In Surah Al-Baqarah, the significance of food is highlighted, particularly in the story of the
Children of Israel. Their food, like everything else, was meant to be holy because they were
chosen to become a holy nation. As they travelled through the desert, Allah provided them with sustenance from the sky—manna and quails, showing His power as the ultimate provider. This provision in the wilderness demonstrates Allah’s care for all His creatures, sustaining them even when they appear to have nothing.
Abdullah Reed
Dear Visitors,
Please find below a series on Significance of Eating by Abdullah Reed. We thank Mayar for putting this together for us.
Significance of Eating (1)
Welcome back to Eating for Allah. This course isn’t just an ordinary video—it’s filled with
Quranic content that will deepen our understanding. I ask you to bring your heart to this, as the
Quran holds rights upon us, and we aim for more than just passive learning. Watching this video
won’t earn us big good deeds unless we truly connect with its message and act upon it. It’s
essential to understand that everything we consume, every meal, ultimately comes from Allah.
Reflecting on this truth is vital for gratitude and reliance upon Him.
In Surah Al-Baqarah, the significance of food is highlighted, particularly in the story of the
Children of Israel. Their food, like everything else, was meant to be holy because they were
chosen to become a holy nation. As they traveled through the desert, Allah provided them with
sustenance from the sky—manna and quails, showing His power as the ultimate provider. This
provision in the wilderness demonstrates Allah’s care for all His creatures, sustaining them even when they appear to have nothing.
Key Points:
Food is not just a necessity; it has spiritual significance.
The Children of Israel received divine food from the sky as a reminder of Allah’s
provision.
Gratitude and reliance on Allah are essential; just as He provided food for them, He
provides for us.
Allah’s provision teaches us trust and submission to His will, encouraging us to live by
His guidance.
Through this story, we learn about the importance of being grateful for the sustenance Allah
provides. Even in the toughest circumstances, He is always there to provide what we need, and
it’s essential to recognize and be thankful for it. Let’s use this reflection to better understand how
our food connects us to the Creator and strive to fulfil the purpose of our sustenance with
gratitude and devotion.
Significance of Eating (2)
This is a powerful reminder of the story of the Children of Israel in the Quran. The Israelites
were blessed by Allah in many miraculous ways—being saved from Pharaoh, crossing the sea,
receiving manna and quail for food, and being provided with water from the rock. Yet, despite all
these blessings, they showed ingratitude by complaining about their sustenance, asking for
different food, and not humbly following Allah’s commands.
This story teaches us the importance of gratitude and obedience to Allah. When we receive
blessings, whether big or small, we should not become ungrateful or dissatisfied. Instead, we
should recognize that everything we have comes from Allah and that we should trust in His
provisions. It also highlights the importance of humility and submission to Allah’s will, as He
knows what is best for us.
The lesson is clear: no matter what we receive from Allah, we must approach His blessings with
gratitude and submission, just as we should follow His guidance in all aspects of life. If we are
ever in a situation where we are tested with hardship or sustenance, we should remind
ourselves that Allah is the ultimate provider and that everything happens according to His divine
plan.
May we all learn from the mistakes of the past and strive to maintain gratitude and obedience in
all that we do. Subhan Allah.
Significance of Eating (3)
In the Quran, food is not just a physical sustenance for the body but also holds profound
spiritual significance. How food is provided, consumed, and even the way it is obtained are all
tied to a deeper understanding of faith, obedience, and trust in Allah’s wisdom. Throughout
Islamic teachings, the Quran and the Hadiths highlight the importance of being grateful for the
provisions Allah bestows upon us and adhering to His commands. One of the most striking
lessons can be found in the story of the Children of Israel, who learned the consequences of not
trusting Allah in matters of sustenance. This lesson, rich with spiritual and practical lessons,
offers profound insights into how food ties into the larger fabric of the Islamic faith.
The Story of the Children of Israel
The Quran recounts that when the Children of Israel found themselves in the desert after being
freed from Egypt, they were provided sustenance from Allah in the form of mana and quails.
These provisions were miraculous, given the barren and unforgiving environment. However,
instead of being grateful for the blessings, the people of Israel began to grumble. They longed
for the foods they had in Egypt, asking for garlic, onions, and other foods they were accustomed
to. This discontent revealed a deeper issue: a lack of trust in Allah’s provision and a failure to
recognize the blessings they had in front of them. In their impatience, they turned away from the
spiritual significance of their food and became ungrateful.
The Quran narrates that because of this disobedience and rejection of Allah’s blessings, the
Children of Israel were punished with humiliation and poverty. Allah’s wrath fell upon them, and
as a result, they were denied the sustenance they desired and instead received a fate that
humbled them. Their inability to trust Allah’s provision led them to transgress His commands,
which eventually resulted in severe consequences. One of the most extreme punishments was
that they were transformed into monkeys as a lesson for the generations that followed.
The Spiritual Lessons on Food
The story of the Children of Israel serves as a stark reminder of the importance of gratitude and
trust in Allah’s provision. In the Quran, Allah’s control over food is evident. The provision of
sustenance is part of the grand design of the universe, where water, sunshine, and fertile lands
work together to produce the food we consume. The Quran speaks about how Allah brings
water from the oceans to the sky, where it falls to the earth, allowing crops to grow. This
complex, interconnected process is a sign of Allah’s power and mercy.
When humans fail to recognize the divinity in the provision of food, they not only risk falling into
ingratitude but also may disrupt the delicate balance of the ecosystem. The speaker in this
discourse emphasizes that while some people may go to extreme measures to extract water
from deep within the earth, they neglect the sustainability of the environment. In this way, even
modern-day methods of acquiring food and water can reflect the same mistakes the Children of
Israel made: a disregard for the wisdom of Allah’s natural provisions.
Obedience to Allah’s Command
A key lesson here is that food and sustenance are not to be taken for granted. Allah provides
not only physical sustenance but also spiritual nourishment, which is found in following His
commands. Just as the Children of Israel disobeyed Allah’s directive not to work on the Sabbath and suffered the consequences, Muslims today are reminded to adhere to the guidance
provided in the Quran, whether it pertains to food, work, or daily conduct.
The Islamic principles of moderation, gratitude, and sustainability in consuming food are
essential. When Allah provides sustenance, we are urged to be thankful and not demand more
than what is necessary. Failure to follow these principles can lead to spiritual consequences, as
the Quran warns of punishment and the potential for a lack of mercy from Allah.
Trust in Allah’s Provision
The Quran also teaches that part of our obedience to Allah is in trusting His provision. Muslims
believe that everything that happens, including the food we eat, is part of Allah’s divine plan.
The story of the Children of Israel teaches us that when we trust Allah, we demonstrate faith in
His wisdom, knowing that what He provides is always for our benefit—even if we do not
understand it fully. Just as the Children of Israel could not understand why Allah would not
provide them with the foods they desired, we too may sometimes question Allah’s decisions in
our lives. However, true faith lies in surrendering to His will and trusting that His plans are
always better than our own.
Conclusion: A Call to Reflect and Apply
The significance of food in Islam is not limited to the physical act of eating but extends to how
we perceive and interact with the food Allah has provided. The Quran teaches us that food is
part of a larger ecosystem created by Allah, and we must approach it with gratitude, moderation,
and respect. It also reminds us to trust Allah’s wisdom in providing for our needs and to submit to His will, as failure to do so can lead to dire consequences.
As Muslims, we are called not just to believe in Allah’s teachings but to apply them to our daily
lives. This means being conscious of how we treat food, how we obtain it, and how we consume
it. It means understanding that everything in this world, including the food we eat, is
interconnected and part of Allah’s grand design. By following the guidance of the Quran, we can
ensure that we are living in harmony with Allah’s will, trusting in His provision, and maintaining
gratitude for the sustenance He provides.
Let us take a lesson from the Children of Israel and not let our desires for worldly things lead us
away from gratitude and obedience to Allah. Instead, let us submit completely to Allah, trusting
that His plan is always the best for us and that by doing so, we will find contentment, peace, and
blessings in this world and the Hereafter.
