Al Ghazali's Book on Eating Manners

AL GHAZALI’S BOOK ON EATING MANNERS – 

BY: DR. YOUSREYA AMIN, May 26, 2011

( Source : Arab Academy )

Abu Hamid Al-Ghāzali (1058-1111) in the book of Manners Relating to Eating (Kitab adab al-akl) ( book XI of The  Revival of the Religious Sciences) describes the principles of conduct in daily life regarding eating. The ideas portray the most sophisticated aspects of civilized behaviour. Furthermore they contain a lot of wisdom, depth and spirituality.

”Eating is part of religion”. ” The lights of religion are in its manners and uses’eventually including the manners of eating. Food is sacred: when starting to eat one should make sure that food is (tayib)lawful (lawfully obtained). Eating is an activity that deserves respect and attention. Food is placed on a ‘sufra’ , the person should sit properly (no eating while relining) and be content with what is offered and eat what is closest. Washing hands before eating is required. One should not indulge. As mentioned in Hadith ‘one third of the stomach is for food and a third for drink and a third for breathing’. ‘Do not kill your hearts with much eating and drinking, for the heart is like a plant which dies if watered too much’. One should not indulge (not to seek gratification through luxury food).The advice is not to eat alone. As stated in hadith ‘the best food is that over which there are many hands’.  Starting eating with’ In the name of God’ and ending ‘Praise to god’. Eating is not rushed ‘one must not blow on hot food……one should wait patiently until it is easy to eat’. Bread is given a special status. Aisha stated “no two sorts of food were joined in a mouthful in the mouth of the emissary of god when there was meat there was no bread and there was bread there was no meat”.

In relation to eating in company, one must not begin eating when someone else present deserves precedence. Conversing over food is important people should not keep silent. Generosity is important ‘food for two is sufficient for three and the food for three is sufficient for four’.

Source : http://www.arabacademy.com/