Social education:

 Dear brother, this is lesson No. 26 of the series Child Upbringing in Islam. We are still discussing the subject of social education: The etiquettes of eating and drinking.

The etiquettes of drinking:

 Today, we will talk about the etiquettes of drinking, but before we start, let us emphasize the importance of water as a fundamental element of life since all living things (humans, animals and plants) depend on water for survival. Allah the Almighty says:

(And We have made from water every living thing.)

[Al-Anbiya': 30]

Water is a fundamental element of life:

 Water is the only medium that transports dissolved salt and nutrients to living creatures. Thus, water is an ideal transporting medium. Do you believe that around 16 million metric tons of water falls on the earth every second throughout the year? One of the scientific inimitability of the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, which proves his Prophethood is that he said:

((There is no specific year that has more rainfall than another.))

[Al-Hakem]

 Actually, the annual rainfall rate over the whole earth is fixed, but every year it is distributed across the earth in a different way. In some years, the Middle East is affected by drought for example, while in other years Africa or Europe is affected by drought, and so on. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

((There is no specific year that has more rainfall than another.))

[Al-Hakem]

 Thus, the earth's annual precipitation rate is fixed. Water covers about 70% of earth's surface, and it makes up about 70% of our body mass.

The critical role of water in changing the surface of the earth:

 Dear brother, water has a critical role in changing the surface of the earth; from rocky structure into soil, because when water penetrates from the surface of the ground into the soil then it starts to freeze at low temperature, no force on earth can stop its expansion. Hence, when water expands, it cracks the rocks from inside, and eventually it breaks them apart.

 Dear brother, do you believe that the life of all human beings and all other living things since the creation of Adam until the Day of Resurrection depends on a particular and a unique quality of water? According to this quality, water expands upon freezing. In fact, most solids expand when heated and contract when cooled, and that is why expansion joints are used in building construction since concrete expands when it gets hot in the summer.

 Like other elements, water contracts when it is cooled. However, when it is cooled below 4 degrees, it starts to expand which causes icebergs to float. If water were not characterized by this unique property, the extremely large mass of ice floating in the sea would sink to the depths of the sea, then year by year, seas would freeze. Consequently there would be no evaporation of seawater, no rain and no water, and all living things would die. Thus, the life of all of us depends on this unique characteristic of water. Allah the Almighty says:

(And We have made from water every living thing.)

[Al-Anbiya': 30]

 This means the existence of all living things depends on it. Allah the Almighty says:

(And We have made from water every living thing.)

[Al-Anbiya': 30]

 Let us ponder over some of the properties of water: it has no color, no taste and no smell, it may evaporate at 14 degrees, and it expands when it is cooled below 4 degrees. For that reason, antifreeze is added to the water in car engines, which are made of strong materials, in order to protect them from carking in extremely cold weather. Furthermore, the newest technique of extracting marble blocks from a mountain is to drill holes in them then to fill these holes with water, so when water is cooled at low temperature it will expand, and a cubic meter of marble will be removed from the mountain, and this indicates that water has a critical role in the formulation of all types of soil. Allah the Almighty says:

(And We have made from water every living thing.)

[Al-Anbiya': 30]

 Let me tell you one more thing: the word water is mentioned precisely 33 times in the Noble Qur'an, while the word land is mentioned one fifth of that number which is identical to the land/earth ratio on the earth. Actually, the topic of the importance of water cannot be covered in only one lecture, but I hope you, dear brother, constantly ponder over its creation.

Water is one of the major topics for reflection:

 The Divine Signs for reflection in the universe are countless; there are about 1.300 Ayaat in the Noble Qur'an in which scientific topics for reflection are mentioned, the greatest of which is reflecting over the creation of water. What I would like to highlight is that when one ponders over those signs he will get to know Allah the Almighty. In a previous lecture, I mentioned that Islam encompasses four sections: Aqeedah (Islamic ideology), acts of worship, transactional acts of worship, and etiquettes. The series of lectures Children Upbringing in Islam, particularly social education, come under the heading of Islamic etiquette.
 

Drinking etiquette:

1- Saying 'Bismillah' before drinking and 'Alhamdulillah' after it.

 It is recommended to mention the Name of Allah the Almighty before drinking, and I discussed this point last lecture. As I said last lecture Tasmiyah (Saying Bismillah: mentioning the Name of Allah the Almighty) before drinking means to reflect over water and to thank Allah the Almighty for making water palatable and sweet after it was salt and undrinkable.

 In some oil-producing countries, there are very large seawater desalination plants. Can you believe that the cost of desalinating one liter of water is more than the cost of one liter of gasoline? The cost of desalinating one liter of salt water in order to make it sweet and palatable is higher than the cost of a liter of gasoline, so it is really costly. Furthermore, the desalinated water is undrinkable, because it is distilled water, and it lacks minerals, so it should be mixed with well water which contains various minerals.

 I would like to repeat that mentioning the Name of Allah the Almighty before drinking means to be grateful to Him for making it palatable and sweet after it was salt and undrinkable.

 The other meaning of Tasmiyah before drinking is to adhere to the Islamic etiquettes of drinking, among which are to avoid drinking while standing except for the Hajji (pilgrim) during Tawaf (going around the Kabah) at times of congestion and to take three breathing pauses. Thus, Tasmiyah before drinking has two meanings: first, to remember that water is one of Allah's Greatest Blessings He bestowed upon you, and second to follow the Islamic etiquettes of drinking. One of the etiquettes of drinking water is to praise Allah the Almighty after drinking.

 It was narrated that an Islamic scholar, called Ibn As-Sammak, saw the Khalifah (Caliph) Harun Ar-Rashid drinking a glass of water, so he asked him, "O Leader of the Believers, how much do you pay for this glass of water if you are deprived of it?" Harun Ar-Rasheed answered, "I will pay half of my wealth" Then Ibn As-Sammak asked, "How much money will you pay if this water cannot be released from your body?" The Khalifah answered, "I will pay the other half of my wealth!" (This indicates that his kingdom is not worth a glass of water).

The believer should thank Allah for the blessing of water

 The believer should ponder over the blessings he has in order to get closer to Allah the Almighty Who is the One Who has granted him those blessings. Unlike most countries, the tap water is drinkable in Syria, so you do not have to buy bottled water like people in other countries. Thus, this is one of the unique blessings Allah the Almighty has bestowed upon this blessed country.

 I would like to repeat some of the drinking etiquettes are: to mention the Name of Allah before drinking, to praise Him after drinking, and to take three breathing pauses (to drink in three gulps). Regarding the last etiquette I have just mentioned, there is a nerve called the Vagus Nerve that runs from the stomach to the heart. In some cases if one drinks a large amount of cold water at once, he may die from a sudden cardiac arrest. The reason is that the temperature of man's body is about 37 degrees, while the one of the cold water is 2 or 3 degrees, so when the cold water reaches the stomach unexpectedly, the vague nerve is stimulated, and since it is connected to the heart, man may have a cardiac arrest upon drinking this cold water. The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

((Drink water in sips and not in gulps, for drinking water in gulps is one of the causes of liver diseases.))

[Ad-Daylami]

 According to this Hadith, you should drink water in sips, you should drink water taking three breathing pauses, and you should take away the glass from your mouth while breathing in order to avoid inhaling your breath into it then infect other people (if someone uses the same glass). The other etiquettes that I keep repeating are mentioning the Name of Allah before drinking, which manifests remembering that water is one of Allah's Favors He has bestowed upon you, following the Prophetic instructions in drinking water, and praising Allah the Almighty after drinking. It was narrated that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

((Do not drink in one gulp like a camel, but in two or three (gulps). Mention the Name of Allah (i.e., say Bismillah) when you start drinking and praise Him (i.e., say Al-hamdu lillah) after you have finished (drinking).))

[At-Tirmidhi]

 What a great etiquette! Let me repeat some of the etiquettes of drinking; to mention the Name of Allah the Almighty before drinking, to say all praise be to Allah who provides us with water to drink until our thirst is quenched, to sit down, and to drink while taking three breathing pauses keeping a distance between our mouth and the glass, so that we will not exhale our breath in it, and accordingly infect sh3er.

2- Do not drink directly from the water pitcher:

 The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, forbade drinking directly from any water container such as a water pitcher, because the water in that container may not be perfectly clean, so when you pour it into a glass, you will notice the undesirable particle that it contains. Thus, drinking directly from any water container such as a water pitcher, a pot or a vessel, etc. is against the Sunnah. Instead, one should pour water into a glass of water then to drink from it.

3- Exhaling breath into a glass is undesirable:

 Let us ponder over the third etiquette of drinking. The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, forbade blowing into one's drink. He said:

((Remove the cup from your mouth, then take breath.))

[ Abu Dawood, At-Tirmidhi and Malik]

 Hence, one should not breathe into the glass of water while drinking.

4- Drinking and eating in a sitting position is recommended:

  The fourth etiquette of drinking and eating is to drink or eat in a sitting position. Actually, there are many scientific researches that confirm the importance of sitting while drinking (i.e. that it can help in maintaining the balance of fluids in the body; it can make your kidney perform well for a long run, etc.) Thus, one can receive the best benefits of water when he drinks it while sitting.

Imitate other's good and simple habits

 One of the habits of enormously wealthy people is that when they go to an open- buffet they all stand while eating. This stand-up buffet is against the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. In contrast, some other wealthy people have completely different habits. Once I was invited to a banquet in the United States, and there were about 30 people invited to that open buffet. The room was relatively small, and there was a table with food on it, so I wondered how we could manage to eat (around the table in that small room). Then each one of us simply took his plate, filled it with the food he selected, and then returned to his seat. As the saying goes, "Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated."

 Also, I was invited to an Islamic center in Indiana, the United States. There were about 70 types of the best food on the table, and there were a large room for men and another large room for women (to avoid mixing between men and women). The table was put in a place between the two rooms, so each one took his plate, filled it with the food he selected, and then returned to his seat. When that great feast was finished, I noticed that each one of those people who were invited to that feast had brought with him a home-cooked meal, so after the end of that feast each one took back the food which remained from his meal.

 It was really a great feast, as there were no mixing between men and women, they used plastic eating utensils, so they did not have to wash the dishes. Besides, they did not have to buy food since each one had brought with him a home-cooked meal, then he took back the food which remained after the end of that feast. I encourage you to be open-minded; to be willing to imitate sh3er' good and simple habits.

 As I have just mentioned to you, the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, forbade drinking while standing. Qutada, who was one of At-Tabi'een (the contemporary of the companions who were born after the death of the prophet), asked Anas, who was one of the noble companions, "What about eating while standing?" Anas replied, "It is even worse." Actually, this does not mean that one cannot drink while standing in rare certain situations, but generally one should eat and drink in a sitting position. Some scholars said, "If drinking while standing is undesirable, then eating in a standing position is even more undesirable." It was reported in Sahih Muslim that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

((None of you should drink while standing.))

 It does not mean that there is no exception to this rule, so one can drink while standing in very few cases such as in a very crowded place where it is impossible to find a place to sit. Shari'ah rulings are really flexible.

5- The prohibition of drinking from a gold or silver vessels:

 The fifth etiquette is refraining from drinking from vessels of gold or silver. We should differentiate between the vessels of gold and silver, and the gilded or silvered vessels; the vessels which are made of gold or silver are incredibly expensive, and according to the Islamic teachings one should never use them for drinking or eating. On the other hand, the vessels which are covered by a thin layer of gold or silver are noticeably less expensive, for that reason some scholars said there is no harm in using them for eating or drinking. I heard that the price of a solid-gold faucet is as much as the price of a small house! It was mentioned in the relic that:

((He who drinks from the vessel of silver [and gold] kindles the Fire (of Hell) in his belly.))

[Abu Ya'la]

 There is nothing wrong with eating, drinking, and having a nice house, cool kitchen utensil, etc. since Allah the Almighty is Beautiful and He likes beauty. Thus, there is nothing wrong with taking care of the interior design of your house. Whereas the manifestation of lavishness and extravagance is prohibited in Islam. There are eight noble Ayaat in the Noble Qur'an about the people who live in great luxury, and in each Ayah they are described as disbelievers. Allah the Almighty says:

(who disbelieved and denied the Meeting in the Hereafter, and to whom We had given the luxuries and comforts of this life)

(Al-Mu'minun)

 Accordingly, the ones who live lavishly are described 8 times in the Noble Qur'an as disbelievers. However, there is no harm in eating and drinking (as long as it is Halal food) in a house that is designed neatly and elegantly as long as you avoid haughtiness and extravagance in its decorations. It was said, "Whoever befriends rich people and pay them visits, among the disbelievers of course, will become discontent with Allah's Decree, because he will feel that the money he has collected is nothing in comparison to their fabulous wealth. The mother of the believers Mrs. Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her narrated that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

((O Aishah, if you want to stick with me, then suffice yourself in the world with the provisions of the rider. And beware of gatherings of the rich, and do not consider a garment to be worn out until it has been patched.))

[Al-Hakem]

 Definitely, the rich people who are referred to in the abovementioned Hadith are the disbelieving ones, while the believing rich people are quite different from them; although they are extremely wealthy, they are humble, well-mannered, generous, openhanded, and fairly helpful to the poor. Furthermore, they believe that money is power in the sense that they use money as a means for getting closer to Allah the Almighty and reaching the highest level of Paradise through spending money on the poor, on the needy, on the Islamic knowledge-seeker, on giving free valuable Islamic books for sh3er, and on whatever brings benefit to Muslims.
 

6- The prohibition of extravagance in food and drink

 The sixth etiquette of eating and drinking is to avoid eating one's fill, which is undesirable in Islam. Al-Miqdam Ibn Ma'di Karib narrated that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

((A human being fills no worse vessel than his stomach. It is sufficient for a human being to eat a few mouthfuls to keep his spine straight. But if he must (fill it), then one third of food, one third for drink and one third for air.))

[Ahmad and At-Tirmidhi]

 Let us make the following funny calculation of the amount of food one eats throughout his life. If one weighs his daily three meals including vegetables, fruits, and whatever he eats, then multiplies the estimated sum by 30 (the number of days in one month), then by 12 (the number of months in a year) then by 60 (if he lives for 60 years for example) we will find that the weight of the food one has eaten during his life will be about 60 or 70 tons by the time he reaches 60! Although this is a funny calculation, it has a scientific basis.

 The more one eats moderately, the longer his life will be. Of course, it does not mean that eating less helps one live longer, since every one has a specific number of years to live, but it means in most cases those who eat moderately live longer than those who eat too much.

The harmony between man's tendencies and Allah's Method exalts man:

 Dear brother, consider the following critical point: when one's tendencies are in accordance with the teachings of Islam, he will be exalted to the highest level in the Sight of Allah the Almighty. To make this point clear, consider the example of someone who used to listen to songs, but then he repented to Allah the Almighty of that sin. If one day he took a bus and the bus driver was listening to a song the man used to love, and he felt a deep sense of pleasure when he heard it, he is not considered sinful, because he did not do that deliberately. It was narrated by Anas that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

((Whoever listens to a female singer, molten lead will be poured into his ears on the Day of Judgement))

[Ibn Asakir]

 Actually, listening and hearing have quite different meanings; when one takes a bus or any other vehicle while travelling, and the driver is turning on the radio, there is no sin on the passenger when he hears songs, because he does not do that on purpose. Whereas, when someone turns on his tape or CD recorder in order to listen to songs, he commits a sin, because he does that intentionally. Thus, if someone has repented to Allah the Almighty of listening to songs, then he hears one of his favorite songs when passing by a shop or taking on a bus, there is no sin in him even if he feels a deep sense of pleasure, since he does not do that on purpose.

 Believe it or not, when one gets closer to Allah, Glorified and Exalted be he, and when he is exalted to a high level in His Sight, he will feel terribly annoyed when he hears his favorite song, because he has ascended from the state of abstaining from committing a sin out of fear of Allah to the state of abhorring sins, because his tendencies become in accordance with the teachings of Islam. It was narrated in the tradition that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

((What a devoted worshipper of Allah Suhaib was! His deep love for Allah prevented him from disobeying Him.))

 Hence, when one is exalted to a high position in the Sight of Allah the Almighty, his tendencies becomes in harmony with Allah's Method. Someone may say that struggling against one's desires is a kind of Jihad, isn't it? This is true, but this kind of Jihad is not a permanent situation; first one struggles against his desires, but when he gets closer to Allah the Almighty, and when he reaches an exalted position in His Sight, he will abstain from committing sins not only because he fears Allah the Almighty, but also because he detests and despises sins. I hope I have made this critical point clear.

 When it comes to the Islamic etiquettes, first one follows these etiquettes as an act of Sunnah, but after a while they become an aspect of his personality. Also, he will unconsciously follow the etiquettes of eating, drinking, asking permission, meeting sh3er, talking, paying a visit, or visiting the sick, etc.

 The true believer makes every effort to be exalted in the Sight of Allah the Almighty, while the disbeliever constantly descends to a lower position in His Sight (because of his sins). As for the believer, in the beginning he abstains from committing a sin out of fear of Allah the Almighty, even though he still loves it. Later on, he does his best to deepen his faith and to get closer to Allah the Almighty (through performing acts of worship), so his desires as well as his unconscious mind will be in accordance with the teachings of Islam. As a result, he may dream about going to Makkah to perform Hajj or Umrah, about going to Al-Madinah to visit the grave of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, about performing a righteous deed, or about meeting a righteous Islamic scholar, etc. In other words, his unconscious mind will work as his conscious mind

In contrast to this believing man, if someone sees in his dream that he is committing a major sin, Allah forbid, of course he will not be held accountable for that dream, but this indicates that he has not reached an exalted position in the Sight of Allah since his unconscious mind is not in accordance with the teachings of Islam. Thus, these Islamic etiquettes may seem theoretical at the beginnings, but after one makes every effort to deepen his faith and to have a strong relationship with Allah the Almighty, these etiquettes will turn into practical behavior.

Reflection on Allah's Creation helps one get to know Him:

 Dear brother, pay attention to this critical point, please. You should get used to pondering over the creation of everything around you. For instance, when you eat a loaf of bread or drink a glass of water, you should not be only concerned with satisfying your hunger and thirst just as animals do, but rather you should ask yourself, who has created wheat? Who has created water? etc. Also, when you drink a glass of milk, you should ponder over the creation of milk; how does a cow, which could be likened to a noiseless milk-producing factory, make milk? Allah the Almighty says:

(And We have subdued them unto them.)

[Yasin, 72]

 A mammary gland has a dome-like structure, and blood flows above it. In fact, the mechanism behind the production of milk in a mammary gland is still unknown, but in general it takes nutrients (proteins, sugars) from blood supply and turns them into breast milk. 400 liters of blood circulation is required to produce 1 liter of milk. The mammary gland has a dome-like structure, and it secrets droops of milk. Furthermore, cows' udder has two perpendicular walls so that they do not get torn out of heavy weight. Also, cows' udders actually have four nipples, and each one gives a quarter of the total amount of milk when they are squeezed. Allah the Almighty has subdued it for people. He says:

(And We have subdued them (grazing livestock, cattle, camels, cows, etc.) unto them (people).)

[Yasin, 72]

 "We have subdued grazing livestock unto people" means if a cow comes nearer to someone, he will not be terrified, because Allah the Almighty has made cows tame animals, but he sees a small scorpion in front of him, he will be extremely scared. Also, the abovementioned Noble Ayah means Allah the Almighty has permitted people to eat the meat and drink the milk of some animals (which are subdued to them). In fact dairy products such as strained yoghurt, cheese, margarine, butter, etc. are essential in man's food. Allah the Almighty says:

(And the cattle, He has created them for you;)

[Al-Nahl, 5]

 Allah the Almighty has created them especially for man. Man is honored by having such animals subjected to him. I would like to give you an example from our daily life to clarify the sense of honor man gets from having the livestock subdued to him. If you hold a banquet in the honor of someone and another person comes to visit you, you will allow him to enter, but he is not the person to whom that banquet is held. Allah the Almighty says:

(And the cattle, He has created them for you;)

[Al-Nahl, 5]

 As I have just said, Allah the Almighty has created animals (such as cows, hens, etc.) fruits, vegetables, etc. for man. Actually, when you pay for food or drinks, you should know for sure that you are paying just the cost of making that food, while its real value is unpayable. Let us ponder over the creation of an apple, its size is appropriate for your mouth-opening, and it has an attractive color. Also, you can bite into it, because it is not hard as a rock. Furthermore, it has a sweet taste, and it contains minerals, iron, vitamins, etc. So, when you eat an apple, ponder over its structure, the nutrients it contains, its shape, taste, and smell, and the nutritional value of its peel.

The believer's heart is filled with glorification, fear of and love to Allah:

 I emphasize this point: habituate yourself with pondering over the creation of your food and drink, because this act of reflection helps you get to know Allah the Almighty. Abdu-Allah Ibn Abbas narrated that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

((Love Allah for what He nourishes you with of His Blessings.))

[At-Tirmidhi]

  Also, it was narrated in the tradition that:

((The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: Dawud, peace be upon him, said to his Lord, "O my Lord! Who is most beloved to You among Your servants, so that I love him for the sake of Your Love?" He said, "O Dawud! The most beloved of My