Many people say “You are what you eat”, but are we really? Are we really what we eat? The Religion of Islam is one of the Religions that greatly focuses on what we eat, but why?

Islam is a code of life.  Muslims do not practice only during the weekends or festive seasons; rather religion is an ongoing part of daily life.  Islam is organised in a spiritual and moral way, taking into account humankind’s innate needs and desires.  The tenets of Islam are derived from the Quran and the authentic traditions of Prophet Muhammad, known as the Sunnah, These two sources of revelation are a guide, or a manual for life.

Although, it may, at first, seem like a rather strange analogy; let us compare Islam’s life instructions with the manual that comes with a computer.  Imagine buying a new laptop without ever having seen any of the technological advances of the last several decades.  Would you know where the on/off button was?  If you managed to turn the computer on would you know how to look after it, do a system restore, run an anti-virus scan, or generally maintain it? Without a manual, the computer would be not much more than a useless piece of technology.

The computer’s designers also designed a manual or guide, knowing that without specific instructions the computer would not be put to the best possible use or do what it was designed to do.  Technology usually comes with guarantees and warranties that become useless, unless you follow the manufacturer’s instructions.  Therefore because we want to get the best possible use from our expensive technology we read the manuals and follow the guidelines.

Islam also offers a specific set of instructions that come with a guarantee, a promise of eternal Paradise.  There is no ‘use by’ date on this guarantee and it allows unlimited extensions.  If you make a mistake or ‘click’ the wrong button the instructions clearly advise you how to make amends and restore normality.  God designed and created humankind for the specific purpose of worshipping Him and sent Prophets and Messengers with specific guidance to make our task easy.  However, without God’s guide to life, humankind can become lost and adrift in a world that does not make a lot of sense or offer any real security and contentment.  Lives are lived without purpose or meaning and many people eek out an existence that provides little or no real sense of having a life worth living.

The traditions of Prophet Muhammad teach us to cherish good health and realise its true value as one of God’s countless bounties.

“And when your Lord proclaimed, “If you give thanks, I will give you more; but if you are thankless, lo!  My punishment is dire.” (Quran 14:7)

Islam’s holistic approach to health includes treating our bodies with respect and nourishing them with, not only faith, but also with lawful, nutritious food.  A major part of living life according to the Creator’s instructions is implementing a suitable diet.  Choosing wholesome food and avoiding the unwholesome is essential to good health.  God says in the Quran, “Eat of the good things which We have provided for you.” (Quran 2:172)  “Eat of what is lawful and wholesome on the earth.” (Quran 2:168)

The Quran contains many verses of advice about healthy eating that relate to the interconnectedness of physical and spiritual health.  Encouragement to eat only good and pure food is often combined with warnings to remember God and avoid Satan.  Healthy eating not only satisfies hunger but also has an effect on how well we worship.

“O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth [that is] lawful and good and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy.”  (Quran 2:168)

If one becomes obsessed with food or indulges in too much unwholesome or junk food he or she may become physically weak or distracted from his primary purpose of serving God.  On the other hand, if one concentrated exclusively on spiritual endeavours and neglected their health and nutrition, weakness injury or illness would also result in failure to carry out obligatory worship.  The guidance found in the Quran and the traditions of Prophet Muhammad advise humankind to maintain a balance between these two extremes.

A healthy diet is balanced with a mixture of all the foods God has provided for His creation.  The variety satisfies all the body’s needs for carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, proteins, fats and amino acids.  Numerous verses of Quran mention the foods God has provided for us to nourish and maintain our bodies.  It is not an exhaustive list of dietary requirements but rather a general idea of the types of food that maintain a healthy body and prevent illness.

Muslims [in predominantly Muslims countries] normally live in their own homes, villages and cities, in the midst of their families and relations, eating variety of foods and drinking different drinks that they desire; They are familiar with the ingredients of these foods and know that they are free from all that their religion has forbidden, their faith has rejected, and their rich Islamic values have kept distance from.

However, when they migrate to foreign countries to reside in the midst of non-Muslim communities, they are faced with problems in eating and drinking because they don’t find foods that are familiar and desirable to them, nor are their ingredients known to them. This is so because the host community is not Islamic; it has its own values, customs and habits which naturally do not abide by the laws of Islam. So, when a Muslim desires to eat any food in a restaurant [in a non-Muslim country], he is faced with the problem of whether or not the food is permissible and pure.

Like many religions, Islam prescribes a set of dietary guidelines for its believers to follow. These rules, while perhaps confusing to outsiders, serve to bond followers together as part of a cohesive group and establishing a unique identity.  For Muslims, the dietary rules to follow are fairly straightforward when it comes to the foods and drink that are allowed and forbidden. More complicated are the rules for how food animals are killed.

Interestingly, Islam shares much in common with Judaism in regards to dietary rules, even though in many other areas, Quranic law is focused on establishing distinctions between Jews and Muslims. The similarity in dietary laws is likely a legacy of a similar ethnic connection in the far past.

In general, Islamic dietary law distinguishes between food and drink that are allowed (halal) and those that are prohibited by God (haram).

So what is Halal food? Why do Muslims emphasize on Halal food?

Islam gives specific advice to Muslims about all aspects of life and this includes food and eating habits and manners. Food is not required for itself or for the sake of enjoyment but to sustain life so that one may enjoy health and physical strength required to undertake one’s duties and responsibilities in this life. In addition to ensuring physical well-being, food is also essential for the spiritual and moral health of the believers.

To get the right physical and spiritual strength, one should consume only lawful (halal) and healthy or wholesome (tayyib) food (Qur’an, 5:88). The faithful are repeatedly enjoined in the Qur’an to consume only lawful and wholesome food. Halal means lawfully acquired, as against stolen, food. In case of meat, it means that it was acquired according to the permissible method of slaughtering an animal, i.e., by invoking Allah’s name while slaughtering the animal and using a sharp knife in order to ensure minimum pain to the animal (which is similar to Kosher rules).

Muslims are allowed to eat what is "good" (Qur'an 2:168)--that is, food and drink identified as pure, clean, wholesome, nourishing and pleasing to the taste. In general, everything is allowed (halal) except what has been specifically forbidden. Under certain circumstances, even prohibited food and drink can be consumed without the consumption being considered a sin. For Islam, a "law of necessity" allows for prohibited acts to occur if no viable alternative exists.

For example, in an instance of possible starvation, it would be considered non-sinful to consume otherwise forbidden food or drink if no halal were available.

What about Haram food, what’s that?

Muslims are enjoined by their religion to abstain from eating certain foods. This is said to be in the interest of health and cleanliness, and in obedience to God.

Some scholars believe the social function of such rules is to help establish a unique identity for followers. In the Qur'an (2:173, 5:3, 5:90-91, 6:145, 16:115), some examples of food that are prohibited in Islam are: Dead meat (i.e. the carcass of an already-dead animal--one that was not slaughtered by appropriate means), Blood, the flesh of swine (pork), Intoxicating drinks. For observant Muslims, this even includes sauces or food-preparation liquids that might include alcohol, such as soy sauce and the meat of an animal that died from electrocution, strangulation or blunt force.

One of the forbidden foods as we mentioned is meat that has not been slaughtered in the Islamic way. But why is slaughtering the animal in a specific way so important, why does it matter?

In Islam, much attention is given to the manner in which animals' lives are taken in order to provide food. Muslims are enjoined to slaughter their livestock by slitting the animal's throat in a swift and merciful manner, reciting God’s name with the words, "In the name of God, God is Most Great" (Quran 6:118-121). This is in acknowledgment that life is sacred and that one must kill only with God's permission, to meet one's lawful need for food. The animal should not suffer in any way, and it is not to see the blade before slaughter.

The knife must be razor sharp and free from any blood of a previous slaughter. The animal is then bled completely before consumption. Meat prepared in this manner is called zabihah, or simply, halal meat.

Some Muslims will abstain from eating meat if they are uncertain of how it was slaughtered. They place importance on the animal having been slaughtered in a humane fashion with the remembrance of God and gratefulness for this sacrifice of the animal's life. They also place importance on the animal having been bled properly, as otherwise it would not be considered healthy to eat.

Unlawful food adversely affects the character of those who consume it. Eating unlawful food like pork, meat of meat-eating animals or stolen food will retard one’s spiritual and moral health.

The Qur’an mentions a number of food stuffs like milk, dates, grapes, honey, corn, grains, olives, certain plants and livestock. Mother’s milk is mentioned in the Qur’an as the best nourishment for her infant, so much so that even if parents get divorced, it is advised that an arrangement be made so that the mother may nurse her infant child for the first two years of his/her life and she has to be paid for this service (Qur’an 2:233).

Thanking Allah at the beginning and end of partaking food is an important part of eating manners in Islam. One should begin in the name of Allah, saying, as the Prophet used to do, Bismillah wa ‘ala barakatillah (In the name of Allah and with His blessings). One should thank Allah after finishing his food saying Al-hamdulillah alladhi at’amana wa saqana wa ja’alana mina’l-muslimin (All thanks to Allah who fed us and quenched our thirst, who made us muslims, i.e., those who surrender to His will).

There should be no over-eating or unseemly hurry in consuming food or drink. When eating in a group, one should eat the food which is in front of him and his behaviour should not annoy others. Wastage of food is frowned upon - Allah says, “Waste not by excess, for God loveth not wasters” - Qur’an 6:141). The Prophet said that a Muslim should not waste water even if he was standing on the banks of the river Tigris. In Islam, barren land becomes the property of anyone who reclaims it for agriculture.

Eating should not be hasty and should be measured. One should not fill his belly. The Prophet enjoined us to fill only one third of our stomachs with food and one third with liquids, leaving the remaining one third empty.

While offering food as charity, one has to take care that only good food is offered to the poor (Qur’an, 2:267). It is a common tradition among Muslims to willingly offer food or water to any stranger who knocks the door at any time and says that he is hungry or thirsty. If one’s neighbours are poor, one should not openly bring home fruits and meat etc which they cannot afford and if he still prefers to bring in such food openly, he should share it with his neighbours.

Adult and healthy Muslims are required to fast during the month of Ramadan every year from dawn to sunset while fasting on Mondays and Thursdays every week is recommended but not mandatory.

Natural resources like water and meadows are common property to be used by all without charge. Agriculture is very much stressed upon and the Prophet said that if one was holding a seedling in his hand and the Doomsday broke in, he should plant it.

In short, the Qur’an repeatedly tells us that food is a gift of God. We should consume it with humility and moderation and always thank God for His bounties (e.g., Qur’an, 7:31).