Moldenke has cited the example of the Great Famine of Iran in 1854, when tonnes of the lichen, named Lecanora affinis (syn. Lecanora esculenta ), ‘rained’ over the famine area and people collected and powdered it, and ate its bread for several days. They thanked the Almighty for His favour (Mann) of ‘raining’ lichen. Some scientists have surveyed the area adjoining the Sahara of Africa and found that this particular lichen grows on rocks and produces fructifications in the form of pea-sized globules which are light enough to be blown about by the wind. This occurs there in abundance and the local tribal people eat its bread whenever there is famine or failure of agricultural crops. In the Book of Exodus, the phrase ‘When the sun waxed hot it (Manna) melted’’ indicates the possibility of some algal type of Manna which Moldenke considers to be the alga of genus Nostoc. This small alga is a gelatinous substance and grows very rapidly during the cool nights but disappears when heated by the morning sun.
While concluding the description of Bible’s Manna, Moldenke has very rightly inferred that two million people could not survive for years on sweet substances alone and it is also very unlikely that the Lichen and Algae were provided for them all through these years. He, therefore, states that most probably the Children of Israel were eating Quails along with Manna of any of the above-referred to three descriptions. Had Moldenke studied the Sayings of the Qur’ān about ‘Mann and Salva’, he would have reached this conclusion very easily. One must remember that although the provision of ‘Mann and Salva’ (Quail) has been very clearly described and explained in the Qur’ānic Verses, none of them excludes the possibility of eating other types of food material, like the lichen and algae, which the wandering men could find around. As a matter of fact, in one hadith Mann has also been defined as Al-Kam’a, which is an Arabic equivalent of Mushroom or Truffle. In Saudi Arabia desert truffles are much appreciated for culinary despite high prices. ‘Desert truffle’ is a term used to refer to members of the genera Terfezia and Tirmania in the family Terfeziaceae, order Pezizales, which grow in arid and semi-arid areas of the Mediterranean region, the Arabian Peninsula, and North-Africa. Some have been found in South Africa and China. Species of Terfezia and Tirmania prefer high pH calcareous soils, typical of desert soils. The most common species of the genus Tirmania are Tirmania nivea and T. pinoyi (syn. T. africana). White truffle [Tirmania nivea] grows underground very fast until it bursts through and appears on the surface of the ground.
Desert truffles are nutritious, and particularly high in protein. In good seasons, truffles are dried and ground to powder to supplement the regular diet. Traditionally, desert truffles are cooked simply, so as not to mask their delicate aroma.
It may be important to mention here that in the Semitic language (from which Hebrew and Arabic originated), Mann means ‘what’ or ‘who’. Thus, in all probability when the Children of Israel saw the white substance around trees, they simply wondered about it and asked each other ‘what (Mann) it was’? It is, therefore, most likely that all the new and strange edible substances which they encountered and obtained during their exile, were referred to as Mann by them.
In addition to Turanjbin (Alhagi Manna) and Gazanjbin (Tamarisk Manna) yielding plants, there are still other plant species that yield sweet gum, and all of them are termed in English as Manna. For instance, the famous plant of South Europe, Fraxinus ornus Linn. (Family: Oleaceae), is a source of commercial Manna. Its main producing area in Sicily is called Gibelman which is a corruption of the Arabic name Jabal Mann meaning the Hills of Manna. Some scientists have considered this Manna as another possible Manna of the Bible.
Cotoneaster nummularia Fisch and Mey (Family: Rosaceae) is a plant occurring frequency in Iran, and is the source of a very sweet Manna called Shirkhisht which in Persian means the milk of stone; reflecting the fact that C. nummularia is a crawling plant in the rocky habitat, and Manna exuded from the plant falls immediately on the ground giving a feeling that the rock on which it falls, has exuded it. It is also sometimes called Shirkhushk, which means dried milk. Astragalus adscendens Boiss & Haussk. (Family: Leguminosae/Fabaceae)) is another source of Iranian Manna. Quercus incana Roxb. (Family: Fagaceae), occurring in Iran and Iraq, also yield good quality Manna. In India, Calotropis gigantea (Linn) R.Br. ex Ait. (Family: Asclepidiaceae), locally called ‘Aak’ has been reported to produce Manna, called Sukuri Tighal. Some people are of the opinion that the siliceous sweet substance, Tabashir (Hindi: Bans Lochan), obtained from Bamboo is also Manna. The tree of Olive (Olea europaea) has also been reported to yield a type of Manna.
In Sinai, it is the honey-dew manna obtained from desert shrubs that receives most attention. Most tamarisks, some Acacias, and even camel thorn produce exudates. The focus, however, is on the Tamarix mannifera (tarfa), also rendered T. gallica mannifera (French tamarisk). The exudate production of all other shrub species is probably less than that of the tarfa.
There has been some confusion about the chemical nature of common gums and Manna. It may be stated that all the gums, like Gum-Arabic (Acacia senegal Willd., Family: Leguminosae) or Tragacanth (Astragalus gummifera Labill., Family: Leguminosae) are polymers of sugars and, therefore, bland in taste. These are chemically termed as complex polysaccharides. But the Manna contains different types of free sugars and sugar alcohols and, therefore, is always sweet. The sugars and their alcohols generally present in Manna are Glucose, Fructose, Melezitose, Dulcitol, Mannitol, etc. Manna has a peculiar odour and a sweetish taste. It can be used in medicine as a gentle laxative. It is nutritive and a gentle tonic. It is still largely consumed in South America and was official in the United States Pharmacopoeia. Manna is usually prescribed with other purgatives, particularly senna, rhubarb, magnesia and the neutral salts, the taste of which it conceals while it adds to the purgative effect.
Both gums and Manna are carbohydrates in nature but the gums do not have much nutritive value, whereas Manna is highly nutritious. Under the name of Dulcinol, a mixture of Manna and common salt has been recommended by Steinberg in 1906 as a sweetening agent in diabetes.
The Codex of the British Pharmacopeia describes a Syrup of Manna to be prescribed as a mild laxative for children, in the proportion of 1 part of Manna to 10 of water.
Manna of the best quality dissolves in about 6 parts of water, forming a clear liquid. It has no bitterness or acridity.
Mannite, the crystalline constituent of sugary constituent of Manna was frequently prescribed in medicine instead of Manna itself.
SOME IMPORTANT AHADITH ON MANNA
1. Narrated Sa’id bin Zaid, Allah’s Apostle (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) said, “The Kama (Mushroom-Truffle)) is like the mann (in that it is obtained without effort) and its water is a (medicine) cure for eye troubles.” (Sahih Bukhari).
2. Narrated Sa’id bin Zaid, I heard Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) saying, “Truffles are like (a type of) manna (i.e. they grow naturally without man’s care) as their water heals eye disorders. ”Book of Medicine-Sahih Bukhari.
3. Narrated Sa’id bin Zaid: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) said: “Kam’a (a mushroom-desert truffle) is a sort of Mann which God provided for Children of Israel. Its water is useful for eyes.”
4. Narrated Abu Hurairah: Once someone described Kam’a (mushroom/desert truffle) as a pox on earth but the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) said: “It is a kind of Mann.”
(Concluded)
[The writer is former Senior Scientist (Deputy Director, National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow), India. E-mail: [email protected] . The article is extracted from his book Plants of the Qur’ān]