اللَّهُمَّ إنِّي أسْأَلُكَ حُبَّكَ وحُبَّ مَن يُحِبُّكَ والعَمَلَ الذي يُبَلِّغُنِي حُبَّك. اللّهُمَّ أجْعَلْ حُبَّكَ أحَبَّ إليَّ مِن نَفْسِي وأهْلِيِ، ومِنَ المَاءِ البَارِدِ

QUST Al BAHRI~ COSTUS

قُسْطٌ وكُسْت بمعنى واحد‏.‏ وفى ‏(‏الصحيحين‏)‏‏:‏ من حديث أنس رضى الله عنه، عن النبىِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم‏:‏ ‏(‏خيرُ ما تداوَيْتُم به الحِجامةُ والقُسْطُ البَحْرِىُّ‏)‏‏.‏ وفى ‏(‏المسند‏)‏‏:‏ من حديث أُمِّ قيـس، عن النبىِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم‏:‏ ‏(‏عليكم بهذا العُود الهندىِّ، فإنَّ فيه سَـبْعَةَ أشْــفِيةٍ منها ذاتُ الجَنْبِ‏)‏‏‏

Qust by Ibn al-Qayyim : Qust and Kust have the same meaning. In the Sahihayn (Bukhari and Muslim), there is a Hadith from Anas Radi Allaho Anh, that Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم said: "The best treatments you can use are Hijamah and al-Qust al-Bahri (marine costus)." In the Musnad of Imam Ahmad, there is a Hadith from Umm Qays in which Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم said: "Use this Indian wood, for it contains seven Shifa (أشْــفِيةٍ~remedies), including the cure for pleurisy."

Costus (Qust): There are two types: (1) The white variety, referred to as al-Bahri (marine costus). (2) The Indian variety, which is hotter and stronger, while the white variety is milder.

Both types are hot and dry in the third degree, meaning they are effective in drying out phlegm and cutting through cold-related conditions like nasal congestion. When consumed, they benefit weakness of the liver and stomach caused by cold. They are effective for quartan fever and recurring fevers. They alleviate pleurisy and counteract toxins. When applied topically on the face (mixed with water and honey), they remove blemishes and dark spots. Qust is beneficial for tetanus, side pain, and kills intestinal worms.

It was unknown to ignorant physicians how Qust benefits in treating pleurisy (Dhat il-Janb), so they denied it. However, if such ignorant people had come across this statement from Galen, they would have regarded it as indisputable evidence. This is despite many early physicians confirming that Qust is effective for the phlegmatic type of pleurisy, as mentioned by Al-Khattabi quoting Muhammad ibn Al-Jahm.

It has already been established that the medicine of physicians, compared to the medicine of the Prophets, is less significant than the medicine of untrained individuals compared to that of professional physicians. The difference between what is conveyed by revelation and what is derived through experience and analogy is far greater than the difference between the heavens and the earth. If these ignorant individuals were to find a remedy prescribed by some Jewish, Christian, or polytheistic physicians, they would accept and endorse it without hesitation or requiring any proof through experimentation.

Indeed, we do not deny that habit plays a role in the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of a remedy. A person accustomed to a particular medicine or food will find it more beneficial and suitable than one unaccustomed to it. In fact, some may derive no benefit from a remedy they are unfamiliar with. The statements of respected physicians, even when general, are influenced by variables like temperament, time, location, and habit. Restricting these statements based on such variables does not diminish their value or credibility. How then could such variables discredit the words said by the Most Truthful and Trustworthy (Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم)? However, human nature is inherently inclined towards ignorance and injustice—except for those whom Allah strengthens with the spirit of faith and enlightens their insight with the light of guidance.

You may also read the links below for more details on Qust-al-Bahri :

Pleurisy

Tonsillitis & Sa'oot

QUST by Ibn-al-Baytaar : QUST/Costus is warming, diuretic, and helps regulate menstruation. It is beneficial for uterine pain and can be used as fumigations, poultices, and compresses. When consumed, it counteracts snake venom. It expels tapeworms when taken with water and can be applied with oil for shivering (pre-fever chills) and paralysis. It removes skin blemishes when mixed with honey or water and is used in some ointments and medicinal concoctions. QUST/Costus has an intense bitterness, sharpness, and heat. It is used to massage the body of individuals experiencing recurring fevers before the onset of symptoms. It is also helpful for paralysis. It warms specific body parts and draws fluids from deeper tissues to the surface, hence promoting urination and menstruation and relieving muscle ruptures and side pain. Its bitterness also kills tapeworms and is applied to blemishes with water and honey.

Razi (Al-Mansuri): QUST/Costus is effective for cold nasal congestion when used as a fumigation. Its oil benefits nerves and relieves numbness and tremors.

Al-Basri: When mixed with honey or water, QUST/Costus relieves facial spasms, ringworm, and wounds.

Masih: When powdered and sprinkled on moist wounds, QUST/Costus dries them out.

Al-Tabari: QUST/Costus is effective for clearing liver blockages when consumed.

Ishaq Ibn Imran: There are two types of QUST/Costus : the white (Bahri) and the black Indian variety. Both are hot and dry in the third degree, with the Indian type being hotter. They dry phlegm in the head and stop cold nasal congestion. Consumed, they strengthen the liver and stomach against coldness and improve their functions. White QUST/Costus is particularly effective for old head pains caused by cold. It dispels gas affecting the brain when administered as a nasal drop with rainwater or cooked in ghee (clarified butter).

Al-Qalamhan: Fumigating with QUST/Costus can aid in childbirth and regulate menstruation.

Experiments: Sprinkling it on the front of the head benefits cold nasal discharges and warms the brain. Fumigating with it also helps against cold-related conditions and infections caused by decay. QUST/Costus oil, when applied, alleviates cold pain in muscles and joints. Dropping the oil into the ears soothes cold-induced pain and clears blockages. Powdered QUST/Costus mixed with honey relieves stomach pain, colic, kidney pain, and breaks down stones. Taken with Sakanjabeen (Honey+vinegar in water), it alleviates recurring quartan fever. Licked with honey, it helps with respiratory issues. Applied with honey & vinegar, it treats vitiligo, freckles, and blemishes, and it can also stimulate hair growth in Alopecia. QUST/Costus is highly effective in cutting through viscous bodily fluids and treating ailments caused by them.

Qust by Dawood Antaaki : It is hot in the second degree and dry in the third, though its heat aligns with its dryness. QUST/Costus increases sexual vigor, strengthens the nerves, opens blockages and acts as a powerful cleansing agent in suppositories. 

Headaches: Treats chronic headaches when taken orally, as a nasal drop, or applied as an oil mixed with ghee.

Ear Ailments: Effective for all types of ear pain when boiled in oil and used as ear drops.

Nasal Congestion: Relieves colds when used as fumigation.

Respiratory Issues: Helps with asthma, chronic cough, chest pain, and shortness of breath.

Digestive Problems: Beneficial for the stomach, liver, spleen, and kidneys, and treats jaundice and dropsy.

Wind and Toxins: Dispels harmful gases, poisons, and deadly toxins.

Muscle and Joint Issues: Alleviates sciatica, joint pain, tetanus, tremors, and numbness.

Kidney Stones: Breaks down stones in the urinary system.

Reproductive Health: Induces menstruation, eliminates worms and dead fetuses, and expels toxins.

Skin and Aesthetic Use: Removes blemishes and scars when mixed with honey and salt as a topical application.

Ibn-e-Sina wrote: Qust/Costus comes in three types: the Arabian type, which is white, light, fragrant, and slightly yellowish; the Indian type, which is black, light, and resembles a cucumber; and the Syrian type, which is toxic and resembles wood with a sharp scent. Some inferior types have a scent resembling aloe, darker in color. The Syrian variety looks like cloves with a strong scent, but it is often adulterated with the hard roots of other plants, which lack the sharpness on the tongue and the strong aroma. Among these, a bitter variety believed to be Indian is also known. The best is the fresh, white Arabian type, full-bodied, and not decayed or greasy, with a sharp, stinging taste on the tongue. Next is the light black Indian type, followed by the Syrian black type, with the finest being the marine (BAHRI) variety with thin peels. Qust is hot in the third degree and dry in the second. Qust is intensely bitter and sharp. It is beneficial for organs requiring warmth and helps draw out deep-seated humors.

Cosmetic Use: Costus can clear dark spots from the skin when applied with water and honey.

Wounds and Sores: The bitter type is effective for drying moist sores and causing ulcers.

Joints: It helps with muscle and nerve relaxation, treats muscle tears, and is effective for Sciatica when used as a poultice.

Head: Beneficial for lethargy.

Chest: Relieves chest pain.

Reproductive System: Costus induces menstruation when taken orally or used as fumigation through a funnel. It can expel the fetus, increase urination, remove tapeworms and other parasites, and enhance sexual vitality. It can be used as a vaginal pessary for uterine pain and is effective for cold uterine ailments when taken as a decoction or used in sitz baths. When consumed with a drink, it stimulates bowel movement and enhances vitality by reducing excess moisture.

Fever: Helps with chills when mixed with oil and applied as a paste.

Toxins: Effective against all venomous bites, including snakebites, when consumed with Afsanteen (Mugwort/wormwood).

Substitutes: Half the weight of "Aqir Qarha" (Pellitory) can be used as a substitute.