By MALIK MERCHANT

February 14th, Valentine’s Day, and Mother’s Day are the most significant days for the flower industry. Still, there is almost an entire season — and not just a day — in Canada and the USA where the pumpkin remains the king in indoor and outdoor markets and at numerous events celebrating corn and pumpkin harvests. In fact, Calgary and other cities acround Canada including Edmonton, Milton, Burnaby and Ottawa are hosts to “Pumpkins After Dark“, Canada’s award-winning outdoor fall event that feature over 10,000+ hand-carved pumpkins.

The pumpkin is associated with Thanksgiving in Canada (2nd Monday in October) and the USA Thanksgiving (4th Thursday in November), and is one of the most popular desserts served during the holiday. In between, on Halloween Day, October 31, pumpkin heads are put to scary uses through creative works of art. Aside from the pumpkins’ use in decorations and artistics works, the fruit is used in restaurants in North America, such as Starbucks, Tim Horton, McDonalds and many others for special pumpkin chais, coffees and desserts.

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My real interest on the health benefits of the pumpkin was drawn when I saw the large fruit decoratively laid out at the Aga Khan Museum’s coutyard during the pumpkin season some three years ago. I then wondered whether the fruit was mentioned anywhere in Islamic literature and, to my amazement, I read that the Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him and his progeny) was fond of pumpkins. I am pleased to include a small selection of adaptations from readings that I found.

“I saw the Prophet being served with soup and containing gourd (pumpkin or squash) and cured meat, and I saw him picking and eating the pieces of gourd.” — Bukhari Volume 7, Book 65, Number 348.

It is related that a sailor once invited Prophet Muhammad to eat some food that he had prepared. Anas bin Malik, a companion of the Prophet, noted that the Prophet was served barley bread and a soup with pumpkin in it. The Prophet keenly ate the pumpkin around the dish, and from that day Anas made it his favourite food. Traditions also note that whenever a a dish of bread, meat and broth was presented to the Prophet and it contained pumpkin, the Prophet would pick up the pumpkin because he really liked it, and made the heart strong. Other Muslim traditions note that the pumpkin increases brain function and brain strength.

Ibn Ridwan, in a medical treatise written during the Fatimid period, recommended the pumpkin as a diet for healthy living along with several other fruits and vegetables such as celery, carrots, lentils and cucumbers.

Interestingly, there is also a general consensus among researchers and scholars about the Arabic word yaqteen that is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an. They say that it refers to the pumpkin — a food that nourished and helped heal Prophet Yunus, after he was cast into the wilderness while he was sick (see Qur’an, 37:144-146, at Corpus Quran English Translation).

The website healthline mentions that pumpkin is rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and is incredibly healthy. Moreover its low calorie content makes it a weight-loss-friendly food. It goes on to add that “its nutrients and antioxidants may boost your immune system, protect your eyesight, lower your risk of certain cancers and promote heart and skin health.”

Enjoy the pumpkin!

Date posted: October 30, 2023.

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