Olive

5. Olive (6 or 7) ✦

In Arabic it is called zaitoon (), and it is mentioned 6 times in the Quran. The Quran also mentions a tree verse 18 of chapter 48 (item 5 below) which is said to have been an olive tree. We can't find the source, please tell us if you do, or if you know this claim to be wrong.

1. It is He Who sends down water (rain) from the sky, and with it We bring forth vegetation of all kinds, and out of it We bring forth green stalks, from which We bring forth thick clustered grain. And out of the date-palm and its spathe come forth clusters of dates hanging low and near, and gardens of grapes, olives and pomegranates, each similar (in kind) yet different (in variety and taste). Look at their fruits when they begin to bear, and the ripeness thereof. Verily! In these things there are signs for people who believe. [6:99]

2. And it is He Who produces gardens trellised and untrellised, and date-palms, and crops of different shape and taste (its fruits and its seeds) and olives, and pomegranates, similar (in kind) and different (in taste). Eat of their fruit when they ripen, but pay the due thereof (its Zakât, according to God's Orders 1/10th or 1/20th) on the day of its harvest, and waste not by extravagance . Verily, He likes not Al-Musrifûn (those who waste by extravagance). [6:141]

3. With it He causes to grow for you the crops, the olives, the date-palms, the grapes, and every kind of fruit. Verily! In this is indeed an evident proof and a manifest sign for people who give thought. [16:11]

4. God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is as (if there were) a niche and within it a lamp, the lamp is in glass, the glass as it were a brilliant star, lit from a blessed tree, an olive, neither of the east (i.e. neither it gets sun-rays only in the morning) nor of the west (i.e. nor it gets sun-rays only in the afternoon, but it is exposed to the sun all day long), whose oil would almost glow forth (of itself), though no fire touched it. Light upon Light! God guides to His Light whom He wills. And God sets forth parables for mankind, and God is All-Knower of everything. [24:35]

5. Indeed, God was pleased with the believers when they gave their Bai'â (pledge) to you (O Muhammad) under the tree*, He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down As-Sakinah (calmness and tranquillity) upon them, and He rewarded them with a near victory, [48:18]

6. And olives and date-palms, [80:29]

7. By the fig, and the olive, [95:1]

*It is said to have been an olive tree. Please write us if you have more information on this.

Benefits:►

He sends down water from the sky. From it you drink, and from it come the shrubs among which you graze your herds. By it He makes crops grow for you, as well as olives and dates and grapes and fruit of every kind. There is certainly a Sign in that for people who reflect. (Surat An-Nahl: 10-11)

Recent studies have revealed that olives are not only tasty, but also are a healthy source of food. Their linoleic acid is especially useful for breast-feeding mothers. Any deficiency in this acid slows a child's development and contributes to some skin diseases. Health organizations, among them the World Health Organization, recommend that people living in societies with high arteriosclerosis and diabetes rates consume oil that contains at least 30% linoleic acid. And this raises the olive's worth.

Olives' benefits are not limited to linoleic acid. For example, the chlorine that they contain promotes the liver's functioning and thus facilitates the body's discharge of waste products. Since it also contributes to the body's skeleton, olives help to give the body strength and long life. They also are good for healthy cerebral arteries.