Quran and Medicine

Quran and Medicine

KetabA Comparative Exploration of the Concept of “Zanjabīl” in the Qur’an (Insān 76:17) with Findings from Botany, Traditional Medicine, and Modern Biomedicine

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Nematollah firoozi 1
Sara Rafieipour 2
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Theology and Islamic Studies, Imam Reza International University, Mashhad, Iran.
2 MSc. Student in Theology and Islamic Studies, Imam Reza International University, Mashhad, Iran.
Abstract
Background and Objective: Verse 17 of Sūrat al-Insān describes a heavenly drink of the abrār (righteous) whose mizāj is zanjabīl (ginger). This reference invites an interdisciplinary study that combines the exegetical and narrational dimensions of the verse with botanical, phytochemical, and modern medical data. The objective is to examine how the Quranic description of ginger as a palatable and invigorating agent aligns with its recognized functions in traditional and modern medicine.

Methods: The study adopted a descriptive-analytical method based on library resources. The lexical and exegetical implications of zanjabīl and its link with salsabīl were first examined through authoritative commentaries and narrations. Subsequently, the bioactive compounds of ginger, its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiemetic mechanisms, along with selected clinical evidence on pregnancy nausea, motion sickness, and osteoarthritis, were reviewed and compared.

Findings: The analysis indicates that the exegetical portrayal of ginger as a palatable and vitality-giving substance parallels some of its known functions in traditional medicine and certain findings of modern medicine. Within the verse, ginger forms part of a semantic network involving purity, palatability, and the reward of the righteous. From a health-science perspective, substantial evidence supports its anti-inflammatory, antiemetic, neuroprotective, and metabolic effects.

Conclusion: Ginger in verse 17 of Sūrat al-Insān holds multilayered analytical potential. A conceptual affinity emerges between its Quranic connotations and scientific functions, provided that the comparison remains non-reductionist and grounded in exegetical caution.
Keywords
Ginger
Surah Al-Insan
Comparative Exegesis
Phytochemistry
Clinical Studies
The Holy Quran, translated by Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi.
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