OLIVE is a small ovoid fruit. It is an important food and source of oil. Its evergreen tree is cultivated in the Mediterranean region since time immemorial and now is grown in several places. It has edible shiny black fruits. An olive tree goes up to the height of three meters, its leaves are bright green and very attractive and the fruits are of bright bluish or violet color possessing a metallic taste. According to the scholars of Hadith, when the Deluge in the time of Prophet Noah (peace be upon him) subsided and the water level came down, the first thing on the earth that was seen was an olive plant. Qur'an: Zaitoon (olive) is the sign of peace and friendship in this world and has its description in the Holy Qur'an. The Qur'an stresses the importance of Zaitoon in several verses like 6:99 and 141, 16:11 and 24:35. Ahadith: Sayyed Al-Ansari narrates that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Eat the olive oil and massage it over your bodies since it is a holy (mubarak) tree.” (Tirmizi, Ibn Maja) Alqama Bin Amir narrates that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: “There is olive oil for you, eat it, massage it over your body, since it is effective in Haemorrhoids (Piles).” (Ibn Al-Jawzi, Zanbi) Uqba Bin Amir narrates that the Prophet (pbuh) stated: “You have the olive oil from this holy (mubarak) tree, treat yourself with this, since it cures the anal fissure (basoor).” Khalid Bin Saad narrates: “I came to Madina with Ghalib Bin Al Jabr. Ghalib became ill during the journey. Ibn Abi Ateeq came to see him and told a narration from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (pbuh) told about the cure in the black seed. We crushed a few black seeds and mixed it with olive oil and dropped in both nostrils, after which Ghalib became healthy.” (Ibn Maja, Bukhari) Abu Hurairah narrates that the Prophet (pbuh) stated: “Consume the olive oil and apply it (locally), since there is cure for 70 diseases in it, one of them is leprosy.” (Abu Naim) Zaid Bin Arqam narrates: “We have been directed by the Prophet (pbuh) that we should treat Pleurisy with Qust Bahri (Qust Sheerin) and olive oil.” (Tirmizi, Sanad Ahmed, Ibn Maja) Before medication: For the treatment of every disease, one must perform Nafl (supererogatory) Salah and make supplication beseeching Allah for curing the disease asking Him to put cure in the prescribed medicines. Then give alms (sadaqa) to the poor and then take medications. Olive contains palmatic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, steanic acid, myristic acid and glycerides. Olive (Zaitoon) is cure for 70 diseases. Among them, olive oil is most commonly used in the treatment of skin diseases. The skin is the largest organ of our body. It is, in terms of both weight, between six and nine pounds, and surface area of about two square yards. The skin separates the inside of our body from the outside world. It protects us from bacteria and viruses that can cause infections. It helps us sense the outside world such as whether it is hot or cold, wet or dry. It also regulates our body temperature. Conditions that irritate, clog or inflame our skin can cause symptoms such as redness, swelling, burning and itching. Allergies, irritants, our genetic makeup and certain diseases and immune system problems can cause psoriasis, alopecia and other skin conditions. Many skin problems, such as acne, also affect our look. The acne is a skin condition, usually of the face, that is common in adolescents. It is characterized by red pimples, and is caused by the inflammation of sebaceous glands through bacterial infection; a pattern of blemishes in an area of skin resulting from the skin condition. There are four types of acne – blackheads, whiteheads, pimples and cysts – which develop when pores in our skin become clogged. The culprit is sebum (see-bum), an oil in our skin. Our bodies make more sebum when our hormones surge. This is why teens get acne. Females also have them before their periods. Since hormones fluctuate in the years leading up to menopause, many women in their 40s and 50s get acne. There are many treatments available for acne. Among them a few are: Rinse face in plain warm water. Dab face with a clean linen cloth until it matts the oily look. Massage a small amount of extra virgin olive oil into skin until all the oil has soaked in. After half-an-hour, sebum slowly pulls out of the pores on nose and cheeks. After just one hour, the skin glows very nicely, without being oily. It seems that normal extra virgin olive oil works very nicely. Fast facts: n Instead of heating the olive oil, one can also apply olive oil kept in room temperature to the scalp, wrap hair in plastic to hold in heat, and sit under or use a hair dryer to speed the process. n Because olive oil is an emollient, it will leave all the skin on the scalp moisturized, creating a healthier scalp. n Olive oil is very beneficial in the treatment of dry, flaky and broken skin. It helps to moisturize the skin. Use it if you want to get the glow on dry skin. Here are some tips on how to make an olive oil face pack for dry skin: n Make a mixture by mixing few drops of olive oil with two mashed avocados. Use this remedy thrice a week. n Another good face pack for dry skin is a mixture of one egg yolk, one tablespoon of flour and half a tablespoon of olive oil. Apply it on your skin and leave it on for about 20 to 25 minutes. Wash off with lukewarm water. n If your skin is oily then you can use olive oil to cleanse and moisturize the skin. Olive is very beneficial in the prevention and treatment of several oily skin-related problems like open pores, blemishes, blackheads, cysts and acne. n Make an oily skin face mask by mixing oatmeal - one cup, olive oil – ½ tablespoon, sea salt – ½ tablespoon and sour milk – ½ cup n Apply it on the skin and leave it on for about 15 to 20 minutes. It is a good recipe for cleaning the pores. Here are some tips on how to use olive oil to get glowing face naturally. n Mix half cup each of curd and cucumber juice. Now, add ½ tablespoon of olive oil into the mixture. Apply it on your face and wait for about 15 minutes before rinsing it off with lukewarm water. Use this remedy once a week. n There is no need to spend money on cleansing creams and face washes. Just use pure olive oil to cleanse your face at home. Here are some tips on how to get glowing face using olive oil. n Apply a small amount of olive oil on your face. Massage your face for about two minutes, using circular motions. After that, take a hot water-dipped washcloth and put it on your face for 10 minutes to get rid of dirt, makeup and other impurities. n Splash cold water on your face now, you are ready to get soft, glowing and healthy skin naturally with olive oil. Lastly, eat lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. Also, do not forget to increase your daily water intake So by observing the above measures, we can conclude that olive oil is the best medication for skin diseases. – The writer can be contacted on [email protected] __
