DIETETICS IN THE QURAN

The Challenge of The Qur’an ~ 374 ~ high rate of rheumatism found in pigs, and those who eat pork are also especially prone to this disease. Another matter of considerable medical importance touched on by the Quran is the utility of honey. We are told that in honey ‘there is a healing for men’ (16:69). In the light of this verse the Muslims made much use of honey while preparing medicine. But to the western world its medical importance was unknown. Up till the 19th century in Europe, honey was considered only a liquid food. It was as late as the 20th century that European scholars discovered that honey contained antiseptic properties. We shall quote here in brief what an American magazine has to say about modern research on honey: “Honey is a powerful destroyer of germs which produce human diseases. It was not until the twentieth century, however, that this was demonstrated scientifically. Dr. W.G. Sackett, formerly with Colorado Agricultural College at Fort Collins, attempted to prove that honey was a carrier