Surah Al-A'raf • Ayah 31

Allah commands taking Adornment when going to the MasjidThis honorable Ayah refutes the idolators' practice of performing Tawaf around the Sacred House while naked. Muslim, An-Nasa'i and Ibn Jarir, (the following wording is that of Ibn Jarir) recorded that Shu`bah said that Salamah bin Kuhayl said that Muslim Al-Batin said that Sa`id bin Jubayr said that Ibn `Abbas said, "The idolators used to go around the House while naked, both men and women, men in the day and women by night. The woman would say, "Today, a part or all of it will be unveiled, but whatever is exposed of it, I do not allow." Allah said in reply,خُذُواْ زِينَتَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ(Take your adornment to every Masjid,) Al-`Awfi said that Ibn `Abbas commented on:خُذُواْ زِينَتَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ(Take your adornment to every Masjid) o"There were people who used to perform Tawaf around the House while naked, and Allah ordered them to take adornment, meaning, wear clean, proper clothes that cover the private parts. people were commanded to wear their best clothes when performing every prayer." Mujahid, `Ata', Ibrahim An-Nakha`i, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Qatadah, As-Suddi, Ad-Dahhak and Malik narrated a similar saying from Az-Zuhri, and from several of the Salaf. They said that this Ayah was revealed about the idolators who used to perform Tawaf around the House while naked. This Ayah (7:31), as well as the Sunnah, encourage wearing the best clothes when praying, especially for Friday and `Id prayers. It is also recommended for men to wear perfume for prayer, because it is adornment, and to use Siwak for it is part of what completes adornment. The best color for clothes is white, for Imam Ahmad narrated that Ibn `Abbas said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,«الْبَسُوا مِنْ ثِيَابِكُمُ الْبَيَاضَ فَإِنَّهَا مِنْ خَيْرِ ثِيَابِكُمْ، وَكَفِّنُوا فِيهَا مَوْتَاكُمْ وَإِنَّ خَيْرَ أَكْحَالِكُمُ الْإثْمَدُ فَإِنَّهُ يَجْلُو الْبَصَرَ وَيُنْبِتُ الشَّعَر»(Wear white clothes, for it is among your best clothes, and also wrap your dead with it. And Ithmid (antimony) is among the best of your Kuhl, for it clears the sight and helps the hair grow.) This Hadith has a sound chain of narration, consisting of narrators who conform to the conditions and guidelines of Imam Muslim. Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah also recorded it, and At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih."Prohibiting ExtravaganceAllah said,وَكُلُواْ وَاشْرَبُواْ(And eat and drink..). Al-Bukhari said that Ibn `Abbas said, "Eat what you wish and wear what you wish, as long as you avoid two things: extravagance and arrogance." Ibn Jarir said that Muhammad bin `Abdul-A`la narrated to us that Muhammad bin Thawr narrated to us from Ma`mar from Ibn Tawus from his father who said that Ibn `Abbas said, "Allah has allowed eating and drinking, as long as it does not contain extravagance or arrogance." This chain is Sahih. Imam Ahmad recorded that Al-Miqdam bin Ma`dikarib Al-Kindi said that he heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying,«مَا مَلَأَ ابْنُ آدَمَ وِعَاءً شَرًّا مِنْ بَطْنِهِ بِحَسْبِ ابْنِ آدَمَ أَكَلَاتٍ يُقِمْنَ صُلْبَهُ فَإِنْ كَانَ فَاعِلًا لَا مَحَالَةَ فَثُلُثٌ طَعَامٌ وَثُلُثٌ شَرَابٌ وَثُلُثٌ لِنَفَسِه»(The Son of Adam will not fill a pot worse for himself than his stomach. It is enough for the Son of Adam to eat a few bites that strengthens his spine. If he likes to have more, then let him fill a third with food, a third with drink and leave a third for his breathing.) An-Nasa'i and At-Tirmidhi collected this Hadith, At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan" or "Hasan Sahih" according to another manuscript. `Ata' Al-Khurasani said that Ibn `Abbas commented on the Ayah,وكُلُواْ وَاشْرَبُواْ وَلاَ تُسْرِفُواْ إِنَّهُ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْمُسْرِفِينَ(And eat and drink but waste not by extravagance, certainly He (Allah) likes not the wasteful.) "With food and drink." Ibn Jarir commented on Allah's statement,إِنَّهُ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْمُسْرِفِينَ(Certainly He (Allah) likes not the wasteful.) "Allah the Exalted says that He does not like those who trespass the limits on an allowed matter or a prohibited matter, those who go to the extreme over what He has allowed, allow what He has prohibited, or prohibit what He has allowed. But, He likes that what He has allowed be considered as such (without extravagance) and what He has prohibited be considered as such. This is the justice that He has commanded."

برہنہ ہو کر طواف ممنوع قرار دے دیا گیا ٭٭اس آیت میں مشرکین کا رد ہے۔ وہ ننگے ہو کر بیت اللہ کا طواف کرتے تھے جیسے کہ پہلے گزرا۔ سیدنا ابن عباس رضی اللہ عنہما فرماتے ہیں کہ ننگے مرد دن کو طواف کرتے اور ننگی عورتیں رات کو، اس وقت عورتیں کہا کرتی تھیں کہ آج اس کے خاص جسم کا کل حصہ یا کچھ حصہ گو ظاہر ہو لیکن کسی کو وہ اس کا دیکھنا جائز نہیں کرتیں۔ [صحیح مسلم:3028] ‏ پس اس کے برخلاف مسلمانوں کو حکم ہوتا ہے کہ اپنا لباس پہن کر مسجدوں میں جائیں، اللہ تعالیٰ زینت کے لینے کا حکم دیتا ہے اور زینت سے مراد لباس ہے اور لباس وہ ہے جو اعضاء مخصوصہ کو چھپا لے اور جو اس کے سوا ہو مثلاً اچھا کپڑا وغیرہ۔ ایک حدیث میں ہے کہ یہ آیت جوتیوں سمیت نماز پڑھنے کے بارے میں نازل ہوئی ہے۔ [الدر المنشور للسیوطی:146/3:ضعیف] ‏ لیکن ہے یہ غور طلب اور اس کی صحت میں بھی کلام ہے۔ «وَاللهُ اَعْلَمُ» ۔ یہ آیت اور جو کچھ اس کے معنی میں سنت میں وارد ہے، اس سے نماز کے وقت زینت کرنا مستحب ثابت ہوتا ہے۔ خصوصاً جمعہ اور عید کے دن، اور خوشبو لگانا بھی مسنون طریقہ ہے۔ اس لیے کہ وہ زینت میں سے ہی ہے اور مسواک کرنا بھی۔ کیونکہ وہ بھی زینت کو پورا کرنے میں داخل ہے۔ یہ بھی یاد رہے کہ سب سے افضل لباس سفید کپڑا ہے۔ جیسے کہ مسند احمد کی صحیح حدیث میں ہے: نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم فرماتے ہیں: سفید کپڑے پہنو، وہ تمہارے تمام کپڑوں سے افضل ہیں اور اسی میں اپنے مردوں کو کفن دو۔ سب سرموں میں بہتر سرمہ اثمد ہے، وہ نگاہ کو تیز کرتا ہے اور بالوں کو اگاتا ہے۔ [سنن ترمذي:994،قال الشيخ الألباني:صحیح] ‏ سنن کی ایک اور حدیث میں ہے: سفید کپڑوں کو ضروری جانو اور انہیں پہنو، وہ بہت اچھے اور بہت پاک صاف ہیں، انہی میں اپنے مردوں کو کفن دو۔ [سنن ترمذي:2810،قال الشيخ الألباني:صحیح] ‏صفحہ نمبر2890طبرانی میں مروی ہے کہ سیدنا تمیم داری رضی اللہ عنہ نے ایک چادر ایک ہزار کو خریدی تھی , نمازوں کے وقت اسے پہن لیا کرتے تھے۔ اس کے بعد آدھی آیت میں اللہ تعالیٰ نے تمام طب کو اور حکمت کو جمع کر دیا . ارشاد ہے: کھاؤ پیو لیکن حد سے تجاوز نہ کرو۔ سیدنا ابن عباس رضی اللہ عنہما کا قول ہے: ”جو چاہے کھا، جو چاہے پی لیکن دو باتوں سے بچو، اسراف اور تکبر سے۔“ ایک مرفوع حدیث میں ہے: کھاؤ پیو، پہنو اوڑھو لیکن صدقہ بھی کرتے رہو اور تکبر اور اسراف سے بچتے رہو۔ اللہ تعالیٰ پسند فرماتا ہے کہ اپنی نعمت کا اثر اپنے بندے کے جسم پر دیکھے۔ [مسند احمد:181/2:حسن] ‏ آپ فرماتے ہیں: کھاؤ اور پہنو اور صدقہ کرو اور اسراف سے اور خود نمائی سے رکو۔ [سنن نسائی:2560، قال الشيخ الألباني:صحیح] ‏ فرماتے ہیں: انسان اپنے پیٹ سے زیادہ برا کوئی برتن نہیں بھرتا۔ انسان کو چند لقمے جس سے اس کی پیٹھ سیدھی رہے، کافی ہیں۔ اگر یہ بس میں نہ ہو تو زیادہ سے زیادہ اپنے پیٹ کے تین حصے کر لے۔ ایک کھانے کے لئے، ایک پانی کے لئے، ایک سانس کے لئے۔ [سنن ترمذي:2380، قال الشيخ الألباني:صحیح] ‏ فرماتے ہیں: یہ بھی اسراف ہے کہ تو جو چاہے، کھائے۔ [سنن ابن ماجه:3352، قال الشيخ الألباني:موضوع] ‏ لیکن یہ حدیث غریب ہے۔ مشرکین جہاں ننگے ہو کر طواف کرتے تھے وہاں زمانہ حج میں چربی کو بھی اپنے اوپر حرام جانتے تھے۔ اللہ نے دونوں باتوں کے خلاف حکم نازل فرمایا۔ یہ بھی اسراف ہے کہ اللہ کے حلال کردہ کھانے کو حرام کر لیا جائے۔ اللہ کی دی ہوئی حلال روزی بیشک انسان کھائے پئے۔ حرام چیز کا کھانا بھی اسراف ہے۔ اللہ کی مقرر کردہ حرام حلال کی حدوں سے گزر نہ جاؤ۔ نہ حرام کو حلال کرو، نہ حلال کو حرام کہو۔ ہر ایک حکم کو اسی کی جگہ پر رکھو۔ ورنہ مسرف اور دشمن رب بن جاؤ گے۔صفحہ نمبر2891

آیت 31 یٰبَنِیْٓ اٰدَمَ خُذُوْا زِیْنَتَکُمْ عِنْدَ کُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ یہاں اچھے لباس کو زینت کہا گیا ہے ‘ جیسا کہ آیت 26 میں لباس کو رِیْشًا فرمایا گیا تھا ‘ یعنی لباس انسان کے لیے زیب وزینت کا ذریعہ ہے۔ یہاں ایک نکتہ یہ بھی قابل غور ہے کہ ابھی جن تین آیات 26 ‘ 27 اور 31 میں لباس کا ذکر ہوا ہے ‘ ان تینوں میں بنی آدم کو مخاطب کیا گیا ہے۔ اس کا مطلب یہ ہے کہ لباس کا معاملہ پوری نوع انسانی سے متعلق ہے۔ بہر حال اس آیت میں جو اہم حکم دیا جا رہا ہے وہ نماز کے وقت بہتر لباس زیب تن کرنے کے بارے میں ہے۔ ہمارے ہاں اس سلسلے میں عام طور پر الٹی روش چلتی ہے۔ دفتر اور عام میل ملاقات کے لیے تو عموماً بہت اچھے لباس کا اہتمام کیا جاتا ہے ‘ لیکن مسجد جانا ہو تو میلے کچیلے کپڑوں سے ہی کام چلا لیا جاتا ہے۔ لیکن یہاں اللہ تعالیٰ فرما رہے ہیں کہ جب تمہیں میرے دربار میں آنا ہو تو پورے اہتمام کے ساتھ آیا کرو ‘ اچھا اور صاف ستھرا لباس پہن کر آیا کرو۔وَّکُلُوْا وَاشْرَبُوْا وَلاَ تُسْرِفُوْاج اِنَّہٗ لاَ یُحِبُّ الْمُسْرِفِیْنَ ۔ بنی آدم سے کہا جا رہا ہے کہ یہ دنیا کی چیزیں تمہارے لیے ہی بنائی گئیں ہیں اور ان چیزوں سے جائز اور معروف طریقوں سے استفادہ کرنے پر کوئی پابندی نہیں ہے ‘ لیکن اللہ کی عطا کردہ ان نعمتوں کے بےجا استعمال اور اسراف سے اجتناب بھی ضروری ہے ‘ کیونکہ اسراف اللہ تعالیٰ کو پسند نہیں۔ یہاں ایک طرف تو اسی رہبانی نظریہ کی نفی ہو رہی ہے جس میں اچھے کھانے ‘ اچھے لباس اور زیب و زیبائش کو سرے سے اچھا نہیں سمجھا جاتا اور مفلسانہ وضع قطع اور ترک لذات کو روحانی ارتقاء کے لیے ضروری خیال کیا جاتا ہے ‘ جبکہ دوسری طرف دنیوی نعمتوں کے بےجا اسراف اور ضیاع سے سختی سے منع کردیا گیا ہے۔ اس سلسلے میں افراط وتفریط سے بچنے کے لیے ضروریات زندگی کے اکتساب و تصرف کے معیار اور فلسفے کو اچھی طرح سمجھنے کی ضرورت ہے۔ ایک مسلمان جہاں کہیں بھی رہتا بستا ہے اس کو دو صورتوں میں سے ایک صورت حال درپیش ہوسکتی ہے۔ اس کے ملک میں یا تو دین غالب ہے یا مغلوب۔ اب اگر آپ کے ملک میں اللہ کا دین مغلوب ہے تو آپ کا پہلا فرض یہ ہے کہ آپ اللہ کے دین کے غلبے کی جدو جہد کریں اور اس کے لیے کسی باقاعدہ تنظیم میں شامل ہو کر اپنا بیشتر وقت اور صلاحیتیں اس جدوجہد میں لگائیں۔ ایسی صورت حال میں دنیوی طور پر ترقی کرنا اور پھلنا پھولنا آپ کی ترجیحات میں شامل ہی نہیں ہونا چاہیے ‘ بلکہ آپ کی پہلی ترجیح دین کے غلبے کے لیے جدو جہد ہونی چاہیے اور آپ کا ماٹو اِنَّ صَلاَتِیْ وَنُسُکِیْ وَمَحْیَایَ وَمَمَاتِیْ لِلّٰہِ رَبِّ الْعٰلَمِیْنَ الانعام ہونا چاہیے۔ اس کا منطقی نتیجہ یہ ہوگا کہ آپ مادی لحاظ سے بہت بہتر معیار زندگی کو برقرار نہیں رکھ سکیں گے۔ یہ اس لیے نہیں ہوگا کہ آپ رہبانیت یا ترک لذات کے قائل ہیں بلکہ اس کی وجہ یہ ہوگی کہ دنیا اور دنیوی آسائشیں کمانے کے لیے نہ آپ کوشاں ہیں اور نہ ہی اس کے لیے آپ کے پاس وقت ہے۔ آپ تو شعوری طور پر ضروریات زندگی کو کم سے کم معیار پر رکھ کر اپنی تمام تر صلاحیتیں ‘ اپنا وقت اور اپنے وسائل دین کی سر بلندی کے لیے کھپا رہے ہیں۔ یہ رہبانیت نہیں ہے بلکہ ایک مثبت جہادی نظریہ ہے۔ جیسے نبی اکرم ﷺ اور صحابہ کرام رض نے سختیاں جھیلیں اور اپنے گھر باراسی دین کی سر بلندی کے لیے چھوڑے۔ کیونکہ اس کام کے لیے اللہ تعالیٰ آسمان سے فرشتوں کو نازل نہیں کرے گا ‘ بلکہ یہ کام انسانوں نے کرنا ہے ‘ مسلمانوں نے کرنا ہے۔ انسانی تاریخ گواہ ہے کہ جو لوگ انقلاب کے داعی بنے ہیں انہیں قربانیاں دینا پڑی ہیں ‘ انہیں سختیاں اٹھانا پڑی ہیں۔ کیونکہ کوئی بھی انقلاب قربانیوں کے بغیر نہیں آتا۔ لہٰذا اگر آپ واقعی اپنے دین کو غالب کرنے کے لیے انقلاب کے داعی بن کر نکلے ہیں تو آپ کا معیار زندگی خود بخود کم سے کم ہوتا چلا جائے گا۔ البتہ اگر آپ کے ملک میں دین غالب ہوچکا ہے ‘ نظا مِ خلافت قائم ہوچکا ہے ‘ اسلامی فلاحی ریاست وجود میں آچکی ہے تو دین کی مزید نشر و اشاعت ‘ دعوت و تبلیغ اور نظام خلافت کی توسیع ‘ عوامی فلاح و بہبود کی نگرانی ‘ امن وامان کا قیام ‘ ملکی سرحدوں کی حفاظت ‘ یہ سب حکومت اور ریاست کی ذمہ داریاں ہیں۔ ایسی اسلامی ریاست میں ایک فرد کی ذمہ داری صرف اسی حد تک ہے جس حد تک حکومت کی طرف سے اسے مکلف کیا جائے۔ وہ کسی ٹیکس کی صورت میں ہو یا پھر کسی اور نوعیت کی ذمہ داری ہو۔ لیکن ایسی صورت حال میں ایک فرد ‘ ایک عام شہری آزاد ہے کہ وہ دین کے دائرے میں رہتے ہوئے اپنی ذاتی زندگی اپنی مرضی سے گزارے۔ اچھا کمائے ‘ اپنے بچوں کے لیے بہتر معیار زندگی اپنائے ‘ دنیوی ترقی کے لیے محنت کرے ‘ علمی و تحقیقی میدان میں اپنی صلاحیتوں کو آزمائے یا روحانی ترقی کے لیے مجاہدہ کرے ‘ تمام راستے اس کے لیے کھلے ہیں۔

In the fourth verse (31), it was said: ` 0 children of 'Adam, take along what looks good on you to every mosque. And eat and drink and do not be extravagant. Surely, He does not like the extravagant'. In the way the ` Arabs of Jahiliyyah used to take the making of the Tawaf of the Ka'bah naked as the correct method of worship and an act of reverence for the House of Allah, they also had a custom that they would skip eating and drinking during the days of Hajj. They would eat no more than what would keep them alive. They particularly abstained from butter oil, milk and other pure eatables. (Ibn Jarir)The present verse was revealed against this absurd practice. It enjoined that they should abstain from it because making Tawaf naked was an act of immodesty and bad manners. Similarly, doing the re-verse of it, that is, abstaining from good food given by Allah Ta` ala without any valid excuse had hardly anything to do with religion. In fact, forbidding on themselves what Allah had made lawful for them was effrontery and excess in an act of worship, something disliked by Allah. Therefore, eat and drink as you wish during the days of Hajj, but do not be extravagant. Totally abstaining from Halal foods is also included under extravagance. Then, becoming heedless to the real objectives of Hajj and the Dhikr of Allah and remaining busy with nothing but eating and drinking is also included under extravagance.Though this verse has been revealed to eradicate a particular custom of nudity in the ` Arab Jahiliyyah which they demonstrated at the time of Tawaf in the name of reverence for the Ka'bah, but the Imams of Tafsir and the Jurists of Muslim Ummah unanimously agree that the revelation of an injunction in relation to a particular event does not mean that that injunction is restricted to the same event. Instead, what is considered here is the generality of words. The injunction, then, applies on everything that falls under the generality of these words.Covering the Body Properly is Obligatory : There is No Salah Without itTherefore, the majority of Sahabah and Tabi'in, and the Mujtahid, Imams, have deduced many injunctions from this verse. The most important of them is about Salah. As making Tawaf naked has been prohibited in this verse, the ruling applies identically to Salah as well which becomes Haram (forbidden) and false and futile - because the Holy Prophet ﷺ has said in a Hadith: اَلطَوَافُ بِالب ؓ َیتِ صَلوٰۃُ (The Tawaf of the House [ of Allah ] is Salah). In addition to that, since the majority of commentators agree that the word, ` masjid' in this verse itself means Sajdah (sujud, prostration), the prohibition of nudity in the state of Sajdah becomes explicitly inclusive in this verse. Now, if this is prohibited in Sajdah, then, it will obviously stand prohibited in all other movements of Salah such as Ruku`, Qiyam and Qu` ud. Then, the statement of the Holy Prophet ﷺ itself has made it more evident.It also appears in Hadith that the Salah of any adult woman is not permissible without proper head and body cover (khimar, rida, chadar, dupatta or large scarf) (Tirmidhi).That covering the body properly is obligatory in conditions other than Salah as well stands proved from other verses of the Qur'an and the narrations of Hadith - one such verse has already appeared a little earlier: يَا بَنِي آدَمَ قَدْ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ لِبَاسًا يُوَارِ‌ي سَوْآتِكُمْ We have sent down to you clothing that covers your shame - 26.'To sum up, it can be said that covering the body properly is the first human and Islamic obligation on everyone which is mandatory under all conditions - and, in Salah and Tawaf, it is obligatory in the first degree.A Good Dress For SalahThe verse brings out another rule of conduct. By calling dress: ` Zinah,' (adornment), the hint given is that the preferred practice in Salah is that one should not limit himself to only covering his body functionally, but choose to wear what adorns, looks becoming - of course, within one's means. It was the habit of Sayyidna Hasan ؓ ، that he would wear his best dress at the time of Salah saying: Allah Ta` ala loves beauty, therefore, I dress myself beautifully to please my Lord for He has said: خُذُوا زِينَتَكُمْ عِندَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ (take along what looks good on you to every mosque).So, we can see that this verse proves two things, that covering the body properly is obligatory in Salah and that it is recommended and merit-worthy to wear a neat, clean and good dress, within means.Salah and Dress : Some RulingsThe third problem at this place is about سَتر Satr, that is, the parts of the body to be concealed, concealing which is, under all conditions, and specially in Salah and Tawaf, an obligation (Fard) - so, what are its limits? The Qur'an has given a command briefly - its details have been entrusted with the Holy Prophet ﷺ . He explained it in details. He told us that the Satr of men is from the navel to the knees, and the Satr of women is the whole body except the face and both palms and feet, which are exempt.All these details appear in Hadith narrations. For men, if the body below the navel, or if the knees are open, then, such a dress is a sin in itself, and Salah too does not get to be performed in it as due and proper. Similarly, if the head, neck or arms or shin or calf of a woman are open, then, her being dressed like that is impermissible in itself, and Salah too does not get to performed as due and proper. Says the Hadith: ` A home in which there is a woman with her head uncovered, angels of good would not come there.That the face of a woman, her palms and feet which have been exempted from Satr (the parts of body covering and concealing which is obligatory) means that, should these be open during the Salah it will cause no defect in Salah It never means that a woman would be moving freely even before non-Mahram man (marriage with whom is permissible) with her face open without a valid excuse as admitted by the Shari’ ah of Islam.As for this injunction, it is related to the obligation of covering the body properly (Satr) which is sine qua non for Salah - that is, it stands as if not performed at all. And since what is required in Salah is not the functional covering of the body alone, instead, the advice given is to wear a dress which looks good on one (Zinah), therefore, for men to make Salah bare-headed, or doing it with shoulders or elbows open, is Makruh (reprehensible or disliked) - whether the shirt itself be half-sleeved, or has been rolled up, the Salah remains Makruh after all. Similarly, Salah remains Makruh in a dress one would not prefer to wear before friends, or in public, as something unbecoming - for example, wearing an undershirt alone - without a shirt, even if it has full sleeves; or, skipping the wearing of a cap and making do with some cloth piece or a tiny handkerchief knotted or tucked round the head. When no regular person would like to appear before friends or others in that head-bare state, how would that become desirable as a mode of appearance before Allah, the Master of all the worlds? That Salah is Makruh when offered with bare head, shoulders and elbows has been inferred from the word: زِینَۃ (zinah: what looks good) of this Qur'anic verse, and also from the clarifications of the Holy Prophet ﷺ .To recapitulate, it can be said that the injunction in this verse was primarily revealed to eradicate the custom of nudity in pagan Arabia (the age of Jahiliyyah), but the generality of its words yielded other in-junctions and rulings as well. Similar is the case with the second sentence in the verse: كُلُوا وَاشْرَ‌بُوا وَلَا تُسْرِ‌فُوا ، (Eat and drink and do not be extravagant). Though, this too was revealed to erase the custom of Arab Jahiliyyah that they would take eating good food during the days of Hajj as sin, but, here too, the generality of words helps prove many injunctions and rulings.Eating and Drinking as Needed is ObligatoryTo begin with, eating and drinking is obligatory on everyone from the point of view of the Shari'ah as well. If anyone abandons eating and drinking despite having the ability to do so, to the limit that he dies, or becomes too weak even to fulfill what is obligatory on him, then, this person shall be sinning and committing a crime in the sight of Allah.Legality Operates until Proved OtherwiseOne ruling deduced from this verse, as specified by Al-Jassas in his Ahkam al-Qur'an, is: Basically, all edibles are permissible and Halal (lawful) unless the unlawfulness or prohibition of something particular stands proved through an evidence of the Shari'ah. In its absence, everything will be considered permissible and lawful. This was suggested by the fact that the object of: كُلُوا وَاشْرَ‌بُوا (Eat and drink) was not mentioned in the verse, that is, it did not specify what to eat or drink. The masters of Arabic diction have clearly established that not mentioning the object on such occasions is an indicator towards its generality, that is, one can eat and drink everything, except things which have been declared to be Haram (unlawful, impermissible, prohibited, forbidden). (Ahkam AI-Qur'an by Al-Jassas)Extravagance in Eating and Drinking is Not PermissibleThe last sentence of the verse: وَلَا تُسْرِ‌فُوا (do not be extravagant) proves that eating and drinking is, no doubt, permissible - in fact, it is an order - but, along with it, being extravagant while doing so is prohibited. ` Israf means to cross the limit. Then, the crossing of limits takes many forms. One of them is to cross the limits of Halal and land into the area of Haram, that is, one starts eating and drinking things which are prohibited. That this is Haram is all too obvious.Another aspect is that one starts taking what Allah has made Halal and abstains from it as being Haram without any valid legal excuse as admitted by the Shari` ah of Islam. It should be understood that the way it is a crime and sin to use what is Haram, similarly, taking the Halal as Haram is also a rebellion against Divine Law and a very grave sin. (Ibn Kathir, Mazhari Ruh al-Ma` ni)On the same analogy, eating and drinking beyond the limits of hunger and need is also what Israf or extravagance is. It is for this reason that Muslim Jurists (fuqaha' ) have written that eating more than needed to remove hunger is not permissible (Ahkam al-Qur'an and others). Then, it also falls under the ruling governing Israf or extravagance that one eats much less than needed, despite having the ability and choice, which makes him weak and unable to fulfill what is enjoined upon him. It was to forbid both these kinds of extravagance that the Qur'an has said:إِنَّ الْمُبَذِّرِ‌ينَ كَانُوا إِخْوَانَ الشَّيَاطِيThe extravagant are brothers of the satans - 17:27.Then, in Surah Al-Furqan, it was said:وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا أَنفَقُوا لَمْ يُسْرِ‌فُوا وَلَمْ يَقْتُرُ‌وا وَكَانَ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ قَوَامًا ﴿67﴾(True servants of Allah are) those who, when they spend, would not over-spend and under-spend and the moderate behavior is between that. - 25:67.Moderation in Eating and Drinking is Always BeneficialSayyidna Faruq al-A` zam ؓ said: ` Avoid eating and drinking too much because it spoils the body, generates diseases and slackens activity. Instead, take to moderation in eating and drinking for it is good for the health of the body, and is far removed from extravagance (Israf) in it.' He also said: ` Allah Ta` ala does not like an obese ` Alim' (that is, a scholar of religion who has become fat and heavy as a result of eating excessively by choice). Then, he further said: ` A person does not get destroyed until he starts preferring his personal desires over his Faith.' (Ruh A-Ma` ani from Abu Nu` aym)Righteous elders of the early period have said that to keep busy with the business of eating and drinking all the time, or to prefer it over other matters of importance giving the impression that one has no other worthy purpose left in life but eating and drinking, is included under Israf (extravagance). Also well-known is their saying that one should eat to live, not live to eat.In a Hadith, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has included the attitude of compulsively satiating every desire as and when it emerges as included under Israf (extravagance). The words of the Hadith are: اِنَّ مِنَ الاِسرَافِ اَن تاکُلَ کُلَّ مَا اشتَھَتَ (It is also an Israf that one eats everything one desires). (Ibn Majah from Sayyidna Anas)As reported by AI-Baihaqi, The Holy Prophet ﷺ once saw Sayyidah ` A'ishahi, eating twice on a day and he said: ` Ya ` A'ishah, would you like that eating becomes your only pastime?'And this command for moderation in eating and drinking mentioned in this verse is not restricted to eating and drinking alone. The truth of the matter is that the course of moderation is very desirable in wearing what one wears and living where one lives, in almost everything. Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas ؓ said: Eat and drink what you wish and wear what you like. But, take care of two things: One, that there be no Israf (excess from the measure of need) in it. Two, that there be no pride and arrogance about it.Eight Rulings from One AyahIn short, eight rulings of the Shari’ ah come out from the statement: كُلُوا وَاشْرَ‌بُوا وَلَا تُسْرِ‌فُوا (Eat and drink and do not be extravagant): (1) Eating and drinking is obligatory as needed, (2) unless the unlawfulness of something stands proved as based on an evidence admitted by the Shari` ah, everything is Halal, (3) the use of things prohibited by Allah and His Messenger is Israf and is impermissible, (4) taking as Haram what Allah has made Halal is also Israf, and a grave sin, (5) once one has eaten his fill, eating anymore is impermissible, (6) eating so little that one becomes weak and is rendered unable to fulfill his obligations is also Israf, (7) to keep thinking of eating and drinking all the time is also Israf and (8) It is not necessary that one must have what one wishes for at a given time.The rules recounted above which emerge from this verse have their religious benefits. If one looks at it medically, a better prescription for health and well-being will be difficult to find. The key is: Moderation in eating and drinking. That is your sanctuary from all diseases.According to Tafsir Ruh al-Ma'ani and Mazhari, Khalifah Harun Al-Rashid had a personal physician who was a Christian. He said to ` Ali ibn Husayn ibn al-Waqidi: ` Your Book (the Qur'an) has nothing about medicine in it, although there are only two fields of knowledge in our time, the knowledge of religion and the knowledge of bodies called Medicine."Ali ibn Husayn said: Allah Ta` ala has put the whole science of medicine in half a verse of the Qur'an. He says: كُلُوا وَاشْرَ‌بُوا وَلَا تُسْرِ‌فُوا (Eat and drink and do not be extravagant) (Tafsir Ibn Kathir reports this saying also with reference to some other righteous elders of the earlier times). Then, the Court physician asked: All right, is there something in the sayings of your prophet about Medicine?' ` Ali ibn Husayn replied: ` The Holy Prophet ﷺ has reduced the whole science of medicine in a few sayings of his when he said that ` the stomach is the nursery of diseases' and ` abstinence from harmful things is the root of all medicine' and ` give everybody what it can take (as a matter of habit) ' (Kashshaf Rub a1-Ma` ani). After hearing this, the Christian physician said: ` Your Book and your Prophet have left no Medicine for Galen (Jalinus).'Based on a narration from Sayyidna Abi Hurairah ؓ in Shu'ab al-'Iman, Al-Baihaqi has reported that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: ` The stomatch is the reservoir of the body. All arteries and nerves of the body get satiated from this reservoir. If the stomach is in proper order, all veins will return with healthy food from here. And if it is not in proper order, all veins will spread out in the body as carriers of diseases.'Muhaddithin (experts in the discipline of Hadith) have expressed doubts about the use of some words in these narrations of Hadith. But, all of them agree to the emphasis laid on eating moderately and observing precaution present in countless Ahadith. (Ruh al-Ma'ani)