Health Benefits of Citrus Fruits

 

Introduction: -

There are many different types of citric fruits like oranges, lemon, lime, sweet lemon, citron, Malta, fafanas, chakotra etc.There are many different types of lemons, limes, oranges etc. All should be used. But oranges are specially mentioned.

Names

1. In Hadees oranges & citron are called as Atraj (الترج ).

2. In Urdu & Hindi it is called Santra & Narangi.

3. In English it is called as Orange & Citron

Prophet ﷺ’s guidance about citric fruits: -

Orange or Citron (Atraj) & Muslims: -

1. Hazrat Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari  ؓ says that Rasoolullah ﷺ said "A believer who recites Qur'an is like an orange whose fragrance is sweet & whose taste is sweet, a believer who does not recite Qur'an is like a date which has no fragrance but has a sweet taste & the hypocrite (munafiq & faajir) who recites Qur'an is like (Rayhan) basil whose fragrance is sweet, but whose taste is bitter & a hypocrite (munafiq & faajir) who does not recite Qur'an is like the colocynth which has no fragrance & has a bitter taste.

[Bukhari: 5427; Book. 70; English vol. 7; Book. 65; Hadees. 338]

(Colocynth is a bitter cucumber & also bitter apple).

 

Benefits of Oranges or Citrons (Atraj): -

2. Hazrat Abdul Rehman Bin Dilham  ؓ says that Nabi ﷺ said that for you Oranges (or citrons) (الترج ) have many benefits, it reduces heart diseases & strengthens the heart.

[Jamius Sageer volume. 2; page. 139]

 

Oranges or Citron (Atraj) & Honey: -

3. Hazrat Masrooq  say that he found Hazrat A’isha رضي الله عنها feeding Hazrat Ibn Umme Maktoom رضي الله عنهما (a blind) with oranges (اترج ) dipped in Honey (عسل) .

[Mojam Ausat: 9404]

Note: -

Hazrat Ibn Umm Maktoom  ؓ was a blind sahabhi for whom chapter 80 (Sura) Aabasa was send by Allah Ta’ala.

 

About eating with sick, blind & lame: -

Chapter 24 (Sura) An-Noor, Ayah 61: -

Translation: There is no blame on the blind, nor there is blame on the lame, nor there blame on the sick to eat at your table.

Content of oranges: -

Vitamin C, levoluse, calatose, vitamin B1, B2, rutin, pectin, histadine, cholin hesperidine arginin, asparagine stachydrine, peroxidase & many beneficial enzymes & etc.

 

Scientific benefits of oranges: -

1. It is best in piles, bleeding piles.

2. It increases complexion.

3. It regulates heart beat.

4. It is helpful in jaundice, biliary diarrhoea.

5. It reduces freckles of skin.

6. It increases liver function.

7. It reliefs thirst.

8. It strengthens the digestive system.

9. Delicious jam can be prepared from it.

10. It expels gases.

11. Cleans the chest.

12. It treats Scurvy diseases, helpful in diabetes.

 

Science, Quran & Hadees regarding citrus fruits: -

Citrus fruits are favored fruit of the Quran & Hadees. Nabi ﷺ said: "The parable of a believer who reads the Quran regularly is like citrus, it has a good taste & a good fragrance". Similarly, just as the Quran will provide a healthy spiritual life, the citrus fruits can provide a healthy physical life for the believer. In fact, all citrus fruits have many valuable nutrients. Most important of these is vitamin C.

Vitamin C is famous for its powerful antioxidant properties (meaning that it disarms powerful oxygen molecules in the body that contribute to cancer & heart disease). The body also uses vitamin C to manufacture collagen; the substance that glues cells together & is essential for healing. A large lemon contains about 75 percent of the USRDA of vitamin C. In addition, substances dubbed limonene & limonese have been found to block some of the cellular changes that can lead to cancer.

Oranges are perhaps the most universally known sources of vitamin C (117 percent of the USRDA), ranges actually have much more to offer. Hesperidine, found in oranges has been found by Brazilian researchers to stop inflammation without damaging the stomach lining as aspirin (it is an Allopathic medicine) can. Oranges also contain limonene, which according to Michael Gould, PhD. & professor of human oncology at the University of Wisconsin Medical School "cause cancer cells to self-destruct."

Conclusion of Hadees: -

1. A believer who recites the Qur'an is like an orange (Oranges or citron), it reduces heart diseases & strengthens the heart. It can be eaten with Honey.