Ethics and Spirituality of Food Workshop

Hippies, Vegans, Raw-foodists and broad beans. I must admit these were some of my initial reactions to the idea of ethics and food. Over time however, after researching and speaking with those who have both knowledge and experience in this area, my ideas have changed drastically.

Al Ghazzali Centre ran a one day workshop on Queens Birthday weekend at ICV in Melbourne. It was a real eye opener to the reality of what we are consuming on a daily basis. We all know that the division of resources, in particular food, has created a global crisis. The vast majority of resources are directed to the West.

Due to over consumption many of us are battling obesity and a variety of related ailments and, worse still, are overindulging our nafs. What we often overlook however, is how this overconsumption is being maintained. Where does all this food come from and what processes are involved in meeting our excessive needs at such affordable prices?

The workshop gave a valuable introduction to industrial farming and the processes it involves here in Australia and around the world. Imam Afroz particularly focussed on the process involved in milk production and the importance of drinking organic milk. He opened our minds to the idea of joining a cow share in order to obtain fresh, unpasteurised milk. I think this is something we should definitely implement here in Melbourne. For many of us it was a much needed reminder of the things we had learned before but forgotten to give due importance to, or that had been put in the ‘too hard basket’.

One of the highlights of the day was the testing of organic vs non organic vegetables. Imam Afroz confidently compared the juice of both vegetables and fruit and measured them with a Refractometer. The organic fruit and vegetables consistently came out trumps. He also shared with us anecdotes from his home life where both he and his wife bought broccoli; one organic and one non organic. Of course the organic one wilted after a short time but the non organic just kept on going and going and going. At first glance this seems great. (I love digging out that broccoli I’d forgotten about and finding it in perfect cooking condition.) However, it doesn’t take much thought to realise why one outlasts the other.

I guess the main point of this is for us to ask Why and How (Where and even Who), when it comes to our food, and not just take things at face value. Not only should we be concerned with what we are putting into our bodies, but as humans and Muslims we should be concerned with the moral responsibility of who has suffered in order for us to receive food on our table. Are we contributing to an oppressive system, or are we resisting against it?

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ كُلُواْ مِمَّا فِي الأَرْضِ حَلاَلاً طَيِّباً وَلاَ تَتَّبِعُواْ خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ 2:168

We’ve all been taught to say Bismillah before we eat and Alhamdulillah when we are finished, and to eat of what is halal. Many of us have forgotten to think about what is ‘tayyib’ (good, wholesome). By making this extra effort to scrutinise our food, we are not only benefitting ourselves physically Inshallah, but with the correct intention we can increase our reward countless times with Allah SWT.

As always Imam Afroz shared many words of wisdom with us and those that stuck with me the most were to the effect of “Be absolutely scrupulous in your own home“. Once you get that right, other things will fall into place. It reminds us to keep the correct focus and work on our circle of influence. Imagine how the world would change if we all just kept to this one simple principle!