How to eat like a Muslim
Adab at the table — small discipline with big inner weight.
About 20 minutes of listening
Book 11: Book of Etiquettes of Eating
Imam al-Ghazali · Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din
Al-Ghazali opens the second quarter with a profound examination of eating. He reveals the spiritual etiquettes of food, the dangers of excess, and how even a meal can be an act of worship.
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From Etiquettes of Eating.
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"the funeral when it is ready, and the unmarried woman when she finds a match," and its chain is good. It is said that the angels attend the table if there are herbs on it, which is also recommended due to the adornment with greenery. The narration mentions that the table sent down upon the Israelites had all kinds of herbs except leeks."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 11: Book of Etiquettes of Eating
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"Chapter: Etiquette of Serving Food to Visiting Brothers Serving food to brothers holds great virtue. Ja'far ibn Muhammad said that when you sit with your brothers at the table, prolong your sitting, for this is a moment not counted against your lifespan. Al-Hasan mentioned that every spending a man does on himself, his parents, or others below them, he will be accountable for, except for spending on brothers for food, as God is too generous to question that."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 11: Book of Etiquettes of Eating
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"Perhaps among them are those who find the remainder of a dish more appealing than what is being prepared, or they might still need to eat. Hastening to remove the dishes can disturb them. It is said that being comfortably seated at the table is better than two dishes, suggesting the avoidance of hasty actions or perhaps referring to spaciousness of place. It is told about Sitoriy, a playful Sufi, that he attended a feast hosted by a stingy person."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 11: Book of Etiquettes of Eating