by “The importance of food in Islam” is an article written by Dr. Zafar A. Ghazi. He is a practicing physician from Pakistan. He is a graduate of the University of Quetta, Pakistan, and he has over thirteen years of experience in practicing as a practicing physician. In his article, he gives emphasis on the foods that are haram (forbidden) for Muslims.
According to Dr. Ghazi, Muslim women are obliged to consume certain types of food that are forbidden in order to maintain their beauty and to avoid fat. According to him, meat is one of the main causes of becoming obese in Pakistan and hence, to protect the women from being fat, Muslim women should limit their consumption of it. Also, he says that alcoholic beverages and mineral water should be strictly prohibited to Muslim women because they can cause infertility and give birth to deformed babies. He also said that Muslim children are mostly born with deficient immunity compared to others.
According to him, one of the most important things that a person should do is to eat healthy and eat only what is halal (lawful). The food that is halal includes chicken, beef, seafood, sheep, goat, prawn, duck, venison, egg, kidney, sweetbread, peppermint, coriander, mint, cumin, asparagus, cabbage and raisins. These are only few of them.
In addition to that, he also advises the people who are Muslim but non-practicing in eating foods that are haram (forbidden) to eat in a much healthier way. So, for starters, you must eat at least five meals a day consisting of whole grain bread, pasta, rice, and pasta cooked in olive oil. You must also eat fruits and green vegetables.
According to the religious scholars, it is not necessary for a Muslim to strictly follow all these religiously following guidelines when eating food. They only advice that you must eat food in a healthy manner. It is more important for a Muslim to believe in Allah than to follow other people’s religious regulations. Therefore, it is obligatory for a Muslim to learn about these facts so that he can practice his religion to its full.
There are certain questions that are frequently asked by people while adopting such dietary habits. One such question is as to whether it is halal to eat meat products while traveling to other countries. According to Islamic law, it is necessary for a Muslim to eat meat products that are slaughtered in the shariah manner. But, it must be mentioned that Muslims are allowed to eat such things that are allowed in their religion, for instance, pork and alcohol are strictly forbidden in Islam.
Traveling to non-Muslim countries can be very tiring for people. In this situation, they always look forward to some hot dishes that can help them beat the heat. They, therefore, ask the question as to which foods are considered to be Halal and which are not? It has been answered by religious scholars that people who are traveling to non-Muslim countries should adopt the food habit of their host country and consume what they normally would. But, to be on the safe side, they can also refer to the fatwa given by their mufti or grand mufti.
To sum it up, the answer to the question as to why food is an important aspect of the Islamic diet is that Muslims have to follow the dietary guidelines as told by their religion. They must also consider the way they will eat while they are away from their homes. They can refer to the books available in their language or consult with people who are knowledgeable in their religion. Otherwise, they can eat what they like and that is why it is called ‘Kitchenibly’ – eatable!
