Zaqqum
Encyclopedia
Zaqqum is a tree that Muslims believe grows in Jahannam (Hell). Its dwellers are compelled to eat Adh-Dhari, bitter fruit, to intensify their torment (Qur'an 69:36-37). The Khati'un may eat only the fruit or Ghislin (foul pus from the washing of their wounds) (Qur'an 69:36). Its fruits are shaped like devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...

s' heads (Qur'an 37:62-68). According to Shaykh Umar Sulayman Al-Ashqar
Umar Sulayman al-Ashqar
Dr. Umar Sulayman 'Abd-Allaah al-Ashqar is the Dean of the Faculty of Islamic Law, at al-Zarqa’ University in Zarqa, Jordan.-Views:Ashqar is known for his support of the Muslim Brotherhood...

, a professor at the University of Jordan
University of Jordan
The University of Jordan , is a government-supported University located in Amman, Jordan...

, once the palate of the sinners is satiated, the fruit in their bellies churns like burning oil. Some Islamic scholars believe the fruit tears their bodies apart and releases bodily fluids. The Qur'an says:
[44.43] Surely the tree of the Zaqqum,
[44.44] Is the food of the sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...

ful
[44.45] Like dregs of oil; it shall boil in (their) bellies,
[44.46] Like the boiling of hot water.


The name zaqqum has been applied to the species Euphorbia abyssinica by the Beja people
Beja people
The Beja people are an ethnic group dwelling in parts of North Africa and the Horn of Africa.-Geography:The Beja are found mostly in Sudan, but also in parts of Eritrea, and Egypt...

 in eastern Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...

. In Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...

, it is applied to the species Balanites aegyptiaca
Balanites aegyptiaca
Balanites aegyptiaca is a species of tree, classified either as a member of the Zygophyllaceae or the Balanitaceae. This tree is native to much of Africa and parts of the Middle East....

. In Turkey, zaqqum (zakkum) is Nerium oleander.
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