By Amatul Qafaar
“O you who believe! Eat from (the) good (of) what We have provided you and be grateful to Allah if you alone worship Him”, Quran 2:172
Have you ever thought of the food you are consuming as a test from Allah? Have you ever looked at it as a way to get closer to Allah? Is food just fuel for the body or fuel for Allah’s property? These questions have been a point of discussion for me for a while now and in our third article of our series on Ramadan Gist, I would like to unfold my thoughts and share them with you.
Have you thought of the food you are consuming as a test from Allah?
Having what to eat for that day and having the ability to choose what you want to eat from the supermarket shelves is a test greater than having nothing to eat and starving. But then, we might remind each other that one should be grateful for what s/he has as it’s stated in the above written Ayah that we should be grateful, but do we remind each other that choosing food that might harm our health can be a sin if you the same Ayah where Allah says: ‘Eat from (the) good (of) what We have provided you”?. This Ayah is clearly telling us that there could be bad choices of what Allah has provided us with, but He left it as a choice and thus made it a test so that we might either consume what is bad for us or consume what is good for us, just like the way we sometimes eat and leave without remembering that it’s Allah that has provided us with what we ate.
Have you ever looked at it as way to get closer to Allah?
Following Allah’s rules and regulations for humanity is the essence of worshiping Him, and that will mean not only praying, fasting, paying charity and the many other Islamic rituals which can lead you to become closer to Allah but if for instance we look at fasting, what you start your fast with and what you break your fast with, matters to God and will ultimately lead to you either gain His pleasure or His wrath, depending on how you do it. You should be mindful of taking in what Allah forbids in the Quranic verses below – whether before Ramadan, during the month or after it.
“O you who believe! Intoxicants (like alcohol or khat) and games of chance and (sacrificing to) stones set up and (dividing by) arrows are only an uncleanness, the Shatan’s work; shun it therefore that you may be successful.” (5:90-91)
And… “Eat and drink but waste not by extravagance, certainly He (Allah) likes not Al-Musrifun (those who waste by extravagance“ (Al-A’raf – 7:31)
So whoever fails to follow the above instructions from Allah has automatically sent themselves away from His mercy.
Is food just fuel for the body or fuel for Allah’s property?
Allah could have burdened us with our soul only, if He didn’t want to see how we handle our body too. This body is for Allah and it facilitates for your soul to achieve higher ranks depending on what you do with its limbs. So, for us to act upon Ayah 2:172 we should filter what we put our mouths in. Just like the way you are going to be punished if you take your life, you are going to be responsible of whatever harm that comes to you because of something you consumed recklessly or thoughtlessly.
The Prophet Muhammad, Sallah-Lahu Wa Sallam, said:”The child of Adam has not filled any receptacle worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the child of Adam to eat small bits of food that keeps him healthy. Now if he wants to eat much anyway, he should give (of his stomach) a third to the food, a third to the drink and a third to let him breathe comfortably (air).“(Ahmad).
Next time you are eating, think twice about what you are eating and check if it is healthy and good for your overall health. That way Allah will bless you with more of a good food and He will bless you with what you have and you will get rewards for the intention.
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