Talbeenah or Talbeen[1] is a mixture made from either barley, milk, and honey or barley, milk, and dried dates. It can also be made with water. Talbeenah is recommended by Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam which serves as an anti-depressant and is beneficial to overcome anxiety.[2] The Hadith on Talbeenah is as follows:
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: أَنَّهَا كَانَتْ إِذَا مَاتَ المَيِّتُ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا، فَاجْتَمَعَ لِذَلِكَ النِّسَاءُ، ثُمَّ تَفَرَّقْنَ إِلَّا أَهْلَهَا وَخَاصَّتَهَا، أَمَرَتْ بِبُرْمَةٍ مِنْ تَلْبِينَةٍ فَطُبِخَتْ، ثُمَّ صُنِعَ ثَرِيدٌ فَصُبَّتِ التَّلْبِينَةُ عَلَيْهَا، ثُمَّ قَالَتْ: كُلْنَ مِنْهَا، فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: «التَّلْبِينَةُ مُجِمَّةٌ لِفُؤَادِ المَرِيضِ، تَذْهَبُ بِبَعْضِ الحُزْنِ»
Narrated ‘Aisha: (the wife of the Prophet) that whenever one of her relatives passed away, the women assembled and then dispersed (returned to their houses) except her relatives and close friends. She would order that a pot of Talbina be cooked. Then Tharid (a dish prepared from meat and bread) would be prepared and the Talbina would be poured on it. `Aisha would say (to the women),”Eat of it, for I heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) saying, ‘The Talbina soothes the heart of the patient and relieves him from some of his sadness/grief.’ “[3]
Hafiz Ibn Hajar Rahimahullah has explained the benefits of Talbeenah and its effect on the body and digestive system in his commentary of Bukhari Shareef as follows:
قَالَ الْمُوَفَّقُ الْبَغْدَادِيُّ إِذَا شِئْتَ مَعْرِفَةَ مَنَافِعِ التَّلْبِينَةِ فَاعْرِفْ مَنَافِعَ مَاءِ الشَّعِيرِ وَلَا سِيَّمَا إِذَا كَانَ نُخَالَةً فَإِنَّهُ يَجْلُو وَيَنْفُذُ بِسُرْعَةٍ وَيُغَذِّي غِذَاءً لَطِيفًا وَإِذَا شُرِبَ حَارًّا كَانَ أَجْلَى وَأَقْوَى نُفُوذًا وَأَنْمَى لِلْحَرَارَةِ الْغَرِيزِيَّةِ قَالَ وَالْمُرَادُ بِالْفُؤَادِ فِي الْحَدِيثِ رَأْسُ الْمَعِدَةِ فَإِنَّ فُؤَادَ الْحَزِينِ يَضْعُفُ بِاسْتِيلَاءِ الْيُبْسِ عَلَى أَعْضَائِهِ وَعَلَى مَعِدَتِهِ خَاصَّةً لِتَقْلِيلِ الْغِذَاءِ وَالْحَسَاءُ يُرَطِّبُهَا وَيُغَذِّيهَا وَيُقَوِّيهَا وَيَفْعَلُ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ بِفُؤَادِ الْمَرِيضِ لَكِنِ الْمَرِيضُ كَثِيرًا مَا يَجْتَمِعُ فِي مَعِدَتِهِ خِلْطٌ مَرَارِيٌّ أَوْ بَلْغَمِيٌّ أَوْ صَدِيدِيٌّ وَهَذَا الْحَسَاءُ يَجْلُو ذَلِكَ عَنِ الْمَعِدَةِ
Imam Muwaffaq al-Baghdadi Rahimahullah says: If you wish to know about the benefits of talbeenah, then you should understand the benefits of barley juice; especially when it is in the form of bran since it digests very quickly and provides a very light form of nourishment. And when it is consumed while it is hot, then it digests even more easily and it increases the natural heat of the body. He further mentions: the meaning of ‘fu’aad/heart” in the Hadith is the stomach itself because the heart of a sad person becomes weak when dryness increases in his body parts and [increases] specifically in his stomach due to the lack of nourishment. And the soup/porridge moistens it, nourishes it, and provides it strength. It also has a similar effect on the heart of a sick person. However, the stomach of a sick person is often mixed with bile, mucus, or pus and this soup removes these substances from the stomach.[4]
Talbeena Recipe
Ingredients
1. 1 cup of milk
2. 1 & 1/2 tablespoons of barley flour. (In Durban, South Africa you can get it from Chohan’s. It is known as crushed barley)
3. Honey to sweeten
Method
1. Put the milk in a pot on med heat and throw in the barley flour. Use the finer particles of the flour.
2. Cook for about 10-15 minutes. Constantly stir to avoid lumpiness.
3. The mixture will thicken a bit.
4. Sweeten with honey and serve.
5. Make intention of acting upon a Sunnat.
Extra tips:
You can also add elachie powder for taste.
2-3 chopped dates per cup of milk may be added if you like.
Raw honey tastes much better than normal honey in talbeena.
There is always blessings and barakah in following the prescription of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam especially in this era of grief and depression. We therefore advise people involved in the food industry to consider manufacturing talbeenah and promoting the prescription of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
AbdulMannan Nizami