# Mindful Eating

**Author:** Dr. Osman Umarji
**Series:** Deeds to Habit
**Published:** 2020-04-28
**YouTube:** https://youtu.be/WrRDJn-uQEQ
**URL:** https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/deeds-to-habit/mindful-eating-deeds-to-habit
**Topics:** Acts of Worship, Sharia

## Description
Ever eat a meal and forget what it smelled or tasted like because you were watching TV or focusing on something else? Dr. Osman Umarji describes the prophetic etiquette of eating and how we can develop a habit of enjoying our food and its blessings. Mindful eating Mindfulness is the art and the...

## Transcript
**[0:01]** As-salamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. My dear brothers and sisters, I'm sure we can all remember a meal where we were sitting on the couch or sitting on the dining table, watching TV or scrolling through our phones,

**[0:16]** and we inhaled our meal or devoured it so quickly that afterwards we could hardly remember what it smelled like, what it tasted like, and we did not even enjoy the meal. The good habit I want to speak about today is called mindful eating. Many of us have heard about mindfulness,

**[0:32]** the art and the science behind understanding how to control our thoughts better. But there's another related topic that is called mindful eating, and mindful eating is something which the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he taught us, as well as Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has mentioned in the Qur'an.

**[0:48]** The Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to have a routine when he would eat his meals. He would begin by invoking the name of Allah. He would take his time when he was eating and drinking, and then he would close his meal by invoking the name of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala again. What mindful eating means,

**[1:04]** mindful eating is a way of thinking about your food and not being in a rush, not being distracted, and actually enjoying and savoring each bite that you take. The Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was reported by Anas ibn Malik

**[1:19]** that when the Prophet would eat and he would drink, especially with his drink, that he would take multiple breaks while drinking to breathe. And he explained sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that he did it because that made the meal more enjoyable, and it was also better for his health. And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala calls our attention to how we interact with our food when he says in the Quran,

**[1:58]** Allah tells us, let mankind look at his food. When was the last time that we stopped and we regularly looked at our food while eating? If you have a salad, if you have fruits, and you have vegetables, Allah reminds us that when you look at that food, where did it come from?

**[2:15]** Allah says he sent rain down from the skies. That rain penetrated into the earth and caused a plant to come out that produced fruits and vegetables of all different shapes, sizes, colors, and taste. Why did he do this?

**[2:30]** Mata'al lakum wa li'an ahmikum. For us to enjoy and for the animals to enjoy. How do we enjoy our food, my brothers and sisters? Number one, we begin with the name of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would say, Allahumma baarik lana fee maa rizqtana wa qinaa azaadahna.

**[2:47]** We begin by asking Allah to bless that which we eat. Number two, we take our time. Look at your food. Smell it. Savor it. With each bite, enjoy what Allah has given you as a provision.

**[3:03]** When you take a drink, take a few sips. Breathe. What will this do? And then when you finish your meal, you end with the name of Allah. Alhamdulilahil ladhi ata'amana wasaqana waja'alana minal muslimeen.

**[3:18]** Praise be to the one who has fed us and quenched our thirst and made us from amongst the believers. What does this do for us, my brothers and sisters? Number one, this habit, it allows us to digest food properly. Those who eat quickly, they actually end up eating more and they don't digest as well.

**[3:36]** Number two, it makes us enjoy our meal better. And most importantly, number three, it makes us thank Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and recognize his mercy and his blessings upon us. I hope that we can begin to practice this on a daily basis. Try to turn off the television.

**[3:52]** Try to turn off your phone. And try to make your meals the task you do alone. Do your best not to multitask and focus on the meal as an important task in front of you. I ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to make us enjoy all that which he has created for us. I ask Allah to allow us through us focusing on our food that we worship Allah better.

**[4:11]** And I ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to bless all of us. Subhanallahu albika rabbal izzati amma yusifoon. Wassalamu ala al mursaleen. Walhamdulilahi rabbil alameen. Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.

## Other Episodes in "Deeds to Habit"
- [Sending Blessings Upon the Prophet ﷺ](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/deeds-to-habit/sending-blessings-upon-the-prophet-deeds-to-habit.md)
- [Cherish the Simple and Mundane](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/deeds-to-habit/cherish-the-simple-and-mundane-deeds-to-habit.md)
- [Practice Patience](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/deeds-to-habit/practice-patience-deeds-to-habit.md)
- [Spend From What You Love](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/deeds-to-habit/spend-from-what-you-love-deeds-to-habit.md)
- [Free Yourself from External Validation](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/deeds-to-habit/free-yourself-from-external-validation-deeds-to-habit.md)
- [A Habit for the Evening](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/deeds-to-habit/a-habit-for-the-evening-deeds-to-habit.md)
- [Islamic Meditation Practices](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/deeds-to-habit/islamic-meditation-practices-deeds-to-habit.md)
- [Calling Upon Allah](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/deeds-to-habit/calling-upon-allah-deeds-to-habit.md)
- [Make Du'a and Forgive Others](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/deeds-to-habit/make-dua-and-forgive-others-deeds-to-habit.md)
- [Free Your Hands and Heart](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/deeds-to-habit/free-your-hands-and-heart-deeds-to-habit.md)
- [Fix and Give Away](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/deeds-to-habit/fix-and-give-away-deeds-to-habit.md)
- [Reflecting on Nature](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/deeds-to-habit/reflecting-on-nature-deeds-to-habit.md)
- [A Habit for the Afternoon](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/deeds-to-habit/a-habit-for-the-afternoon-deeds-to-habit.md)
- [2 Easy Deeds to Enter Paradise](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/deeds-to-habit/2-easy-deeds-to-enter-paradise-deeds-to-habit.md)
- [A Morning Supplication](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/deeds-to-habit/a-morning-supplication-deeds-to-habit.md)
- [Extending Salaam](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/deeds-to-habit/extending-salaam-deeds-to-habit.md)
- [Reach Out](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/deeds-to-habit/reach-out-deeds-to-habit.md)
- [Give No Matter How Small](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/deeds-to-habit/give-no-matter-how-small-deeds-to-habit.md)
- [A Habit for the Morning](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/deeds-to-habit/a-habit-for-the-morning-deeds-to-habit.md)
- [Transforming Struggles into Gratitude](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/deeds-to-habit/transforming-struggles-into-gratitude-deeds-to-habit.md)
- [The Reward of Those Who Struggle](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/deeds-to-habit/the-reward-of-those-who-struggle-deeds-to-habit.md)
- [Fight Ramadan Fatigue with Istighfar](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/deeds-to-habit/fight-ramadan-fatigue-with-istighfar-deeds-to-habit.md)
- [The Power of a Good Word](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/deeds-to-habit/the-power-of-a-good-word-deeds-to-habit.md)
- [The Reality of the Afterlife](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/deeds-to-habit/the-reality-of-the-afterlife-deeds-to-habit.md)
- [Rekindling Family Ties](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/deeds-to-habit/rekindling-family-ties-deeds-to-habit.md)
- [How to Start a 5-Minute Qiyyam Habit](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/deeds-to-habit/how-to-start-a-5-minute-qiyyam-habit-deeds-to-habit.md)
- [What is a Habit?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/deeds-to-habit/what-is-a-habit-deeds-to-habit.md)