Muslim Lifestyle

"Honey, Honey"

Issue 1 Sept / Oct 2003

Only recently have researchers begun to investigate the healing properties of honey – something which was alluded to in Surat An-Nahl.

 “And your Lord revealed to the bee saying: Make hives in the mountains and in the trees and in what they build: Then eat of all the fruits and walk in the ways of your Lord submissively. There comes forth from within it a beverage of many colours, in which there is healing for men; most surely there is a sign in this for a people who reflect.” (16:68-69)

 Honey has been found to have significant antibacterial action against some forms of skin infections. It is also thought to be important in the treatment of organisms which have become resistant to antibiotics.

 Honeys are now popularly sold in pharmacies, health food shops and even supermarkets, for topical and oral treatment in a variety of ailments, such as colds, skin disorders, wound infections, burns, and gastric complaints. Often allergies to a certain plant have been alleviated by intake of honey from that particular plant type. Honey, oddly enough, has also been shown to aid prevention of dental caries. So the next time you are sitting in your garden on a pleasant sunny day and your tranquillity is disrupted by a bee, take a moment to imagine the humble bee’s role in avoiding a trip to the dentist!

words: Safura Syed

image: Julia Neumann