Ramadan Mubarak (2)

"Mickey finally spoke to Minnie about marrying her, "I know I haven’t got buckets of money like my friend Richie, or a hot film career like Richie, or Richie’s good looks, youth, terrific sense of humor, or muscles, but I’m loyal and true and I love you, Minnie."

'You are so sweet Mickey,' replied Minnie, 'but first things first, please tell me more about Richie!'"

"What to eat, what to avoid on khamr and other intoxicants, are very much tied to the purity and spirituality of the body and soul," Jasmine went on while looking at a sign 'حلال' within a circle.

"In the 610s, during the nascent days of the Islamic religion, the polytheistic Meccan elites in the western parts of the Arabian Peninsula persecuted, harassed, and at one point even banished the Prophet (ﷺ) and the sahaba, radhiyallahu 'anhum, for propagating their new monotheistic beliefs. To protect his followers from growing persecution, the Prophet (ﷺ) dispatched dozens to Abyssinia (modern-day Ethiopia), a Christian kingdom under the governance of King Negus, who is remembered by Muslims as just and compassionate. The newcomers wished to live in peace with their Christian neighbors, whom they sought neither to convert nor to offend.

One day King Negus called their leader, the Prophet’s cousin Ja‘far, radhiyallahu 'anhu, and asked him why Muslims had turned their back on their ancient religion, but also refused to adopt the Christian faith of their Abyssinian hosts. Ja‘far explained, 'We were a people steeped in ignorance, worshipping idols, eating unsacrificed carrion, committing abominations, and [living in a community where] the strong would devour the weak .... So we [now] worship Allah alone, setting naught beside Him, counting as forbidden what He has forbidden and licit what He has allowed . . . . That is why we have come to thy country, having chosen thee above others; and we have been happy in thy protection.'

Ja‘far’s response captures early Muslim efforts to distinguish themselves from their animist and polytheistic ancestors who, among other offenses, ate improperly sacrificed meat, that is, carrion. Implicitly, Ja‘far thus also gave a nod of respect to his Christian hosts. Christians in these lands had long held their own restrictive attitudes toward food, rules about which animals can be consumed, who can perform acts of slaughter, and whether meals can be shared with non-coreligionists. Ja‘far may have recognized that his explanation would elicit empathy from this royal Christian audience—that the desire to create an autonomous religious community based on specific dietary rules would be viewed with some measure of understanding.

Although stories about food, identity, and difference in the context of the early Muslim community abound in various historical sources, the notion of halal as applied to Islamic dietary practices in the Quran. The Muslim scripture constitutes the earliest and most important source for divine guidance in every aspect of Muslim life, including halal matters.

At its foundations, halal eating is a divinely sanctioned injunction. Dietary laws in Islam belong to the realm of ‘ibadah', rules that govern acts of worship and service owed to Allah. For many Muslims, therefore, eating correct and prescribed foods is akin to fasting during Ramadan.

Food choices play an important role in symbolic, economic, and social aspects by expressing preferences, identities, and cultural meanings, says Jeffery Sobal [et al]. Food choice involves selecting and consuming of foods and beverages, considering what, how, when, where, and with whom people eat as well as other aspects of their food and eating behaviors. Food choices are important because they create consumer demand for suppliers in the food system who produce, process, and distribute food. Food choices also determine which nutrients and other substances enter the body and subsequently influence health, morbidity, and mortality.

Most likely the factors that affect your food choices will differ from those around you, says Leanne Cooper. For example, in your home, there may be a newly returned-to-work mother, a tradesperson father, a high school child, and a university student, with a retired grandparent. These people will be influenced by different factors—some will be affected by peers and others not, some by resources such as money, and others not so directly.

There are a range of factors exerting power over our food choices. Such factors can be within our control, such as our ideals, while others may be beyond our control, such as cost. We all have ideals, principles, and values we hold that move us to pursue our goals or to direct us in life along a path. We largely learn our ideals while we are growing up. For example is the ideal of ‘halal food.'

In the Quran, the term 'halal' refers to objects and practices regarded as lawful and permissible. The Quran states that Allah created food to sustain and nourish life and encouraged humans to enjoy it in moderation. Thus food represents Allah’s power and benevolence. Allah says,

وَٱلَّذِى هُوَ يُطْعِمُنِى وَيَسْقِينِ

'And it is He who feeds me and gives me drink.' [QS. Ash-Shu'ara (26):79]

Allah, Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, also says,

وَجَعَلَ فِيْهَا رَوَاسِيَ مِنْ فَوْقِهَا وَبٰرَكَ فِيْهَا وَقَدَّرَ فِيْهَآ اَقْوَاتَهَا فِيْٓ اَرْبَعَةِ اَيَّامٍۗ سَوَاۤءً لِّلسَّاۤىِٕلِيْنَ

'And He placed on it [i.e., the earth] firmly set mountains over its surface, and He blessed it and determined therein its [creatures'] sustenance in four days without distinction1 - for [the information of] those who ask.' [QS. Fussilat (41):10]

Clear Quranic prohibitions against specific types of food are provided in a limited number of verses and revealed gradually. The following is the chronological order of revelation about the prohibitions from the earliest to the most recent.

First, revealed in Mecca, Allah said,

قُلْ لَّآ اَجِدُ فِيْ مَآ اُوْحِيَ اِلَيَّ مُحَرَّمًا عَلٰى طَاعِمٍ يَّطْعَمُهٗٓ اِلَّآ اَنْ يَّكُوْنَ مَيْتَةً اَوْ دَمًا مَّسْفُوْحًا اَوْ لَحْمَ خِنْزِيْرٍ فَاِنَّهٗ رِجْسٌ اَوْ فِسْقًا اُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللّٰهِ بِهٖۚ فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍ وَّلَا عَادٍ فَاِنَّ رَبَّكَ غَفُوْرٌ رَّحِيْمٌ

'Say, 'I do not find within that which was revealed to me [anything] forbidden to one who would eat it unless it be a dead animal or blood spilled out or the flesh of swine - for indeed, it is impure - or it be [that slaughtered in] disobedience, dedicated to other than Allāh.1 But whoever is forced [by necessity], neither desiring [it] nor transgressing [its limit], then indeed, your Lord is Forgiving and Merciful.' [QS. Al-An-'am (6):145]

Next, again in Mecca, Allah said,

اِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةَ وَالدَّمَ وَلَحْمَ الْخِنْزِيْرِ وَمَآ اُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللّٰهِ بِهٖۚ فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍ وَّلَا عَادٍ فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ غَفُوْرٌ رَّحِيْمٌ

'He has only forbidden to you dead animals [those not slaughtered or hunted expressly for food.], blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah. But whoever is forced [by necessity], neither desiring [it] nor transgressing [its limit]—then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.' [QS. An-Nahl (15):15]

In Medina, revealed two years after the Prophet's migration, Allah said,

اِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةَ وَالدَّمَ وَلَحْمَ الْخِنْزِيْرِ وَمَآ اُهِلَّ بِهٖ لِغَيْرِ اللّٰهِ ۚ فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ غَيْرَ بَاغٍ وَّلَا عَادٍ فَلَآ اِثْمَ عَلَيْهِ ۗ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ غَفُوْرٌ رَّحِيْمٌ

'He has only forbidden to you dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allāh. But whoever is forced [by necessity], neither desiring [it] nor transgressing [its limit], there is no sin upon him. Indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.' [QS. Al-Baqarah (2):173]

Then it was revealed again in Medina, revealed at the time of the final or 'farewell' pilgrimage, about two years before the Prophet’s death in 632, Allah said,

حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ وَالدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ الْخِنْزِيْرِ وَمَآ اُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللّٰهِ بِهٖ وَالْمُنْخَنِقَةُ وَالْمَوْقُوْذَةُ وَالْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَالنَّطِيْحَةُ وَمَآ اَكَلَ السَّبُعُ اِلَّا مَا ذَكَّيْتُمْۗ وَمَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى النُّصُبِ وَاَنْ تَسْتَقْسِمُوْا بِالْاَزْلَامِۗ ذٰلِكُمْ فِسْقٌۗ اَلْيَوْمَ يَىِٕسَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا مِنْ دِيْنِكُمْ فَلَا تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَاخْشَوْنِۗ اَلْيَوْمَ اَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِيْنَكُمْ وَاَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِيْ وَرَضِيْتُ لَكُمُ الْاِسْلَامَ دِيْنًاۗ فَمَنِ اضْطُرَّ فِيْ مَخْمَصَةٍ غَيْرَ مُتَجَانِفٍ لِّاِثْمٍۙ فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ غَفُوْرٌ رَّحِيْمٌ

'Prohibited to you are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allāh, and [those animals] killed by strangling or by a violent blow or by a head-long fall or by the goring of horns, and those from which a wild animal has eaten, except what you [are able to] slaughter [before its death], and those which are sacrificed on stone altars, and [prohibited is] that you seek decision through divining arrows. That is grave disobedience. This day those who disbelieve have despaired of [defeating] your religion; so fear them not, but fear Me. This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islām as religion. But whoever is forced by severe hunger with no inclination to sin - then indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.' [QS. Al-Ma'idah (5):3]

The Quran contains additional directives relevant to food. Some verses deal with fasting, specifically during the holy month of Ramadan, apart from being expected to abstain from food, drink, also, not having sexual relations, from sunrise to sunset. Allah says,

اُحِلَّ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةَ الصِّيَامِ الرَّفَثُ اِلٰى نِسَاۤىِٕكُمْ ۗ هُنَّ لِبَاسٌ لَّكُمْ وَاَنْتُمْ لِبَاسٌ لَّهُنَّ ۗ عَلِمَ اللّٰهُ اَنَّكُمْ كُنْتُمْ تَخْتَانُوْنَ اَنْفُسَكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَعَفَا عَنْكُمْ ۚ فَالْـٰٔنَ بَاشِرُوْهُنَّ وَابْتَغُوْا مَا كَتَبَ اللّٰهُ لَكُمْ ۗ وَكُلُوْا وَاشْرَبُوْا حَتّٰى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الْاَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الْاَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِۖ ثُمَّ اَتِمُّوا الصِّيَامَ اِلَى الَّيْلِۚ وَلَا تُبَاشِرُوْهُنَّ وَاَنْتُمْ عٰكِفُوْنَۙ فِى الْمَسٰجِدِ ۗ تِلْكَ حُدُوْدُ اللّٰهِ فَلَا تَقْرَبُوْهَاۗ كَذٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللّٰهُ اٰيٰتِهٖ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُوْنَ

'It has been made permissible for you the night preceding fasting to go to your wives [for sexual relations]. They are a clothing for you and you are a clothing for them. Allah knows that you used to deceive yourselves, so He accepted your repentance and forgave you. So now, have relations with them and seek that which Allāh has decreed for you [i.e., offspring]. And eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread [of night]. Then complete the fast until the night [i.e., sunset]. And do not have relations with them as long as you are staying for worship in the mosques. These are the limits [set by] Allah, so do not approach them. Thus does Allāh make clear His verses [i.e., ordinances] to the people that they may become righteous.' [QS. Al-Baqarah (2):183]

Intoxicating beverages also receive attention. There are some relevant verses regarding intoxicating substances in the order they were revealed. We'll explore it in the next episode, bi 'idhnillah."

Taking a break before moving on to the next episode, Jasmine sang,

So many bright stars

Like diamonds in the sky

It makes me wonder

How anyone can be blind

To all the signs so clear

Just open your eyes

And I know without a doubt

You will surely see the light *)

Citations & References:

- Febe Armanios and Boğaç Ergene, Halal Food: A History, 2018, Oxford University Press

- Richard Shepherd and Monique Raats (Eds.), The Psychology of Food Choice, 2016, CABI

- Leanne Cooper, Change the Way You Eat: The Psychology of Food, 2015, Exisle

*) "Allahi Allah Kiya Karo" written by Maher Elzein, Bara Kherigi, Irfan Makki, Emir Ersoy

[Episode 3]

[Episode 1]

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