“Yuck!” “Ugh!” “That reeks!” “What on earth is that?!” These are terms and sounds that we’ve all heard before around the dinner table. May Allah SWT pardon us.
Abu Huraira says, describing a Sunnah that was abandoned in the examples above:
ما رأيت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عاب طعاما قط . كان إذا اشتهاه أكله ، وإن لم يشتهه سكت
“Never in my life did I see the Prophet (PBUH) mock any type of food. If he desired it, he would it from it. If he didn’t, he would remain quiet.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari & Muslim)
In fact, the Prophet (PBUH) and Khalid Ibnul Walid once entered upon the house of Maymoona, the wife of the Prophet (PBUH) and a roasted long-tailed lizard was presented. The Prophet (PBUH) reached out to eat from it but then some of the women said, ‘Tell the Prophet (PBUH) about what he’s about to eat!’ They said, ‘This is a lizard’ So at once, he lifted his hand away.
Upon seeing this, Khalid asked, ‘O messenger of Allah, is it Haraam?’ The response of the Prophet (PBUH) was remarkably polite and carefully worded. He said,
لا ولكن لم يكن بأرض قومي فأجدني أعافه
‘No, but this type of food is unfamiliar in my land and so I find myself disliking it.’
Having received the green light, Khalid said, ‘So I took it and began chewing it whilst the Prophet (PBUH) looked at me.’ (Narrated by Al-Bukhari)
Even if certain foods & drinks don’t sit well with us, they certainly do with many others and thus are deserving of tremendous gratitude to Allah, not vulgar mockery.
This Hadith also shows that there isn’t a problem in politely turning down food which one dislikes and that there is no shyness in doing so, as opposed to forcefully swallowing what we abhor whilst trying to exhibit the fakest of smiles!
From today, plug in this prophetic Sunnah into your life.
May Allah gather the writer of this post, its readers and every Muslim who contributes in the reviving of this Sunnah with the beloved Mohammad (PBUH) in the highest of gardens in Jannah.
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