The belief that Ajwa dates protect against black magic comes from hadith, not from laboratory research. This post sets out what the hadith actually says, then looks separately at what studies on Ajwa have and have not shown. The two are different kinds of evidence, and it helps to keep them apart.
What the hadith says about Ajwa and magic
The best-known narration is in Sahih al-Bukhari. Sa'd reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "He who eats seven 'Ajwa dates every morning, will not be affected by poison or magic on the day he eats them." (Sahih al-Bukhari 5445)
Imam al-Bukhari records a similar report from Sa'd a second time, in his Book of Medicine, under a chapter titled "The use of 'Ajwa dates as medicine for magic": "If Somebody takes seven 'Ajwa dates in the morning, neither magic nor poison will hurt him that day." (Sahih al-Bukhari 5769)
Sahih Muslim has related narrations. One, from 'A'isha, says: "The 'ajwa' dates of 'Aliya' contain healing effects and these are antidote in the early morning." (Sahih Muslim 2048). Another speaks of "seven dates (of the land situated) between these two lava plains", eaten in the morning, so that "no poison will harm him until it is evening" (Sahih Muslim 2047a). Both sit in Muslim's chapter on the virtue of the dates of Al-Madinah.
Read closely, the wording is specific: seven dates, in the morning, with protection described for that day. For how to understand and practise these narrations, a qualified religious teacher is the right person to ask.
Where Ajwa comes from
Ajwa is a date of Madinah, Saudi Arabia. In Malaysia it is also sold as Kurma Nabi. The fruit is small, roundish and near-black, with finely wrinkled skin and a soft bite.
What research has tested
None of the studies below looked at magic. They are animal studies of extracts, and they cannot be read as proof that eating dates does the same thing in people.
Kidneys: in a 2022 study, 42 male rats were split into six groups. Some received an Ajwa fruit extract (0.25 or 0.5 g/kg) for 21 days and some were given cisplatin, a cancer drug that can damage the kidneys. The extract, especially at 0.5 g/kg, improved kidney function, anaemia and antioxidant markers in the cisplatin-treated rats (Abdelghffar et al., 2022). The same paper measured antioxidant activity in the extract itself.
Dichloroacetic acid: a 2017 study split 48 male Wistar rats into six groups. Some were given dichloroacetic acid in their drinking water for two months, with or without an aqueous date extract. The extract reduced the oxidative damage seen in the rats' testes (El Arem et al., 2017). The abstract describes a date extract and does not name Ajwa.
Iron and other nutrients
The figures below are USDA FoodData Central data for Medjool and Deglet Noor, not Ajwa. Per 100 g, Medjool has 0.9 mg iron, 0.362 mg copper and 6.7 g fibre. Deglet Noor has 1.02 mg iron, 0.206 mg copper and 8.0 g fibre.
For scale, the NHS puts daily iron needs at 8.7 mg for men aged 19 and over and 14.8 mg for women aged 19 to 49. About 1 mg per 100 g is a small share of that, so dates should not be relied on to treat anaemia. Anaemia needs a doctor's diagnosis.
Buying Ajwa
Check the box for the variety name and origin before you buy. See our Harga Kurma Ajwa page and how Ajwa compares with other dates. Kurma Ajwa online is another place to look.
Whether the protection described in the hadith applies to a person is a question of faith. The studies above cannot settle it either way.
This article is general information, not medical advice.
References
- Sahih al-Bukhari 5445 (Book 70, Hadith 74). sunnah.com/bukhari:5445
- Sahih al-Bukhari 5769 (Book 76, Hadith 83). sunnah.com/bukhari:5769
- Sahih Muslim 2047a (Book 36, Hadith 212). sunnah.com/muslim:2047a
- Sahih Muslim 2048 (Book 36, Hadith 215). sunnah.com/muslim:2048
- Abdelghffar EA, et al. Ajwa dates (Phoenix dactylifera L.) attenuate cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. Biomed Pharmacother. 2022;156:113836. PMID 36242846
- El Arem A, et al. Dichloroacetic acid-induced testicular toxicity in male rats and the protective effect of date fruit extract. BMC Pharmacol Toxicol. 2017;18(1):17. PMID 28431577
- USDA FoodData Central. Dates, medjool (FDC ID 168191). fdc.nal.usda.gov
- USDA FoodData Central. Dates, deglet noor (FDC ID 171726). fdc.nal.usda.gov
- NHS. Iron. nhs.uk