Plants of the Qur’an

History & culture

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Kew Publishing
Shahina A. Ghazanfar, illustrated by Sue Wickison
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This book is the first to explore and highlight the history of the plans mentioned in the Qur'an, many of which are part of our everyday life, from pomegranates and grapes to ginger and garlic.

Shahina A. Ghazanfar explores the context, in which these plants are mentione din the Qur'an — mainly as food plants, as well as for medicinal use, use in beauty, fragrance or for shade. Shahina's in-depth research for this book has led to new findings in our knowledge of the historical and cultural significance of these plants, their traditional and present uses, as well as detailed exploration of the context in which they are mentioned in the Qur'an.

The main section of the book highlights thirty of the plants most prominent in the Qur'an, with details of where the plant is mentioned, detailed etymology, cultural history, and botanical description. Each of these plants are beautifully illustrated with unique botanical paintings by artist Sue Wickison, drawn from living specimens in the wild. The authors take us on a fascinating journey through the cultural history of these important plants, brought to life with vivid and stunningly detailed botanical paintings.

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Contributor Bio

Shahina A. Gahzanfar is an expert on the flora and vegetation, conservation, and plants of economic importance of the Middle East and has published extensively on these subjects. She is a senior botanist at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and is a co-editor of Flora of Tropical East Africa, author of the Flora of Oman, and is currently author and editor of Flora of Iraq.

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