Plants in the Quran

Question 1

According to Al Jawziyyah, the people of Iraq and Syria associate rayhan with sweet … (Arb. habaq), whereas the Arabs of the west associate rayhan with … (Arb. as or yas)

Answer 1

Basil
Myrtle

Question 2

“And the earth has He appointed for (His) creatures, wherein are fruit and sheathed palm trees, husked grain and scented/fragrant herbs…”
Surah 56, verse 11-12 of Surah Ar-Rahman

Fragrant Herbs are relating to…

Answer 2

Basil or Myrtle

Question 3

Basil derived from basileus, “king” of pre-Greek origin. Basil was so called the Royal Basil because it was believed to have been used in making …. ….

Answer 3

Royal perfumes

Question 4

Rayhan is mentioned twice in the Quran - in Surat Rahman as a generic …. …. , which adds to the flavours bestowed on us by God, in giving us not only food but also scented herbs;
in Surah Waqia used as a metaphor for ….. and …. in attaining nearness to God.

Answer 4

fragrant herb
happiness and satisfaction

Question 5

Myrtle comes from Greek myrtos, “the myrtle, a …. …. …”

Answer 5

sprig of myrtle

Question 6

Myrtle is an …. evergreen perennial shrub

Answer 6

aromatic

Question 7

Gilgamesh used in sacrifice to please the Gods: I poured reeds, cedar, and …. , the Gods smelled the savour”

Answer 7

myrtle

Question 8

Lo! The righteous shall drink from a cup (of wine) whereof the mixture is of …..
(Surah 76 verse 5 - Insan (Man) )

Answer 8

Kafur

Question 9

Kafur can refer to either … or …

Answer 9

camphor
henna

Question 10

Camphor derived mainly from chipped …. of the stems, roots and branchlets by steam distillation

It is used for a variety of purposes but in the context of its use in the Quran, it refers to …. or …

Answer 10

wood
flavouring
scent

Question 11

It is clear from the root of the word “henna” that it means to “….” or “…”. If Kafur is to mean henna then the verse suggests that the wine is of the colour of …. and not a scent or flavouring such as the use of ….

Answer 11

colour
dye

henna
camphor

Question 12

Author considers that the verse containing word Kafur refers to …, not henna.

Answer 12

camphor

Question 13

Which tree is regarded as the Lote Tree of the Farthest Boundary (Sidra tul-Muntaha)?

Answer 13

Sidr (Ziziphus spina-christi, known as the Christ’s thorn jujube)

or Lebanese ceda (Cedars libani)

Question 14

What is the name of the edible fruit that grows on Side (Ziziphus spina-christi)?

Answer 14

Nabak

Question 15

“They will be among Lote-trees without thorns”
Surah Al-Waqi’ah Verse 28

What is the thornless lote tree a symbol of?

Answer 15

Bliss and of high heaven.

Question 16

Sidr (Ziziphus spina-christi, known as the Christ’s thorn jujube is a symbol of the tree that would get stunted if grown in unfavourable conditions such as may have happened after the … broke in present-day Yemen and flooded the area (punishment)

or Lebanese ceda (Cedars libani) which is more mythological and could be compared to the cedar (portrayed in the Sumerian poem from ‘…. …. …. ….’

Answer 16

Dam

The Epic of Gilgamesh

Question 17

In the Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the earliest great works of literature, the Sumerian hero Gilgamesh and his friend Enkidu travel to the legendary ….. ….. to kill its guardian and cut down its trees.

Answer 17

Cedar Forest

Question 18

What is the national symbol and tree of Lebanon?

Answer 18

Cedrus libani, the cedar of Lebanon or Lebanese cedar