ETHICS, THE WAY TO JANNAH 2:food
“In the name of Allah, the most beneficent, most merciful. All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists). The only owner of the day of recompense, You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help. Guide us to the straightway. The way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, not (the way) of those who earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray and may all peace and blessings be upon the sultan of creation, the Imam of the Messengers, the seal of the prophets, the intercessor of the day of judgment, the master of the first and the last, sayyidina Muhammad (AS), and upon his noble family and blessed companions, especially upon the Four Khulafa-e-Rashideen, Hz. Abu Bakr el-siddiq, Hz. Umar el-Faruk, Hz. Osman el-Ghani, and Hz. Ali el-Murtaza, and all those who follow them until the Last Day”.
There is no doubt that Islam really
stresses on the aspects of having noble characteristics. Moreover, ethics can
be considered as the basic pillar for a healthy and firm nation.
A society or nation which is devoid of
ethical values would always be having problems. Therefore, all scholars and philosophers
agreed on the importance of ethics in every individual and society, and
considered ethics as the foundation of every society. According to most
scholars, the first step in promoting an ideal human society is to advocate refined
morality. Indeed, each prophet brought the same message to urge people to
uphold a good morality. Islamic ethics did not fail to recognize our state of
health by regulating what we eat and drink and how to do it {forbidden
to you is that which dies of itself, and blood, and flesh of swine, and that on
which any other name than that of Allah has been invoked, and the strangled
(animal) and that beaten to death, and that killed by a fall and that killed by
being smitten with the horn, and that which wild beasts have eaten, except what
you slaughter (before it dies), and what is sacrificed on stones set up (for
idols) and that you divide by the arrows; that is a transgression. This day
have those who disbelieve despaired of your religion, so fear them not, and
fear me. this day have i perfected for you your religion and completed my favor
on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion; but whoever is compelled by
hunger, not inclining willfully to sin, then surely Allah is forgiving,
merciful} 5:3 the verse above clearly tells us part of what is
forbidden to eat and did not 100% ban us from eating it, if we’re starving and
we don’t have other source to get food and we can’t hold it, then we can take
only what we can survive on at that moment. Even when you have animals hunting
for you which their prey may die before they get them to you Allah said {they
ask you as to what is allowed to them. say: the good things are allowed to you,
and what you have taught the beasts and birds of prey, training them to hunt--
you teach them of what Allah has taught you-- so eat of that which they catch
for you and mention the name of Allah over it; and be careful of (your duty to)
Allah; surely Allah is swift in reckoning} 5:4
{this day (all) the good things are allowed to you; and the food
of those who have been given the book is lawful for you and your food is lawful
for them; and the chaste from among the believing women and the chaste from
among those who have been given the book before you (are lawful for you); when
you have given them their dowries, taking (them) in marriage, not fornicating
nor taking them for paramours in secret; and whoever denies faith, his work
indeed is of no account, and in the hereafter he shall be one of the losers}
5:5 the above verse signifies the important of
human to human relation, Quran does not just mention what to eat it also
emphasis how to eat it
Apart from the quranic bases the
hadith also emphasis on it, The Messenger of Allah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “O young boy, say the name of
Allah and eat with your right hand, and eat from what is nearest to you.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5376) and Muslim (2022).
And Muslim (2020)
narrated from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No one among you should eat with
his left hand or drink with it, for the shaytaan eats with his left hand and
drinks with it.”
But if one is
unable to eat with right hand, there is no sin in that. Al-Nawawi said in Sharh
Muslim (13/191): The objection to eating and drinking with the left hand
applies so long as there is excuse. If there is an excuse which prevents one
from eating and drinking with the right hand because of sickness, injury etc.,
then it is not makrooh (sin).
Matters of business are not separated from
ethical and moral questions in Islam. There are values that must be observed
and respected. Islam forbids us to exploit other people or to use unjust method
in acquiring wealth. It also has regulated the way of spending which is not be
too niggardly and not to be too extravagant but to be a middle cause between
these two extremes. In terms of income distribution, Islam suggests it should
be done on the basis of justice. Justice in distribution is to make sure that the
wealth should not be monopolized by the rich only but should be circulated
fairly among the members of the society. That is why we have rules and laws of
zakah, inheritance, sadaqah, waqf. In addition, there are some basic
socio-economic ethics in the Qur’anic verses and hadith of the Prophet
(p.b.u.h), such as, condemn of the use of false weights and measures and other
fraud dealings, the prohibition of riba and usury, the prohibition of gambling,
the prohibition of bribery, consuming others’ property unlawfully, and trading
during congregational prayer on Friday.
Inshaalah I shall make a pause here and
continue next week on dressing code in islam, I pray all writing in this
context will help to improve our piety. Amin salam alaekum warahmotullahi wabarakat
Courtesy: AZEEZ H. O.
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