Does the “Maryam Booti” work? (a plant that helps with pregnancy)
Does the Maryam Booti (or Nabi Booti) plant help with conception, pregnancy or delivery?
QUESTION:
Dear Wael,
asalamu-alaikum. I'm married and 8 months pregnant. I wanted to know what Islam says about the "maryam booti"? (which is said in urdu), a small branch which is believed to grow in saudi arabia and helps in delivering for a pregnant women. I want to know what the truth about this is in Islam, how & when to use it or if it's just a myth made by women. Plz reply asap. Thank u very much, and may Allah bless you.
- Sonia, USA
WAEL'S ANSWER:
Dear Sonia, Wa-alaykum as-salamu wa rahmatullah,
I had never heard of the maryam booti plant before you asked this question. I also asked my parents, who are both botanists and used to lecture at the University of Riyadh, and they were not familiar with maryam booti. My father thought he had heard of it before, but not in the context of pregnancy. Anyway, based on your question, I thought perhaps it is an herb or natural medicine that a woman takes that helps to dilate the cervix or prompt the onset of labor. However, when I did some research I found the following description by a woman on Flickr named Swamibu:
"For thousands of years across the Middle East, Asia and Africa, Maryam Booti has been used when pregnant women are in labour. A piece is taken, placed in water and then expands. In every experience I have witnessed, by the time it expands the mother has delivered! Chance? Coincidence? Or could it be something more, God knows best!"
If this description is accurate, then my answer is no, this plant will not assist your pregnancy in any way. It is not ingested, or applied topically, or burned, or used in any way that could have a true medical or medicinal effect. Instead it is simply left to soak in the same room, like a good luck charm. And in Islam we do not believe in good luck charms, since everything in is the hands of Allah, not luck.
However, most traditional medicines and remedies are rooted in truth in some way and are often effective. My guess would be that the plant probably takes a predictable amount of time to soak and swell, and that this was a timing method used by traditional healers to judge whether the labor was taking too long, which could indicate some kind of problem. But that's really just a guess.
And Allah knows best.
If any readers have some additional advice for this questioner, feel free to post your comments below.
(O Allah), Guide us to the straight path; The path of those whom you have favored; Not those with whom you are angry; Nor those who go astray.
Best regards,
- Wael Hesham Abdelgawad, Administrator
IslamicAnswers.com Marriage Advice
Zawaj.com Muslim Matrimonial Service
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Assalamu Alaikkum (varah)
I'm married since 2006. So far no child. Please let me know Maryam bhooti is helped for conceiving.
If yes, how to use?
assalam alaikum . yes there is a maryam flower which helps a women in labour .i have 3 children and have used it when in labour with all 3.my mum bought it from saudi arabia when she went for hajj . you shud soak it in a wide bowl when u start experiencing labour pains,after you have deliverd you remove it from the water and it will shrink back to its original size .you can re use it as many times as you want .you can also take a couple of sips of the water if you want its supposed to speed up the process. jazakallah
Assalaam Alaikum
Wael: "If this description is accurate, then my answer is no, this plant will not assist your pregnancy in any way. It is not ingested, or applied topically, or burned, or used in any way that could have a true medical or medicinal effect. Instead it is simply left to soak in the same room, like a good luck charm. And in Islam we do not believe in good luck charms, since everything in is the hands of Allah, not luck."
Just to correct brother/sister wael,there is a slight error in the description that you recieved of how this worked and hence assumed it was a type of charm,the fact is that the water in which this herb is left to soak (for a period of time) has to be drunk regularly too.
Salaam.....can you tell me is that Maryam booti available in London.......please if u can provide me information about any location i'll be very thankful to you........
yes you can find it in Arab shops on Edgware road or ethiopian and somalian shop . its called huurbar in arabic.
Salaam....Thank you Very Much Zeena i m very Glad that u Helped me out.......Allah Bless You.......
Brother most of the people i no who use it in the later stage of pregnancy to help with delivery and say it worked for them i myself found the taste to strong and did not like it at all and it comes out of your pour's as well husband nose peg's needed
, and i no a few women who have been told to drink it to help them get pregnant, Allah hu yalam
I found this about it
http://www.paklinks.com/gs/parenting/462047-nabi-ki-booti.html
Never heard of this flower opening in a jug of water and the baby bring born as the flower open's that sound's strange, what iam talking about is a dry plant that you put in water and leave for a few hours and drink a week before your due date till you go into labour, friends of mine who use it every birth swear by it and say the baby slip's out with minimum pain.
Dear
I would like to know method of eating this for pregnancy....