Halal and clean food is mentioned in the Quran. What do “Halals are certain” and “clean food” mean?
Halal and clean food is mentioned in the Quran. What do “Halals are certain” and “clean food” mean?
Submitted by on Wed, 30/05/2018 - 15:52
Dear Brother / Sister,
"Eat of the things which Allah hath provided for you, lawful and good; but fear Allah, in Whom ye believe!" (al-Maida, 5/88)
According to a narration, once the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) described the Day of Judgment to his Companions and spoke very much in order to warn them. Thereupon, a group of Companions who were there left and met in Uthman bin Ma'zun's house. Ali bin Abi Talib, Ibn Mas'ud, Miqdad bin Aswad, Abu Hudhayfa's slave Salim and Qudama were among them. They decided to perform fasting every day, to spend nights worshipping, not to sleep in bed, not to eat meat, not to have intercourse with women, to give up the world and to wear the garment of monks. They agreed on this decision and wanted to be castrated. When the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) found out about it, he addressed them as follows:
"I was not ordered to do so. Your soul has its rights over you. Perform fasting and worship at night but stop fasting on some days. Sleep at night; I both worship and sleep at night. I fast on some days and eat on some days. I eat meat. I have intercourse with women. He who turns away from my Sunnah is not of me."
Thereupon, the verse above was sent down.
A narration from Ibn Mas'ud: Somebody said, "I rendered bed haram for me." Ibn Mas’ud read the verse above to him and said, "Sleep in your bed. Pay atonement for your vow." That Christians are described as monks can sometimes express that it is better. The verse mentioned above gives the definite and just decree regarding the issue.
Explanation.
O those who believe! Do not render the things that are bestowed upon you as nice, clean and delicious things haram for yourselves. Do not refrain from nice and clean things that your souls find delicious and your hearts like by rendering them haram. Do not say, "We have rendered them haram for ourselves" about the things that are halal and legitimate for you. Yes. Do not do like that with the intention of worshipping and approaching Allah. Allah does not become pleased with you when you do so; on the contrary, He prohibits doing so.
"O ye who believe! Eat of the good things that We have provided for you, and be grateful to Allah, if it is Him ye worship."
Do not enter haram things by overstepping the limits that Allah imposed for halal things. Dirty and filthy things were rendered haram for you. Both extravagance and stinginess are haram for you. Allah Almighty made you a moderate ummah with no extremes.
"... Eat and drink: But waste not by excess, for Allah loveth not the wasters." (al-A'raf, 7/31)
Eat what Allah gave you as sustenance if there is no interest, bribery and haram things in them. Interest, bribery and haram things are sins. Eat nice and clean things that are not among the ten essentially haram things mentioned at the beginning of this chapter and that do not become haram afterwards by waiting for a long time, undergoing change by rotting, etc. Doubtlessly, Allah does not like those who overstep His religious limits. What is meant by the word "eat" mentioned in the verse is consuming, which includes eating and drinking.
Fear Allah about food, drinks and clothes. Do not render halal things haram and haram things halal thinking that you are doing something good. This is the stupidity of "raising difficulties in religion", with which Allah and His Messenger are not pleased. Those who regard the appetite of their stomachs and the lust of their genitals as their primary goal are the squanderers that are brothers of Satan. A person who spends more than he earns, who borrows money and does not act economically is a squanderer. A person who acts stingily toward his own soul though Allah has bestowed upon him plenty of sustenance is a condemned transgressor.
It is possible for a person who looks at that verse to understand that the religion of Islam gives great importance to establishing and maintaining the balance between the spirit and the body.
"In fact, this religion is sound and durable. Attain depths in it with lenience and softness."
"He who destroys his mount by making it run very fast can neither cover a distance nor have a sound mount."
Thus, we were made a just and moderate ummah. The best work is the one that is away from extremes. We should state that to render nice and clean things haram, to torture one’s soul and to inflict pain upon one’s own body are deeds of worshipping that date back to ancient Hindus and Greeks. The people of the Book, especially Christians, imitated Hindus and Greeks regarding the issue. Those who examine the life of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) know that he ate what was available. He sometimes ate nice food like mutton and chicken and sometimes contented himself with barley bread and salt or olive oil or vinegar. Hz. Muhammad (pbuh) was a model for both the rich and the poor. There were both rich and poor people among the Companions and caliphs. They acted neither extravagantly nor stingily; they spent their money based on their financial situation.
"He who is well off should give nafaqah based on his wealth. He who is not rich should spend from what Allah gave him."
Questions on Islam
- During the period of which Prophet was pork rendered haram?
- Do zarurahs (necessities) render harams halal? Is it possible in Islam to abandon fards for harams or to commit a haram deed for something fard? If yes, when?
- Is it permissible to eat food that includes harmful substances?
- Why has pork been rendered haram in the religion of Islam?
- Is vinegar made from wine permissible? Are all vinegars halal?
- Does a Muslim who says ‘a nice thing’ for something haram become an unbeliever?
- What is Taharah (Cleanliness)?
- Is it true that eating between times of asr (afternoon) and maghrib (evening) is forbidden? What are the appropriate manners for eating? Could you explain?
- Can having little income be regarded as a barrier to marriage?
- Is there a hadith meaning “It is enough as extravagance to eat whatever you wish”? If yes, is it regarded as extravagance/waste for people who are well off to eat until they are full, without harming their health?