Habbatus Sauda - The Revered Seeds

I am sure many of you must have heard of habbatus sauda even if you have not found some use for it. I became a convert only recently, and I'll tell you why.

Botanically known as nigella sativa, habbatus sauda is a medicinal herb peculiar to southwest Asia, that dates back its use to more than 3000 years, to the times of the pharaohs.

Oil extract of this herb was found buried in the tomb of Egyptian boy-king Tutankhamen, and Cleopatra reputedly used it as part of her skin care preparations.

Besides Arabia, this annual flowering plant can also be found growing extensively in the Mediterranean region. The flowers are delicate, usually coloured pale blue and white, with 5 to 10 petals.

The fruit is a large and inflated capsule composed of 3 to 7 united follicles, each containing numerous seeds. Also known as black cumin (jintan hitam), the seeds are used both as medicine and as spice in food preparations.

It is one of the most revered seeds in medicinal history, recommended for use some 1400 years ago by the Prophet Muhammad (saw) himself.

"Pada habbatus sauda terdapat penawar kepada semua penyakit kecuali mati. [This black cumin is healing for all diseases except death]." (narrated by Bukhari in Sahih Muslim: Book 26 Kitab As-Salam, Number 5489).

I must admit I was oblivious to the existence of habbatus sauda until one morning three years ago when Pak Abu was advised to consume some as treatment for the painful joints that was beginning to affect his golf.

The capsules proved effective, but because I wasn't in need of any such medicinal remedy then, I shelved habbatus sauda out of my mind.

When we were in the Holy Land for the Hajj three years ago, we found Malaysian students selling habbatus sauda, in oil extract, capsule as well as seed form, to pilgrims. So we bought some too.

It's a common practice for our students studying in various universities in the Middle-east (mostly from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Yemen) to descend upon Makkah and Madinah during the Hajj season to earn some money to cover their tutorials or living expenses.

These young men are an enterprising lot; acting as ziarah guides for pilgrims, offering assistance to the infirmed to do their haj rituals, buat upah haji, as well as selling an extensive range of products highly valued by pilgrims as gifts for loved ones at home.

They include attar scents and perfumes, prayer beads and mats, religious books, Yemeni honey (my runaway favourite), medicinal herbs and remedy, arabian sweetmeats and fruits and candies.

From a few of them I bought (amongst other things) habbatus sauda, without really knowing for what reason. All I was thinking about was to help, in my own small way, these young men earn some money.

Since then the bottle of habbatus sauda oil extract and caseful of black seeds had been languishing on my medicine shelf, regularly moved and replaced by the maid when she dusted.

Last year I developed pains in my joints, particularly my right knee. It got so bad that I couldn't bend the knee at all, and had to do my solat sitting down on a chair.

Not long after, the left leg followed suit; the calf became overly sensitive (sengal tulang). Walking was such an effort that I became a morose, irritable old grouch.

Medicated plaster could only help so much; the relief was temporary. I didn't know what else to do; the constant pain had made my life miserable. Out of frustration, I voiced out my woes to some friends on Facebook.

An old acquaintance from my reporting days reached out by suggesting that I try habbatus sauda. He said his wife had suffered from similar ailments and that habbatus sauda had given her a much welcome relief.

It was then I realised I had the ubat sitting pretty on my medicine shelf for the last three years!

It has been two months since I use the habbatus sauda oil extract. All I did was gently rub a few drops onto my calf and knee twice daily. As for the seeds, I have yet to touch them. Soon, I hope.

The sengal-sengal (calf pain) has since disappeared, And I am able to bend my right knee again, although not all the way. But it's a start. At least the pain is no more. Alhamdulillah syukur..

[If this sounds like one of those gushing testimonials one often reads in the papers or on leaflets/flyers found stuffed in one's mailbox, so be it. I'm unashamedly a fan of habbatus sauda.

And I owe a big thank you to Pak Amran Hamid, one-time RTM supremo now retired, for pointing me in the direction of habbatus sauda. Syukran, Pak, may Allah swt bless you always...]