Ajwa Al Madina (Aliyah): Origin and History
This page explains where Ajwa dates are grown, what “Al Madina” and “Aliyah” mean, and what can be said about their history with confidence. For a general introduction to the date itself, start with What Are Ajwa Dates?
Ajwa Al Madina is the Ajwa date grown in and around Madinah in western Saudi Arabia. “Aliyah” refers to a higher-ground district on the edge of Madinah, whose Ajwa is named in a hadith recorded by Imam Muslim. Ajwa has been tied to Madinah since the earliest Islamic sources, but the exact history of the variety’s first planting is not firmly documented.
What Do “Ajwa Al Madina” and “Ajwa Aliyah” Mean?
- Al-Madinah (Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah) —
is the city of Madinah. “Ajwa Al Madina” simply means the Ajwa date of Madinah.
- Al-Aliyah —
is a name for the higher ground around Madinah. In a note to a hadith in the Mishkat collection, it is described as a group of villages a few miles east of the city.
- “Ajwa Aliyah” —
is the phrase buyers use when they want Ajwa from that district, based on a narration that mentions the Ajwa of Aliyah specifically.
The two phrases are often used interchangeably online. We did not find an official definition that separates them, so if the difference matters to you, ask the seller exactly where the dates were grown.
Where Are Ajwa Dates Grown?
Ajwa dates are grown in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah Province in the west of Saudi Arabia. Official Saudi reference material gives these figures:
| Detail | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Date palms in the province | About 4.5 million | Saudipedia (NCPD) |
| Ajwa palms | About 800,000 | Saudipedia, “Ajwa Dates” |
| Date varieties | Around 70 | Saudipedia, “Ajwa Dates” |
| Alternative estimate | ~900,000 Ajwa palms of 4.75 million | Saudipedia, “Al-Madinah Dates” |
| Province production, 2019 | More than 213,000 tonnes | Saudipedia, “Al-Madinah Dates” |
The two palm counts differ slightly between two Saudipedia articles, so treat them as approximate.
Within the province, Okaz reports that Ajwa is grown mainly in areas close to the Prophet’s Mosque, including Al-Aliyah. A 2012 Arab News feature also mentions an Ajwa farm near Quba Mosque.
Do Ajwa Dates Only Grow in Madinah?
Ajwa is most strongly associated with Madinah, and that is where the sources above place it. It is not clear that Madinah is the only place the variety can grow.
Date cultivars are normally propagated from offshoots, which are genetically identical to the parent palm. The FAO’s date palm handbook describes offshoots as true to type. That means an Ajwa palm can in principle be planted elsewhere. What changes is the origin claim.
A 2012 Arab News report also said the same variety is harvested in the Qassim region and brought to Madinah to be sold under the same name. That is a journalist’s observation rather than an official statistic, but it explains why checking origin matters. See How to Identify Original Ajwa Dates for practical steps.
Ajwa Aliyah in the Hadith
Imam Muslim (Sahih Muslim 2048) records a narration from Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, that the Ajwa of Aliyah contains healing, or is an antidote, first thing in the morning. This narration is one reason the Aliyah district is named alongside Madinah when people talk about Ajwa.
This is a religious narration, not a medical claim. How scholars read it, and how it relates to the “seven Ajwa dates” narration, is covered in Ajwa Dates in Islam: Hadith & Sunnah.
What Is Known About the History of Ajwa?
- Ajwa is mentioned in major hadith collections, including Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Jami’ at-Tirmidhi and Sunan Ibn Majah.
- Madinah has a long tradition of date farming, and its cultivars are distinguished by appearance and taste. A 2022 study in BMC Plant Biology lists Ajwah Al-Madinah among the cultivars of the region, alongside Safawi, Barni, Rothanah, Mabroom and others.
- Today Ajwa and Safawi consistently lead sales at Madinah’s central date market, according to a Saudi Press Agency report, outselling more than 28 other varieties.
- Some sources say Ajwa was among the first palms planted in Madinah, or that the Prophet ﷺ planted the first Ajwa palm. Okaz describes this as a belief, and we did not find a primary source that establishes it.
- Some websites give a precise ancient date, such as 5000 BC, for the history of Ajwa. We could not find a reliable scholarly source for this, so we do not repeat it.
In short, the religious and cultural importance of Ajwa is well attested in the sources. The botanical history of the variety (when and how it first arose) is not.
Madinah’s Other Date Varieties
Ajwa is only one part of Madinah’s date landscape. Saudipedia lists other varieties from the province, including Rothanah, Anbara, Safawi, Barni, Barhi, Suwaida, Ja’fari, Khudri, Shegrey, Qattara, Sukkari Al-Madinah and Khalas. If you are comparing, see Safawi Dates and Ajwa Types, Grades & Original vs Fake.
Which Country’s Ajwa Dates Are Best?
There is no evidence-based ranking that names one country’s Ajwa dates the best. Ajwa is defined by its associated with Madinah in Saudi Arabia, and that origin is what buyers are paying for — not a country label on its own.
What matters in practice is whether the seller can show where the fruit was grown. This page notes that the same variety has been reported harvested in the Qassim region and sold in Madinah under the same name, so a Madinah label alone does not prove Madinah origin. Ask the seller for the growing region, the harvest or packing date, and packing details; vague packaging with no origin is harder to trust. For how grades and origin claims fit together, see Ajwa Types, Grades & Original vs Fake.
Common Questions
Which country do Ajwa dates come from?
Saudi Arabia. The variety is associated with the Madinah region in the west of the country.
Are Ajwa Al Madina and Ajwa Aliyah the same thing?
Not formally. Al Madina refers to the city, and Aliyah to a district on its higher ground. They are often used as if they mean the same thing, and we found no official standard that separates them.
Where can I buy Ajwa from Madinah?
See Where to Buy Ajwa Dates in Madinah.
Which country’s Ajwa dates are best?
No country has been established as producing the “best” Ajwa. Ajwa is associated with Madinah, Saudi Arabia, and the useful question is whether a seller can show genuine Madinah origin — the growing region, harvest or packing date, and clear packing details — rather than which country is named on the label.
Sources
- Saudipedia, “Ajwa Dates” (National Center for Palms and Dates): saudipedia.com/en/ajwa-dates
- Saudipedia, “Al-Madinah al-Munawwarah Dates”: saudipedia.com — Al-Madinah Dates
- Okaz, “Ajwa of Medina” feature: okaz.com.sa
- Arab News, “Ajwa dates – a significant gift from Saudi Arabia” (2012): arabnews.com/node/431198
- Saudi Press Agency via Al Riyadh Daily, “Ajwa and Safawi Dates Lead Sales at Madinah’s Central Date Market”: alriyadhdaily.com
- Alaida, M.F. and Aldhebiani, A.Y. (2022), BMC Plant Biology 22: doi.org/10.1186/s12870-022-03841-0
- FAO, “Date Palm Cultivation”, Chapter V: Date palm propagation: fao.org
- Sahih Muslim 2048 (Aisha): en.tohed.com
- Mishkat narration with note on Al-‘Aliya, via Sunnah.com search results: sunnah.com/search?q=ajwa
Last reviewed: 29 October 2026.