Diet plays a
very important role in the daily life of a believer. There
are many verses in the Noble Qur’ân which draw man's
attention towards his self and which invite him to carefully
study his body and soul and the nature of their mutual
relationship. By doing so, one will firstly find in it strong
evidence of the existence of Allah and that Allah has not
created mankind and all other beings of this world without
any purpose as mentioned in the Holy Qur’an:
"Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without
purpose."
[surah ali Imran; 3:191]
The Importance of Healthiness
It is therefore necessary to ensure that the physical body is
kept healthy so that the soul and spirit may also remain
healthy thus in turn aiding the believer in the service of
both his spiritual and material attainment. Diet therefore,
plays an important role for this purpose. For this reason
Islam has prohibited certain foods due to their ill effects
and permitted all other pure, good and clean food products.
Allah Ta’ala says in the Holy Qur’an:
"O Believers! Eat of the good and pure (lawful) that We
have provided you with and be grateful to Allah, if you truly
worship Him."
[surah al-Baqarah; 2:172]
Muslims in general are advised to eat good and pure things
and not to indulge in impure, bad and harmful things thus
following their open enemy Shaitan:
"O People! Eat of what is lawful and good on the Earth and
do not follow the footsteps of Shaitaan, for he is your open
enemy."
[surah al-Baqarah; 2:168]
In the verses previously mentioned the general principle with
regard to permissible foods has been stated. The Holy Qur’an
further goes on to specify the types of food prohibited in
the following verse:
"He (Allah) has only forbidden you (from eating) dead
animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that (animal) over
which the name of other than Allah has been invoked."
[surah al-Baqarah; 2:173, 16:115]
The four items that have been mentioned in the above verse
are absolutely forbidden in Islam for reasons best known to
Allah. However, through research, some of them such as
carrion, blood and swine flesh have proved to be injurious to
human health. Whilst swine flesh is harmful to moral health
and food over which the name of any other than Allah has been
invoked is harmful to spiritual health.
Other prohibited items have also been mentioned in different
chapters of the Holy Qur’ân. In Surah al-Ma’idah the
following have also been mentioned along with the four
previously mentioned. There are those animals which have been
killed by strangling, or a violent blow, a headlong fall,
being gored to death and those which have been partially
eaten by a wild animal and not slaughtered before death, also
those which have been sacrificed on the name of idols.
Alcohol and Islam
Alcohol is also prohibited in Islam, as its harms have been
proven greater than its benefit. This has also been stated by
Allah in the Noble Qur’ân in Surah al-Baqarah. Other
physical, moral, social and spiritual evils of intoxicants
have been mentioned in many verses of the Holy Qur’ân and
blessed traditions of the Holy Prophet . Many of these ill
effects can also be easily noticed in our societies.
A Balanced Diet - Prescribed in the Qur’an
The Qur’an has not restricted itself in merely mentioning the
permissible and impermissible foods but goes to the extent of
giving useful tips regarding a balanced diet, a diet which
contains most if not all the useful ingredients required for
the growth, strengthening and repairing of the human body.
These ingredients include animal protein, fat, calcium, iron,
salts, etc. The most balanced diets consist of meat, fish,
fresh milk, cheese and fruit. Both direct and indirect
references have been made regarding the afore mentioned.
The reference regarding the importance of meat protein in the
human diet is given in the following verse:
"And the cattle, He has created them for you, in them
there is warmth (clothing) and numerous benefits, and of them
you eat."
[16:5]
In this verse special reference has been given to the
importance of eating despite having said, "…numerous
benefits…". Reference regarding other types of meat has also
been given such as the meat of fowls in the following verse:
"And the flesh of fowls that they desire."
(56:21)
Fish has always been considered as a food of very high
protein and is very important for human consumption. Allah
says:
"And from them both (fresh and salt water) you eat fresh
tender meat (fish)."
(35:12)
The usefulness of fresh milk is stressed in these words:
"And verily in the cattle there is a lesson for you. We
give you to drink of that which is in their bellies, from
between excretion and blood, pure milk, palatable to the
drinkers."
(16:66)
The benefits of fruits as good nourishment can be understood
from this verse:
"And from the fruits of date palms and grapes, you desire
strong drink and a goodly provision."
(16:67)
Similarly there are verses which cover the whole range of
fruits, salads, and vegetables which also play an important
role in a nutritious, balanced diet:
"It is He who sends down rain from the sky, and with it We
bring forth vegetation of all kinds, and out of it We bring
forth thick clustered grain. And out of the date palm and its
spate come clusters of dates hanging low and near, and
gardens of grapes, olives and pomegranates each similar (in
kind) yet different (in variety and taste). Look at their
fruits when then begin to bear, and the ripeness thereof."
(6:99)
Islam, being a complete religion, also teaches and advises
the believer as to what the best method of eating is. The
believers are advised to be moderate in every aspect of life.
Direct reference has been made in the Holy Qur’an regarding
moderation in eating and drinking.
"And eat and drink, but waste not in extravagance,
certainly He (Allah) likes not those who waste in
extravagance."
(7:31)
Moderation - The Teachings of the Prophet
The Best of Teachers and the Mercy of the Worlds is reported
to have clarified the meaning and limit of moderation in a
tradition in which he is reported to have said that one’s
worst weakness is one’s belly. If you must eat make sure you
fill one third of your stomach with food, one third with
water and leave one third for air i.e. leave it empty.
In another narration, the reason for moderation has been
clearly stated. The Prophet is reported to have said:
'The stomach is the tank of the body and the veins go down
to it. When the stomach is healthy the veins come back in a
healthy condition, but when it is in a bad condition, they
return diseased.'
In short, believers are advised to always take care of their
stomachs and refrain from foods and practices that might
pollute the stomach with various diseases. In order to do so
the Prophet is reported to have advised believers to always
stop eating before their stomachs are completely full i.e.
stop eating when the urge to eat more is still present.
Conclusion - The Etiquette's of Eating and Drinking
Islam teaches us many other etiquette's of eating and
drinking. The Prophet made a point of developing remarkably
clean and healthy eating habits among his followers. He asked
the companions to wash their hands before and after, to start
eating with the praise of Allah, to eat using the right hand,
not to eat until they really felt hungry, not to eat and
drink excessively. Finally, by praising and thanking Allah
for the food and drink, for making it easy to swallow and for
producing an exit for it.
From all that has been mentioned, the importance of healthy
eating, a balanced diet and hygiene can be understood in the
light of the Qur’ân and Sunnah. Islam has stressed on the
importance of these things right from the start unlike health
authorities etc., which have just recently begun to stress
its importance. This could be counted as just another gem
that manifests the perfection of Islam.