The Prophetic Model and Diet of the Messenger (Peace be Upon Him)
Asalam alykum loves! It has been awhile since I have posted! I have been a lot of research lately on the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him), more specifically the As-Shamaa'il Al Muammadeeya, which is the study of the characteristics, traits and attributes of the Prophet Muhammad. Which is different than the Seerah, which is a detailed study of the Prophet's life from beginning to end. So far we have covered the Prophet's physical characteristics, the types of clothing he wore, his possesions and also the way he ate, how he viewed food and the types of food he would eat.
I think I will do another post on the other topics but today I wanted to share my research and notes on the diet of the Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him) since I personally have been trying to adopt a healthier lifestyle! It has been great for me so far since I feel great and have learned to like foods I have disliked in the past. If you know me, I am a picky eater and I have been a vegetarian for about 4 years now but you can still be unhealthy since donuts and fries and soda are technically vegetarian. TRUST ME YA'LL, I tried being vegan! Cutting out eggs and cheese was the hardest but lately I haven't been consuming regular milk or cheese anymore, I use cheese sometimes but rarely and instead of cow milk I use soy or almond milk for that protein! It is amazing once you start eating healthy , even if you don't see the weight loss results (which is part of the reason I started eating healthier) right away, your body will notice changes, I started feeling less bloated and disgusting and running to the bathroom all the time after eating fast food! Now anytime I eat fast food I am literally sick for a full day/night.
Since I started eating healthy I have been doing smoothies almost daily using some combination of these ingredients soy milk, either Spinach or Argula or Kale, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, avocado, banana, pineapple, sometimes I add grapes and either peanut butter or almond butter. They are super filling and keep you full for a few hours until it's time for lunch! Usually I also try to have oatmeal with added chia seeds (another protein source) and would either add fruit or honey for some added sweetness! My mom can tell you, used to HATE OATMEAL as a kid, but I noticed that if I push myself and eat something consistently, my body starts to like and crave it. For me as a picky eater I have to introduce myself to a food multiple times and sometimes combine I food I don't normally like with a food I do like, for example I used to not like avocado because the texture to me was weird but now I like to add it with boiled eggs, beans and frozen veggies for a quick lunch or dinner.
The thing is I can say eating healthier does require more of an effort than eating cheap junk food, I have to go to the grocery store more often since I go through my fruits and veggies pretty quick, but the effect it has on your body is worth spending more if it's your health you care about. Getting yourself used to eating healthy when before your diet consisted of sugar, fried foods and baked goods, won't be easy, but once you do it, I promise you will feel happier, confident and your body will thank you!
Also as a young millennial, not going to lie the thought of having to prep and cook sounds exhausting and time consuming, but again I learned to pop together frozen veggies with a boiled eggs (protein for the win, important when you're vegetarian) for a quick meal, or do quinoa with some broccoli or spinach or acavado, or some ekeziel bread (I cut out bread and pasta but ekziel bread has lots of protein benefits, just not the best tasting) with boiled egg and avocado and hummus!
When he raised the food to his mouth, he would say, “Al-hamdu Lillaahi hamdan katheeran tayyiban mubaarakan fihi ghayri makfiyyin wa laa muwadda’ wa laa mustaghni ‘anhu Rabbanaa ‘azza wa jall (Allaah be praised with an abundant, beautiful, blessed praise. He is the One Who is Sufficient, Who feeds and is never fed, The One Who is longed for, along with that which is with Him, and the One Who is needed. He is Our Lord, may He be glorified). Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5142).
I think I will do another post on the other topics but today I wanted to share my research and notes on the diet of the Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him) since I personally have been trying to adopt a healthier lifestyle! It has been great for me so far since I feel great and have learned to like foods I have disliked in the past. If you know me, I am a picky eater and I have been a vegetarian for about 4 years now but you can still be unhealthy since donuts and fries and soda are technically vegetarian. TRUST ME YA'LL, I tried being vegan! Cutting out eggs and cheese was the hardest but lately I haven't been consuming regular milk or cheese anymore, I use cheese sometimes but rarely and instead of cow milk I use soy or almond milk for that protein! It is amazing once you start eating healthy , even if you don't see the weight loss results (which is part of the reason I started eating healthier) right away, your body will notice changes, I started feeling less bloated and disgusting and running to the bathroom all the time after eating fast food! Now anytime I eat fast food I am literally sick for a full day/night.
Since I started eating healthy I have been doing smoothies almost daily using some combination of these ingredients soy milk, either Spinach or Argula or Kale, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, avocado, banana, pineapple, sometimes I add grapes and either peanut butter or almond butter. They are super filling and keep you full for a few hours until it's time for lunch! Usually I also try to have oatmeal with added chia seeds (another protein source) and would either add fruit or honey for some added sweetness! My mom can tell you, used to HATE OATMEAL as a kid, but I noticed that if I push myself and eat something consistently, my body starts to like and crave it. For me as a picky eater I have to introduce myself to a food multiple times and sometimes combine I food I don't normally like with a food I do like, for example I used to not like avocado because the texture to me was weird but now I like to add it with boiled eggs, beans and frozen veggies for a quick lunch or dinner.
The thing is I can say eating healthier does require more of an effort than eating cheap junk food, I have to go to the grocery store more often since I go through my fruits and veggies pretty quick, but the effect it has on your body is worth spending more if it's your health you care about. Getting yourself used to eating healthy when before your diet consisted of sugar, fried foods and baked goods, won't be easy, but once you do it, I promise you will feel happier, confident and your body will thank you!
Also as a young millennial, not going to lie the thought of having to prep and cook sounds exhausting and time consuming, but again I learned to pop together frozen veggies with a boiled eggs (protein for the win, important when you're vegetarian) for a quick meal, or do quinoa with some broccoli or spinach or acavado, or some ekeziel bread (I cut out bread and pasta but ekziel bread has lots of protein benefits, just not the best tasting) with boiled egg and avocado and hummus!
So moving on past my eating habits, let's discuss what the Prophet (Peace be Upon him) did. In terms of the position of how he eat, he would eat sitting on the floor with one leg propped up against his stomach so that it put pressure on his stomach, this ensured that he did not overfill himself. He also ate with three fingers, his thumb, pointer finger and middle finger. He encouraged us to share our food, because there is more blessings in sharing food and one food is enough for two, and two is enough for three and so on. He would not say he disliked a food, just not eat it or politely say he did not feel like eating it. When he ate he would always make dua before he ate and would make Dua for the host who would feed him and encourage his guests to eat. Here are the Hadith below stating these mannerisms.
When he put his hand in the food, he would say, “Bismillaah (in the Name of Allaah), and he told people to say this when eating. He said, “When any one of you eats, let him mention the name of Allaah. If he forgets to mention the name of Allaah at the beginning, let him say Bismillaahi fi awwalihi wa aakhirihi (in the name of Allaah at its beginning and at its end).” Saheeh hadeeth, narrated by al-Tirmidhi (1859) and Abu Dawood (3767).
When he raised the food to his mouth, he would say, “Al-hamdu Lillaahi hamdan katheeran tayyiban mubaarakan fihi ghayri makfiyyin wa laa muwadda’ wa laa mustaghni ‘anhu Rabbanaa ‘azza wa jall (Allaah be praised with an abundant, beautiful, blessed praise. He is the One Who is Sufficient, Who feeds and is never fed, The One Who is longed for, along with that which is with Him, and the One Who is needed. He is Our Lord, may He be glorified). Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5142).
He never criticized food at all. If he liked it, he would eat it, and if he did not like it, he would leave it and not say anything. Narrated by al-Bukhaari (3370) and Muslim (2064).
Or he would say, “I do not feel like eating this.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5076) and Muslim (1946).
Or he would say, “I do not feel like eating this.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5076) and Muslim (1946).
With regard to the manner of sitting when one wants to eat, Muslim narrated in his Saheeh (3807) that Anas ibn Maalik said: I saw the Prophet (blessing and peace of Allah be upon him) kneeling, eating a date.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: This means kneeling with the feet upright, resting on one’s heels…. The Prophet (blessing and peace of Allah be upon him) ate like that so that he would not become too comfortable and eat too much, because usually when a person sits in this manner, he does not feel too comfortable, so he does not eat a lot. If he is not comfortable he will never eat a lot, but if he is comfortable he will eat a lot. This is what usually happens…
End quote from Sharh Riyaadh as-Saaliheen
He would repeatedly urge his guests to eat, as generous hosts do, and as is seen in the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah, narrated by al-Bukhaari, about the story of drinking milk, where he repeatedly said to him, “Drink!” and he kept telling him to drink until he (the guest) said, “By the One Who sent you with the truth, I have no more room for it!” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (6087).
When he ate with others, he would not leave until he had made du’aa’ for them. He made du’aa in the house of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Bisr, and said: “O Allaah, bless for them that which You have provided for them, forgive them and have mercy on them.” Narrated by Muslim (2042).
When he ate with others, he would not leave until he had made du’aa’ for them. He made du’aa in the house of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Bisr, and said: “O Allaah, bless for them that which You have provided for them, forgive them and have mercy on them.” Narrated by Muslim (2042).
He commanded those who complained that they never felt full to eat together and not separately, and to mention the name of Allaah (say Bismillaah) over the food so that He might bless it for them.” Narrated by Abu Dawood (3764) and Ibn Maajah (3286).
It was also reported that he said, “I do not eat reclining.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5083.
He used to eat using the first three fingers (of his right hand), which is the best way of eating.
He used to eat using the first three fingers (of his right hand), which is the best way of eating.
Soooo I don't know about you guys, but a problem I have always had and am getting better at, is OVEREATING. I think it has a lot to do with in college how broke I was and would have to eat ramen a lot or when I would go to free events, you know your eyes are bigger than your head and there's a variety of food so I would go nuts. It has gotten better, I try to eat small amounts and then drink water, and learn portion control and try not to eat late at night! the worst thing is when you overeat to the point where your tummy hurts and you can't sleep!
The Prophet would eat what was good for him, would eat enough to keep him going but not to make himself fat. This is what the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said on the topic: Ibn ‘Umar narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The believer eats in one stomach whilst the kaafir eats in seven.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5081) and Muslim (2060).
He taught his ummah something to protect them from diseases caused by eating and drinking. He said: “The son of Adam does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to eat a few mouthfuls, to keep him going. If he must do that (fill his stomach), then let him fill one third with food, one third with drink and one third with air.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (1381), Ibn Maajah (3349); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah (2265).
We all like having choices right? When we go to restaurants that have buffets, it is nice that there are varieties of food or that sometimes you can have Thai food, Chinese, Hispanic, Italian or African food. The Prophet Salahuu Alayhi Wasalam ate what was provided to him and did not ask for a specific type of food. He would eat foods like dates, grapes, barely or rye bread, bread with vinegar, watermelon, olive oil, honey, a type of yogurt like spread and sometimes meat.
I will go into more detail of benefits of the foods the Prophet (Peace be upon him) used to eat as well as Quranic verses that mention food in another post! Stay Tuned!
I will go into more detail of benefits of the foods the Prophet (Peace be upon him) used to eat as well as Quranic verses that mention food in another post! Stay Tuned!
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