Nutrition in Quran and Hadith

In today's world we can see 95% of diets fail
and most will regain their lost weight in 1-5
years. Has this been due to the fact that we
have been given the wrong premisies to

being healthier? Or maybe perhaps it is due
to our wrong understanding to what works
and what really is just out there for money
scams. But we must also ask ourselves

some questions, as Muslims we all know
that Quran has been sent down to us for
all times, as well as that Quran has many
parts to it which help us in our daily lives.
Quran is a miracle from Allah and it is fitting
that even nutrition is mentioned in Quran
many times. Allah repeatedly tells us

to reflect upon His ayats, and nutrition is
of no exception. Many of us go day by day
eating and drinking all day with no

thought about its benefits or its harms.
We have seen a rise in dietary supplements
and a rise in people wanting to become

healthy. Has Quran given us the knowledge of
nutrition and a way of life that helps answer our
many dietary questions?Has Islam answered the
questions of many diet seekers out there on

how to have a healthier life, or how to lose
weight? Islam many years ago came to give
the answer to those seeking to be healthy
or to lose weight, Islam answered all their
wants for a proper and nutritional diet but
many cease to realize and try frantically to
find it with going from one diet to another.  

In these blog series I am going to discuss
nutrition and their etiquette's which have been
mentioned in Quran and hadith. This is a
very important topic to understand

and implement in our lives because everything
we consume has either certain or probable
benefit to us or can actually cause us some
harm, not just bodily but spiritually. In sha Allah
next blog I will start off by a brief explanation to
maslaha (benefit) as this my readers may help
us understand whats does it mean when we
say phrases like “this benefits us” , then I will go
through ayats and hadiths and explanations
to them with using proof from nutrition
guides and scientific findings this will
include discussion on halal consumption
and the benefits to keeping to halal
regulations and after this I will discuss
haram consumption's and the benefits to

refraining from that which Allah has
declared forbidden for us, I will then
discuss etiquette's towards food and drinks
as you will soon find out why this part is
needed in this project, after this I would like
to write briefly on food diets in today's

world and what it all means to our health
and determine if it is healthy for us or not
and then I will conclude in my last blog series
of 'nutrition in Quran and hadith' an overall
view on my writing on this subject.

Please subscribe to me so you may
keep up to date on my next blog.

Fi Aman Allah

My Childhood Life of Seclusion

Salaam alaykom dear readers!
I thought I'd share my life in seclusion as a child. I grew up until I was 18 in a very rural area 3 hours from a city. Our population was maybe somewhere around 100 and majority of that was elders. I grew up as a Christian but we where not very strict. I lived on a farm in which my parents raised cattle, however I remember milking cows and having chickens roaming around. We ate a lot of what we raised on the farm or grew in the garden, not taking many trips into the city.
It wasn't until reflecting on my child hood I realised I had this fake image that everyone was Christian. I really never thought about any other religion and in fact I never really met anyone that wasn't  a Christian. I think the first person I knew that wasn't a Christian was a Muslim man who I use to work for when I was 18 and had moved to the city. Even then I really just thought he was an immigrant and not focused on a religious difference, however I wonder if this was because he acted just like and men from the west... Anyways I remember I was in grade 8 and was confirmed as a Lutheran but just prior to confirmation  I approached my pastor and privately asked her if I could be confirmed if I didn't really believe in the  crucifixion because I wasn't able to wrap my mind around God putting His only son to die for us... God is almighty and I wasn't able to believe He had to do such a thing to forgive us all!
I wonder if this played a huge role in me thinking I could do or be anything I wanted and I was still a Christian and would be saved. Maybe this fake idea was what took me down a bad path that soon there followed. It wasn't long after this that I went into grade 9 and soon there after my life changed dramatically.
I will save that part of my life for another time.

Allah is One

بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم

In this blog I will discuss Allah's uniqueness in His Oneness. I hope to clear up any confusion about the praise “Allah is One” and in doing so I also hope to prove intellectually Allah's Divine Unity. InshaAllah with this essay I pray it clears up any misconception that is attached to the word “One” when we speak about God's Oneness.

First I would like to point out that we in Shia Islam believe Allah is not One in numbers but he is One in the meaning there is no other like Him. We are as humans a lower level of being made out of matter and therefore we are not able to perceive Him with our eyes since eyes are matter material and Allah is not made out of matter. It is kind of like saying we can not see reasoning or intellect but we know humans have this ability. Allah is like that intellect we can not see but know its there.  I would like to show Quran and hadith on this subject.

"Some faces on that day (i.e., the Day of

Judgment) will be radiant, looking towards their Lord. (75:22-23)

The word "Nadhira" that is used in the above verse does not necessarily imply seeing with one's eyes. Imams (AS) have have said other verses of Quran to support the definition of the word "Nadhira" in this verse as similar to the meaning of "Muntadhira", which means looking forward to. On the commentary of this verse, Imam Ali (AS) said The verse means looking forward to what Allah, the Mighty and the Majestic, has promised them. And the word 'Nadhira' sometimes means 'expecting/waiting/looking forward' ('al-Muntadhira'). Haven't you heard the saying of Allah: '(But I am going to send him a present) and I am looking forward (Nadhira) to what (answer) the ambassadors will return (27:35).' This means I am waiting (al-Muntadhira) for what the ambassadors will return. As for the verse: 'For indeed he saw him at a second descent. Near the Lote-tree of the uttermost boundary (53:13-14)', it means when Muhammad (S.A.W.) was near the Lote-tree of the uttermost boundary which none of His creations has passed it (saw Gabriel). It is His saying in the followed verses: '(His) sight never swerved, nor did it go wrong! For truly did he see one of the great signs of his Lord! (53:17-18)', he saw Gabriel in his shape twice. Verily Gabriel is a great creature and is from amongst the spiritual entities whose creation and shapes are not fully understood except by the Lord of the Universe

- al-Ihtijaj, v1, p243

- Bihar al-Anwar, v90/93, p101, Hadith #1

Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: "Avoid pondering over (the Essence of) Allah, because pondering over (the Essence of) Allah would only increase deviation/error. Verily Allah cannot be reached by the sight (of minds) and cannot be described by      proportion

- Kitab al-Tawhid, p457, Hadith #14

- Wasa'il al-Shia, v16, p197, Hadith #21334

- Bihar al-Anwar, v3, p259, Hadith #4

"Eyes do not comprehend him and he comprehends the eyes and he is the Kind, the Knowing" (An'aam(6) / 103)

One may ask then is there a way we can know Allah truly exist since we can not see Him. The answer is yes. A beautiful hadith from Imam Ali AS tells us so when he AS said “I never worship somebody whom I have not seen visions do not capture him using sights of the eyes, but, hearts capture him by the essence of the belief." (Nahj-ul-balaghah, sermon 179)

I think in summing up the explanation of Allah's oneness the perfect quote from Shaykh Saduq who wrote in ‘A Shi’ite Creed’ the English translation of I’teqadat-Al-Imamiah pages 27-28:
“Know that our belief concerning Tawheed is that Allah, exalted is He, is one (Wahid) and Absolutely unique (ahad). There is naught like unto Him; He is prior (qadim, Ancient). He never was, and never will be, but the Hearing (Sami) and the Seeing One (Basir); the Omniscient (‘alim); the Wise (Hakim); the Living (Hayy); the Everlasting (Qayum); the Mighty (aziz); the Holy (Quddus); the Knowing One (‘Alim); The Powerful (Qadir); the Self Sufficient (Ghani). He cannot be described by his essence (jawhar); His body (jism); His Form (Sura), or by his Accidental Qualities (Arad)…

He is a Thing (Shay) but not like other things. He is unique (Ahad), Eternal Refuge (Samad)”, He begets not, lest He may be inherited; not is He begotten, lest He may be associated (with others). There is no one like unto Him; He has no equal (nidd) or opponent (didd), compeer (shibh) or consort (sahibah). Nothing can be compared with Him (mithl); He has no rival (nazir), no partner (sharik). “Human eyes cannot behold Him”. The thoughts of men cannot compass Him; while He is aware of them. “Slumber overtakes Him not, nor sleep” [2:225]; and He is the Gracious (latif) and the Knowing One (khabir), the Creator (khaliq) of all things. There is no deity (ilah) other than Him; to Him (alone) belongs (the power) of Creation (khalq) and authority (amr). Blessed (tabarraka) is Allah, the Lord if the World's. And he who believes in tasbih (imminence) is a polytheist (mushrik). And he who attributes to the Imams (beliefs) other than those that have been stated concerning the Unity of Allah (tawhid) is a liar”.

With that I would like to conclude that Allah is One to whom all things turn too. He is unique and His religion is unique including  uniqueness of the message (of all messengers), uniqueness of Qiblah and our divine book the Holy Quran, uniqueness of all Islamic laws (fiqh) for all human beings, uniqueness of the Muslim nation, and finally uniqueness of the Day of Judgment (Resurrection Day).

I pray this blog has cleared up any misconceptions or any misunderstandings about Allah's uniqueness.
May Allah grant us with the knowledge to understand Him and may Allah guide us to Him. Ameen.