QUESTION:
1. I wanted to know the meaning of غرقد tree? Is it a cactus?
2. Are we allowed to plant cactus?
ANSWER:
1. The Gharqad tree is known as the Nitraria or Lycium tree and it is from the cactus family.
وهو نوع شجر ذو شوك يقال له: العوسج، كذا ذكره شارح وفي النهاية: هو ضرب من شجر العضاه وشجر الشوك (مرقاة المفاتيح 8/3409)
The Gharqad tree has been mentioned in the Mubarak Hadith:
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ لاَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى يُقَاتِلَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ الْيَهُودَ فَيَقْتُلُهُمُ الْمُسْلِمُونَ حَتَّى يَخْتَبِئَ الْيَهُودِيُّ مِنْ وَرَاءِ الْحَجَرِ وَالشَّجَرِ فَيَقُولُ الْحَجَرُ أَوِ الشَّجَرُ يَا مُسْلِمُ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ هَذَا يَهُودِيٌّ خَلْفِي فَتَعَالَ فَاقْتُلْهُ إِلاَّ الْغَرْقَدَ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْ شَجَرِ الْيَهُودِ (مسلم #2922)
Abu Hurairah Radiallahu Anhu narrates that Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam is reported to have said, “The final hour will not take place unless the Muslims will fight against the Jews and the Muslims would kill them, to the extent that a Jew will hide behind a stone and tree, and the stone or tree will say: O Muslim! O Servant of Allah! There is a Jew behind me, come and kill him, except the Gharqad tree as it is from amongst the tree of the Jews.”
The scholars of Hadith have mentioned that the Qabrastaan (graveyard) of Madina Munawwarah (known as Jannatul Baqee) was also referred to as ‘Baqee-ul-Gharqad’ due to this tree or plant found it. However, it was later cut.
قيل لمقبرة أهل المدينة بقيع الغرقد لأنه كان فيه غرقد وقطع) الكوكب الوهاج شرح صحيح مسلم 26/199)
2. Although it will be fundamentally permissible to plant the tree as there is no prohibition from doing so, but it will be better not to plant the tree as this is the tree that will shield the Jews.
ALLAH TA’ALA ALONE IN HIS INFINITE KNOWLEDGE KNOWS BEST!
ANSWERED BY:
Maulana Abdul Kader Fazlani
Date: – 13 Safar 1445 / 30 August 2023
CHECKED AND APPROVED BY:
Mufti Mohammed Desai Saheb
