil is less intense than fresh oil but still effective. Olive oil nourishes slightly but has a mild effect.

Cosmetics: Wild olive leaves are good for treating hangnails and preventing sweating when applied. Wild olive oil is similar to rose oil in many aspects, preserving the hair and preventing premature graying when used daily.

Tumors and Pimples: Wild olive oil is effective in treating skin rashes, swelling, and heat-related skin conditions, as it softens and breaks them down. The moisture from burning olive wood can be used for treating scabies, ringworm, and other skin issues. The oil is also helpful for swollen glands, especially when combined with its leaves.

Wounds and Ulcers: Olive oil from unripe olives is beneficial for both moist and dry wounds, and can treat scabies. Wild olive leaves are effective for treating rashes, severe ulcers, infected wounds, and nasty boils. Mixing the oil with medicinal herbs can aid in curing skin infections.

Joints and Nerves: Salted olive water can be used to treat Sciatica, and washed olive oil is effective for nerve pain and Sciatica. Aged olive oil is helpful for gout when applied topically.

Head: Boiling olive leaves with unripe grape juice to create a paste is effective for treating decayed teeth. Wild olive oil has similar benefits to rose oil in treating headaches. The sap of wild olives, when preserved, can be used to treat ear discharge. Wild olive oil helps treat gum infections and loose teeth, and wild olive gum can be used for tooth decay.

Eyes: Aged olive oil can be used as a topical treatment for cloudy vision. The oil of wild olives can be used in eye treatments for blurred vision and corneal conditions. Wild olive gum is effective for treating cataracts, cloudy vision, and corneal ulcers. The juice of wild olive leaves can be used for eye infections and swelling. Domestic olive oil is better for the eyes than wild olive oil.

Chest: Black olives, when combined with their seeds, are effective in treating asthma and lung diseases.

Digestive System: Olive oil is beneficial for ascites, and olives themselves can sometimes cause indigestion. Salted olives stimulate appetite and strengthen the stomach, promoting healthy digestion. Olive oil is the most effective for digestion.

Excretion System: Olive oil, when eaten with Myrrh before meals, softens the body. When taken with hot water or barley water, it acts as a laxative and eases digestion. It can be boiled with RUE to treat colic and intestinal worms. Olive oil is also beneficial for inflammatory colitis, especially when used for lower bowel colic by injection. Its juice is used to treat uterine discharge and bleeding, and it can be applied with barley flour as a poultice for chronic diarrhea. For rectal and uterine conditions, old olive oil mixed with unripe grape juice is useful when used in enemas. This treatment also helps in promoting urine flow and can aid in expelling a fetus in cases of miscarriage. The gum of wild olives is also beneficial in regulating menstrual flow and expelling the fetus.

Toxins: Olive oil is effective in neutralizing poisons when mixed with hot water. Wild olive gum is sometimes used in poison antidotes in some traditional medicine practices.