10 Islamic Manners on the Dining Table (2)
The right to have good tasty food and prohibition of greed
According to traditions coming from Ahle Bait (a.s.), it is Mustahab to eat and let others eat good and clean food and serve it with all formalities; and it is not right to make good food Haram upon oneself. It is however necessary that the food is sought by Halal means and one should not eat to the extent of forgetting prayers. One should not be like animals and only bother about eating and drinking; as eating and drinking is done for the sake of prayer and that one may gain strength. One should not spend to the extent of being known as spendthrift as God does not keep this type of man His friend.
According to a reliable tradition, Imam Ja’far-e-Sadiq (a.s.) used to serve people with good bread, tasty Firni and delicious Halwa and used to say that when God is generous to us, we should be generous to people when serving them, and when we are in need we should be careful.
According to another tradition from the same Imam (a.s.), God will question every Momin on three topics on the day of judgement; firstly, what he had eaten, secondly, what he had worn and thirdly, how much he had fulfilled the desire of obedient wife and kept her away from Haram. Abu Khalid Kabuli visited Imam Mohammed Baqir (a.s.) who served him with delicious food during breakfast. When the Imam (a.s.) asked how was the food, Abu Khalid praised the food and recited this Aayat:
‘And on that day will be definitely questioned about the manifold blessings of Allah.’[2]
According to a tradition from Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.), if you eat too much food, then white spots appear.
According to a tradition from Imam Ja’far-e-Sadiq (a.s.), God keeps those people enemies who have these habits:
- a) Who sleep during the day when they have not been awake during the night,
- b) Who laugh meaninglessly,
- c) Who eat after the stomach is full.
According to Hazrat Ali (a.s.), once Hazrat Esa (Jesus) (a.s.) visited a city where a man and a woman were fighting with each other in loud tones. Hazrat Esa (a.s.) enquired about the cause. The man replied that the woman was his wife, very pious and had no vices but he did not like her and desired to be separated from her. When the Prophet Esa (a.s.) further asked the cause he said that the woman was getting old and had lost the freshness of the face. Hazrat Esa (a.s.) asked the woman whether she wanted the freshness of her face. She replied, “Why not.” Then Hazrat Esa (a.s.) asked her not to eat much for it spoils the freshness of the face. When the woman acted accordingly she looked young and was accepted by her husband.
According to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.), two things; leprosy and white spots are caused by five habits:
- a) To use Noorah on Friday and Wednesday
- b) To perform Wuzu and bathe with the water heated by sunlight
- c) To eat during the state of Janabat
- d) To cohabit with a woman when she is in period (monthly course)
- e) To eat even when the stomach is full.
According to Imam Ja’far-e-Sadiq (a.s.), man needs to eat that much food which is needed for his strength. One part of the stomach should be for food, the second for water and third for breathing. One should not try to fatten oneself like the lamb meant for Zabeeha (slaughter). He also said that a full stomach causes revolt (disobedience) and quarrels.
Except fever, all sudden diseases and pains are caused by over-eating.
Another tradition from Hazrat Imam Ja’far-e-Sadiq (a.s.) states that if the followers of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) follow the ways and manners of alien people especially those of dress and food, they will not be blessed and on the contrary, they will be degraded.