Qust (Costus Root, Aloeswood) and its use in Medicinal preparations.

There are essentially two types of Qust, Indian (Qust al Hindi) and Marine/Sea (Qust al Bahri).  Both come in the form of a dried root and Qust has a praised high status in the aHadith which is on par with Hijama cupping.

Imam Ibn Qayyim Al Jawziyyah (rahimullah) said that both types of Qust provide considerable medicinal benefits. Qust is one of the remedies to always have at home which I must recommend to all my brothers and sisters who are serious about using Tibb an Nabawi to treat themselves and their loved ones.

Qust is hot and dry in the third degree and helps to dry out excess phlegm, help to remedy colds and influenza and nasal congestion. Imam Ibn Al Qayyim said that drinking an infusion of Qust helps strengthen the liver and helps to remedy weakness of digestion, slackness of the stomach, and if used as an ointment, it helps backache or rheumatic pain in the lumbar region. 

Sea/Marine Qust is a little paler in colour and also milder in taste and more suitable for administering to children.

Qust al Bahri root before it is powdered for use. This photo is owned by our brothers at tibbenabawi.org

Imam Ibn Al Qayyim said that Qust is also very beneficial for illnesses relating to breathing and the chest - pleurisy (a type of painful infection of the lining of the lungs), asthma, heaviness in the chest (breathing difficulties) and it helps to reduce thirst. It also helps remove freckles, fade scars and helps to control skin discolouration on the face and the chest which results from pregnancy or malnutrition.

Galen noted that Qust can also help kill ringworm (intestinal parasites) and if applied as an ointment can remove dry scales which are shed by the skin, including dandruff.

In the Sunan, the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu alayhi wassallam) praises the excellence of Qust as a general remedy and he is also reported mentioning it as a remedy for inflammation/infection of the throat as well as in another Hadith mentioning it with Hijama. Qust contains helicene and benzoic acid, both of which are substances that kill germs, hence the benefit in the treatment of infections and inflammations.

Reference to Hadith regarding the general excellence of Qust, and partnering it with Hijama in the same sentence.

Anas (radhi Allahu anhu) narrated that he was asked about the wages of the one who cups others. He said, "Allah's Messenger (sallAllahu alayhi wassallam) was cupped by `Abd Taiba, to whom he gave two Sa of food and interceded for him with his masters who consequently reduced what they used to charge him daily. Then the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wassallam) said, "The best medicines you may treat yourselves with are cupping and sea incense.' He added, "You should not torture your children by treating tonsillitis by pressing the tonsils or the palate with the finger, but use incense."

Sahih Al Bukhari Vol. 7, Book 71, Hadith 599.

Qust will be used in Jannah.

It was narrated by Abu Huraira (radhi Allahu anhu) that Allah's Messenger (sallAllahu alayhi wassallam) said, "The first group of people who will enter Paradise, will be glittering like the full moon and those who will follow them, will glitter like the most brilliant star in the sky. They will not urinate, relieve nature, spit, or have any nasal secretions. Their combs will be of gold, and their sweat will smell like musk. The aloes-wood will be used in their centers [as a fuel]. Their wives will be Houris. All of them will look alike and will resemble their father Adam (in statute), sixty cubits tall."

Sahih Al Bukhari Vol. 4, Book 55, Hadith 544

In respect of treating children for inflammation of the Uvula and its use in the treatment Pleurisy (a type of chest infection).

Umm Qasis (radhi Allahu anha) , the daughter of Mihsan said; "I brought my son to the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu alayhi wassallam) while I had compressed his uvula for its swelling. He (sallAllahu alayhi wassallam) said, "Why do you afflict your children [hurt them] by squeezing for a swelling in the Uvula? Apply this Indian aloes wood, for it contains seven types of remedies, among them being a remedy for pleurisy. It is applied through the nose for a swelling of the uvula poured into the side of the mouth for pleurisy."

Sunan Abi Dawood in Kitaab At Tibb Book 28, Hadith 3868. Classed as Sahih by Sh. Al Albani (rahimullah)

Abu Dawood (may Allah be pleased with him) added "By Aloeswood he meant Costus."

Ibn Hajar Al Asqalani said concerning pleurisy that "it is a hot swelling that appears in the membrane covering the ribs."

Modern medical description of pleurisy - http://www.webmd.boots.com/a-to-z-guides/pleurisy-symptoms-diagnosis-treatment

Administration.

Qust is usually used on its own or partnered with water, honey or olive oil.

For tonsillitis.

Qust al Bahri powder.

Qust al Hindi powder should be inhaled through the nose as per the previously quoted Hadith.

The benefits behind administering medicine by snuffing (Sa'oot) - http://tibbenabawi.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=63:tonsillitis-a-saoot&Itemid=94

For fading Freckles and spots, skin discolouration, scars, burns.

According to Ibn Al Qayyim's work 'At Tibb an Nabawwi', the ointment is made by mixing Qust al Hindi powder in equal parts with good quality raw honey and add a very small amount of clean water. The paste should not be runny so that it runs off the skin but should stick to the area where it is applied. I would personally advise to apply to the area once per day for 30 minutes, then wash it off.

This ointment is also recommended to be applied to help aid the healing of incisions of Hijama to help minimize scarring in those patients who have thin skin, are diabetic or elderly or are generally prone to scarring or where they have had cupping applied to the face.

It can also be used as a compress to dress the hijama incisions of patients who are hemophilic or taking blood thinning medications. Smear the mixture onto a sterile lint gauze or cotton fabric and apply to the skin, holding the gauze in place with medical adhesive tape. Once you are sure the wound has stopped bleeding, remove the dressing so as to encourage airflow and the formation of the hemostatic plug.

As an external application for rheumatic pain and as a hair oil.

Qust should be mixed in Olive oil as it was none other than Rasool'Allah (sallAllahu alayhi wassallam) himself who instructed His Ummah to use olive oil for eating and for massage. Qust infused olive oil should be massaged on the points of pain/joints in the evening before bed.

To make the massage oil, take 50g each of dried whole henna leaves and Qust whole root pieces (or its powder) and fry them on a very very low heat in around 250ml of good quality olive oil for 1 hour with continuous stirring. Make sure the heat is kept very low or the ingredients will burn. The oil will turn dark but it should not smell burnt. Once the oil has cooled down, filter it through muslin cloth, add 10 drops of the essential oil of Spikenard (Jatamansi) and then transfer it to a container bottle. Insha'Allah, it will over time should help to strengthen the bones and joints as well as have a rapid effect on the pain.

Jatamansi is not essential so you can omit it if you cannot find it.

This same blend can be used twice a week as a conditioner for the hair which will also help relieve dandruff insha'Allah.

For runny nose, colds and flu.

Qust should be ground to a powder and gently snuffed in the nose. The patient should be lying down with their head and shoulders slightly elevated and their head tilted back.

For chest infections, pleurisy and asthma.

The Messenger of Allah (sallaAllahu alayhi wassallam) said it should be administered from the side of the mouth, and the right side is better than the left. Because it is bitter-tasting, there is less risk in coughing or nausea when it is administered from the side of the mouth but this is a general observation rather than recorded in the teachings of the pious predecessors and Allah knows best.
Qust al Hindi can be mixed with an equal quantity of honey and then smeared on the inside of the cheek. This should be administered three times daily, after meals.

For stomach, liver, digestion problems, IBS, Crohn's or intestinal parasites.

Honey paste with Qust al Bahri and crushed Black seeds.

Mix 50g Qust al Bahri powder with 50g dry roasted ground black seeds (nigella sativa) in a jar of raw honey. You can optionally add 10 edible silver leaves if you wish.

Because the Qust infusion needs to be drunk, take 1/2 teaspoon of this mixture twice each day dissolved in a hot cup of green tea. The seeds will settle at the bottom of the cup so make sure you stir and agitate it so that you drink the crushed seeds too. In two weeks insha'Allah you will notice a considerable difference and have much more energy.

Black seeds can easily be dry roasted in a frying pan at home and ground in your spice grinder. Raw honey, depending where it is sourced from, is sometimes set hard in texture, you can gently warm it in the microwave to make stirring in the Qust powder and blackseeds easier. Keep the mixture stored in a cool dark place.

Pregnant ladies must always check with their doctor before taking any herbs, supplements or medicines.

Buy Qust in the UK from here - http://www.healthmeanswealth.co.uk/Qist_Shop.php

Vinegar and it's uses.

Vinegar is considered as one of the key remedies from Islamic Medicine and there are a number of Sahih Hadith which the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu alayhi wassallam) has been reported as having praised it.

Jabir ibn 'Abdullah (radhi Allahu anhu) reported that Allah's Apostle (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) asked his family for condiment. They (the members of his household) said, "We have nothing with us but vinegar." He asked for it, he began to eat it, and then said, "Vinegar is a good condiment, vinegar is a good condiment."

Sahih Muslim Book 23, Hadith 5093

And also our Mother A'ishah (radhi Allahu anha) reported Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) as saying, "The best of condiments [or condiment] is vinegar."
Sahih Muslim Book 23, Hadith 5091

It is the opinion of Ibn Al Qayyim (rahimullah) that the Messenger said 'vinegar is a good condiment' in order to placate the one who offered it to him (i.e. his wife), rather than to say that vinegar is preferable to all other condiments, and Allah Azzawajjal knows best.
Reference to 'Provisions for the Hereafter' page 199.

The best types of vinegar to use in medicine and for food are undoubtedly those which are manufactured in accordance with Islamic Law (i.e, brewed directly from the fruit's juice rather than from wine or cider). Of these halaal vinegars, the lighter types, i.e., lighter in colour and taste, are more beneficial, preferably if they are made from apples, pomegranates, pears, grapes or dates.

The many trace minerals and other substances in raw vinegar [that which still contains the vinegar's "mother" [which is the blob of cellulose in which the bacteria responsible for converting the original liquid to the vinegar, live] is the key to vinegar's many healing properties.

Cellulose Mother from home brewed pomegranate vinegar. Photo courtesy of tibbenabawi.org

The "mother" of vinegar is usually filtered out during the manufacture of commercial table vinegars in order to make them more visually appealing and marketable. However, as a result, the commercial vinegars which we buy from the market are of no real health benefit.

Halaal Vinegar Technology.

The above term was created by our brothers at the tibbenabawi.org site to describe the process of brewing vinegar at home using aerobic fermentation.

Aerobic fermentation means that the fruit juice base does not need to be converted into wine or cider before it can be brewed into vinegar. This eliminates any risk of trace amounts of alcohol in the finished product, which is unlike commercial vinegars which are brewed from wine or cider. There is a high risk that they contain trace amounts of alcohol and there are different schools of thought regarding the permissibly of consumption.

It's worth bearing in mind the following Hadith before purchasing vinegars brewed from wine or cider;

Anas ibn Malik (radhi Allahu anhu) said, "Abu Talhah (radhi Allahu anhu) asked the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) about the orphans who had inherited wine. He replied, "Pour it out." He [Abu Talhah] asked, "May I not make vinegar of it?" The Messenger replied, "No."

Classed as Sahih from Sunan Abi Dawood Book 26, Hadith 3667

You can find out more about Halal Vinegar Technology here - 

http://www.tibbenabawi.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=239:halal-vinegar-technology&catid=3:newsflash&Itemid=77

Vinegar benefits the following ailments;

• Arthritic pains
• Blood pressure
• Uneven skin pigmentation
• Bleeding gums
• Toothache
• High Cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Weak/thin Bones
• Weight gain
• Cancer
• Yeast Infections
• Fungal infections
• Sore Throat
• Stomach upset
• Burping / passing wind due to poor digestion
• Nasal Congestion

Vinegar is primarily known to help ease indigestion by stimulating the stomach and intestines, helping them work faster. A tonic of one tablespoon of vinegar mixed in a cup of warm water and sipped slowly will help ease indigestion and bloating. Gargling with hot vinegar helps toothache, relieves pain and benefits the gums. Hot vinegar also helps the healing of fungal nail infections since it is acidic and kills bacteria in the nail and in the nail bed.

Vinegar can also be used to help even out skin pigmentation and dark spots, but it has a drying effect so it should be mixed with black cumin seed oil (in equal parts) and the applied to the skin avoiding the eye area. It also helps to exfoliate the skin. It can be left on for an hour and then gently washed off with soap and warm water.

Vinegar for medicinal usage is often prepared by adding 3 or 4 teaspoons of whole black cumin seeds into the liquid, before tightly closing the bottle and then refrigerating this mixture for at least two weeks. The seeds can then be strained out using a piece of muslin cloth and used in cooking or discarded. The resulting vinegar is darker in colour and contains all the natural minerals and goodness from the seeds.

Many heart attacks are caused by high fats and cholesterol in your blood. The fiber in raw vinegar helps to absorb fats and cholesterol by expelling them from the body as waste materials.

The dietary fibre from the skins and seeds of the original fruits used to make the raw vinegar is also helpful in controlling glucose levels in the blood.

Minerals like manganese, calcium, magnesium, silicon and iron in vinegar help develop bone mass and make them stronger.

The "mother" which remains in raw vinegar is also useful for treating yeast infections like Candida caused by the unbalance of acid levels in the body. Making a solution of the vinegar in warm water and douching can help with the symptoms.

Raw vinegar is also useful in flu or chest congestion. Applying it mixed with pepper on the chest can help relieve some of the congestion.

If you have a sore throat, gargle with a hot solution of vinegar mixed with water. 

In your digestive system hydrochloric acid and pepsin are two essential components that break down the food to be digested properly. The lack of these components can cause food poisoning amongst other problems. Raw vinegar has the ability to enhance the functionality of the stomach and digestive tract and so help prevent food poisoning.

Vinegar is useful in well functioning metabolism; Reducing cholesterol (the dangerous LDL cholesterol type); Regulating the water content in the cells and body; Reducing water retention in the body; Reducing excess sodium from the body; Helps with regulating blood pressure; Assists in preventing circulatory problems; Helps with diminishing premature calcification of the arteries; Helps increase concentration and memory; Assists in blood circulation, body temperature as well as vitality and energy.

The Blessings of the Black Seed.

The Black Cumin Seed (Nigella Sativa) is one of the most universally powerful medicines known to man. It is a small triangular seed from a flowering herb of the buttercup family, and also known as the Blessed Seed, Black Cumin [Bukhari], Habbatul Barakah or Kalonji. It has been known and cultivated for over two thousand years, including by the ancient Egyptians and Romans.

Abu Huraira (radhi Allahu anhu) narrated that God’s Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said, "There is healing in black cumin for all diseases except death."

Sahih al Bukhari  Volume 7, Book 71, Number 592

Treatment from Hadith using 5/7 crushed black seeds.

It was narrated by Khalid bin Sad (radhi Allahu anhu), who said, "We went out and Ghalib bin Abjar (radhi Allahu anhu) was accompanying us. He fell ill on the way and when we arrived at Medina he was still sick. Ibn Abi 'Atiq (radhi Allahu anhu) came to visit him and said to us, "Treat him with black cumin. Take five or seven seeds and crush them (mix the powder with oil) and drop the resulting mixture into both nostrils, for 'Aishah (radhi Allahu anha) has narrated to me that she heard the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) saying, 'This black cumin is healing for all diseases except As-Sam.' A'ishah asked, 'What is As-Sam?' He said, 'Death."

Sahih al Bukhari Volume 7, Book 71, Number 591

The oil extracted from the seeds is particularly good for healing cold, wet illnesses, benefits bronchitis and coughs, acts as a digestive tonic, eases belching, stimulates excretion of body wastes, expels intestinal worms, stimulates menstruation in women and increases the flow of breast milk for nursing mothers. Adding a few drops of the oil to coffee helps calm the nervous system, dispels fatigue and mild depression and eases a dry cough.

The Black Seed is also particularly beneficial for women suffering from abnormal absence of menstruation and other menstrual difficulties. An ointment made of black seed oil can also stimulate the growth of the beard and slow down the greying of hair. Boiling Black Seeds in vinegar and then rinsing one’s mouth with this liquid can help relieve toothache and heal gum problems.

Placing powdered black seeds in a fine muslin cloth and inhaling them regularly helps reduce the effects of winter colds. 

Link to cure for specific ailments using black seed oil - http://prophetic-medicine.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/black-seed-oil-cures.html

Study Finds Nigella Sativa (Black Seed) Inhibits Pancreatic Cancer - http://www.healthymuslim.com/articles/ohsik-study-finds-nigella-sativa-black-seed-inhibits-pancreatic-cancer.cfm

Ear problems.

For ear-related problems, the books based upon the works of Ibn Al Qayyim (rahimullah) have prescribed the use of onions in nearly all cases. There are several varieties of onions, all of which are rich in hydrocarbons. As well as relieving ear problems, onions expel toxic odour from the body and cut phlegm, cleanse the stomach and increase sexual drive.

Water in which onions have been soaking can be used as ear drops to help in the treatment of loss of hearing sharpness, ringing in the ear (tinnitus), ear infections and it helps to drain any retained water in the ear.

Chop some fresh onions into quarters and allow them to soak in clean water for a minimum of two hours. The onions can then be used in cooking or discarded and the water retained for medicinal purposes, placing 3 drops into the affected ear.

It is important to note that an infected ear should be kept as dry as possible while healing takes place, as infections are usually started by increased moisture in the ear canal, or fluid trapped in the middle ear. Each ear should be carefully dried with a warm towel after washing. Nothing should ever be pushed into the ears (for cleaning or otherwise). If there is any pain, redness and soreness in the infected ear which also results in pain in the jaw, it is important to see your doctor as promptly as possible.

Mild infections usually clear up by themselves in 2-3 days. If there is pain and dizziness lasting more than 5 days, please see your doctor.

Pumpkin skin can also be used to help reduce swellings inside the ear. The skin of the pumpkin should be peeled off and then whizzed up in a food processor. The mixture can be strained through a muslin cloth so that only the pumpkin skin’s juice remains. This juice should then be mixed with rose water and applied like ear drops.

Ear swellings due to cold and flu symptoms can be relieved using a mixture of essential oil of coriander and very finely ground black seeds (black cumin seed). Three drops of the mixture should be placed into each ear.