The claim that the date palm is a transformed creature and the reason the Prophet did not eat it

Question:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. A questioner says: It is widespread among some of the common people that the date palm is a transformed creature, and that the Children of Israel were transformed into date palms, and therefore the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not eat it. Is this correct?

Answer:
The one who says this is ignorant. The date palm is the date palm; this is its nature. It is not transformed from among the children of Adam. This is its nature, and it is a sound animal that eats grass and permissible, good things. It is lawful. But the Messenger did not eat it because it was not in the land of Hijaz; the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was not accustomed to it when it was presented to him. He did not eat it. They asked: Is it forbidden? It is not a dish of my people, so I find myself averse to it.