Talbina is a soothing broth made from ground barley that has many healing properties. It is mentioned by Ibn al-Qayyim in his great work on “The Prophetic Medicine” and there are many Ahadith on the merits of talbina for the sick and grieving person. Ibn al-Qayyim described talbina as a thin soup with the consistency of yoghurt (laban), from where it’s name is derived.

He said that it was a broth made from barley flour together with the husks, and it is similar to barley water but the difference is that barley water is cooked with whole barley but talbina is cooked with ground barley. Therefore it is more beneficial because it can be digested easier and the nutrients are penetrated into the system quicker.

He also said that “it has relaxation for the heart of the sick person“, it is nutritious and filling, and it warms and soothes the stomach, helping to lessens sorrows and to regain health. It can also be effective in maintaining bowel regularity.

Medicinal Benefits of Barley

Barley is the core ingredient of talbina and for all the good reasons as well. Barley is a member of the grass family Poaceae and an excellent source of both soluble and insoluble fiber. The reason why it is so beneficial in contrast to other grains such as wheat is because it contains abundance of beta-glucans. Beta-glucans are comprised of β-D-glucose polysaccharide group which are highly effective in reinforcing the body’s immune system.

Mineral Content in Barley

Aside from this, barley is also rich in minerals and vitamins such as Iron, B vitamins, Magnesium, Zinc, Phosphorus, Copper, and also one of the biggest sources of Chromium. The antioxidant content is also present in barley which prevents free radicals within the body to harm skin cells and or increase risk of heart diseases and cancer.

Talbina Against Diseases

Although the modern day research has finally proved that consuming barley in Talbina is incomparably beneficial in all of the grains, but back in 1400 years this was already ascertained by Holy Prophet S.A.W. After studying it and conducting experiments, it was found that barley can significantly aid in treating diseases such as diabetes, colon cancer, constipation and heart related disorders that are quite prevalent in today’s era.

Talbina for Treating Constipation

Talbina is made from wholegrain barley which contains husk, an excellent source of dietary fiber. Consuming fiber improves bowel movement (peristalsis) which prevents constipation. The husk carries the chyme without letting it break in the intestine and helping is pass through the body as stool. Lack of fiber in the diet is one of the primary known causes of constipation.

How Does Talbina Help the Intestine?

Talbina consists of Barley which absorbs water and fats while softening the stools so they can be passed out of the body more easily.  It is recommended that barley should be consumed 20 to 35 grams daily.  Diseases such as diverticulosis is one of the most common forms of large intestine diseases which can hurt very bad. Eating talbina can not only prevent it from happening, but also helps the large intestine heal from it.

Talbina for Protection Against the Heart

Barley is also a good source of Niacin, a B vitamin that prevents heart diseases such as Atherosclerosis. It contains numerous protective agents that shields the heart from cardiovascular risk factors. By consuming niacin, the bad cholesterol levels can be significantly reduced while also diminishing fat concentrated lipoproteins that are known to clog blood vessels. Blood clots formed by aggregation of platelets are reduced as well if niacin is present in the person’s diet. A cup of barley contains about 14.2% of niacin which is a healthy dose for daily use.

Use of Talbina for Heart Sickness by Holy Prophet S.A.W

Hadhrat Aisha R.A said that whenever one of her relatives died, the women assembled and then dispersed back to their homes 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 over it. Then Aisha would say (to the women),” Eat from it, for I heard the Messenger S.A.W saying

‘The talbina soothes the heart of the patient and relieves him from some of his sadness.” Bukhari – 5058

Talbina for Relaxation of the Soul

Talbina is the perfect combination of healthy food and medicinal cures. Consuming it not only helps physiologically, but also psychologically. On many instances, Holy Prophet S.A.W has mentioned the use of talbina as source of internal healing especially from grief and sorrow. It is made from ingredients that are highly beneficial for relaxing the brain and heart so it can recover from emotional trauma such as the death of a close one.

On one instance Hadrat Aisha said, “I heard the Holy Prophet saying,

‘The Talbina gives rest to the heart of the patient and makes it active and relieves some of his sorrow and grief.” Bukhaaree – 5325.

Talbina for Treatment of Diabetics

Eating talbina is highly beneficial for Type 2 diabetics. Compared to oats, which are recommended for diabetics since they help in reducing both glucose and insulin responses, talbina is even more effective than it.

• In a test conducted by Diet and Human Performance Laboratory in Beltsville, it was revealed that barley contains 4 times the soluble fiber of common oats.
• Barley is rich in magnesium, a mineral that serves as a co-factor for 300+ enzymes. These enzymes include those which are involved in the body’s use of glucose and insulin secretion, preventing type 2 diabetics from high uncontrolled glucose levels.

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