Food has a great significance in Islam. It is associated with
one’s relationship with God. Chapter 20 verse 89 of the
Qur’an states: “eat of the good and wholesome things that
We have provided for your sustenance, but indulge in no
excess therein”.
The physical body is a gift from God; it is given to humans
as an amanah (trust) to take care of for a fixed period. How
much food is consumed and the choice of food has a direct
impact on the physical and spiritual well-being of the person.
The food that you consume affects your behaviour and
personality. Wholesome, natural and healthy food assists
the development of a good personality. Over-eating has
long been frowned upon in Islam as it is thought to increase
worldly appetites and cause sluggishness, thereby ‘dulling’
the soul, hampering spiritual growth and increase physical
ailments.
~From The Ramadan Health And Spirituality Guide
I finished another day of fasting yesterday. It's funny, how easy it is to get used to not eating during the day. I think the reason is that once, in college, for a while, I tried the opposite fasting period that is followed by Theravada Buddhist monks. The sixth precept is to abstain from engaging in the taking of untimely meals. They interpret this to mean not eating past noon. Also, I was never one who had to eat a lot of food all of the time; a fact to which most people accused me of having an eating disorder.
From a Buddhist perspective, fasting can assist in focusing the mind. I have noticed something about fasting. If I go for a while without eating, then once I do eat, I notice the tastes of the foods so much more. Last night, when I broke my fast, I truly tasted my food. usually, without fasting, when I eat, my mind usually drifts back and forth between things I did during the day and things that I will do the next day.
I tasted the figs; the skin with its wondrous simplicity, followed by the slight grittiness of the seeded center. The pear was so subtle, but I could taste its sweetness, and the banana had I tasted was so sugary. The spaghetti that I made; I could taste that I had soaked them in salted water with olive oil, and the spices of the sauce climbed through my nose and twisted through my sinuses. My neighbor brought me over harira, a type of soup. It had a hint of a tomato base, and Even without seeing it, I could taste that there was celery in it. I tasted something else, I tasted a bitterness in it, and wondered if there was meat in it, too. I looked in my spoon and there was a tiny chunk of meat. He had brought over stuffed bread, and I could taste the sugar that they had sprinkled within the bread. Inside, I could taste the olives, the eggs, the peppers, the garlic, and the oil.
In case you're wondering what is inside the blue cup, it is a type fo sweet tea that I experimented with:
M. E. Graves' Guaranteed Cool Tea, no matter What:
In hot climates, I have noticed that people have developed tricks to keep cool. One of those tricks involves using certain spices in their food and tea. One of theirs is to put min leaves in their tea. The mint stimulates the mouth in such a way that it gives the feeling of coolness. I have learned that cinnamon can do the same thing.
What you need:
Two Lipton tea bags
1.5 Cups of sugar
1 Tablespoon of cinnamon
Place sugar and cinnamon into tea pitcher. Heat water to a boil and then add the teabags. Steep for five minutes, then pour tea into tea pitcher. Here, you can do two things; let cool by itself to have warm tea that tastes cool, or put into fridge to have cold tea with a wonderful icy kick.
P.S.: I managed to get myself invited to my host family's house tonight to break fast. I hope to get some pictures of the event.
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