A RESEARCH STUDY ON THE SPIRITUAL EFFECTS OF HALAL AND TAYYIB FOOD IN THE LIGHT OF THE QURAN AND HADITH

Abstract

The study is an exploration of the spiritual implication of eating Halal (lawful) and Tayyib (pure and wholesome) food based on the teaching of Islam, citing the Quran and Hadith. What is of significance in the study is the fact that the concept of the Halal is not a simple legal or dietary requirement but a very deep spiritual system that cleanses the heart, soul, and mind of the believer. This is an issue that Muslims need to take more seriously in an era where consumptions of impure, illegal, and suspicious foodstuffs are the order of the day. The Quranic texts like in the Surah Al-Baqarah (2:168) call to eat halal and Tayyib food which means that it is not just sufficient to have food that is permitted, but it should be also clean, healthy, ethically produced. The Hadith literature supports this more by stating the effects of eating Haram food to consist of spiritual lethargy, unstarred prayers, and remoteness to divine favor. This paper describes some of the spiritual rewards of eating Halal and Tayyib food, which include elevated states of concentration during worship, emotional balance, ethical spiritual purification, and closeness to God. By relying on the classical authors such as Imam Ghazali and the modern scientific evidence, the study shows that righteous food does not only take care of the body, but the soul also becomes animated by it. On the other hand, Haram food causes spiritual corruption, hard-heartedness as well as ethical deterioration. This study is qualitative and comparative in terms of methodology; it considers a textual approach to the study of religious texts and the analysis of the modern scientific and psychological literature. The study also touches upon contemporary issues of Muslims, who have to find Halal food, such as mislabeled or the products with questionable ingredients, particularly in societies that are not predominantly Muslim. Remedies in the form of awareness, stamp of authority and neighborhood watch are suggested. This paper will conclude that the Halal and Tayyib type of diet is one of the foundations of spiritual refinement (tazkiyah), and spiritual growth in the ethics of the moral. It urges individuals and communities to make new food decisions not just on a health-related level, but on a more integral-faith and responsibility in front of God (Allah). The study comes up with the conclusion that spiritual awakening, peace, even social reforms are all closely connected to what we eat on the daily basis.

Keywords: Halal Food, Tayyib (Pure) Nutrition, Spiritual Purification, Quran and Hadith, Ethical Eating in Islam, Haram Consumption Effects, Worship and Dietary Impact