Eat of the good things (DW#415)
SÅ«ra Mu’minÅ«n: Eat of the good things and act righteously [Quran: 23:51]
As we prepare for the festival of Eid and the days of feasting that will surely follow, let us remind ourselves of this verse which links eating to doing good or acting righteously.
It is a most beautiful command to eat of the good things: to enjoy the bounty and blessings that He has granted us and to take pleasure in these bounties. While this verse commands us to be mindful of what we eat, it also links food to spirituality, to the command to act righteously.
Scholars explain that this verse reminds us that what we eat impacts our soul. It affects how we think and how we behave, how we connect to God, and how we treat others around us. Our spirituality, in other words, is very closely linked to what and how we eat.
A tradition of the Holy Prophet (saw) advises us: Spare one third of the stomach for food, one third for drink and one third for breath.
So today as we begin feasting, let us remind ourselves to eat mindfully:
1) To eat that what is good for our bodies and our souls
2) To eat that which provides us with clean energy, both physical and spiritual
3) To eat that which is respectful of the planet
4) To eat that which ensures that the animals are treated kindly
5) To eat that which is nourishing but not over indulgent
6) To express gratitude for what we consume
7) To remember those that struggle with food insecurity
8) To recognize the interconnection of earth, living beings and the impact of our food choices on these systems
9) To become mindful of where our food comes from
10) And to recognize satiety before we get into food comas :)
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