Q:

I have the following two questions:

1- i heard a shaikh say that hazrat khalid bin waleed r.a used to eat ajwa dates in the morning and then drink poison as it is mentioned in the hadith on a daily basis and this is written in his biography. Can you please verify?

2- i read an article about the hadith regarding the seven ajwa dates and poison and the person argued that the word “summ” used in the hadith can be translated to “toxins” and it has been scientifically proven that ajwa dates do remove body toxins like cholesterol. Can this be another beliveable interpretation or not?

A:

The report about Khalid b. Walid involving poison in the sources is the following: While the Muslim army was fighting the enemy betook themselves to a fortress, refusing to surrender for days. Finally, they send someone to Khalid, challenging him to surrender if he were to drink poison and remain safe. Khalid took up the challenge and drank it, and nothing happened to him. In explaining the story, Imam Ibn Taymiyyah says: it was a miracle or grace (Karamah) he performed to demonstrate the truth of Islam. 

He did so out of his deep faith and conviction as an act of self-surrender, believing that Allah would help His cause through this act. Perhaps he may also have a pledge from the Prophet (peace be upon him) to that effect.

In other words, miracles or Karaamat cannot be used as general rules for people to do the same. Khalid did so to demonstrate the truth of Islam, and he was a man who believed that Allah would not disappoint him as he had no other ulterior motive.

2-  As for the hadith about the benefits of Ajwa dates, here are the reports: “Whoever eats seven Ajwa dates the first thing in the morning, he will be guarded against the effects of poison or magic for that day.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim), while Muslim adds another qualification to the same: “Whoever eats seven Ajwa dates grown in Madinah (literally grown in the land between the two lava mountains), he will be guarded against the effect of poison and magic.” 

So as some scholars have pointed out, the rule cannot be applied generally. It is specific to the dates of Madinah. It shows there is something unique about Madinah’s soil. Thanks to the quality of the earth, Ajwa dates unique and has enhanced the potential to fight the effects of poison.

Almighty Allah Knows best.