The Prophetic Recommendation of Ithmid Kohl: Scientific and Medical Evidence
·8 min read·1707 words
The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, recommended the use of ithmid kohl before sleep — a practice that modern medical research has confirmed carries genuine benefits for eye health, eyelash growth, and protection against bacterial infection. What follows is a presentation of the hadiths, the medical analysis, and a clarification of the distinction between authentic ithmid kohl and adulterated modern substitutes.
The Hadiths on Ithmid Kohl
Ibn Abbas — Musnad of Imam Ahmad | Graded Good The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to apply kohl with antimony every night before going to sleep, three lashes in each eye.
Narrated by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad on the authority of Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both.
Ibn Abbas — Al-Tirmidhi, Al-Nasa’i, Ibn Majah, Imam Ahmad | Graded Good by Al-Tirmidhi; Authenticated by Ibn Hayyan The best of your kohls is ithmid, for it clears the vision and makes the hair grow. When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, applied kohl, he would apply it to his right eye three times, beginning with it and ending with it, and to his left eye twice.
Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi, Al-Nasa’i, Ibn Majah, and Imam Ahmad. Al-Tirmidhi said: A good hadith.
Ibn Abbas — Al-Tirmidhi (authenticated), Ibn Majah, Ibn Hayyan (authenticated) Apply ithmid to your eyes, for it clears the vision and makes the hair grow.
Salim on the authority of his father — Sunan Ibn Majah Use kohl, for it clears the vision and makes hair grow.
Ibn Abbas — Sunan Ibn Majah The best of your kohls is kohl; it clears the vision and makes hair grow.
Ibn Hajar said: Ithmid is a well-known black stone that tends to be reddish and is found in the Hijaz region, and the best of it is that which is brought from Isfahan.
It is recommended to apply kohl before going to sleep because, as the scholars of prophetic medicine explain, the eye is still after sleep and free from harmful movement, which allows it to benefit from the kohl and serve its natural function. Kohl has a special characteristic that is especially realized during sleep.
The Scholarly Analysis of Ithmid
Ibn Sina | Prophetic Medicine Antimony is the black kohl stone, brought from Isfahan — and that is the best of it — and also from the direction of the west, and the best of it is that which crumbles quickly, whose crumbs are gleaming, and whose interior is smooth and contains no dirt. Its temperament is cold and dry. It benefits the eye and strengthens it, tightens its nerves, preserves its health, removes excess flesh in sores and heals them, purifies their dirt, and clears them. It removes headaches if applied to the eye with thin watery honey. If it is crushed and mixed with some soft fats and smeared on burns, no scratches will appear. It is the best eye kohl, especially for the elderly and those whose eyesight has weakened if some musk is added to it.
Al-Allama Al-Baghdadi Antimony grows eyelashes, improves the eyes and makes them beloved to the heart, and it does not suit hot conjunctivitis.
Ibn Tarkhan | On Kohl It is the best kohl for the eyes, especially for the elderly and those whose eyesight has weakened if some musk is put in it.
Al-Sindi said: The word “ithmid” carries a broken hamza, a silent triangle, and a broken meem. It was said: it is the well-known stone for applying kohl. The word “clears” derives from “clearing,” meaning it increases the light of the eye. The word “grows” derives from “growing” — meaning the hair of the eyelashes.
The Chemical Composition of Ithmid
Ithmid kohl is the pure powder of natural antimony stone. Its composition includes antimony compounds (Sb — antimony), antimony trisulfide (brown antimony), and antimony pentasulfide (red antimony). Antimony is a semi-metal whose chemical symbol is Sb, also called antimony. It is found in nature in a free form, but most often in the state of sulfide, oxide, or oxysulfide, with the sulfide state being the main source of the mineral. It is a brittle, fast-disintegrating, shiny, flaky mineral — silvery-white in color when pure and squirrel-colored when bound. When rubbed between the fingers, it gives off a distinct odor.
This definition of antimony is taken from Remington’s reference work.
Antimony contains organic compounds such as antomalin, fuadin, and glucantime, as well as mineral compounds such as potassium antimony tartrate and sodium antimony tartrate. Its medicinal properties include expectorant and emetic effects, and some skin ointments are made from it. It also affects many bacterial groups and kills many parasites including leishmania, schistosomes, trypanosomes, and nematodes. It is used in Britain to treat schistosomiasis.
Scientific Confirmation of the Prophetic Hadith
Germicidal Effect The ability of ithmid to kill multiple bacterial groups has been scientifically proven. Antimony compounds have also been proven to kill some parasites, and its compounds are used as injections to treat leishmaniasis. Kohl helps maintain the health and clarity of the eye and kills pathogenic germs that the eye is constantly exposed to, which reduces the occurrence of pathological congestion and keeps vision good.
Dr. Hassan Huwaidi confirms that the clearing of vision by kohl is achieved through its effect on various bacterial groups, thereby protecting the eye and its health, since eye diseases are predominantly bacterial inflammatory diseases. When the conjunctiva is free of congestion, vision can be good.
Eyelash Growth Kohl has medicinal properties that affect the skin and dermis, stimulating and activating the hair follicle, which is a factor in its growth and stability. This effect is practically proven — some antimony compounds are now used in treating certain skin infections and certain cases of baldness. Eyelash growth is beneficial from a health perspective, as it keeps dust and dirt away from the eye, and it has an aesthetic aspect, as it gives the eye a special beauty.
Dr. Hassan Huwaidi explains further that the ability of kohl to grow hair is scientifically proven: one of the medicinal properties of antimony is its effect on the skin and dermis, stimulating hair roots and being a factor in their growth. Accordingly, antimony compounds such as antimony and potassium tartrate are now used to treat some types of palm frond conditions and baldness, applied as an ointment at a rate of 3%. This benefit in hair growth also extends to the eyelashes, which protect the eye and increase its beauty.
Dr. Mahmoud Nazim Al-Nusaimi says:
Dr. Mahmoud Nazim Al-Nusaimi The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, preferred antimony kohl because it strengthens the eyelash follicles, thus preserving the eyelashes and making them longer, and thus increasing their ability to protect the eye from the sun’s rays and filter out dust and dirt, making vision clearer and more vivid than when using kohls that do not contain antimony.
The use of ithmid kohl dates back to the Pharaohs, who used it to make their eyes appear wide and beautiful. Modern science has confirmed that it is included in most of the pharaonic eye recipes. The General Directorate of Health Affairs in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia states:
General Directorate of Health Affairs, Eastern Province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia | http://www.alsehha.net/arabic/clans.asp?cid=5&cname=%C7%E1%DA%ED%C7%CF%C9+%C7%E1%DA%ED%E4%ED%C9 Kohl preserves the health of the eye, strengthens the visual light, clarifies it, softens the bad substance and extracts it, along with beautification in some of its types. It has more merit when sleeping because the eye is still after it from harmful movement and serves nature, and kohl has a special characteristic from that.
It is worth noting that original ithmid kohl is gray in color with varying degrees of darkness. Black kohl is dyed — the natural darkness and opacity of ithmid does not reach pure black.
Clarification: Adulterated Kohl vs. Authentic Ithmid
Lead Poisoning Comes from Adulteration, Not from Authentic Ithmid A Saudi medical study published at King Faisal Specialist Hospital found, after analyzing random samples of kohl sold by herbalists and available in Gulf markets — particularly Indian types — that the percentage of lead in each gram ranged between 85% and 100%. This percentage of lead harms the eyes, and a relationship was found between such adulterated kohl and lead poisoning in children, with associated brain disorders that increase the child mortality rate by up to 25%. Medical experts warned against popular beliefs applied to adulterated products and advised caution in selecting kohl.
The response to this is clear: poisoning occurs from adulterating kohl with lead and not from using authentic ithmid kohl as the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, called for. These are two entirely different substances. Kohl made from other common compounds — such as soot resulting from burning coal or oil — is also distinct from authentic ithmid. Authentic ithmid is the only form for which experiments have not proven any side effects or harmful effects on the eye or the body.
Conclusion The recommendation of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to apply ithmid kohl before sleep — three lashes in the right eye and two in the left — is confirmed by multiple authentic hadiths and has been vindicated by modern medical science. Ithmid’s antibacterial effect protects the eye from inflammatory diseases; its effect on the dermis stimulates eyelash growth, which in turn shields the eye from dust and sunlight; and its benefits are most fully realized during sleep when the eye is at rest. The poisoning incidents attributed to kohl in modern times are the result of adulteration with lead — a substance entirely foreign to the authentic ithmid stone described in the prophetic traditions and confirmed by scientific analysis. Muslim manufacturers of medicine and cosmetics are urged to provide their nation with pure kohl made from antimony, free of toxic lead compounds, so that those who wish to revive this Sunnah may safely do so.