The Blessed Date Palm

Since ancient times, the date palm has been a significant source of nutrition in the oases of deserts in the Middle East and North Africa. Not only cherished for its sweet fruit, the date palm's branches served as an added benefit to guard off the blazing hot desert sun. Date trees are among the oldest cultivated trees and are believed to have been grown in North Africa for at least 8,000 years. The date palms are said to produce up to 200 dates in one cluster and are one of the sweetest and most prized fruits in the Islamic world.

Throughout the centuries, the date palm has had a long history of religious significance, tradition and legend following it. For example, the ancient Egyptians used date palm leaves to symbolize longevity and had many medicinal uses from the fruit or juice of date palms. They also had many uses for the trunks and leaves of date palms such as for roofing or basket weaving among others. The Jews are said to have derived the female name Tamara from the Arabic word "Tamr," hoping their daughters would become like the blessed date palm; tall, pretty, and fertile. In Christianity, it is believed by some that the "tree of life," in the Bible may in fact be referring to the date palm.

In the Quran, the date or the date palm is mentioned 20 times. A famous reference to the date palm can be found in Surat Maryam regarding Maryam's childbirth:

"And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree; she cried (in her anguish) "Ah! Would that I had died before this! Would that I been a thing forgotten and out of sight." But (a voice) cried to her from beneath the (palm-tree): Grieve not! for thy Lord hath provided a rivulet beneath thee; and shake towards thyself the trunk of the palm-tree: it will let fall fresh ripe dates upon thee. So eat and drink and cool (thine) eye." (19:23-26)

Another passage of the Quran referring to the date palm:

"And the earth He has put for the creatures. Therein are fruits, date-palms producing sheathed fruit-stalks (enclosing dates)." (55:10-11)

Date palms also served as a means for preserving passages of the Quran. During the life of Prophet Muhammed (PBUH), the Quran was recorded by some scribes on leafstalks of date palms. Date palms were also used for construction purposes. The Prophet's mosque in Madinah was originally constructed from the use of the date palm. The roof was made of palm fronds woven together and the trunks of palm trees were used to form the pillars of the mosque.

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