In the teaching, Islam has given so many advice regarding to every aspect in the life of humankind. It also includes a primary need like foods and also eating habits and manners. There are some importance of foods in Islam which includes the type of foods we need to consume, the manners we need to implement, and also the benefits of foods for our bodies. Allah has mentioned in the Qur’an about good things to be eaten by humankind in the ayah below:
“O ye who believe! Eat of the good things wherewith We have provided you, and render thanks to Allah if it is (indeed) He whom ye worship” (Holy Qur’an 2:172).
Realizing how necessary foods for us as humankind, let’s find out the importance of foods in Islam for our betterment!
Manners In Eating Foods
- Consuming foods should be followed by prayers recited before and after the meals
Whenever we want to consume foods, we should recite this piece of prayer in the beginning:
Allahomma barik lana fima razaqtana waqina athaban-nar. Bismillah.
“Oh Allah! Bless the food You have provided us and save us from the punishment of the hellfire. In the name of Allah.”
After we finish your meal, don’t forget to recite this prayer as a form of our gratitude to Allah:
Alhamdul lillahi rabbil ‘alameen. Al-Hamdulillahi al-ladhi at’amana wa saqana wa ja’alana muslimeen. Allahumma kama at’amtana halalan tayyiban faj’alhu ‘aunan lana ‘ala ta’atik.
“All praise to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. All praise to Allah who fed us, quenched our thirst and made us muslims (those who submit to Him). O’Allah you have fed us halal food, so make it help us in obeying you.”
2. Make sure we consume halal foods
There some prohibited foods we shouldn’t eat that are mentioned in the Qur’an such as meat of a dead animal, slaughtered animals which are sacrificed for others than Allah. It is mentioned in the ayah below:
“He has forbidden you only Al‐Maytatah (meat of a dead animal), blood, the flesh of swine, and any animal which is slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allah (or has been slaughtered for idols etc. or on which Allah’s Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering). But if one is forced by necessity, without wilful disobedience, and not transgressing, then, Allah is Oft‐Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Qur’an, 3:115‐116)
Besides that, there also another forbidden foods mentioned in the Qur’an such as carrion, blood, pork, death animals, etc. Take a look at the ayah below:
“Forbidden for you are carrion, blood and pork, and what has been dedicated to other than Allah, and animals which have been strangled, and animals which have been killed by a blow, and animals which have fallen to their death, and animals which have been gored, and animals which wild beasts have eaten–except those you are able to slaughter properly–and animals which have been sacrificed on altars, and deciding things by means of divining arrows–that is deviance.
Today those who disbelieve have despaired of overcoming your religion. So do not be afraid of them but be afraid of Me. Today I have perfected your religion for you and completed My blessing upon you and I am pleased with Islam as a religion for you. But if anyone is forced by hunger, not intending any wrongdoing, Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Qur’an 5:3)
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3. Eat foods in moderation
Allah doesn’t like those who spend too much to eat foods. Eating in moderation is highly recommended for muslims as told in the Qur’an:
“And eat and drink, but waste not in extravagance, certainly He (Allah) likes not those who waste in extravagance.” (Qur’an, 7:31)
Our Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) also once told us to eat in moderation as it is good for our own health.
“The son of Adam does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to eat a few mouthfuls, to keep him going. If he must do that (fill his stomach), then let him fill one third with food, one third with drink and one third with air.” (Tirmidhi)
If you already pay attention to the manners of consuming foods, let’s find out another importance of food in Islam based on the type and benefits contained. Read about that below:
Type of Foods
4. Consume more vegetables and fruits
Allah has provided humankind good things to eat including fruits and vegetables as stated in the ayah below:
“He sends down water from the sky from which We bring forth growth of every kind, and from that We bring forth the green shoots and from them We bring forth closepacked seeds, and, from the spathes of the date‐palm, date clusters hanging down, and gardens of grapes and olives and pomegranates, both similar and dissimilar. Look at their fruits as they bear fruit and ripen. There are signs in that for people who believe.” (Qur’an, 6:99)
Vegetables contain so many nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, dietary fiber, etc. As well as vegetables, fruits also contain vitamins and minerals, and are also rich with dietary fiber. Vegetables and fruits contain so many benefits as it may reduce the risk for heart disease, obesity, diabetes, even cancer. That’s why it is important for us to consume more vegetables and fruits for the sake of our health.
5. Mother’s milk is good for infants
[AdSense-A] Mother’s milk is good for infants. It can reduce the risk of cancer among infants. Another benefit of mother’s milk is preventing the infants from viruses, colds, even disease like flu or pneumonia. The importance of feeding infants milks from their mother is also stated in the Qur’an. Take a look at ayah below:
“Mothers may breastfeed their children two complete years for whoever wishes to complete the nursing [period]. Upon the father is the mothers’ provision and their clothing according to what is acceptable. No person is charged with more than his capacity. No mother should be harmed through her child, and no father through his child. And upon the [father’s] heir is [a duty] like that [of the father].
And if they both desire weaning through mutual consent from both of them and consultation, there is no blame upon either of them. And if you wish to have your children nursed by a substitute, there is no blame upon you as long as you give payment according to what is acceptable. And fear Allah and know that Allah is Seeing of what you do.” (Qur’an, 2:233)
read also: prayer for having child
6. Consume olive
Olive is not only important for hair and skin (here also tips for glowing skin in Islam), yet also for nutrition to other part of our bodies. Our Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) encouraged his people to use and consume olive as stated in the hadith below:
”Eat the oil and use it on your hair and skin, for it comes from a blessed tree.” (Tirmidhi)
7. Seeds and Nuts for Our Nutrition
Seeds and nuts maintain our daily protein and nutrition intake. The chemical compounds contained on seeds and nuts can help us reducing the nutrient load in our bodies. Some type of seeds and nuts that we are familiar with are almonds, cashew, pumpkin seeds, or black pepper seeds.
8. Consume vinegar
Vinegar is good for our health. It contains antioxidant and can control our blood glucose levels. Besides that, it can also help us losing some body weights. Surprisingly, our Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) also recommended the importance of consuming vinegar in our foods as Jabir b. ‘Abdullah (r.a) reported:
“Allah’s Messenger took hold of my hand one day (and led me) to his residence. There was presented to him some pieces of bread, whereupon he said: Is there no condiment? They (the members of his household) said: No, except some vinegar. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Vinegar is a good condiment. Jabir said: I have always loved vinegar since I heard it trom Allah’s Apostl. Talha said: I have always loved vinegar since I heard about it from Jabir.” (Muslim)
9. Consume honey
Besides contain of antioxidants and high good cholesterol, hones can also be replacement of sugar for diabetes patients Our Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) also said that honey is the cure of every illness. Let’s take a look at hadith below:
“Honey is a remedy for every illness and the Qur’an is a remedy for all illness of the mind, therefore I recommend to you both remedies, the Qur’an and honey.” (Bukhari)
10. Mineral water for our health
Mineral water is good for our health. It can lower our cholesterol and can be source of calcium that is beneficial to our bones. Besides that, mineral water is also good for blood regeneration and our athletics performance. The mineral that is contained in it helps strengthening our immune system and detoxifying our bodies. That’s why, we need to maintain consuming mineral water at least 1.5 litre of water a day.
read also: irights of minorities in islam
Benefits
Besides the importance of foods in Islam based on the manners and types, we need to know some benefits of foods in Islam. Here they are:
- Help maintaining our health
- Help improving our performance in thinking and doing anything
- Provide us source of energy
- Reduce the risk of disease to our bodies
- Provide us source of medicine to our illness
Finally, there are 15 importance of foods in Islam based on the manners, types, and benefits. If you find this article beneficial, please like or share it. May Allah be with us always.