Main teachings of the Prophet (peace and blessings upon him), Hadith, about food,
from the book of “Riyadh Assaliheen,” by Imam Nawawi, (Pp. 213-222):
Muslims should mention the name of Allah (God) before they start eating or drinking and thank Him when they finish.
If you forget to mention the name of Allah (God) at the beginning, mention it whenever you remember, even at the end.
Mentioning the name of God on food repels the devil from getting into it.
Mentioning the name of God on food blesses it, making it healthier and better in sufficiency and effect.
Muslims are not arrogant in all aspects of life, including food. There is no superior or inferior food. If you like food, eat it. If you don’t like it, don’t eat it.
It’s an Islamic courtesy to accept invitations on food, if you are hungry or if you like the food. If you are fasting, thank the inviter and pray while people are eating.
If somebody invites you for food, in a party or a banquet, and you want to bring a friend with you, you have to ask the host’s permission first before you bring anybody with you.
Use your right hand while eating, and eat from what has been assigned to you or from which is directly in front of you. Don’t eat from what has been assigned to others or from which is direct to them.
Eating with a group, a family or friends, is more blessed than eating alone.
Eat and drink while you are sitting down in an upright position. Don’t eat or drink while you are lying down or leaning toward one side or another, in a resting position.
Don’t eat or drink while standing or walking, unless you have to, like in a place where there is no space for sitting down or when traveling.
Don’t be wasteful in food. Don’t throw food away if it is good. Keep it for another time, give it to somebody else, or give it to birds or animals.
It is recommended that you drink in several sips, not in a one-time and a long drink.
The host should serve guests with food or drinks starting from his/her right if guests are close in age. Otherwise, the elderly should be served first, even if they are sitting on the left.
The host eats or drinks last, after serving all guests.
Muslims are humble. They should avoid showing off their wealth by using utilities (jugs, cups, plates, etc.) made of gold or silver. Gold, though, can be used by women as ornaments.
Allahu A'alam
* In our race to jannah, let us make sure that we are using these simple instructions taught by our beloved Prophet sal allahu alayhi wa salam while we are nourishing our ourselves and others; in order to get all the blessings from the food and the pleasure of Allah Subhanah wa Ta'ala.
# 1 excuse : "I don't think it is necessary to wear the hijab." We must asked if the person is truly convinced of the truth that is Islam?
And the clear answer given is: Yes, she is convinced, for she responds "Laa ilaaha illallah!" (There is no God but Allah), and then she says: "Muhammadun rasoolullah!" (Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah). Therefore, she is convinced of Islam as a belief system and a way of life
So now isn't hijab then a part of Islamic Law and an obligation? If you are convinced of Islam, how then can you not be convinced of its orders?
What do we call a person who says they believe but who nonetheless does not do what Allah or His Messenger have ordered? Certainly they can in no way be described as those whom Allah speaks of in this verse:
The only saying of the faithful believers when they are called to Allah and His Messenger to judge between them is that they say: 'we hear and obey ' and such are the successful. [Sura An-Noor 24:51] #2 Excuse: "My parents prevent me from wearing it and I can't disobey my parents"
How can you obey your parents and disobey Allah, Who created you and your parents?
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said in these words of wisdom: There is no obedience to the created in the disobedience of Allah. [Ahmed]
Obedience to parents is not limited except in one aspect, and that is if they order to disobedience of Allah. Allah said: "But if they strive with you to make you join in worship with Me others that of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not." [Sura Luqmaan 31:15]
#3 Excuse : "My Job does not allow me to wear an Islamic dress"
It is not permissible for the Muslim woman to leave her home in any instance unless her clothing meets the conditions of Islamic hijab and it is a duty of every Muslim woman to know what they are. If you must go out, then do so only with the correct hijab, seeking the pleasure of Allah and the degradation of Shaytan. If your place of work does not allow it then try your best to find another job.
if you are really truthful in your intention and correctly determined in wanting to wear hijab you will find a thousands hands of good assisting you and Allah will make it easy for you! Is He not the One Who says: And whoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty) and He will provide him from sources he never could imagine. [Sura At-Talaaq 65:2-3]?
#4 Excuse: "It is too hot to wear a hijab"
Allah gives an example by saying:
Say: The Fire of Hell is more intense in heat if they only understand. [Sura At-Taubah 9:81]
Understand that Shaytan has trapped you and he is dragging you from the heat of this world to the heat of the Hellfire. Free yourself from his net and view the heat of the sun as a favor and not an affliction especially if it reminds you of the intensity of the punishment of Allah which is many times greater than the heat you feel now.
#5 Excuse: "I 'm afraid that if I wear the hijab I will take it off later because others did it
If everyone was to apply that logic then they would have left the Deen in its entirety! They would have left off salat because some would be afraid of leaving it later. They would have left fasting in Ramadan because so many are afraid of not doing it later but If you hold tight to the causes of guidance and taste the sweetness of faith you will not neglect the orders of Allah after having held to them.
#6 Excuse: "I will never find a husband if I wear it"
Why will you want to marry someone who does not want to follow Allah's commands?
Any husband, who desires that you be uncovered and adorned in public in defiance of and in disobedience to Allah, is not a worthy husband in the first place. As Allah stated: But whosoever turns away from My reminder (i.e. neither believes in the Qur'an nor acts upon its teachings) verily for him is a life of hardship and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection. [Sura Ta Ha 20:124]
#7 Excuse: "I can't not hide the beauty that Allah blessed me with"
Have you forgotten these verses:
And do not show off their adornment except only that which is apparent [Sura An-Noor 24:31] and the statement of Allah Subhanah Wa Taala: Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks all over their bodies [Sura Al-Ahzaab 33:59]?
And is there a greater blessing and favor upon the woman than guidance and hijab?
#8 Excuse: "I will wear it when Allah guides me" Are you serious?
Haven't He already guided you by sending His Noble Quran and making you a muslim?
#9 Excuse: "I am still young I will wear when I get older"
How can you guarantee your own life until tomorrow?
The Angel of Death is visiting and waiting at your door for the order of Allah Taala to take your life at any moment. Death doesn't discriminate between the young or the old.
We should all race to obedience to answer the call of Allah:"Race with one another in hastening towards forgiveness from your Lord and Paradise the width whereof is as the width of the heavens and the earth. [Sura Al-Hadeed 57:21]
#10 Excuse: "If I wear it i will be labeled and people will stare at me"
The hijab is a high form of worship that is not subject to the opinions of people and their orientations and choices because the one who legislated it is the Most Wise Creator.
In the way of seeking the pleasure of Allah and in hope of His Mercy and success in His Jannah and throw those statements against the wall! Dust your shoulders off from their evil and focus on the prize. Hold tight to the rope of Allah by your molars and follow the example of the striving and knowledgeable Mothers of the Believers and the female companions (radiallahu anhum ajmaeen).
Your body is on display in the market of Shaytan seducing the hearts of men. The hairstyles, the tight clothing showing every detail of your figure, the short dresses showing off your legs and other body parts all anger the Merciful and please the Shaytan. Isn't it time to liberate yourself?
In our Race to Jannah let's get on the train of repentance, before it passes by our station. Deeply considering, what is happening today before tomorrow comes. Thinking about it, now, before it is too late!
Ibn al-Qayyim said regards to the description of the Paradise and the delights that it contains:
"And if you ask about its ground and its soil, then it is of musk and saffron.
And if you ask about its roof, then it is the Throne of the Most Merciful.
And if you ask about its rocks, then they are pearls and jewels.
And if you ask about its buildings, then they are made of bricks of gold and silver.
And if you ask about its trees, then it does not contain a single tree except that its trunk is made of gold and silver.
And if you ask about its fruits, then they are softer than butter and sweeter than honey.
And if you ask about its leaves, then they are softer than the softest cloth.
And if you ask about its rivers, then there are rivers of milk who's taste does not change, and rivers of wine that is delicious to those who drink it, and rivers of honey that is pure, and rivers of water that is fresh.
And if you ask about their food, then it is fruits from whatever they will choose, and the meat of whatever birds they desire.
And if you ask about their drink, then it is Tasneem, ginger, and Kaafoor.
And if you ask about their drinking cups, then they are crystal-clear and made of gold and silver.
And if you ask about its shade, then a fast rider would ride in the shade of one of its trees for a hundred years and not escape it.
And if you ask about its vastness, then the lowest of its people would have within his kingdom and walls and palaces and gardens the distance that would be travelled in a thousand years.
And if you ask about its tents and encampments, then one tent is like a concealed pearl that is sixty miles long.
And if you ask about its towers, then they are rooms above rooms in buildings that have rivers running underneath them.
And if you ask about how far it reaches into the sky, then look at the shining star that is visible, as well as those that are far in the heavens that the eyesight cannot possibly reach.
And if you ask about the clothing of its inhabitants, then they are of silk and gold.
And if you ask about its beds, then its blankets are of the finest silk laid out in the highest of its levels.
And if you ask about the faces of its inhabitants and their beauty, then they are like the image of the Moon.
And if you ask about their age, then they are young ones of 33 years in the image of Adam, the father of humanity.
And if you ask about what they will be hearing, then it is the singing of their wives from among the Hoor al-'Ayn, and better than that are the voices of the Angels and the Prophets, and better than that is the Speech of the Lord of the Worlds.
And if you ask about their servants, then they are young boys of everlasting youth who resemble scattered pearls.
And if you ask about their brides and wives, then they are young and (matured) and have had the liquid of youth flow through their limbs; the Sun runs along the beauty of her face if she shows it, light shines from between her teeth if she smiles; if you meet her love, then say whatever you want regarding the joining of two lights; he sees his face in the roundness of her cheek as if he is looking into a polished mirror, and he sees the brightness from behind her muscles and bones; if she were to be unleashed upon the World, she would fill what is between the Heavens and the Earth with a beautiful wind, and the mouths of the creation would glorifiy, praise, and exclaim greatness, and everything between the East and the West would be adorned for her, and every eye would be shut from everthing but her, and the light of the Sun would be outshone just as the light of the Sun outshines the light of the stars, and everyone on the face of the Earth would believe in the Ever-Living, the One who Sustains and Protects all the exists.
And the covering on her head is better than the World and all that is in it, and she does not increase with age except in beauty; free from saliva, urine and other filthy things; her youth never fades, her clothing is never worn out, no garment can be created that matches her beauty, and no one who is with her can ever become bored; her attention is restricted to her husband, so she desires none but him, just as his attention is restricted to her so she is the sole object of his desire, and he is with her in utmost safety and security, as none has touched her before of either humans or Jinn.
And if you ask about the Day of Increase (in reward) and the visit of the all-Mighty, all-Wise, and the sight of His Face - free from any resemblance or likeness to anything - as you see the Sun in the middle of the day and the full Moon on a cloudless night, then listen on the day that the caller will call: 'O People of Paradise! Your Lord - Blessed and Exalted - requests you to visit Him, so come to visit Him!' So they will say: 'We hear and obey!'
Until, when they finally reach the wide valley where they will all meet - and none of them will turn down the request of the caller - the Lord - Blessed and Exalted - will order His Chair to be brought there. Then, pulpits of light will emerge, as well as pulpits of pearls, gemstone, gold, and silver. The lowest of them in rank will sit on sheets of musk, and will not see what those who are on the chairs above them are given. When they are comfortable where they are sitting and are secure in their places, and the caller calls: 'O People of Paradise! You have an appointment with Allaah in which He wishes to reward you!' So they will say: 'And what is that reward? Has He not already made our faces bright, made our scales heavy, entered us into Paradise, and pushed us away from the Fire?'
And when they are like that, all of a sudden a light shines that encompasses all of Paradise. So, they raise their heads, and, behold: the Compeller - Exalted is He, and Holy are His Names - has come to them from above them and majestified them and said: 'O People of Paradise! Peace be upon you!' So, this greeting will not be responded to with anything better than: 'O Allaah! You are Peace, and from You is Peace! Blessed are You, O possessor of Majesty and Honor!' So the Lord - Blessed and Exalted - will laugh to them and say: 'O People of Paradise! Where are those who used to obey Me without having ever seen Me? This is the Day of Increase!'
So, they will all give the same response: 'We are pleased, so be pleased with us!' So, He will say: 'O People of Paradise! If I were not pleased with you, I would not have made you inhabitants of My Paradise! So, ask of Me!' So, they will all give the same response: 'Show us your Face so that we may look at it!' So, the Lord - Mighty and Majestic - will remove his covering and will majestify them and will cover them with His Light, which, if Allaah - the Exalted - had not Willed not to burn them, would have burned them.
And there will not remain a single person in this gathering except that his Lord - the Exalted - will speak to him and say: 'Do you remember the day that you did this and that?'and He will remind him of some of his bad deeds in the Worldy life, so he will say: 'O Lord! Will you not forgive me?' So, He will say: 'Of course! You have not reached this position of yours (in Paradise) except by my forgiveness.'
So, how sweet is this speech to the ears, and how cooled are the righteous eyes by the glance at His Noble Face in the Afterlife...
(Verily, there is a chapter in the Qur'an which contains thirty Ayat that will intercede on behalf of its reciter until he is forgiven. (It is): (Blessed be He in Whose Hand is the dominion.)) This Hadith was collected by At-Tirmidhi and the four Sunan Compilers. At-Tirmidhi said concerning it, "This is a Hasan Hadith.'' At-Tabarani and Al-Hafiz Ad-Diya' Al-Maqdisi both recorded from Anas that the Messenger of Allah said,
(There is a chapter of the Qur'an that will argue on behalf of its reciter until it causes him to enter into Paradise. (It is): (Blessed be He in Whose Hand is the dominion.))
﴿بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ﴾
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
(1. Blessed be He in Whose Hand is the dominion; and He is Able to do all things.) (2. Who has created death and life that He may test you which of you is best in deed. And He is the Almighty, the Oft-Forgiving;) (3. Who has created the seven heavens one above the other; you can see no fault in the creation of the Most Gracious. Then look again. Can you see any rifts) (4. Then look again and yet again, your sight will return to you Khasi', and worn out.) (5. And indeed We have adorned the nearest heaven with lamps, and We have made such lamps (as) missiles to drive away the Shayatin, and have prepared for them the torment of the blazing Fire.)
