اللَّهُمَّ أجْعَلْنَا هَادينَ مُهْتَدينَ غَيْرَ ضَالَّينَ ولا مُضِلِّينَ، سِلْماً لأوْليائِكَ وحَرْباً لأعْدَائِكَ، نُحِبُّ بِحُبِّكَ مَن أحَبَّكَ، ونُعَادي بَعَدَاوَتِكَ مَن خَالَفَكَ من خلقك ،اللَّهُمَّ هَذَا الدُّعَاءُ وعَلَيْكَ الإجَابَةُ، وهَذَا الجَهْدُ وعَلَيْكَ التُكْلاَنُ

Kam’ah ~ Truffles

ثبت عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه قال: الكمأة من المن وماؤها شفاء للعين، أخرجاه في الصحيحين

Ibn al-Qayyim wrote :The Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم is reported to have said: "The truffle is from the manna, and its water is a cure for the eyes." This narration is found in both of the authentic collections (Sahihayn).

Description of the Truffle: The truffle is a type of fungus that grows underground without being planted, and is concealed within the earth. It has no leaves or stems. Its substance comes from an underground jewel-like material that accumulates through the cold of winter and is nurtured by the spring rains, growing towards the surface of the earth. The process of its emergence is often likened to the spread of smallpox due to its appearance and the moist, reddish texture it produces.

It is found in the spring and can be eaten either raw or cooked. The Arabs call it "the plant of thunder" because it grows abundantly when thunderstorms occur, causing the earth to burst open with it. It is a common food among the Bedouins and thrives in the lands of the Arabs. The best quality truffles are found in sandy, low-moisture regions.

The truffle has different types, one of which is fatal. Its color tends toward redness, and it can cause suffocation. It is cold and moist in the third degree, harmful to the stomach, slow to digest, and if consumed regularly, it can lead to colic, stroke, paralysis, stomach pain, and difficulty urinating. The moist variety is less harmful than the dry one.

If someone eats the truffle, they should bury it in damp earth, boil it with water, salt, and marjoram, and consume it with oil and hot spices. This is because its substance is dense and earthly, and its nutrition is poor. However, it contains a delicate, watery essence that reflects its lightness.

Using its water as an eye wash is beneficial for clearing vision and relieving the heat-related eye conditions, such as inflammation. Notable physicians, including some Christian scholars and those of the Canon, have acknowledged that its water helps cleanse the eyes.

The statement of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم: "The truffle is from the manna" has two interpretations:

(1). The first interpretation is that the manna mentioned in the story of the Children of Israel was not only the sweet substance, but a variety of things that Allah provided them as a gift from plants that appeared naturally, without cultivation, treatment, or farming. The term "manna" refers to something granted as a pure gift, meaning "blessed" or "bestowed" upon them. Anything that Allah grants to His servants naturally, without any effort or labor on their part, is considered "manna." Although all of Allah's blessings can be considered a form of "manna" to His servants, the truffle is a specific example of something that is a direct gift, not the result of human work or intervention. Allah provided the truffle as their sustenance in the wilderness, replacing bread with the truffle, and made their sustenance easy, much like how the quail served as their meat and the sweet dew that fell on the trees replaced the sweetness in their diet. This made their lives complete and sustained them.

Consider the statement of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم :

"الكمأة من المنِّ الذى أنزله الله على بنى إسرائيل"

"The truffle is from the manna that Allah sent down to the Children of Israel," where He included it as part of the Manna~المن and singled it out as a specific type. The "Taranjabeen," a sweet substance that falls on trees, is another form of manna. However, over time, the term "manna" became most commonly associated with this substance.

(2). The second interpretation is that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم linked the truffle to Manna~المن sent down from the sky because it is collected without any effort, labor, or cultivation, similar to how the manna appeared naturally.

Now, you might ask, "If the truffle is like this, why does it cause harm?" and "Where does this harm come from?" The answer is that Allah, Glory be to Him, has perfected everything He has created and made everything He has made the best it can be. When He first created the truffle, it was free of harm and fully beneficial for its intended purpose. Any harmful effects that occur later are due to factors beyond the original design, which reflects the perfection of Allah’s creation in its natural state.

The harmful effects that arise in the truffle occur later due to other factors, such as its proximity to certain conditions, mixing with other substances, or other causes that lead to its spoilage. If it was left in its original, untainted form, without exposure to any corrupting factors, it would not spoil.

Whoever has knowledge of the conditions of the world and its origin will recognize that all corruption in its atmosphere, plants, animals, and the circumstances of its inhabitants arises after its creation due to causes that led to its occurrence. The actions of the children of Adam, and their opposition to the messages of the Prophets, continuously result in widespread and specific corruption, bringing upon them pains, diseases, afflictions, plagues, droughts, barren lands, and the loss of blessings in the earth, its fruits, and plants, or a reduction in their benefits, in a chain of consecutive events where one follows the other.

If your knowledge does not extend to this, suffice with the saying of Allah, the Most High :

ظَهَرَ ٱلْفَسَادُ فِى ٱلْبَرِّ وَٱلْبَحْرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِى ٱلنَّاسِ لِيُذِيقَهُم بَعْضَ ٱلَّذِى عَمِلُوا۟ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ (سورة روم:٤١)

"Calamities have appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of the people have earned, so that He (Allah) makes them taste some of what they did, in order that they may return (to the right way)." (Quran 30:41). Apply this verse to the state of the world, and align the reality with it, as you will see how calamities and afflictions occur constantly in fruits, crops, and animals, and how these afflictions give rise to further, interlinked calamities, each one worsening the next. Whenever people commit injustice and immorality, their Lord, Blessed and Exalted, brings upon them calamities and afflictions in their food, fruits, inclinations, waters, bodies, creations, forms, shapes, and morals—deficiencies and misfortunes that are the direct result of their actions, their oppression, and their wickedness.

The grains of wheat and other crops were once larger than they are today, and the blessings within them were far greater. Imam Ahmad narrated, with his chain of transmission, that he found in the storerooms of some of the Banu Umayyah a pouch containing wheat, the size of date pits, with a label on it that read:

وقد روى الإمام أحمد بإسناده: أنه وجد فى خزائن بعض بنى أميةَ صرة فيها حِنطةٌ أمثال نوى التمر مكتوبٌ عليها: هذا كان ينبُت أيامَ العدل. وهذه القصة، ذكرها فى "مسنده" على أثر حديث رواه

"This used to grow in the days of justice." This story is mentioned in his "Musnad" following a Hadith he narrated.

Most of these diseases and widespread afflictions are remnants of the punishment that befell past nations, and some of this punishment still lingers, waiting for those who continue in the ways of those nations. This is due to their actions—acts of injustice and transgression. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم  alluded to this when he said about the plague:

وقد أشار النبىُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إلى هذا بقوله فى الطاعون: "إنَّه بقيةُ رجز أو عذاب أُرسِلَ على بنى إسرائيلَ

"It is a remnant of the punishment or affliction that was sent upon the Children of Israel."

Likewise, Allah Almighty sent a wind upon people of Aad for seven nights and eight days, then left a remnant of it in the world during those days, and in its likeness is a lesson and admonition.

Allah Almighty has made the deeds of the righteous and the wicked lead to consequences that are inevitable in this world. He has made withholding kindness, Zakah, and Sadaqah/charity a cause for the withholding of rain from the sky, resulting in drought and famine. The oppression of the poor, cheating in measurements and scales, and the strong oppressing the weak cause the tyranny of rulers who show no mercy when asked for mercy and no compassion when requested. In reality, these are the actions of the subjects that manifest in the form of their rulers. Indeed, Allah, in His wisdom and justice, displays people's deeds in forms that reflect them—sometimes through drought and famine, sometimes through enemies, sometimes through unjust rulers, sometimes through widespread diseases, sometimes through anxieties and pains that arise from their own souls and remain with them, sometimes by withholding blessings from the heavens and the earth, and sometimes by sending devils upon them, leading them to the causes of torment. This happens so that Allah’s word is fulfilled, and each person reaches his appointed end. The wise person directs his insight throughout the corners of the world, witnessing and observing the places of Allah's justice and wisdom. At that point, it becomes clear to him that the messengers and their followers are on the path of salvation, while the rest of creation is headed toward ruin and the abode of destruction. Allah’s command is decisive; no one can alter His judgment, and no one can reverse His will. Success comes from Allah.

The statement of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم  regarding the Kam’ah (fungus or truffle), "Its water is a cure for the eyes," has three interpretations:

(a). The First Opinion: Its water is mixed into medicines used for treating the eyes, not that it is used alone. This was mentioned by Abu Ubayd.

(b). The Second Opinion: It is used purely after being roasted, and its water is then extracted. The heat of the fire softens it, cooks it, and dissolves its harmful residues and moisture while retaining its beneficial properties.

(c). The Third Opinion: The water referred to here is the first rainwater that falls to the earth, which is considered to have beneficial qualities. This interpretation takes the addition as a conjunction, not as a part of the whole. This opinion was mentioned by Ibn al-Jawzi and is considered the weakest of the interpretations.

It is also said that the use of its water is for cooling the eye, as its water, when used alone, serves as a cure. However, when used for other purposes, it is mixed with other substances.

Al-Ghafqi said: "The water of the Kam’ah is one of the best remedies for the eyes when mixed with Ithmid (a type of antimony) and used as an eye lotion. It strengthens the eyelids, enhances the clarity and sharpness of vision, and protects the eyes from afflictions."

Truffle (Kam'ah) by Ibn al-Baytaar: Kam’ah is as a round root with no leaves or stalk, reddish in color. It appears in spring and can be eaten raw or cooked. The substance of truffle is made up of mostly earthy matter, with a small amount of finer, lighter elements.

Al-Razi: The thick mixture formed by consuming truffles lacks a distinctive taste, though it leans toward being cool in nature. The nourishment derived from truffles is denser than that from squash. Truffles have a thick, yet not bad, juice. He also mentioned that truffles may cause difficulty urinating and colic, similar to mushrooms. Truffles are less thick than mushrooms, and the best truffles come from sandy areas. They may cause difficulty in breathing (dyspnea), and in this case, vomiting can be induced by drinking fennel broth or taking a mixture of vinegar and hen droppings.

Al-Qalhaman: Red truffles can be fatal.

Sufyan Al-Andalusi: The best truffles are those that are firm, smooth, and lean toward being white. Those that are soft and moist are considered very poor and harmful, especially to people with hot stomachs. Truffles can cause indigestion if eaten in excess or if the stomach is weak.

Isa ibn Masa: Truffles are cold and moist and can cause heaviness in the stomach.

Al-Masih: Truffles can cause blockages in the body when eaten, but their juice can cure eye ailments when used as an eye wash.

Ibn Maswayh: Truffles are slow to digest, and their main adverse effects include causing paralysis, strokes, and stomach pain. To reduce these effects, it is recommended to peel and clean them thoroughly before consumption. They should be boiled with water, salt, fennel, and rue before being eaten with olive oil, myrrh, thyme, and pepper. Dried truffles are slower to digest and more harmful, so they should be soaked in water and clay for a day and night before consumption.

Al-Razi (in "The Removal of Harmful Foods"): Truffles are cold and generate thick blood. If consumed in moderation, they don't require much preparation, but excessive consumption can lead to diseases like phlegm and white leprosy, especially in hot climates. It's best to eat them with myrrh to aid digestion. If boiled in water and then cooked with oil and spicy herbs like pepper and cinnamon, it removes the phlegm-producing qualities. Truffles should be eaten with myrrh and pepper, as they may cause phlegm or sluggish digestion.

Al-Ghafiqi: Truffles should not be eaten raw. Drinking plain water afterward should also be avoided. One of its dangerous properties is that consuming truffles along with poisonous substances can be fatal, with no antidote. The water extracted from truffles is one of the best remedies for the eyes when combined with Ithmid (a specific type of antimony) and used as an eye wash. It strengthens the eyelids, improves vision, and has sharp, powerful qualities. It also prevents the eyes from watering.

Experiments: Ground, dried truffles, when mixed with water and used to rub the head, are beneficial for relieving headaches before they happen.

Ibn-e-Sina wrote: Truffle is a round root with no stem or branch. Its color is dull and cotton-like. It grows underground in the spring. Some people eat truffles raw or cooked. It is more earthy in essence, with a lower water content, and has a mild, airy quality. It lacks any strong taste. The best truffles are those that are white and sandy, with no unpleasant odor. The dried variety is inferior to the fresh one. The truffle is best when peeled and cut with a knife, boiled with salt water, and then cooked with oil, spices, and Asafoetida (Heeng). The least desirable types are the fungi, particularly those growing under trees or in poor soil.  Truffles are very heavy and provide dense nourishment, richer than most foods, but without much flavor.

When boiled and then cooked with water, they form a thick, nourishing food that is not unpleasant, but still tasteless.

Joint Health: It is believed that truffles may lead to paralysis if consumed excessively.

Head Health: Excessive consumption of truffles may lead to strokes.

Eye Health: The water from truffles, when used as an eye wash, is said to help clear the eyes, according to reports from Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and other physicians, such as the famous doctor Messiah.

Digestive System: Truffles are slow to digest and may cause heaviness and discomfort in the stomach, leading to a thick and slow-moving digestive process.

Elimination System: They may cause colic and difficulty with urination if consumed in large quantities.

Desert Truffle