Botany and Surat At-Tin (2/3)

Scientific implications in the first three ayahs of Surat At-Tin:  

Allah swearing an oath by the figs

In swearing an oath by the figs, Allah (who knows best) seems to be drawing our attention to the miraculous creation of such fruit and its high nutritional value.

Parts of the fig’s creation wonders

The fig is a complex accessory fruit that is actually an inside-out flower cluster called a synconium, formed as a result of the growth of synconia in the shape of a cone. Tiny female flowers (pistil) line the inner surface of the synconia while male flowers (stamens) spread out around the outer layer which is narrow at the top. The female flowers usually mature before the male ones. Allah Has assigned the fig wasp (blastophaga) to help pollinate the fig flowers. The relationship is symbiotic; fig flowers provide a warm safe place for blastophaga larvae to stay and feed in until they become adults. As the adult wasps make their way out of the flower, their bodies come into contact with the male flowers, pollen sticks to the body of the insects that then carry the pollen to the female flowers, pollinating them and allowing fertilization to begin. Three generations of flowers are found in the fig tree. The first generation contains the male and insect-hosting flowers. The second generation of flowers is female ones pollinated by the insects coming out of the first generation flowers. These insects fertilize the flowers producing the main harvest of the fig tree. The third generation flowers contain insect-hosting flowers where the insects spend the winter.  

Who else but Allah could set up such an accurate reproductive system for the fig tree? Who else but Allah could teach the fig wasp that its home is in the flower of fig tree to assist fertilization as it moves from one flower to another? The relationship between this insect and the fig flower is one of the most amazing examples of symbiosis between plants and insects.

The benefits of figs  

Figs are rich in carbohydrates which form 53% of their overall mass. Monosaccharide and carbohydrate compounds make up the majority of carbohydrates present along with a small amount of proteins (approximately 3.6%) and smaller amounts of potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, copper, zinc, sulfur, sodium and chorine. Figs also contain many vitamins, enzymes, acids, antiseptic agents, high fiber content (18.5%) and a high percentage of water. Among the special enzymes found in the fig is an enzyme called ficin which has been found to play an important role in digestion.  

Japanese scientists have discovered an aromatic aldehyde compound, benzaldehyde (C6H5CHO) in figs. This chemical compound was extracted from figs and has proved to be effective in fighting carcinogens. Carbohydrates compounds known as the soralins have also been discovered in figs; these compounds play an important role in fortifying blood against a number of disease-causing viruses and parasites, such as hepatitis C. This carbohydrate group is found in large amounts in figs; in its syrup, juices and jams.  

Figs have also proved to be beneficial for breastfeeding mothers, in treating hemorrhoids, chronic constipation, gout, chest diseases, menstrual disorders, epilepsy, mouth ulcers, gingivitis, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, leucoderma, removing warts, healing injuries, and different kinds of ulcers. Thus, Abu Darda’ narrated that the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said, “If I were to tell you of a fruit that has been sent from paradise, it would be the fig. Fruits of paradise are without pits. Eat the fig as it is a cure for hemorrhoids and gout”.

Swearing an oath by the olives:

Olives and olive oil are mentioned in the Qur’an seven times; one of these occasions is where Allah swears by the fig and the olive at the beginning of Surat At-Tin. The olive tree is a blessed tree and so is its fruit. It is a perennial tree which can live for more than a thousand years. It is considered an important source of oil. Olive oil is one of the healthiest oils; it contains very small amounts of fatty acid and does not increase the amount of harmful fats in the blood as other kinds of oil do.

This is because the fats in olive oil are all unsaturated and do not cause atherosclerosis, hypertension or any other diseases. Olive oil is a yellow transparent fluid rich with oleic acids, used in cooking or added to salads. It plays an important role in deoxidizing the cholesterol secreted by the body. This is because it contains vitamin E as well as other chemical compounds known as polyphenolic compounds which prevent the oil from autoxidizing; protecting the body from the dangers of harmful lipid peroxides.

Regular consumption of olive oil decreases the overall amount of cholesterol in the blood and its other harmful kinds in particular. More particularly, it reduces the possibility of heart diseases and cancer. Aside from its use in cooking, olive oil is an ingredient of many medicines, ointments, hair oils, soap, and it is also used in oil lamps because of the clear flames it produces.

Curing olives preserves them for use in food. The oil content of an olive is approximately 67-84% of its mass. Olive oil is made up of important chemical compounds, including glycerol compounds and fatty acids known as glycerides. Fatty acids make up a high percentage of the oil’s mass; oleic acid constitutes the largest percentage of the fatty acids in olives and olive oil, along with small amounts of palmatic acid, linolic acid, stearic acid, and mystric acid. Moreover, olives and olive oil contain a moderate amount of proteins and smaller amounts of potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, copper, sulfur and fibre. These elements are needed to produce about a thousand chemical compounds that are essential and useful for the wellbeing of the human body. For these reasons and for others unknown to us about olives, Omar Ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said, “Eat olives and use its ointment for it comes from a blessed tree”. Muadh Ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said, “The best miswak[1] is that of the olive tree as it is a blessed tree. It is my miswak and that used by Prophets before me”.

Allah swears by the olive and mentions it seven times in the Qur’an. Olive and olive oil are rich in fats and proteins and low in carbohydrates (sugar and starches) whereas the fig is rich in sugar and starchy compounds, and low in fats and proteins. Therefore, figs and olives fulfill the human body’s need for nutritional substances. The oath sworn on them at the beginning of the Surat is a scientific miracle revealed in the Qur’an 1400 years ago.

(Continued)