Analysis Of Eating By Al Ghazali

The book Eating written by Al-Ghazali tells about manners relating to eating. It contains four chapter ; what is necessary for the person eating alone, additional manners of eating when in company, manners to be adopted when presenting food to visiting brethren and the manners of hospitality.

In the first chapter, it tells what we should do before the food is served, when one is eating and when the meal is over. Ingredients of food must be halal and good (al-tayyib). Halal means that food should not have been gained through anything contrary to canonical law, nor through some evil inclination, nor deceit relating to debt. Regarding to al-tayyib food, God has ordered the eating of that which is good, this being the lawful and also put the prohibition of wrongful eating. He said in surah al-nisa verse 29 : “ O you who believe, squander not your wealth among yourselves in vanity ”. Furthermore, good food is important to give us energy and health.

Also, before eat we must wash our hands since the hand cannot escape dirt in the performance of tasks so, washing is the best way to keep it clean and unsullied. Rasulullah ( may God bless him and grant him peace ) has said, “Ablution performed before a meal banishes poverty, ablution after a meal banishes minor sins”. Since eating as a support for religion is a form or worship, it is proper that one approach it in the same state as for prayers.

Next, we must have the intention that we eat to strengthen ourselves in obedience to God, so to be obedient through food and not to seek gratification and luxurious living through food. Means that, we must not eat too much as narrated in hadis, “No human being has ever filled a container worse than his own stomach. The son of Adam n...

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...ke part in a funeral, three miles to accept an invitation and four miles to visit a brother in God.” Precedence was given to accept an invitation and paying a visit because through these one fulfils the right of the living, who are more deserving than the dead.

Also, we must accept the invitation even we are fasting. For if breaking our fast will give pleasure to our brother, then let us break that fast and let us expect a reward in the afterlife for having broken our fast with the intention of bringing joy to our brother’s heart.

Personally, I have get many benefit by reading this book because a small matter in eating also mentioned. If I think that what I used before in eating is good but after this, maybe my eating will be better than before. Also, in every explanation it included some verse from al-Quran and hadis make me more clear about that point.