COMMON cold is a very recurrent illness. The standard symptoms are nasal blockage, sneezing, headache, general tiredness or body pain and fever. There are several treatments available; among them habbah sawda (black seeds) has an excellent effect. Black Seed has been one of the most preferred medicinal seeds in history. Black seeds have been traditionally and successfully used in the Middle East and Far East countries for centuries to treat various ailments, including the treatment of cold, bronchial asthma and bronchitis, rheumatism and related inflammatory diseases. They have also been used to increase production of milk in nursing mothers, to treat digestive disturbances, to support the body's immune system, to promote digestion and elimination and to fight parasitic infestation. Its oil has been used to treat skin conditions such as eczema and boils. The many uses of black seed have earned for this medicinal herb the Arabic approbation habbatul barakah, meaning “the seed of blessing.” n Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) recommended the use of black seeds over 1,400 years ago. Black seeds (Kalonji), is also included in the list of natural medicines of ‘Tibb-e-Nabwi', or Prophetic prescription, according to the tradition. “Hold onto the use of the black seeds for in it is healing for all diseases except death.” (Sahih Bukhari vol. 7 book 71 # 592). n In the Sahihain, Abu Hurairah quotes from the Prophet (pbuh) having said: “Use the black seed, because it contains a cure for every type of ailment, except for death.” (Al-Tirmidhi, Ahmad and Ibn Hibban) n Salim Bin Abdullah narrates with reference to his father Abdullah Bin Omar that the Prophet (pbuh) said: “Let these black seeds fall upon you, these contain cure for all diseases except death.” The same narration is found in Sanad Iman Ahmed from Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) and in Ibn Al-Jawzi and Trimidhi from Abu Huraira. n It is stated in the books of Seerah that the Prophet (pbuh) himself used to take these seeds with honey for therapeutic purposes. Khaled Bin Saad states that he was travelling with Ghalib Bin Jabr, when he fell ill during the journey. Ibn Abi Ateeq, a nephew of Sayyida Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her) came to meet us. On seeing the patient, he took five or seven black seeds and grounded them, mixed them in olive oil and dropped in both the nostrils. Since 1959, over 200 studies have been carried out at international universities and articles in various journals have shown remarkable results supporting the traditional therapeutic uses of black seeds. The black seeds contain numerous esters of structurally unusual unsaturated fatty acids and the chemical composition is very rich and diverse. Apart from its active ingredient, crystalline nigellone, it contains 15 amino acids (including eight of the nine essential ones), carbohydrates, fatty acids including linolenic and oleic, volatile oils, alkaloids and dietary fiber, as well as minerals such as calcium, iron, sodium and potassium. Recent research on the black seed have proved it to be an antibiotic, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-bronchial, anti-histaminic and immune-boosting agent. In the Middle East and South Asia, black seed oil has been used for thousands of years as a remedy for all sorts of allergies, inflammation, menstruation problems, bronchitis, asthma and neuro-dermatitis as well as poor digestion and even impotency. No wonder then that a little bottle of the oil was even found in the tomb of the legendary Pharaoh Tutankhamen! In the West, black seed oil has been used for a long time, against flatulence, dysentery, stomach and lung diseases, jaundice, diuretic problems and to increase nursing mother's milk. Due to advanced research in chemistry, the oil was forgotten until recently. According to Dr. Schleicher the reason why this oil is so exceptional is that its component parts act in unison to produce an optimum effect for so many complaints. However, one has to make sure that only the pure and tested oil is being used. Dosage in the treatment of cold: About 70-90 black seeds are fried, finely grounded, soaked in little oil and then drops are administered through nose. It will cure cold accompanied by intensive sneezing. – The writer can be contacted on [email protected] __
