History of Dates

History of Dates Fruit in Saudi Arabia

Khana-e-Kaba

 

Masjid-e-Nabvi  ( SAW)

Date Tree In Desert

Every country and region in the world  has something inherent to its culture  and its daily life. If there is one fruit  which is symbolic to Saudi Arabia, it  has to be dates fruit. Dates fruit forms  a part of the diet for most people in  Saudi Arabia and no occasion is  celebrated without feasting on Saudi  dates. Even in the center of the royal  emblem of Saudi Arabia, there is a  palm tree above the crossed swords.  It won’t be wrong to say Saudi dates are as much integral to the  culture of Saudi Arabia as Oak is to the United States of America  and the United Kingdom.  To the Western world, the palm is as much a symbol of Islam as  the crescent and star. The Arabs traded dates fruit with the Chinese using the famous Silk Route 1000 years before Christ was born.  The  Chinese traders brought in silk from Central Asia and took back dates fruit on their return journey. This is one of the most famous trade  routes of the ancient world. Saudi Arabian date palms were carried far and wide by traders and travelers until they became a pan Middle  Eastern symbol.  With the passage of time this awesome fruit crossed the Saudi Arabian shores and became known in other parts of the world. For centuries  merchants have traded Saudi dates all over Asia, Europe and the New World. Since the  start of 15th century the trade got a boost as  European explorers took the dates fruit to other  parts of the world. The significance of dates fruit can be understood  from the famous Arabic legend which explains the  creation of Date palms: According to it after God  had finished molding Man from Earth; he took the  remaining material and shaped it into a date palm  which he placed in the Garden of Paradise. In  Islam dates fruit find regular references in the Holy  Koran. It has a beautiful reference in the surah  entitled Mary. It is told that Prophet Mohammed asked the followers of Islam to break their day long Ramadan fast  with dates and water. Even the Prophet’s Mosque built at Medina around A.D. 630, was entirely  made of palms, the columns and beams of the trunks, and the thatching and prayer mats of the  leaves. When floods had devastated Medina dates fruit were the first trees that were planted by the  descendants of Noah. Date palms precede human beings and have existed for more than 100,000 years and are  considered one of the oldest trees on the planet. The earliest reference of dates fruit can be found  in the Mesopotamian Civilization in the Tigris-Euphrates region (present day Iraq) which borders  Saudi Arabia. This is where Saudi dates originated from. The charming beauty of Saudi dates left  many rulers mesmerized.  It is believed  Alexander the Great introduced dates fruit to Pakistan during  his campaign in Asia. These early civilizations recognized the versatility and value of  the dates fruit. The sweet fruit became an essential part of  their diet. It is believed that the palm offered close to three  hundred and sixty uses to the ancient Arab world.
They used it to make needles, thread, lumber, mattresses, rope, baskets  and other household items using the leaves and the bark of  the date fruits tree. Saudi dates also have medicinal  properties and are known cure for ailments of heart, intestine  and even cancer. Saudi dates have always been a prized fruit compared to its  competitors from the neighboring countries thanks to its large  natural oases with massive underground water reserves and  excellent climatic conditions, attributes needed for high quality  produce. Saudi dates are famous all over the world and  generated millions of Riyals annually. Summary: Dates fruit is of great cultural significance to the  people of Saudi Arabia. It has been cultivated in the region for  thousands of years dating back to the days of the  Mesopotamian Civilization.

According to Arabnews.

The history of Ajwa dates goes back to 5000 BC and it’s the part of Tibwi Nabvi, the Medical practice of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) through plants, where Ajwa date has prominence. There are several references in Hadith and Islamic historical literature about Ajwa. Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) said that “One who takes seven Ajwa dates in the morning, he remains under the protection of Allah from magic and poison for whole of the day". As many as seven Ajwa dates comprise 120 calories. Those who have made it a habit to take 5 to 7 Ajwa dates without fail everyday are less susceptible to carcinoma and circulatory diseases. The Ajwa dates are fraught with 70 percent of sugar and 30 percent of floric acid, sulphur, protein, copper, iron fibre and potassium.
Many strongly believe in remedial therapy in Ajwa as it was advocated by none other Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), specially women believes that it prevent black magic, most of women Haj pilgrims prefer to take Ajwa dates with them meant for presenting gift to their near and dear one who are suffering with various illness.
There are few farms that harvesting Ajwa in holy city of Madinah itself within the boundary Haram. There is a large farm of Ajwa located Nearby Quba mosque. A lot more farms are located on outskirts and surrounding villages of the holy city.

The history of Ajwa dates goes back to 5000 BC. A female tree of Ajwa dates has the potential to yield 170 pounds of this delicious fruit each year. As many as seven Ajwa dates comprise 120 calories. Those who have made it a habit to take 5 to 7 Ajwa dates without fail everyday are less susceptible to carcinoma and circulatory diseases. The Ajwa dates are fraught with 70 percent of sugar and 30 percent of floric acid, sulphur, protein, copper, iron fibre and potassium.