The short answer
Talbina is a food of flour or bran, sometimes with honey, named for looking like milk (Ibn Hajar, Fath al-Bari). A hadith is not medical advice. In Sahih al-Bukhari 5689 (graded sahih), 'Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, reports the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, saying it rests the sick person's heart and takes away some grief.
What is talbina?
Ibn Hajar, in his commentary Fath al-Bari, defines talbina as a food made from flour or bran, to which honey is sometimes added. He says it is named for its likeness to milk (laban) in whiteness and thinness, and that the beneficial kind is thin and well cooked, not thick and raw (source 8).
Al-Asma'i, as Ibn Hajar quotes him, calls it a broth (hasa') of flour or bran with honey in it, and another writer adds "or milk" (source 9). The name is also spelt talbinah.
The hadith (a report of the Prophet's words) that 'Aisha passes on, in the wording of Sahih al-Bukhari 5689, graded sahih, which means authentic:
Sahih al-Bukhari 5689
إِنَّ التَّلْبِينَةَ تُجِمُّ فُؤَادَ الْمَرِيضِ، وَتَذْهَبُ بِبَعْضِ الْحُزْنِ
inna t-talbīnata tujimmu fu'āda l-marīḍi, wa tadhhabu bi-baʿḍi l-ḥuzn
Talbina gives rest to the heart of the sick person, and takes away some grief.
1AuthenticSahih al-Bukhari 5689
What are the benefits of talbina, according to the narrations?
In the Prophet's words as 'Aisha reports them, talbina gives rest to the heart of someone who is ill and takes away some grief.
Ibn Hajar explains "gives rest" (tujimmu) as easing the heart, removing worry from it and giving it energy. He also quotes al-Muwaffaq al-Baghdadi, who took "heart" (fu'ād) here to mean the top of the stomach (source 9).
| What the sound reports say | What they do not say |
|---|---|
| It gives rest to the sick person's heart | That it cures any illness, or which illness |
| It takes away some grief | That all grief goes, or by when |
| 'Aisha had it cooked whenever someone in her family died | A ruling that families must serve it |
| The talbina was cooked and poured over tharid | Any ingredient, amount or recipe |
This is what the reports say, not medical advice. Nothing here says talbina treats or cures any illness, depression or grief. If you are unwell, feeling low or struggling with grief, speak to your GP. The NHS pages are listed in the treatment section, and the modern study is in the study section.
How is talbina made?
The narrations give no recipe, only that it was cooked in a pot. Later sources add ingredients, but the ones quoted here give no quantities:
- Classical: flour or bran, sometimes with honey (source 8); milk is one writer's addition, as Ibn Hajar quotes it (source 9).
- The barley link: Ibn Hajar quotes al-Muwaffaq al-Baghdadi comparing talbina with barley water, and the author of a book he calls al-Hady saying talbina is cooked ground, which brings out the property of barley (source 9). The sound narrations themselves name no grain.
- Modern: the 2013 trial below describes talbinah as ground roasted barley cooked with milk for a few minutes and sweetened with honey (source 11). This is background in the paper, not a recipe from the hadith.
The NHS says people with coeliac disease cannot eat foods that contain any barley, rye or wheat (source 14). The NHS does not mention talbina. A version made from barley, rye or wheat would be covered. A GP or dietitian can help with managing the diet. The sources also name milk and honey. If you have a food allergy or intolerance, check every ingredient first. This page cannot say what is safe for you, and a pharmacist or GP can advise.
What does the talbina hadith say?
Sahih al-Bukhari 5417, graded sahih, holds the bereavement account. It comes through 'Urwa ibn al-Zubayr, a Follower (one of the generation after the Companions), who reports from 'Aisha. Whenever someone in her family died, the women gathered and then left, except her family and those close to her. She would order a pot of talbina, and it was cooked. Then tharid was made and the talbina was poured over it. She would tell the women to eat, saying she had heard the Messenger of Allah say that talbina is a rest for the sick person's heart and takes away some grief.
2AuthenticSahih al-Bukhari 5417
Tharid, as Ibn Hajar explains it, is bread broken into meat broth, sometimes with the meat (source 10).
These four reports come from Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim:
| Report | Who speaks | What it contains |
|---|---|---|
| Sahih al-Bukhari 5417, sahih | 'Urwa reports 'Aisha's practice, then her report of the Prophet's words | The bereavement, the pot, the tharid, and the saying |
| Sahih Muslim 2216, sahih | As in 5417 | The same account, through al-Layth from 'Uqayl, in almost the same Arabic |
| Sahih al-Bukhari 5689, sahih | 'Urwa reports 'Aisha's practice, then her report of the Prophet's words | She used to recommend talbina for the sick and for someone grieving a death |
| Sahih al-Bukhari 5690, sahih | 'Urwa reports 'Aisha's own words | She used to recommend it and say it is "the disliked thing that benefits" |
3AuthenticSahih Muslim 2216
4AuthenticSahih al-Bukhari 5690
Ibn Hajar notes that in this chain (the line of people who passed the report on) these are 'Aisha's own words, and explains "disliked" as disliked by the sick person, even though it benefits him (source 9).
Where the English differs from the Arabic
The English of Muslim 2216 on sunnah.com differs from its Arabic in three places, and the Arabic decides:
| The English says | The Arabic says |
|---|---|
| The tharid was poured over the talbina | The talbina was poured on the tharid (fa-ṣubbati t-talbīnatu ʿalayhā), as in Bukhari 5417 |
| "The aggrieved heart" | The heart of the sick person (li-fu'ādi l-marīḍ) |
| It "lessens grief" | It takes away some grief (baʿḍa l-ḥuzn) |
What about other talbina narrations people quote?
Several popular claims come from reports outside the two Sahih collections. Each is graded differently (the graders recorded on each source card differ), so we do not present any of them as settled.
| Report | What it says | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Sunan Ibn Majah 3446 | 'Aisha reports the Prophet saying "hold to the disliked thing that benefits, talbina" (a narrator explains: broth). She adds that when one of his family was ill, the pot stayed on the fire until one of two outcomes (a narrator explains: until recovery or death) | Graded differently: one grading accepts it, three gradings call its chain weak |
| Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2039 | 'Aisha reports that when fever took hold of his family, the Prophet had broth (hasa') made and they sipped it, and he said it strengthens the grieving heart and clears the sick heart, as a woman washes dirt from her face with water | Graded differently: five gradings accept it, three gradings call it weak, and one grader appears on both sides |
| al-Mustadrak 7660 | 'Aisha reports the Prophet saying to hold to talbina, which "washes the belly of one of you" as dirt is washed from the face with water | Graded differently: four gradings accept it, three gradings call it weak |
5Graded differently Sunan Ibn Majah 3446
6Graded differently Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2039
7Graded differently al-Mustadrak 'ala al-Sahihayn 7660
Note that the Tirmidhi report says broth (hasa'), not talbina. The al-Mustadrak report compares talbina washing the belly to water washing dirt from the face. It gives no measurement of digestion and does not mention a detox.
Does modern research show talbina helps with low mood?
A small 2013 crossover trial in a Malaysian long-term care facility gave a ready-made commercial talbinah mix, with the usual diet, to older adults with depression. Thirty-six were randomised, and results are reported for 30 (21 men and 9 women). The authors report a statistically significant fall in depression, stress and mood-disturbance scores during the talbinah period (source 11).
The authors list its limits: the scores were subjective, neither group had blinding or a placebo, and the uneven mix of men and women and of ethnic groups limits how far the results apply. So it cannot show that talbina treats depression, that it works for other groups, or that any effect lasts.
Can talbina replace treatment for depression?
Nothing in the narrations or the trial says so. The NHS describes depression as more than feeling unhappy for a few days, and says treatment can combine lifestyle changes, talking therapies and medicine. It advises seeing a GP if you think you may be depressed (source 13).
If you are grieving, the NHS says there is no right or wrong way to feel, and that sadness after a loss should ease gradually. It suggests seeing a GP if you are struggling to cope or your low mood has lasted more than two weeks, and says anyone in a mental health crisis can get urgent help through NHS 111 (or 999 in an emergency) (source 12).
For any illness, speak to your GP.
I first came across talbina as a recipe shared online with big promises attached. Going back to the narration itself, what it actually says is gentler and more modest than the posts I had seen.
Try it: read the reports closely
Pick an answer; each one explains itself.
1According to the reports graded sahih, what does talbina do?
Answer: It gives rest to the sick person's heart and takes away some grief. In Sahih al-Bukhari 5689 'Aisha reports the Prophet saying talbina gives rest to the sick person's heart and takes away some grief. Nothing in it promises a cure. Source 1
2Whose words are "the disliked thing that benefits" in Sahih al-Bukhari 5690?
Answer: 'Aisha's own words. In this report 'Aisha says it herself. A wording in Sunan Ibn Majah 3446 gives similar words to the Prophet, but it is graded differently. Source 4
3Does the 2013 talbinah trial show that talbina treats depression?
Answer: No. It reported lower scores in 30 care-home residents over a few weeks, without blinding or a placebo. That is not evidence that it treats depression.
Questions people ask
What is talbina in English?
In English, talbina can be described as a thin broth. An early definition quoted in Fath al-Bari, the commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, calls it a broth (hasa') of flour or bran with honey in it, and the commentary says the name comes from its likeness to milk. It is also spelt talbinah.
Is talbina good for you?
A hadith about talbina is not medical advice. The reports in Sahih al-Bukhari say it gives rest to the sick person's heart and takes away some grief, and they do not say it treats or cures anything. For illness, low mood or grief that is hard to bear, speak to your GP or see the NHS pages.
Sources
Every claim on this page comes from one of these. Gradings are reported with the scholar's name; we do not grade hadith ourselves.
- 1
'Urwa reports that 'Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, used to recommend talbina for the sick and for someone grieving over a person who had died, and used to say she heard the Prophet say talbina gives rest to the sick person's heart and takes away some grief.
Sahih al-Bukhari 5689 Book 76, Hadith 12
Authentic: in Sahih al-Bukhari
- 2
'Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, reports through 'Urwa that when someone in her family died and the women gathered and then left, except her family and close circle, she had a pot of talbina cooked, tharid was made and the talbina poured over it, and she told the women to eat, saying she heard the Prophet say talbina is a rest for the sick person's heart and takes away some grief.
Sahih al-Bukhari 5417 Book 70, Hadith 45
Authentic: in Sahih al-Bukhari
- 3
Sahih Muslim 2216 carries the same account as Sahih al-Bukhari 5417, through 'Uqayl from Ibn Shihab from 'Urwa from 'Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her: a pot of talbina cooked after a death in her family, poured over tharid, and the Prophet's words that talbina is a rest for the sick person's heart and takes away some grief.
Sahih Muslim 2216 Book 39, Hadith 121
Authentic: in Sahih Muslim
- 4
'Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, used to recommend talbina and say, in her own words, that it is 'the disliked thing that benefits' (al-baghid al-nafi').
Sahih al-Bukhari 5690 Book 76, Hadith 13
Authentic: in Sahih al-Bukhari
- 5
A report through Kalthum from 'Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, attributes to the Prophet the words 'hold to the disliked thing that benefits, talbina' (a narrator explains: broth, hasa'), and says that when one of his family was ill the pot stayed on the fire until one of two outcomes, recovery or death; graded differently.
Sunan Ibn Majah 3446 Book 31, Hadith 11
Graded differently. Here is who graded it which way:
- SoundDarussalam
- WeakAl-Albani, Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut
- Other remarksIbn al-Qaysarani
See each grading in full, with its wording and where it was given
Scholars disagree about this hadith. Here is how each graded it, so you can follow the scholar you trust.
- Hasan: Darussalam, as shown on sunnah.com
- إسناده ضعيف (its chain is weak): Al-Albani, Da'if Ibn Majah 690 (as listed on dorar.net)
- إسناده ضعيف (its chain is weak): Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut, takhrij al-Musnad 25066 (as listed on dorar.net)
- في سنده جهالة (its chain has an unknown narrator): Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut, takhrij Zad al-Ma'ad 4/109 (as listed on dorar.net)
- [فيه] أيمن بن نابل ... له أفرادات لا يتابع عليها (a remark on the narrator Ayman ibn Nabil: he has reports no one else corroborates): Ibn al-Qaysarani, Tadhkirat al-Huffaz 218 (as listed on dorar.net)
- 6
'Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, reports that when fever took hold of the Prophet's family he ordered broth (hasa') to be made and told them to sip it, saying it strengthens the heart of the grieving and clears the heart of the sick as a woman washes dirt from her face with water; graded differently.
Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2039 Book 28, Hadith 4
Graded differently. Here is who graded it which way:
- SoundAl-Tirmidhi, Darussalam, Al-Albani, Al-Suyuti
- WeakAl-Albani, Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut
- Other remarksShu'ayb al-Arna'ut, Al-Hakim
See each grading in full, with its wording and where it was given
Scholars disagree about this hadith. Here is how each graded it, so you can follow the scholar you trust.
- حسن صحيح (hasan sahih): Al-Tirmidhi, Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2039 (as shown on sunnah.com and listed on dorar.net)
- Hasan: Darussalam, as shown on sunnah.com
- صحيح (sahih): Al-Albani, Sahih al-Jami' 4646 (as listed on dorar.net)
- صحيح (sahih): Al-Albani, Hidayat al-Ruwat 4162 (as listed on dorar.net)
- صحيح (sahih): Al-Suyuti, al-Jami' al-Saghir 6524 (as listed on dorar.net)
- ضعيف (weak): Al-Albani, Da'if al-Tirmidhi 2039 (as listed on dorar.net)
- ضعيف (weak): Al-Albani, Da'if Ibn Majah 689, on Ibn Majah's wording of the same report (as listed on dorar.net)
- إسناده ضعيف (its chain is weak): Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut, takhrij al-Musnad 24035 (as listed on dorar.net)
- [فيه] أم محمد والدة محمد بن السائب، لم يوثقها غير ابن حبان (it has Umm Muhammad, whom only Ibn Hibban counted reliable; the other narrators are trustworthy): Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut, takhrij Sharh al-Sunna 2856 (as listed on dorar.net)
- [سكت عنه] (silent about it; his introduction says his narrators are trustworthy): Al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak 7659 (as listed on dorar.net)
- 7
A report attributed to the Prophet through 'Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, in al-Mustadrak says 'hold to the disliked thing that benefits, talbina', swears that it washes the belly of one of you as dirt is washed from the face with water, and says the pot stayed on the fire when one of his family was ill; graded differently.
al-Mustadrak 'ala al-Sahihayn 7660 al-Mustadrak 7660, as dorar.net cites it
Graded differently. Here is who graded it which way:
- SoundAl-Hakim, Al-Dhahabi, Al-Suyuti
- WeakIbn al-Qaysarani, Al-Albani, Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut
- Other remarksIbn Hajar al-'Asqalani
See each grading in full, with its wording and where it was given
Scholars disagree about this hadith. Here is how each graded it, so you can follow the scholar you trust.
- صحيح على شرط الشيخين (sahih to the standard of al-Bukhari and Muslim): Al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak 7660 (as listed on dorar.net)
- على شرط البخاري، ولم يخرجاه (to al-Bukhari's standard, though neither included it): Al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak 8464 (as listed on dorar.net)
- صحيح (sahih): Al-Dhahabi, Talkhis al-Mustadrak 7684 (as listed on dorar.net)
- صحيح (sahih): Al-Suyuti, al-Jami' al-Saghir 5498 (as listed on dorar.net)
- في إسناده انقطاع وجهالة (its chain has a break and an unknown narrator): Ibn al-Qaysarani, Dhakhirat al-Huffaz 3/1593 (as listed on dorar.net)
- ضعيف (weak): Al-Albani, Da'if al-Jami' 3755 (as listed on dorar.net)
- إسناده ضعيف (its chain is weak): Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut, takhrij al-Musnad 26050 (as listed on dorar.net)
- أصله في البخاري (its basis is in al-Bukhari): Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, Tasdid al-Qaws 3/59 (as listed on dorar.net)
- 8
Ibn Hajar, Fath al-Bari 9/550 (on Sahih al-Bukhari 5417), defines talbina as a food made from flour or bran, sometimes with honey added, named for its likeness to milk in whiteness and thinness, says the beneficial kind is thin and well cooked, not thick and raw, and explains mujimma as a place of rest or, in another reading, giving rest.
Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, Fath al-Bari 9/550 (al-Salafiyya edition), on Sahih al-Bukhari 5417 Record: scholarly-ibnhajar-fath-talbina-food.
- 9
In his commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari 5689 and 5690 (Fath al-Bari 10/146 to 147), Ibn Hajar quotes al-Asma'i that talbina is a broth (hasa') made from flour or bran with honey put in it, and another that milk may be used; explains that it rests the heart, removes worry and invigorates; notes that 5690 stops at 'Aisha; explains al-baghid as disliked by the sick person though it benefits him; and quotes al-Muwaffaq al-Baghdadi and the author of al-Hady, who tie it to barley.
Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, Fath al-Bari 10/146 to 147, on Sahih al-Bukhari 5689 and 5690, quoting al-Asma'i, al-Muwaffaq al-Baghdadi and the author of al-Hady Record: scholarly-ibnhajar-fath-talbina-tibb. Al-Asma'i, al-Muwaffaq al-Baghdadi and the author of al-Hady are read only as Ibn Hajar quotes them.
- 10
Ibn Hajar, Fath al-Bari 9/551, explains tharid as bread broken into meat broth, sometimes with the meat as well.
Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, Fath al-Bari 9/551, on tharid Record: scholarly-ibnhajar-fath-tharid.
- 11
Badrasawi and colleagues (2013) ran a 7-week randomised crossover trial in 30 older adults with depression (21 men, 9 women) in a long-term care facility in Seremban, Malaysia, giving a ready-made talbinah mix in addition to the usual diet, and reported significant falls in depression, stress and mood-disturbance scores during the intervention; the authors list subjective measures, no blinding or placebo and an uneven sex and ethnic mix as limitations.
Badrasawi MM, Shahar S, Abd Manaf Z, Haron H, randomised clinical trial of talbinah food, 2013;8:279-85, doi:10.2147/CIA.S37586 (PubMed 23493965) Record: reference-badrasawi-2013-talbinah. Abstract read on PubMed; methods and limitations read in the PMC full text.
- 12
The NHS page 'Grief after bereavement or loss' says there is no right or wrong way to feel, that sadness after a bereavement should ease gradually, and that people should see a GP if they are struggling to cope or have had a low mood for more than 2 weeks.
NHS, Grief after bereavement or loss Record: reference-nhs-grief-bereavement.
- 13
The NHS page 'Overview: Depression in adults' says depression is more than feeling unhappy for a few days, that people who think they may be depressed should seek help from a GP, and that treatment can combine lifestyle changes, talking therapies and medicine depending on severity.
NHS, Depression in adults: overview Record: reference-nhs-depression-overview.
- 14
The NHS page 'Coeliac disease: treatment' says people with coeliac disease can no longer eat foods that contain any barley, rye or wheat, and that a GP and dietitian help them manage the diet.
NHS, Coeliac disease: treatment Record: reference-nhs-coeliac-treatment.
Quran text: the Tanzil Project (CC BY 3.0), reproduced verbatim. English: adapted from Marmaduke Pickthall's translation (1930).
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