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Food
Food is a blessing from Allah Almighty. The Quran teaches us to not only enjoy the food He has provided for us but also to make sure we are not spreading ‘corruption’ on earth through our food habits.
This verse reminds us that we need to eat and drink sustainably so as not to damage the earth. However, there is clear evidence today that the planet is being affected by our eating behaviours Our demand for food, especially meat products, is damaging to our planet.
During the month of Ramadan, Iftars can often become an extravagant affair where excess food is prepared and consumed. Iftar is a meal with a spiritual experience attached to it, a time to make supplications. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
“When the fasting person breaks his fast, his supplication is not turned away.”
(Ibn Majah)
Iftars are a time for practicing patience, simplicity and empathy. When we experience hunger in the daytime, we think about the importance of food and water which should help us reflect not only on those who lack access to it but also on where our food comes from.
We realise we cannot live without such sustenance and after this experience we should be filled with gratitude to Allah Almighty, who not only created us, but also provided with all our basic needs. Environmental degradation and climate change is having a huge impact on our food levels as a result of global over consumption.
During the month of Ramadan, self-restraint is the essence of fasting, refraining from food and water for a limited period is a form of training. Although this training is for a temporary period, it should enable us to lead our whole life in accordance with the spirit of simplicity in our way of living, it is an integral part of our religion.
As we have learnt from the previous chapter, extravagance of any kind is not the way of the Prophet ﷺ.
Ramadan Food Tips
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Don’t over-purchase – Ramadan is not about how much food you can eat at Iftar, keep your meals simple, eat modestly.
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Be mindful of marketing and advertising techniques aimed at influencing you to buy more than you need. Commercialism in the run up to Ramadan is now a regular occurrence similar to Christmas, Easter and other religious festivals.
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Our iftars do not have to include meat! Take the opportunity of Ramadan to try new vegetarian dishes – meat is very high on the food chain and the more of it we eat, the more damage we do to the environment.
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The Prophet’s ﷺ diet consisted mainly of grains, dates, water, milk, honey, fruit and vegetables, while meat was not a daily part of his diet.
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Try to eat local – food which is grown locally is generally more environmentally friendly and at the same time you’re supporting local businesses which is even better!
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Keep in mind the hadith of filling 1/3 of your stomach with food, 1/3 with water, and leaving 1/3 empty (Tirmidhi)
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Use leftover food from iftar for Suhoor, and left over food from Suhoor for Iftar the following day.