The Place of Date Palm, Fig and Olive Trees and Their Fruits in The Poems of Poet Hali̇l Gökkaya

Abstract

The Qur'an places great importance on food being halal and clean. The Qur'an emphasizes the importance of foods such as honey, milk, seafood, fresh meat, fruits (such as grapes, bananas, dates, pomegranates, cherries, figs), olives, onions, garlic and lentils. These foods are presented as a sign of Allah's power and put at the service of human beings. Surah Nahl in particular describes the healing properties of the bee's honey, and the date palm has an important place in the Qur'an and hadiths. The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.v) praised the date palm, noting that it plays a major role in society, both in terms of food and structure. The trunk, leaves and fibers of the date palm tree were used in various works, and its fruit was an important foodstuff. Figs and olives also have a special place in the Qur'an. Figs are mentioned in Surat al-Tîn and described by the Prophet as a fruit from paradise. Olives, on the other hand, are mentioned in many verses and described as abundant. In Islamic culture, both fruits are considered important for their health, fertility and symbolic values. In this article, the place of date, fig and olive trees and their fruits in our culture and their projection in the poems of poet Halil Gökkaya will be analyzed. The poet clearly shows the contribution of the Qur'anic culture to poetry by mentioning the benefits of date, olive and fig trees and their fruits mentioned in the Qur'an, their place in our culture and faith, and their benefits to human beings.