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“And I (God) created not the jinn and humankind except they
should worship Me (Alone).” (Quran 51:56)
The religion of Islam is a holistic way of life. It is
not separated into physical, emotional and spiritual areas; rather it teaches
that all aspects of life combine to fulfil one purpose. What is that purpose
and is it possible to understand the meaning of life? Yes it is! Islam makes
it very clear that the purpose of life is to worship our Creator, the One True
God. What gives meaning to our existence is understanding that all our actions,
no matter how grand or how trivial, can be turned easily into worship. All
actions performed in the daily course of life can be raised to the status of
worship simply by remembering to praise God and seek His pleasure.
Islam makes remembrance easy by giving us guidelines. It
teaches us in a gentle and moderate way that life is worship, and worship is
the meaning of life. To this end, even eating has an etiquette that raises its
status from the mundane to worship. Food plays a significant role in our
everyday lives. We spend a lot of time, effort and money in shopping, cooking and
eating so it makes sense to turn these worldly acts into worship worthy of
reward. The sayings of Prophet Muhammad are filled with guidelines and recommendations
that make eating a rewardable action.
Cleanliness is an important part of Islam. Not only
should a Muslim purify himself before turning to God in prayer but they must
pay attention to the cleanliness of their bodies and their surroundings at all
times. Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him,
reminded us that our body has certain rights and one of those rights is that it
should be maintained with cleanliness. Our bodies are a trust from God and
living in filthy conditions causes disease and ill health. Therefore, before
preparing food it is important to be sure that the food, the food preparation
area and the hands that will touch the food are clean.
Muslims begin every task or action by mentioning the
name of God, and eating is no exception. Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and
blessings of God be upon him, said:
“When one of you eats, he should mention God's
name; if he forgets to mention God's name at the beginning, he should say:
"I begin with the name of God at the beginning and at the end of it (i.e.
this meal)."”
It is important to remember that Islam is a moderate way
of life, we should not overindulge nor should we deprive ourselves of the delicious
food that God has provided for us. The Islamic guidelines in relation to
eating are taught to us predominantly in the sayings of Prophet Muhammad.
Eating with the right hand is one such saying and it is
obligatory for Muslims unless there is an excuse such as illness or injury. The
left hand is usually used to clean the body of filth and impurities while the
right hand is used for eating, passing objects from one person to another and
for shaking hands. Prophet Muhammad also advised his companions that Satan
eats with his left hand and that the believers should disassociate themselves
from anything that resembles Satan.
One of Prophet Muhammad’s companions, Omar ibn Abi
Salamah also related a story about the etiquette of eating. He said,
“When I was a young boy in the care of the
Messenger of God, my hand used to wander all over the platter (of food). The
Messenger of God said to me, ‘O young boy, say Bismillah (I begin with the name
of God), eat with your right hand, and eat from what is directly in front of
you’.”
In situations where everyone is eating from common platters
or serving themselves, taking the food that is directly in front of you is
considered good manners. Reaching over others or searching for the most
delicious pieces of food can make others uncomfortable or make you appear to be
ungrateful or greedy. Part of the etiquette of eating includes eating in
moderation and not overindulging no matter how appetizing the food is.
Prophet Muhammad reminded us that keeping the body light
and healthy is better than being overweight, lazy and idle. He said,
“A man does not fill any vessel worse than his
stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to eat enough to keep him alive.
But if he must do more than that, then one-third for his food, one-third for
his drink and one-third for his air.”
There are many guidelines pertaining to the etiquette of
eating. However inconsequential each action may seem, treating others with respect
and thinking about how our actions will please or displease God turns eating
into worship. It is from the manners of Prophet Muhammad to show respect towards
guests by offering them the choicest food and delivering it in a timely manner.
The guest is able to respond by hastening to taste and praise the food and by
praying for and sending blessings upon the host. Prophet Muhammad’s companion
, Anas, said that Sa’d ibn Ubada once brought some bread and oil to the Prophet
who responded by saying
“May fasting people break their fast with you, may
the righteous eat your food, and may the angels send blessings upon you.”
While it is a part of good manners to send blessings
upon your host, Prophet Muhammad made it clear to his followers that the food
God provides is full of the blessings of God. He taught us to be thankful and
grateful. Prophet Muhammad advised us to pick up, dust off and eat any pieces
of food that fall on the floor, to be certain not to miss any blessings or to leave
the food for Satan.
Finally the etiquette of eating includes eating with a
group rather than alone, sharing the bounties God provides, eating with three
fingers, licking the remains of the food off your fingers, not reclining while
eating, and refraining from spitting or blowing your nose whilst eating. It is
also part of Islamic good manners to praise the food. It is wrong to criticise
food, rather it is better to refrain from eating anything you do not like.
Paying attention to the etiquette of eating allows the
believers to gather blessings and rewards with ease. God has provided us with
delicious foods of every kind, meats, grains, fruits and vegetables and He
said,
“And eat and drink, but waste not in extravagance, certainly
He (Allah) likes not those who waste in extravagance.” (Quran 7:31)
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