Food

I love food. And so, naturally, I am not a picky eater. I eat my greens, enjoy wholesome, nutritious meals and like trying out new flavours. Being a Muslim means I also fast and this makes me appreciate food (and drink!) even more. I think to myself: I can never again take food for granted, as it is not guaranteed where my next meal is coming from, or whether it will ever come at all.

So, I've decided to reflect on food - something we may not even consider contemplating about. 

Selection of different foods. Source: https://oneclassblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/food.jpg

Some questions that have come to me regarding food are as follows: how does water that comes down from the sky make different kinds of fruits and vegetables grow, though they are of different colours, smell and taste? How do plants that produce edible foods grow from one exclusive matter (i.e. soil)? How can each food have a different taste? How could it be that we as humans need minerals from our food - metals! - for our well-being? And how do these foods absorb or contain these metals? 

You could see where I'm coming from, right? The variety and myriad of food out there in the world, I find, is amazing. Its delectable scents, delicious tastes. And the fact that you can trace it all back to the earth, a universal solid matter of goodness underneath our feet, proves the kindness and beneficence of our Creator. It is only right that we give thanks to the One who provided all this for us. Alhamdulillah. Praise be to Allah.   

Here are some verses from the Qur'an regarding food: 

"O ye who believe! Eat of the good things wherewith We have provided you, and render thanks to Allah if it is (indeed) He Whom ye worship." 

Surah Baqarah, verse 172 (Pickthall translation)

"He it is Who sendeth down water from the sky, and therewith We bring forth buds of every kind; We bring forth the green blade from which We bring forth the thick-clustered grain; and from the date-palm, from the pollen thereof, spring pendant bunches; and (We bring forth) gardens of grapes, and the olive and the pomegranate, alike and unlike. Look upon the fruit thereof, when they bear fruit, and upon its ripening. Lo! herein verily are portents for a people who believe."

Surah Al-An'am, verse 99 (translation as above)

"He it is Who sendeth down water from the sky, whence ye have drink, and whence are trees on which ye send your beasts to pasture. Therewith He causeth crops to grow for you, and the olive and the date-palm and grapes and all kinds of fruit. Lo! herein is indeed a portent for people who reflect." 

Surah An-Nahl, verse 10-11 (translation as above)