Allah gives humans grace that a privilege is not given to besides, including halal sustenance. How does halal food impact health?
For people who believe consuming food that is halal and tayyib is not only to maintain their dignity, but more than that, it is a form of expression of gratitude to Allah.
O believers! Eat from the good things We have provided for you. And thank Allah if you ‘truly’ worship Him ‘alone’. (QS. Al-Baqarah [2]: 172)
So eat from the sound, Halal things Allah has provided for you, and be grateful for Allah’s favours if you ‘truly’ worship Him ‘alone’. (QS. An-Nahl [16]: 114)
Attention to the food that will be consumed, apart from maintaining human status and dignity as a noble creature, is also because the food consumed has a broad impact on all aspects of human life, not only in this world but also in the hereafter. The following is the influence of food on human life.
Affecting Physical and Spiritual Growth
The food consumed by humans contains useful substances for survival, including Carbohydrates, which are needed for energy (energy). Animal and vegetable protein is required for growth, building and repairing damaged body tissues. Fat is an energy reserve and is involved in controlling body temperature. Vitamins and Minerals are needed for food metabolism, the formation of body resistance, the activation of enzymes and hormones, and protection and maintenance of the structure and function of the body’s organs. Water is a medium for transporting nutrients in the body.
Everyone needs a balanced intake of these substances for physical and brain growth and to meet energy needs for activities. If there is an imbalance or insufficient information on one of these components, there will be disturbances ranging from mild to severe disorders. For example, if a person’s intake of carbohydrates is lacking, they will feel weak due to reduced energy intake.
Since food and drink significantly influence activity, physical growth, and intellectual development, Allah SWT. Provide instructions to humans to only consume food and drink that is halal and good (halalan thayyiban) so that it will have a good influence on life.
The influence of haram food may not be visible outwardly. For example, some say many people who usually eat pork are intelligent and innovative. This assessment is purely outwardly, but spiritually it is clear that there must be an impact.
The energy from something psychically unclean will become an obstacle if used to do good. Likewise, the growth of the brain that is developed from haram materials will become an obstacle when it is used to think about goodness.
Influence Human Nature and Behavior
The human body is made up of organs, each organ is made up of tissues, and every tissue is made up of cells. In cells, there is a cell nucleus. In the middle of the cell, there are chromosomes. In the chromosomes, some genes carry human traits that will be passed on to their offspring. A unique DNA can identify the presence of biological kinship within the gene. In addition, activities in the human body are coordinated by nerve and hormone functions.
The food consumed by humans, among other things, functions as a component of cell building, so the formation of DNA is also developed from food. Likewise, food also acts as a material for constructing and maintaining the functions of organs and tissues, including nerves and hormones.
In addition, the amount and composition of food consumed also affect the human character. For example, people who usually fast will be better able to control their emotions than people who have never fasted.
Certain types of compounds can also affect a person’s character. Tryptophan, for example, is an amino acid suspected to stimulate the emergence of violent feelings.
So thus, the food and drink consumed by humans significantly affect their nature and behaviour as well as the traits that will be passed on to their children. So you can imagine the effect if the food is not halal.
Affecting the Development of Children to Be Born
Food and drink consumed by humans will affect the growth of sperm and the ovum. After fertilization, the ovum will grow into a fetus in the womb. When in this womb, the food consumed by the mother will significantly affect the growth of the fetus.
This is where it is appropriate to ponder why currently juvenile delinquency is increasing. It could be because the food we have consumed since we were in the womb is not halal.
Influence Acceptance or Rejection of Charity Worship and Prayer
The purpose and task of human life on earth is to worship and serve Allah SWT, the Most Holy Essence.
“I did not create jinn and humans except to worship Me.” (QS. al- Dzariyat [51]: 56)
How can Allah accept someone’s worship if his food and drink are unclean? Because if the food and drink consumed are halal, he will likely take the charity of prayer. Therefore, one must try as much as possible so that the food and beverages consumed are truly halal and suitable (halalan thayyiban) so Allah SWT accepts the deeds of worship. As explained in an authentic hadith:
“Oh, Humans! Truly Allah is thayyib (good) and will not accept except that which is thayyib (good and halal), and Allah commands to believers everything He commands to the messengers. Allah says, ‘O Messenger, eat from good food, and do good deeds. Verily, I am All-Knowing of what you do.” (Al- Mu’minun, 231)
Then Rasulullah SAW. also said: “Whoever buys clothes worth ten dirhams, while there is only one dirham of forbidden money in it, Allah will not accept his prayer as long as he is still wearing that shirt.” (Narrated by Ahmad No. 5473)
In the Qur’an, Allah S.W.T. said: “Eat from what is good and halal, and act righteously.” (QS. Al- Mu’minun [23]: 51)
In this verse, the command to consume what is halal is associated with the order to do good deeds. What is meant by good deeds are good deeds that are following the guidance of the Prophet Muhammad. and do it sincerely. In this case, the meaning is implied that one must be careful when consuming it. When you are going to do good deeds, the food you eat must be halal because haram food will become an obstacle to doing good deeds and an obstacle to receiving good deeds.
Influence Life in the Afterlife
The food and drink consumed by humans will affect their life in the afterlife. If it is halal and tayyib, it will lead people to heaven. Conversely, if it originates from or is obtained illegitimately, it will lead him to hell.
As mentioned in hadith Rasulullah SAW.: “O Kaab bin Ujrah, actually meat does not grow from unclean food unless hell is more deserving of it.” (HR. al-Tirmidhi No. 558)
Be careful and stay away from the Haram
So significant is the impact and danger that the illegitimate requires a person always to be careful not to take or be possessed by Haram. The Prophet Muhammad instilled An attitude like this in his friends, and became an attitude followed by the next generation.
Being careful about halal and Haram matters reflects the purity of a servant because, with this trait, the goodness of one’s religion will always be maintained. Imam al-Bukhari in al-Jami al-Shahih has written the following history:
From Aisha RA., She said: “In the past, Abu Bakr had a maid who was tasked with collecting taxes for him. Abu Bakr never ate from the tax share. One day his maid came with food, and then Abu Bakr ate it. So the maid asked Abu Bakr; Do you know what you eat? Abu Bakr asked; What’s that? The maid said; In the past, during the Jahiliyyah era, I was a person who used to tell fortunes for someone. However, I’m no good at shamanism unless I trick it. Then I met that person, then he gave (a gift) to me (i.e.) this food you eat.” So, Abu Bakr spontaneously put his finger in his mouth until he vomited everything in his stomach. (HR al-Bukhari No. 3554).
Umar ibn al-Khattab RA. did the same thing as Abu Bakr RA. as in the history above. When he drank milk from an alms camel, but because he felt something was wrong, he put his fingers in his mouth and tried to spit it out so that his stomach contents were clean. This shows how afraid the al-Saleh salaf is of haram food.
Sahal al- Tusturi said: “A person will not reach the essence of faith until he does four things, namely fulfilling all fardhuan by following the guidance of the sunnah, consuming what is halal by following the principle of warm; staying away from religious prohibitions physically and spiritually, and be patient with all of that until death.”
Wallȃhu a’lam. Sahal al- Tusturi also said: “Anyone who consumes illicit things from his limbs will be driven to commit immorality intentionally or unintentionally, willingly or unwillingly. But if the food is halal, He will be followed by his limbs and guided by God to goodness.” (Source : Ainul Yaqin : Halal in the Modern Era )
