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
وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ ٱلَّيْلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ وَٱلشَّمْسَ وَٱلْقَمَرَ ۖ وَٱلنُّجُومُ مُسَخَّرَٰتٌۢ بِأَمْرِهِۦٓ ۗ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ
And He has subjected for you the night and day and the sun and moon, and the stars are subjected by His command. Indeed in that are signs for a people who reason.
وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا جَمَالٌ حِينَ تُرِيحُونَ وَحِينَ تَسْرَحُونَ
And for you in them is [the enjoyment of] beauty when you bring them in [for the evening] and when you send them out [to pasture].
لِيُبَيِّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى يَخْتَلِفُونَ فِيهِ وَلِيَعْلَمَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا۟ كَـٰذِبِينَ
[It is] so He will make clear to them [the truth of] that wherein they differ and so those who have disbelieved may know that they were liars.
مَا عِندَكُمْ يَنفَدُ ۖ وَمَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ بَاقٍ ۗ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ صَبَرُوٓا۟ أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
Whatever you have will end, but what Allāh has is lasting. And We will surely give those who were patient their reward according to the best of what they used to do.