Plants of the Qur'an: History & culture

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. Author 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.

About the Author

Shahina A. Ghazanfar 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 (Kew Publishing), author of the Flora of Oman (Belgium Botanic Garden Publishing) and is currently author and editor of Flora of Iraq (Kew Publishing).

About the Illustrator

Sue Wickison is a renowned scientific illustrator who has worked on several publications, and has work in collections worldwide. Sue undertook many exciting journeys to illustrate this book over a five-year period, observing and painting the plants in their natural environment.