Lentil Softens the Heart

Imâm al-Bayhaqî related on the authority of 'Atâ' si, “The Prophet said, 'Eating lentil softens the heart, brings tears to the eye and clears arrogance (from one's heart)'.

Explanation of the Hadîth

Lentil is an herbal, annual crop, which belongs to "Order Rosales" and falls under one of the following families: "Super family Rosaceae", "Family leguminosae" or the "Subfamily Papilionaceae". The plants belonging to these families are herbal plants, the leaves of which are either compound, pinnate (feathery shaped), palmately lobed or trifoliate. Their fruits are of the pod or legume type and the seeds nonendospermic. Many crops fall under these families such as
' Reported by al-Bayhaqî, Shu 'ab al-Imân, but with a disconnected chain of narrators.
beans, lentil, peas, chickpea, broad beans, cowpea, lupine, peanuts, soybeans and fenugreek. The lentil flowers can be white, lilac, or purple in color. Each flower produces a short, flat pod containing one or two lens-shaped seeds, which have a dark brown coat. Inside this coat are two orange-yellow cotyledons. The scientific name of lentil is Lens esculenias (syn. Lens culinaris).

Lentil seeds have a very high protein content (24%), in addition to carbohydrate (26%), fats (1.4%), in addition to relatively different ratios of phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, natrium, potassium, iron, manganese, zinc and copper. They also contain various ratios of Vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, B12, C, D, plus various hormones and enzymes.

Germination has a great influence on the nutritional value of the seeds. It was found that by germination, the ratio of the vitamins, hormones and enzymes greatly multiplies by the humidity accompanying the bud formation. These constituents are transformed into simpler compounds, which are easier to digest and metabolize by the human body. Nevertheless, the germination process needs critical observation, for if they exceed the set time (for bud formation), leaves will start to grow, and then the seeds will lose part of their nutritional value and become bitter in taste.

Cooked lentil seeds have also a high nutritional value, and the germinated seeds are a good cure for many diseases such as anemia. The coat of the seeds treats constipation, acts as a diuretic and is also antifungal; therefore, it protects teeth from decay. Soaks and adhesive stupes made with boiled lentil paste help in the treatment of inflammations, and healing of wounds and abscesses resulting from various ulcers.

Lentil has been known by man since ancient times, and was even used in most bygone civilizations. It was also known by ancient Egyptians and is mentioned once in the Our'ân as Allâh the Almighty said:
(And (remember) when you said, 'O Mûsâ (Moses)! We cannot endure one kind of food. So invoke your Lord for us to bring forth for us of what the earth grows its herbs, its cucumbers, its füm (wheat or garlic), its lentils and its onions'. He said, 'Would you exchange that which is better for that which is lower? Go you down to any town and you shall find what you want!' And they were covered with humiliation and misery, and they drew on themselves the Wrath of Allâh. That was because they used to disbelieve the evidences of Allâh and killed the Prophets wrongfully. That was because they disobeyed and used to transgress the bounds. ) (Al-Baqarah: 61)
Lentil is one of the common traditional dishes, in spite of its high nutritional and medical value, and that is why the Prophet said, "eating lentil softens the heart, brings tears to the eyes and breaks one's arrogance.

" The Prophet recommended lentil for its high medical values, even though lentil was not one of the familiar dishes in the Arabian Peninsula, which is to be considered as one of the miracles of the seal of the Messengers and Prophets .