Our Food And Drink

Prophet (SAW) addressing Anas (ra) said : "Keep yourself away from Haraam, because even a morsel i.e. a small bite of Haraam food invalidates supplications for forty days.”

(At-Targheeb)

Explanation : Prophet Muhammad (saws)'s teachings is complete in every sense of words.He (saws) guided mankind beautifully in every sphere of life. The abovementioned hafith is a clear message for us that along with doing good deeds, we must also avoid unalwful acts.

There are many other spiritual and physical disadvantages of Haraam food.

Haraam food extinguishes the light of Iman, and the heart become dark. It makes man dull, lethargic, and inactive. It causes to commit Haraam deeds and corrupts thoughts and action. It kills conscience and puts a barrier between man and virtue.

The essence is that Haraam creates a distance between man and Deen, ruins the Hereafter, the door of virtues is closed on him, and that of temptations and sin is flung wide open.

In today’s society Haraam is practiced in many ways, and majority is not even aware of it. Interest, bribery, cheating in commercial transactions, lying, disregards of duties of the self and rights of others, theft and larceny and many other Haraam acts are a common practice. Knowledge is not scarce, but it is action which is missing. And the main reason is that our earnings are not honest, and our food and drink is not fair and pure. As a result we cannot practice virtue and are devoid of righteousness.

According to a tradition of Prophet (SAW) there will be some people on the Day of Judgement whose virtues will match the size of the mount Tihama, meaning that they will have abundance of good deeds. But when they will stand before Allah (SWT), all their good deeds will be on no value, and they will be thrown into Hell Fire. Companions (RA Ajma’een) submitted, why will that happen Yaa Rasul Allah? Prophet (SAW) replied that they performed Salaat, observed fast, paid Zakah, and performed Hajj, but never saved themselves from Haraam, which ruined all their good deeds. (Kitaab-ul-Kabaa’ir)

It was due to the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and training of Prophet (SAW) that companions of the Prophet (SAW) were very cautious and conscious about food. Let me give you just one example here. Once Sayyidina Abu Bakr Siddique drank the milk brought by his servant. He later asked as to where he did bring the milk from? The servant replied that he had performed a “Kahaanat” for a certain tribe and was given milk in exchange as wages. “Kahaanat” is a Haraam act, a sort of chanting that was common in the pre-Islamic days. Hearing this Sayyidina Siddique immediately put his finger in his throat and threw out, and kept doing that for some time. People who saw the situation thought that perhaps Sayyidina Siddique will pass out due to pain. Sayyidina Siddique made repentance, prayed and submitted: “Ya Allah, I repent and apologize for the milk which has gone into my system. When Prophet (SAW) heard of the incident, he commented: “Don’t you know that nothing goes to the stomach of Siddique (RA), except what is “Ta’iyyeb” pure food?” (Bukhari)