Whenever a person of the family of Muhammad (SAW) fell sick then it was ordered that the barley gruel should be prepared for him. Then Prophet Muhammad (SAW) used to state it(barley) removes the grief of the patients heart, removes its weakness as any of you removes the dirt from your face after washing it”. (Ibn Maja)

Ummul Manzar states that the Prophet (saws) along with Ali came to our house, we had the dates and those were presented to them. Both of them ate from those dates. When Ali (Ra) consumed a little of those, the Prophet (saws) said
“You recently recovered from illness, hence you are weak, hence don’t eat more. Therefore, that lady prepared a dish from barley and beet root. Then, the Prophet (saws) told Ali “eat from it, it is better for you”. (Ibn-e-Maja, Sanad-e-Ahmed, Tirmizi)

Barley is mentioned in about 250 hadiths which showed that it is used as an important nutrition in islamic history. Hadiths show barley taking place in trade life, economic life, health and social life of muslims

Health Benefits of Barley
Barley has numerous health benefits. It is known for its ability to help alleviate diabetes, high cholesterol and obesity. It is also effective against diseases like atherosclerosis,diabetes, insulin resistance etc. Given below are some of the benefits.

•    Barley is low in fat and is known to reduce craving some kinds for food and therefore very useful to those who want to lose weight. It acts as an appetite suppressant making people feel like they have eaten more than they really have.

•    Barley is high is soluble fiber and can reduce blood cholesterol and blood glucose levels. It helps in reducing the cholesterol level in the body as the dietary fiber in barley binds to bile acids and helps dispose them through the feces. Consuming Barley is said to soothe and calm the bowels. Dietary fiber in Barley is helpful in making your digestive system run smoothly and maintaining a healthy colon. The friendly bacteria present in the large intestine ferment the insoluble fiber content of the barley to form butyric acid which functions as the main fuel for intestinal cells. The insoluble fiber in barley is also said to help women fight against the formation of gallstones.

•    The Copper present in barley is known to be helpful in reducing the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Copper helps in maintaining the flexibility in blood vessels, bones and joints.
•    Barley is rich in niacin, which is highly effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and blood clots.
•    Barley is also good for persons suffering from diabetes and can take the place of normal food where rice is prohibited. Barley may be an even better breakfast choice than oats for persons with Type 2 diabetes. Consuming Barley is known to substantially reduce the risk of diabetes.

•    Barley can prove to be extremely helpful in curing childhood asthma.
•    It is Easy to digest and can be given to invalids.
•    Barley is diuretic, brings clear urine and is useful in fevers. It can be used as a nutrient in cases of mucus colitis or simple diarrhea with fever.
•    Barley contains Selenium which is helpful in preserving the elasticity of the skin and protects it from radical damage. It also has Manganese which works with the B complex vitamins and gives an overall feeling of well being.

•    Barley grass is used in traditional Chinese medicine. It rich in vitamins A, C, B1, B2, folic acid, B12, calcium, iron, potassium and chlorophyll. It has been prescribed to fight diseases of the spleen or poor digestion. It has also been utilized to treat conditions such as depression or emotional imbalance. Barley grass is a powerful antioxidant that is believed to help the body kill cancer cells and overcome a variety of ailments, including acne and ulcers.

The Prophet S.A.W recommended Barley to cure grief of heart and ailments of kidney.

Barley crops are cultivated throughout the country during the season of rabi crops and utilized in various forms including the Barley flour. The plants of barley are very similiar to wheat and the seeds are elongated in shape in comparison to wheat with a covering of light yellow colour. Prophet Muhammed S.A.W liked it very much and used it in various forms such as barley bread, gruel and dough.

During the period of the ProphetS.A.W. the people either used to eat the Barley bread or to mix the wheat flour with Barley flour to prepare the bread generally. One lad used to sell the preparation from Beet roots and barley at the gate of Masjid-e-Nabwi on every Friday and it is said that holy companions liked this preparation as much as they used to wait for Friday eagerly.

Hazrat Ummul Manzar(R.A.) states that the Prophet S.A.W along with Hazrat Ali came to our house, we had the dates and those were presented to them. Both of them ate from those dates. When Hazrat Ali(R.A.) consumed a little of those, the Prophet S.A.W said “You recently recovered from illness, hence you are weak, don’t eat more. Therefore, that lady prepared a dish from barley and beet root. Then, the ProphetS.A.W told Hazrat Ali(R.A.) “eat from it, it is better for you”. (Ibn-e-Maja, Sanad-e-Ahmed, Tirmizi) This proves that after illness, the preparation made from barley and beet roots is very good tonic for weak persons.

Hazrat Anas Bin Malik states that a tailor invited the Prophet S.A.W.to meals. He prepared barley bread and meat with pumpkin. The Prophet S.A.W very affectionately ate the pumpkin pieces from the curry. (Bukhari, Muslim)

Yousuf Bin Abdullah Bin Salam(R.A.) states that I saw the Prophet taking a piece of barley bread and put a date on it and stated that was bread’s vegetable. (Abu Dawood)

The barley gruel was especially prepared after boiling barley with milk and sweetened with honey. That preparation was called Talbina.

Whenever a person of the family of S.A.W fell sick, it was ordered that barley gruel should be prepared for him. He stated “it removes the grief of the patients heart, removes its weakness as any of you removes the dirt from your face after washing it”. (Ibn Maja)

Hazrat Aisha (R.A) used to order preparation of Talbina for sick persons and used to say “though the patient may dislike it, but it is highly beneficial for him. (Bukhari)

Another narration is found on record from Hazrat Aisha Siddiqua (R.A). Whenever anyone complained of loss of appetite to the Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) he ordered to use Talbina and stated “By Allah who holds my life, this removes the dirt of your abdomen as one of you removes the dirt of your face by washing it”.

Powdered barley (Sattoo) was very much liked by the ProphetS.A.W. At the time of victory of Khaibar, the ProphetS.A.W. agreed to marry to Hazrat Safia, the very next day he directed to Hazrat Anas Bin Malik to invite the people to attend the Dawat-e-Walima of Hazrat Safia. According to the narrations of Tirmizi and Ibn Majah the walima comprised of dates and sattoo, but according to Bukhari a confection was prepared from dates, barley and sattoo and served before the guests.

In Nisai, Abu Dawood, Bukhari, Ibn-e-Majah, Tirmizi and Ahmed Bin Hambal, there are 21 hadiths recommending the consumption of Sattoo. Besides this the description of Sattoo is also available in other ahadith.

According to the scholars of hadith barley is very nutritious and provides energy for the body, besides this is also beneficial in pharyngitis and cough. It resolves the inflammation of the stomach (Gastritis), expels the toxins from the body and is a good diuretic. It quenches the thirst. Barley water is a good remedy in kidney problem, to quench the thirst and provide the best nutrition for indisposed and weak persons. preparation of Barley water is described by Ibn Al-Qayyim. According to him, barley with five times water should be boiled, till the contents become 3/4 and the colour of the mixture becomes milky