Eat of Good Things & Do Right

On the authority of Abu Huraira who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Verily Allah, the Exalted, is pure and accepts only that which is pure. Allah has commanded the believers to do that which He has commanded the Messengers. The Exalted has said, ‘O Messengers! Eat of the good things and do right.’ And the Exalted also said, ‘O believers! Eat of the good things that we have provided for you.’” Then he [the Prophet peace be upon him] mentioned a man who after a long journey is disheveled and dust coloured. “[The man] stretches his hands out toward the sky and says, ‘O Lord, O Lord,’ while his food is unlawful, his drink is unlawful, his clothing unlawful and his nourishment is unlawful. How is he to be answered [in such a state]?” (Recorded in Sahih Muslim)

“Allah has commanded the believers to do that which He has commanded the Messengers. The Exalted has said, ‘O Messengers! Eat of the good things and do right.’ And the Exalted also said, ‘O believers! Eat of the good things that we have provided for you.’”

In this next part of the hadith, the Prophet (s) quoted a verse from the Qur’an:

“O Messengers! Eat of good things and do right” (Surah al-Muminoon:51)

This shows us that the Messengers are ordered by Allah (swt) to purify themselves with respect to both their body and spirit – eating good things and performing good deeds. This noble command was also addressed to the believers, and forms the basis of the principle that all true servants of Allah should lives by. Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an:

“O believers! Eat of good things that We have provided for you” (Surah al-Baqarah:172)

The food that one consumes to sustain themselves should be pure and good, or halal, and the money they use to purchase this sustenance should also be pure and good, and earned through halal means (not from interest, or sale of liquor etc ). 

These actions are essential keys to having ones deeds will be accepted by Allah. It was a command which Allah gave to all the Messengers and which He (swt) has given to this nation also. Consuming what Allah (swt) has prohibited will cut us off from His Mercy.