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Gratitude for our food Part 16

Why is it that we hear people saying, “a hungry man is an angry man”, but we don’t hear people saying, “A satiated man is a grateful man.”

Indeed man is in need of food in order to survive.

There are numerous verses of the Quraan which explain the bounty of food.

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُلُوا۟ مِن طَيِّبَـٰتِ مَا رَزَقْنَـٰكُمْ وَٱشْكُرُوا۟ لِلَّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ
O believers! Eat the clean things which We have provided you and give thanks to Allah, if you worship only Him. [Al Baqarah: 172]

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ كُلُوا۟ مِمَّا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ حَلَـٰلًا طَيِّبًا وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ خُطُوَٰتِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ
O Mankind! Eat of what is lawful and clean on the earth and do not follow the footsteps of Shaitan, surely he is your open enemy. [Al Baqarah: 168]

يَسْـَٔلُونَكَ مَاذَآ أُحِلَّ لَهُمْ ۖ قُلْ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتُ ۙ وَمَا عَلَّمْتُم مِّنَ ٱلْجَوَارِحِ مُكَلِّبِينَ تُعَلِّمُونَهُنَّ مِمَّا عَلَّمَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ ۖ فَكُلُوا۟ مِمَّآ أَمْسَكْنَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱسْمَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ ۖ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَرِيعُ ٱلْحِسَابِ
They ask you what food is lawful for them, say: All good clean things are lawful for you, as well as what you have taught your hunting birds and beasts to catch, trained by you with the knowledge given to you by Allah. Eat what they catch and hold for you, however, pronounce the name of Allah over it. Have fear of Allah. Allah is swift in settling the accounts. [Al Maida: 04]

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏”‏ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ طَيِّبٌ لاَ يَقْبَلُ إِلاَّ طَيِّبًا وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ أَمَرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بِمَا أَمَرَ بِهِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ فَقَالَ ‏{‏ يَا أَيُّهَا الرُّسُلُ كُلُوا مِنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَاعْمَلُوا صَالِحًا إِنِّي بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌ‏}‏ وَقَالَ ‏{‏ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُلُوا مِنْ طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ‏}‏ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ الرَّجُلَ يُطِيلُ السَّفَرَ أَشْعَثَ أَغْبَرَ يَمُدُّ يَدَيْهِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ يَا رَبِّ يَا رَبِّ وَمَطْعَمُهُ حَرَامٌ وَمَشْرَبُهُ حَرَامٌ وَمَلْبَسُهُ حَرَامٌ وَغُذِيَ بِالْحَرَامِ فَأَنَّى يُسْتَجَابُ لِذَلِكَ
Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:

O people, Allah is Good and He therefore, accepts only that which is good. And Allah commanded the believers as He commanded the Messengers by saying: “O Messengers, eat of the good things, and do good deeds; verily I am aware of what you do” (23:51). And He said: “O those who believe, eat of the good things that We gave you” (2:172). He then made a mention of a person who travels widely, his hair disheveled and covered with dust. He lifts his hand towards the sky (and thus makes the supplication): “O Lord, O Lord,” whereas his diet is unlawful, his drink is unlawful, and his clothes are unlawful and his nourishment is unlawful. How can then his supplication be accepted? [Sahih Muslim 1015]

Food is the most essential requirement for sustenance of human life. Even if a human being does not have shelter over their head or clothes over their body, they would still survive if they get wholesome nutrition. That is why all over human history, we have been motivated to search and seek food. Throughout history food has acted as a catalyst for societal transformation, societal organization, competition, development, conflict and expansion.

From the earliest cavemen who survived on hunting to the more advanced civilizations which used agriculture, food transformed human life by giving it structure. It paved way to the path of the modern civilization we know.

Islam gives specific advice to Muslims about all aspects of life and this includes food and eating habits and manners. Food is not required for itself or for the sake of enjoyment but to sustain life so that one may enjoy the health and physical strength required to undertake one’s duties and responsibilities in this life. In addition to ensuring physical well-being, food is also essential for the spiritual and moral health of the believers.

Gratitude for our clothes
The very nature of men is to conceal and to cover his body and especially the private parts. This is a distinctive difference between human and animal. Thus when the heavenly garments were stripped off the first man and first Prophet of Allah, Adam (AS) and his wife Hawa (RA), there first reaction was to run to the nearest tree, break off the leaves and cover themselves.
فَأَكَلَا مِنْهَا فَبَدَتْ لَهُمَا سَوْءَٰتُهُمَا وَطَفِقَا يَخْصِفَانِ عَلَيْهِمَا مِن وَرَقِ ٱلْجَنَّةِ
They both end up eating the fruit of the forbidden tree. As a result their private parts became apparent to them and they both began to cover themselves with the leaves from the Garden. [Taha: 121]
Muslims are required to pay attention to their appearance, making sure that their clothing is beautiful and clean, especially when dealing with others and when performing their prayers, as the Holy Quraan states,
يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ خُذُوا۟ زِينَتَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ
“Children of Adam, wear your best clothes to every mosque.” [Al-A‛raaf, 7:31]
Allah ﷻ has permitted people to wear nice clothes and put on a good appearance, as doing so is one aspect of remembering Allah’s blessings upon them. As the Noble Quraan states,
قُلْ مَنْ حَرَّمَ زِينَةَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَخْرَجَ لِعِبَادِهِۦ وَٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتِ مِنَ ٱلرِّزْقِ ۚ قُلْ هِىَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا خَالِصَةً يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ
O Muhammad, ask them: “Who has forbidden you to wear decent clothes or to eat the good food which Allah has provided for His devotees?” Say: “All these things are for the enjoyment of the believers in the life of this world though shared by others; but these shall be exclusively theirs on the Day of Resurrection. Thus do We make Our revelations clear for those who understand.” [Al-A‛raaf, 7:32]
Clothing serves a number of purposes. It covers the parts of the body which must be covered in public, following the standards of modesty which are innate in all human beings:
يَـٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ قَدْ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ لِبَاسًا يُوَٰرِى سَوْءَٰتِكُمْ وَرِيشًا ۖ وَلِبَاسُ ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ ءَايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ
O children of Adam! We have sent down to you clothing to cover your nakedness and as an adornment, however, the best clothing is the clothing of piety. This is one of Allah’s revelations so that the people may learn a lesson. [Al-A‛raaf, 7:26]
It covers the body against heat, cold and harm in general. Heat and cold are weather phenomena which can harm people. Describing the benefits of clothing which Allah has provided for His servants, Allah states,
وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ سَرَٰبِيلَ تَقِيكُمُ ٱلْحَرَّ وَسَرَٰبِيلَ تَقِيكُم بَأْسَكُمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُتِمُّ نِعْمَتَهُۥ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُسْلِمُونَ
(Allah) has granted you garments to protect yourselves from heat; and coats of armour to protect you during your wars. Thus He completes his favours to you, so that you may become Muslims. [An-Nahl, 16:81]
Therefore, the Prophet of Allah ﷺ taught us to praise and glorify Allah every-time we put on garments.
اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ الَّذِي كَسَانِي هَذَا (الثَّوْبَ) وَرَزَقَنِيهِ مِنْ غَـيـْرِ حَوْلٍ مِنِّي وَلَا قُـوَّة
All Praise is for Allah who has clothed me with this garment and provided it for me, with no power or might from myself. [Abu Dawud No# 4023]

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