Scientific Identification of Oud and Qust from Prophetic Medicine

Arabic Name: Kust (Tradition), Qust (Tradition), Qust al – Hindi (Tradition), Qust al-Baheri (Tradition), Oud ad-Hindi (Tradition), Kust – e- Halu.

Other Names:  Costus (Eng. Fr., Ger.) Costo (It), Kust, Koosht-shirin (Pers.) Kushta (Sans.), Kuth, Kut, Kushta Pachuk (Urdu, Hindi, Beng.), Upaleta (Guj.), Kushta (Mat.), Changala, Kustam Goshtamu (Tam.), Sepuddy (Mal.), Koshta (Kan.), Postkhai, Chob-i-Kut (Kashmiri).

Botanical Source: Saussurea costus (Fale) Lipsch.  Syn.S. lappa C.B. Clarke (Family: Asteraceae) – Perennial Herb. Distribution:  Himalayan region of India.

Prophetic Traditions on Costus :

1. The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said, “Be afraid of Allah! Why do you pain your children by having their tonsils pressed like that? Use ‘Ud Al-Hindi’ for it cures seven (several) diseases, one of which is pleurisy”. (Narrated Um Qais: When she took her son to the Prophet, he had throat trouble, and his palace and tonsils had been pressed. (Bukhari)

2. The Prophet (SAW) said, “The best medicines you may treat yourselves with are cupping and costus”. (Tradition, Qust Al-Baheri) (Narrated Anas Bin Malik; Bukhari, Tirmidhi, Nasai, Mawatta Imam Malik)

3. Qust Al-Hindi and Baheri is the same as Kust just like Al-Kafur and Al-Qafur. (Bukhari; Book of Medicine).

4. The Prophet (SAW) said, “You should not torture your children suffering tonsillitis by pressing the tonsils or the palate with finger but use Qust”. (Narrated Anas bin Malik; Bukhari, Muslim).

5. Prophet Mohammad (SAW) emphasized the importance of costus (Tradition, Qust), pseudo – saffron (Tradition, Warus) and olive for the treatment of pleurisy. (Narrated Zaid bin Arqam; Ibn Maja).

6. The Prophet (SAW) said, “Ladies-do not press throats of your children when you have Qust Al-Hindi (Costus) and Warus” (Pseudo-Saffron). (Narrated Jabir bin Abdullah; Mustadrak –

Al-Hakim; Abu Nuaim, Ibn al-Sani).

7. The Prophet (SAW) said, “Treat cases of pleurisy with marine costus”. (Tradition, Qust al-Baheri) (Narrated Zaid bin Arqam, As-Suyuti).

8. The Prophet (SAW) entered the tent of Ayesha and there was a child with a bleeding nose with her. He asked, “What is this” and they replied, “Truly the child has the disease of Croup (Tradition al-Udhirah). And he said,” Shame on you, do not kill your children; use Indian costus.” (Tradition – Qust al-Hindi). (Narrated Ayesha: Muslim).

9. The Prophet (SAW) said, “Accept being treated with costus (Tradition, Qust), because it has many advantages”. (Narrated Jabir; As-Suyuti).

10. The Prophet (SAW) said, “Ud al- Hindi (costus) is a cure for seven diseases. When used as a snuff it is good for treating the diseases known as Croup (Tradition, Ghudhra). It is also efficacious in treating cases of pleurisy”. (Bukhari).

11. The Prophet (SAW) said, “It is very good to be treated with scarification or costus (Tradition – Qust)”. (Bukhari).

12. We were given permission, when we did our bath (Tradition – Ghusal) after the monthly period, to use a costus (Tradition – Qust) or Zafar. (Narrated Umm ‘Atiya, As-Suyuti).

13. The Prophet (SAW) said; ‘‘Treat with Oud al-Hindi for it has healing for seven diseases; it is to be sniffed by one having throat trouble, and to be put into inside of the mouth of one suffering from pleurisy.’’ (Narrated Umm Qais bin Mihsan; Bukhari)

Dymock has suggested that some of the Qust referred to in old Arabic literature might be oris roots of Iris family, commonly found in the Mediterranean region.

However, in the light of various Traditions on Costus, it becomes amply clear that the plants referred to under the name of Qust, Qust al-Hindi, ‘Oud al-Hindi and Qust al- Baheri are one and the same. It was called as Qust al-Hind because it was obtained from Hind i.e. India.

It was called as ‘Oud al- Hind because ‘Oud in Arabic means wood, or woody branch and the root of Qust were woody. The proposition that Oud e Hindi is a different name of Qust and not the Agar of India can be proved by the following Saying of Bukhari, Muslim and Abi Dawud:

أُخْتُ عُكَّاشَةَ بْنِ مِحْصَنٍ أَخْبَرَتْهُ أَنَّهَا أَتَتْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِابْنٍ لَهَا قَدْ عَلَّقَتْ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْعُذْرَةِ فَقَالَ ‏ “‏ اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ، عَلَى مَا تَدْغَرُونَ أَوْلاَدَكُمْ بِهَذِهِ الأَعْلاَقِ عَلَيْكُمْ بِهَذَا الْعُودِ الْهِنْدِيِّ، فَإِنَّ فِيهِ سَبْعَةَ أَشْفِيَةٍ، مِنْهَا ذَاتُ الْجَنْبِ ‏”‏‏.‏ يُرِيدُ الْكُسْتَ يَعْنِي الْقُسْطَ، قَالَ وَهْىَ لُغَةٌ‏.

Umm Qasis, daughter of Mihsan said: I brought my son to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) while I had compressed his uvula for its swelling.

He said: Why do you afflict your children by squeezing for a swelling in the Uvula? Apply this Oud e Hindi, for it contains seven types of remedies, among them being a remedy for pleurisy.

It is applied through the nose for a swelling of the uvula poured into the side of the mouth for pleurisy. Abu Dawud said: By Oud he meant Qust. (Abi Dawud, Bukhari,Muslim )

It may be mentioned that several woody plants used in Medicine are still known as ‘Oud. For instance, the wood or branch of Cyprus articulata is known as ‘Oud al-Qai (the wood that causes vomitting), ‘Oud al-Qarah, ‘Oud al-Qaqai, ‘Oud al-Anjbar etc. The wood of the Costus is also known as ‘Oud as-Saleeb.

In India, however, Oud name is given only to the bark of Aquilaria agallocha (Hindi, Agar). It is because of this reason that several books in Urdu and English as well as Arabic written in recent past, identify ‘Ud al- Hindi of Tradition as the Agar.

This assumption is scientifically and historically absolutely wrong. It must be borne in mind that during the time of the Prophet, only the root of Costus (Saussurea costus) obtained in Kashmir were traded from India and the Arab were not aware of the Agar, which was found only in Assam. 

Moreover, the properties, which are described in the Traditions, can only be attributed to Costus of Kashmir and not the Agar of Assam.

Although both Costus and Agar can be used as incense, but main use of Costus had always been as medicine in India and Arabia. On the other hand, Agar bark had never been considered a useful medicine either in Unani medicine or Ayurveda.

Costus is a well-known high-altitude medicinal herb. Its root and essential oil are used in traditional medicine systems such as Ayurveda and Unani. It was found wild in Jammu and in Chenab and Kishenganga Valley, but it has been successfully cultivated in Kashmir.

Costus roots are used to protect clothes of bales of cotton and woollen Shawls from the ravages of insect moths. As a stimulant, costus roots are given in spasmodic diseases, cough, asthma, cholera and deranged digestion. As an alternative it is used in chronic skin diseases and rheumatism.

Locally a paste of it made in rose water is applied to swollen hands and feet and to swelled abdomen in obesity and as a cooling lotion to sprains, contusion and to the head in headache. It is also smoked.  Externally it is used as an astringent ointment on ulcers.

Costus dried roots from Saussurea costus have been an item of trade between Roman Empire and India as a medicine of great value. Apart from as an anti-inflammatory drug, it is used as Antispasmodic, Anodyne, Aphrodisiac, Astringent, Bronchodilator, Carminative, Stimulant and Stomachic.

It is used internally in the treatment of abdominal distension and pain, chest pains due to liver problems and jaundice, gall bladder pain, constipation associated with energy stagnation, and asthma.

Costus roots (Arabic Qust, Kust) have a pungent taste and a characteristic fragrant aromatic odour. Some of the important chemical constituents of Costus are Acetic-acid, Alkaloids, (Alpha-amyrin-stearate, Beta-amyrin-stearate, Betulin, Camphene, Caryophyllene, Caryo-phyllene-oxide), Inulin, Kushtin, Lactones, Linalool, Lupeol, Myrcene, Naphthaline, Octanoic-acid, Oleic-acid, P-cymene, Palmitic-acid, Phellandrene, Resinoids, Saussurine, Stigmasterol, Tannin and Taraxasterol.(Wikipedia). Costus  roots contains Essential oil, alkaloid saussurin, Kushtin and a bitter resin. About 3% of Essential Oil shows promising therapeutic properties.

Note: Costus was once identified as Saussurea lappa, then changed to Saussurea cost. Recent reported suggest that revised identification is as Dolomiaea costus (Falc.) Kasana & A.K.Pandey