3

Nigella sativa is known as black seed. Islamic tradition suggests it is a universal cure.

For example, Bukhaari recorded in the Ninth Century that Muhammad is said to have claimed :

“This black seed is a cure for every disease except death.”

A recent review in an allegedly peer-reviewed journal suggests this idea is still around:

The researchers conducted laboratory experiments using intact animals and clinical trials using human volunteers to substantiate the validity of the statement. However, it is amazing that the researchers after carrying out hundreds of researches around the globe finally concluded that the Prophet‟s statement is one hundred per cent true.

Does the research show this?

Oddthinking
  • 140,378
  • 46
  • 548
  • 638
  • Muslim scholars and historians have themselves basically debunked this. Most serious scholars (ulama) consider this as merely a comment on the contemporary practice of medicine during the prophet's time. As such it is definitely true: almost all medicines found during the prophet's time contain Nigella Sativa as an ingredient. On the other hand, we now know that it is not an ingredient in most modern medicine. Thus the more literal meaning of the saying is false by observation alone. However, in today's internet age merchants selling the seed have been quoting the saying as a sales pitch – slebetman Jun 05 '16 at 17:19
  • I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because there is no evidence that anyone in 2016 believes black seed is a panacea. – Oddthinking Jun 05 '16 at 17:21
  • 4
    No evidence that anyone in 2016 believes that? Man... I live in Indonesia among many muslims. Many DOES believe that. It may be obviously true to you. It's actually not obvious to me because recently someone mailed me something saying that garlic plus honey cures cancer. People do believe stuffs like that and I believe that it at least deserve verification. –  Jun 05 '16 at 17:28
  • Fine I cross ask the same thing in islam.stackexchange.com gee. Are we on different channel or what? Got any muslim friends? Why don't you ask them if they believe that? Follow with, so you think your prophet is wrong? (ask the ones that are less likely to kill you for asking) –  Jun 05 '16 at 17:32
  • I actually told some believers that they are wrong and they told me how do I know. It's actually the garlic and honey thingy. But this shouldn't be much different. Even if we know it's false, how do I show them? –  Jun 05 '16 at 17:46
  • 1
    @Oddthinking, I live in middle east (namely, Egypt) and I find that many people believe that. In fact, some months ago, there was a seminar in my university that defend this claim!! and a huge controversy was made due to this event. Of course, not all muslims believe in that but many of them do. There are people who still believe in magic and the power of ghosts (there are many many people who can not even read!) hence it's not strange that they believe in such things. – Fawzy Hegab Jun 06 '16 at 01:04
  • 1
    @Oddthinking, Here is a link containing a summary of the event that was held: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=769477689828832&id=587120311397905 .. Of course, it's written in arabic but If you just check it you will find the title of the seminar which is " Nigella sativa from bench to clinic ". If you read that arabic content of the status you will find that its aim is to establish the validity of the claim. – Fawzy Hegab Jun 06 '16 at 01:19
  • 1
    For example,I quote "دور الابحاث العلميه فى الوصول الى الحقائق التى تثبت ما اشاراليه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فى حديثه عن الحبه السوداء "في الحبة السوداء شفاء من كل داء" واسعد الحاضرين بادائه وابحاثه التى قام بهاوالتي شملت التأثيرات المضادة للسرطان علي المستوي الخلوي والجيني ." which means that they try to get the scientific facts that prove that what Muhammad said is true regarding black seed. And that the audience was pleased by the research that showed its effects on Cancer on the genetic and cellular level! You can translate the post using any translation site to make sure of my words – Fawzy Hegab Jun 06 '16 at 01:22
  • This was held in "Academy of scientific Research and Technology" which is an institute that follow, as far as I know, Tanta University. This is how professors and academic specialists think here, no need to mention general public. – Fawzy Hegab Jun 06 '16 at 01:24
  • 2
    Let's focus back on the question. It is not "Did Muhammad al-Bukhari say this?" It is not "Did Muhammad say this?" (Lived over a millenia earlier!) It is not about garlic/honey/ghosts/apostasy. It is not about my friends. It is not whether it cures cancer in particular, or whether there is any research at all to suggest it has health effects. It is whether it literally cures *every single disease*. Let's find someone who is alive in 2016 who is saying that. – Oddthinking Jun 06 '16 at 02:08
  • 1
    When I say "there is no evidence", I, of course, meant "there is no evidence presented in the question". We don't want to tackle strawman arguments. – Oddthinking Jun 06 '16 at 02:16
  • Well "Black Seed Cures EVERY disease" is a very notable claim because it is said by a very famous and trusted people. Is he trustworthy? I don't know. People do trust Muhammad. –  Jun 06 '16 at 03:00
  • 1
    There is no notable evidence that black seed cures every disease. However, it is a very notable claim nevertheless. Does notable evidence requires notable evidences too to make the claim at least probable? Is that what you're trying to say Oddthinking? –  Jun 06 '16 at 03:10
  • So we are not going to debunk something precisely because it's too weak? Even though many people believe that? Someone said, Suharto is democratically elected. Or Kim Yong Ill won fair election. Everybody in North Korea believes that. But that doesn't belong here? –  Jun 06 '16 at 03:24
  • @Oddthinking: I do believe that this is a notable claim. A similar example would be something like just because scientists don't believe that global warming is a hoax does not mean that the claim that global warming is a hoax is not a notable. There is a huge gap between academics/scholars and lay people and from my observation alone I can state that this claim is believed by a significant population of humans. However, from my earlier comment I also believe that the answer to this question should also consider the nuances. – slebetman Jun 06 '16 at 06:32
  • @JimThio: "Is that what you're trying to say Oddthinking?" No. You are twisting my words in all directions. – Oddthinking Jun 06 '16 at 08:26
  • 1
    @slebetman: "However, in today's internet age merchants selling the seed have been quoting the saying as a sales pitch" Great! Let's quote them, and re-open the question to match their claims. – Oddthinking Jun 06 '16 at 08:27
  • 1
    And not just quoting the hadith, but actually claiming it is true. Lots of people say "Laughter is the best medicine" without literally meaning it is the case. – Oddthinking Jun 06 '16 at 08:29
  • 1
    AIDS. Ebola. Polio. Diabetes. Flu. **No cure exists for any of these.** The claim that Black Seed *could* cure, not just any, but **all** of those is so ridiculous that no-one has ever conducted a study on it that anyone here could cite. It's like trying to prove a negative. It's like asking, "could Yahwe actually smite you". – DevSolar Jun 06 '16 at 14:10
  • well perhaps someone would actually find some extract of black seed and see that it cures SOME disease. And then someone would figure out one by one and see if it cure other disease, and finally we can see if this Muhammad is really a prophet or not? –  Jun 06 '16 at 14:12
  • @JimThio: The effective substance in the extract is [*thymoquinone*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thymoquinone), which is currently studied for its effects on [cancer](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4167365) and [dyspepsia](https://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.jep.2015.09.022), so far with insufficient results. But the claim that it could "cure *all* diseases" can be debunked without any further checking. It's ludicrous. Just don't go forth and start telling certain people, on this grounds, that Muhammad is not a true prophet. That could be detrimental for *your* health... – DevSolar Jun 06 '16 at 14:19
  • Actually should this question be reopened? If you think the answer is no, that's an aswer –  Jun 20 '16 at 05:37

0 Answers0