Growth form: Acacia oerfota is a perennial deserty shrub.
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Acacia Mill.
Species:Acacia oerfota (Forssk.) Schweinf.
Citation in the Quran:
The plant is not mentioned in the Holy Qur’an.
Citation in the Hadit:
Narrated by ‘Aisha: Allah’s Apostle was fond of honey and sweet edible things and (it was his habit) that after finishing the ‘Asr prayer he would visit his wives and stay with one of them at that time. Once he went to Hafsa, the daughter of ‘Umar and stayed with her more than usual. I got jealous and asked the reason for that. I was told that a lady of her folk had given her a skin filled with honey as a present and that she made syrup from it and gave it to the Prophet to drink (and that was the reason for the delay). I said, “By Allah we will play a trick on him (to prevent him from doing so).” So I said to Sawda bint Zam’a “The Prophet will approach you, and when he comes near you, say: ‘Have you taken Maghafir (unpleasant smelling gum)?’ He will say, ‘No.’ Then say to him: ‘Then what is this bad smell which I smell from you?’ He will say to you, ‘Hafsa made me drink honey syrup.’ Then say: Perhaps the bees of that honey had sucked the juice of the tree of Al-’Orfut.’ Sahih Al Bukhari, book of the tricks and divorce.
Habitat & Distribution:
Acacia oerfota “Orfut” is native to Northwest Africa and Southwest Arabia.
