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Chapter 5

A Look at Meat and Food Gathering of the Great Praiseworthy

Preface: You briefly studied the reports on the Magnificence of the Almighty Artificer in the artifact (Man) and Man's full dominion over most things and existents in this firmament and its belonging neighborhoods, and are informed about astonishing secrets of this being's creation. Hence, it would be appropriate now to once attentively look at our food and drink. Where do these things come from, and how do we obtain them? What an error that we consume them ignorantly. Let us see what administrative work and what transformations His Unique Being has arranged for the preparation of each morsel of bread or particle of meat. Ultimately, He Almighty prepares them for us in the form of baked bread, edible meat, along with other things. Or in other words: one morsel of bread is the product of particles of thousands of acres of land. Likewise one morsel of meat is the extract of hundreds of thousands of grass leaves from here and there, which fall into the stomach machinery of sheep, cows, camels, birds and so on. At the proper occasions, these are transformed into sources of meat and put to our access.

Likewise, an egg, in reality, is the result of thousands of useless and wasted grains, small pieces of bread, and other dispersed and scattered things which is made ready for Man in a healthy and energetic form, and it is made accessible for him at the required occasions for the sake of his physical growth.

Perceiving the aforementioned truths and the fact that all these favors are provided and prepared every day with all kinds of hardships for mankind, it would be improper to receive them from the Glorious True Bestower and consume them ignorantly. It would be inappropriate if we do not at least make some effort to ensure peace for Almighty God's creatures for His Almighty's happiness under the submission to Almighty Supreme Being's Oneness, but we just spend them ignorantly.

Couplet-

"The clouds, the wind, the moon, the sun, and the firmament are deployed
So that you may find a piece of bread and not eat it heedlessly,
They all are involved and obey commands for your sake
It would be unfair, if you do not obey."

by Sa'dee, God's mercy be upon him.

A - Bread

1. Have you reflected? One piece of bread consists of particles of wheat. Where does each grain grow, ultimately transforming into piece or morsel of bread for us? For example: many acres of land are harvested and piled up at one place, then thousands of tons of wheat are obtained therefrom. Then it is packed up in bags and piled in stock.

How Beneficent Merciful (Rahmaan er-Raheem) is the All-Knowing ('Aleem) and Wise (Hakeem) God.

2. Have you reflected? The process does not end here. From there (the stock), a certain quantity is taken out at the required occasions and sent to be changed to flour. Now, what circulation is going on in the mill's machinery? Finally, it is converted. What mixing process is the flour going through, coming from the mill to home? This process of achieving such fulfillment and gathering of wheat particles from various places is worth pondering.

How Majestic Creator (Khaaliq ul-Mutakabir) and the Portraitist Evolver (Baaree ul-Mosawwir) is Exalted He.

3. Have you reflected? What a mixing these particles experience in the last phase, when going through to dough. Finally a quantity of specific weight is separated from the dough and distributed to us in the form of bread.

How Praiseworthy Guardian (Walee ul-Hameed) and Honorable Creator (Khaaliq ul-Majeed) is Exalted He.

4. Have you reflected? In the patterns partially explained so far, if you deliberate, each particle of a morsel, in reality, is the product of a corner of hundreds of acres of land, which Almighty God supplies for us. Praise be to God.

5. Have you reflected? In the same pattern, in regard to selecting one's prescribed food, certain quantities of rice, stew, vegetables, or other dishes are cooked in big pots in hotels, restaurants, or other business or public places for large number of people. In these pots, the prearranged portions of many are cooked together while each part and grain is assigned.

Without doubt the True Witness (Shaheed ul-Haq) and the Absolute Most Strong (Qawee Mutlaq) is Exalted He!

6. Have you reflected? The cook or the distributor distributes food in containers according to people's wish, and sends them out. Occasionally, if a piece of meat or stew has not been the person's prescribed sustenance, he refuses it. Outwardly, he asks for something else or better, but in reality, that thing was not his appointed sustenance. The cook has made an error in distribution. The person asks for his actual sustenance, through angelic inspiration and the above-mentioned pretext.

How Bestowing Provider (Raaziq ul-Wahhaab), Forgiver (Ghaffaar), and Concealer (Sattaar) is He, Glorified be He.

7. Have you reflected? Sometimes the cook gives to a person somebody else's provision. Finally, it seems to him that he has given too much. He takes back that others' portion and returns it to the pot. These are all the secrets about the distribution of people's assigned provision, in the clear-sighted eye of the faithful ones, which will be definitely delivered to the person in a due measure and at a fixed time.

Couplet-

"Do not think of death and worry about sustenance
They will both have to reach you at the prescribed time inevitably."

8. Have you reflected? In the same way, there are many similar secrets behind other public trades, hardware, clothes, and grocery stores. The only thing is that under the name of tradesmen they are the distributors of people's groceries and other necessities.

For example, bakers are preparing the bread and distribute them all for the purpose of selling. In reality, though, they are the distributors of people's daily bread. After finding out the customer's need, they gather the corresponding necessary number of loaves and pass them on to the customer.

How Wise All-Embracing the Loving (Waasa' ul-Hakeem ul-Wadood), He is the Alone Existing Cherisher.

9. Have you reflected? While baking, the baker measures the quantity of dough and takes off a bit of it, calling it excess. Why?

Well! In reality, somebody else's sustenance was mixed in that part of the dough, it was not this customer's portion. Therefore, it is separated under the name of "excess" and mixed with other portion of the dough.

How Omniscient, Aware (Khabeer) and Wise (Hakeem) is Exalted God.

10. Have you reflected? Some of these breads are delivered apparently in the name of the household and family. Actually, the consumer of each loaf and piece are already fixed persons. Guests, servants, and others who occasionally visit the family eat these.

The saying is correct as:

"On each morsel, it is manifestly written This for him,
the son of such person, the grand son of such person."

Indeed, the Powerful Self-Subsisting (Qayyum ul-Moqtadir), and Omnipresent Noble (Maajid ul-Haadhir) is Exalted He.

11. Have you reflected? During the transaction, the customer's heart is inspired or the dexterity of the baker causes him to gather and get his prescribed sustenance by himself. Therefore, outwardly, he is making efforts to get the so-called better bread, but in reality he is subconsciously identifying his own particular portion.

How Most High the Great ('Allee ul-Kabeer) is the All-Seeing Hearer (Sama' ul-Baseer) God.

12. Have you reflected? Sometimes a drought comes to one part of a country. Tradesmen and dealers who by occupation are actually a means of sustenance-supply bring nutrition to the people from other places.

Thereby, Great God is proving to us in the best way His providence, as where was all that food cultivated, and for what people, and where, and when is it consumed?

How Reckoning Sublime (Haseeb ul-Jaleel) is Glorious God, the Unique and the Powerful.

Couplet-

"What is yours prescribed, you will be given too
If you don't take it, you will be forced to."

13. Have you reflected? In some occasions you may observe a more astonishing mystery in His Holiness Supreme Being's Providence. The eastern countries' foodstuffs are sometimes brought from the west, namely from the farthest world's country, such as United States of America. It seems that, these foodstuffs are prepared over there and bestowed by Glorious God through various means to these eastern countries. There is a kind of disgrace in the idleness of the people of that eastern country, for we do not work ourselves, the foreigners have made the effort and we consume it.

14. Have you reflected? Sometimes these foodstuffs are left at home as well due to some reasons or pretexts, until the time comes for it to be consumed. For instance, the family goes away for an invitation or a trip, and returns after a few months. There was something that they had bought some time ago and had then the intention of using it, but it did not work out that way. Now that the time is met, they consume it.

Indeed, He is the Generous Sublime One (Jaleel ul-Kareem) and the Unique Merciful (Fard ur-Raheem).

15. Have you reflected? Based on the above-mentioned excuses, occasionally obstacles come about in consuming those things in such a way that for instance, it is replaced by something else, or the same thing becomes available from somewhere else. Therefore, the consumption of that first thing is delayed.

How Great ('Azeem) and Eternal (Qadeem) Distributor, the Punctual and the Organizer is Generous Kareem God. Praise be to God!

B - The Meat

1. Have you reflected? The Butcher is the most active distributor of people's fleshy and fatty sustenance. Outwardly the butcher thinks to make the customer happy. In reality according to their own terms however, to get rid of selected pieces, he collects pieces from different parts of the sheep or cow, and passes on to the customer his needed quantity.

Praise be to Cherisher, the Great! (Sobhaana Rab il-'Azeem).

2. Have you reflected? While the butcher is weighing meat, it occasionally happens that a piece or the whole quantity of meat is not the prescribed sustenance of that customer. The Angel induces the customer's heart to say, "Check the meat may be bad." By merely this induction, involuntarily the customer examines the meat, finds a piece or a portion of the meat, gives it back to the butcher and says, "Change this." In reality, that piece of meat had been appointed for somebody else's "name" and consumption.

Sure! The Self-Reliant Artificer (Samad us-Saana') and the One Exalter (Waahid ur-Raafa') is Exalted He.

3. Have you reflected? Occasionally, it happens that for some excuse, the whole quantity of meat is refused by the household and sent back to the butcher. Or, it is cooked at home for the family but, due to some occurrences and mishaps, it is consumed by people other than the family members. This is the providence and distribution of Almighty Great Lord, in that everything is destined from the start for a person and He will deliver it to him no matter how.

"What is destined will reach you, even if it be underneath two mountains
what is not destined, will not reach you, even if it be between two lips."

4. Have you reflected? One instance of that is the case of those cans of fish, calf, lamb, chicken and all that, which are sent to underdeveloped countries. In reality, these have been a certain kind of nutrition and sustenance for these people that are prepared in remote areas and properly supplied by particular means.

No doubt that He is the Originatorly Provider (Raaziq ul-Mobdee), and the Self-Sufficient Bestower and Grantor (Wahhaab ul-Mo'tee ul-Ghanee).