فَكُلُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ حَلَـٰلًا طَيِّبًا وَٱشْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ 114
Translations
Then eat of what Allāh has provided for you [which is] lawful and good. And be grateful for the favor of Allāh, if it is [indeed] Him that you worship.
Transliteration
Fakulu mimma razaqakumullahu halalan tayyiban washshkuru ni'mata allahi in kuntum iyyahu ta'budun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands believers to consume the lawful (halal) and pure (tayyib) sustenance that Allah has provided, while emphasizing gratitude to Allah as an essential aspect of true worship. Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir note that 'tayyib' (pure/good) refers to both what is permissible in Islamic law and what is wholesome and beneficial, establishing that Islamic consumption is not merely about legality but also about quality and healthfulness. The ayah connects eating with worship, suggesting that even mundane acts like eating become acts of devotion when performed with gratitude and within Islamic boundaries.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah An-Nahl (a Meccan surah), which comprehensively discusses divine signs and blessings. The context within the surah emphasizes Allah's provision and bounties to mankind, and this particular ayah comes after a discussion of various sustenance Allah provides. There is no specific historical revelation occasion (asbab al-nuzul) recorded, but it fits the surah's broader theme of recognizing and being grateful for divine blessings.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of you are those who are best to their families, and I am the best among you to my family' (Tirmidhi). More directly relevant: 'Whoever eats and thanks Allah, it is like fasting and patience for one who eats without thanks' - a principle reflected in various hadith collections emphasizing gratitude with sustenance.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers should approach consumption mindfully—ensuring what they eat is both lawfully permissible and wholesome—while recognizing every meal as an opportunity to express gratitude to Allah, making even daily sustenance a form of worship. This ayah teaches that Islamic living extends to all aspects of life, and that true devotion includes mindfulness about what we consume and gratitude for what we receive.
Related Ayahs
ٱلَّذِينَ تَتَوَفَّىٰهُمُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ طَيِّبِينَ ۙ يَقُولُونَ سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱدْخُلُوا۟ ٱلْجَنَّةَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
The ones whom the angels take in death, [being] good and pure; [the angels] will say, "Peace be upon you. Enter Paradise for what you used to do."
وَٱللَّهُ جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَٰجًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَزْوَٰجِكُم بَنِينَ وَحَفَدَةً وَرَزَقَكُم مِّنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتِ ۚ أَفَبِٱلْبَـٰطِلِ يُؤْمِنُونَ وَبِنِعْمَتِ ٱللَّهِ هُمْ يَكْفُرُونَ
And Allāh has made for you from yourselves mates and has made for you from your mates sons and grandchildren and has provided for you from the good things. Then in falsehood do they believe and in the favor of Allāh they disbelieve?
إِنَّمَا سُلْطَـٰنُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَوَلَّوْنَهُۥ وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِهِۦ مُشْرِكُونَ
His authority is only over those who take him as an ally and those who through him associate others with Allāh.
۞ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِٱلْعَدْلِ وَٱلْإِحْسَـٰنِ وَإِيتَآئِ ذِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْفَحْشَآءِ وَٱلْمُنكَرِ وَٱلْبَغْىِ ۚ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ
Indeed, Allāh orders justice and good conduct and giving [help] to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded.