Print: 28 Oct 2025
In Islam, there are not many things which are so much valued, and so much rewarded as the simple but great act of feeding people. Ita'am al-Ta'am, or by the proper Arabic name for it, is not a charitable act, but the indication of a believer’s soul, the indication of an open-hearted, compassionate, and truly social person. The Quran and hadith of the Prophet are replete with traditions and verses describing vast spiritual and social benefits arising from taking care of others by feeding them.
Taking care of individuals is a virtue of good society. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) himself started the tradition by saying, “Feed the people, and greet those whom you know and those whom you do not know.” This Sahih Bukhari hadith is the perfect mix of feeding with imparting peace and good wishes. It is an appeal to reach out with our hands not just to our cousins and friends, but to the entire humanity, and find a point of commonality above cultural and social differences.
To feed others is so ingrained in Islamic ethics that it is considered a test of belief and morality. In a vibrant hadith, Ahmad relates, “The best of you are those who feed others.” It is an open praise that puts the action of giving to others on a pedestal of excellence. It suggests that greater goodness is not virtue in solitude, but good being done to others. He who desires to be the best in the eyes of Allah must, therefore, prioritise most urgently the needs of others, particularly the hungry ones.
The religious significance of feeding others is further brought out by a firm warning of the Prophet (PBUH) in Sahih Bukhari: “He is not a believer whose stomach is filled while his neighbour is hungry.” The hadith is an effective reminder of our shared responsibility. It undermines the very principles of religion if it cannot demonstrate itself in sympathy for one’s own immediate community. Anyone who is happy with the fullness of his belly while his fellow human being starves is lacking in a basic component of faith, this hadith contends. Faith demands sympathy and sincere effort to obviate others’ agony.
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The reward of such an act is limitless, from this world to the Hereafter. Tirmidhi reports a beautiful promise of the Prophet (PBUH): “Whosever provides sustenance to a hungry believer; Allah provides for him with the fruits of Paradise on the Day of Resurrection.” It is the promise of Allah, a promise that the mercy present in this world will be compensated in an unimaginable form in the hereafter. The fleeting happiness of a meal enjoyed in charity is transformed to an endless feast in Paradise, a symbol of Allah’s endless bounty.
Besides the great promise of Paradise, giving to others is also eternal charity, or Sadaqah. The Prophet (PBUH) broadened the definition of this charity in the context of our living needs, as described in a hadith in Bukhari: “What you take for your own food is Sadaqah on your part. What you take for your child’s food is Sadaqah on your part. What you take for your wife’s food is Sadaqah on your part. What you take for your servant’s food is Sadaqah on your part.”
This hadith broadens our vision concerning the definition of charity. It is not restricted to the poor and needy; it incorporates the fundamental responsibility of caring for one’s dependents. Every morsel of food that we provide to our relatives, our children, and those who are dependent upon us is worship and charity to which we are deserving from Allah.
Feeding others in Islam is far greater than simple charity. It is a profound act of piety which is the essence of a believer. It is a display of a benevolent heart, an act of faith, and a step into God’s mercy and reward of paradise. Whether by the simple act of inviting a neighbour in for dinner or being involved in some other larger cause to feed the starving, each and every plate of food served in good will and generosity is an investment in ourselves spiritually. It brings us nearer to Allah, reinforces the bonds of ummah, and reflects Islam’s high ideals, reminding us that a full stomach is not a commodity but a shared responsibility.
______________________________
The writer is an Assistant Professor of English at Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology, Dhaka
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Feeding people: One of the best Deeds in Islam
In Islam, there are not many things which are so much valued, and so much rewarded as the simple but great act of feeding people. Ita'am al-Ta'am, or by the proper Arabic name for it, is not a charitable act, but the indication of a believer’s soul, the indication of an open-hearted, compassionate, and truly social person. The Quran and hadith of the Prophet are replete with traditions and verses describing vast spiritual and social benefits arising from taking care of others by feeding them.
Taking care of individuals is a virtue of good society. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) himself started the tradition by saying, “Feed the people, and greet those whom you know and those whom you do not know.” This Sahih Bukhari hadith is the perfect mix of feeding with imparting peace and good wishes. It is an appeal to reach out with our hands not just to our cousins and friends, but to the entire humanity, and find a point of commonality above cultural and social differences.
To feed others is so ingrained in Islamic ethics that it is considered a test of belief and morality. In a vibrant hadith, Ahmad relates, “The best of you are those who feed others.” It is an open praise that puts the action of giving to others on a pedestal of excellence. It suggests that greater goodness is not virtue in solitude, but good being done to others. He who desires to be the best in the eyes of Allah must, therefore, prioritise most urgently the needs of others, particularly the hungry ones.
The religious significance of feeding others is further brought out by a firm warning of the Prophet (PBUH) in Sahih Bukhari: “He is not a believer whose stomach is filled while his neighbour is hungry.” The hadith is an effective reminder of our shared responsibility. It undermines the very principles of religion if it cannot demonstrate itself in sympathy for one’s own immediate community. Anyone who is happy with the fullness of his belly while his fellow human being starves is lacking in a basic component of faith, this hadith contends. Faith demands sympathy and sincere effort to obviate others’ agony.
The reward of such an act is limitless, from this world to the Hereafter. Tirmidhi reports a beautiful promise of the Prophet (PBUH): “Whosever provides sustenance to a hungry believer; Allah provides for him with the fruits of Paradise on the Day of Resurrection.” It is the promise of Allah, a promise that the mercy present in this world will be compensated in an unimaginable form in the hereafter. The fleeting happiness of a meal enjoyed in charity is transformed to an endless feast in Paradise, a symbol of Allah’s endless bounty.
Besides the great promise of Paradise, giving to others is also eternal charity, or Sadaqah. The Prophet (PBUH) broadened the definition of this charity in the context of our living needs, as described in a hadith in Bukhari: “What you take for your own food is Sadaqah on your part. What you take for your child’s food is Sadaqah on your part. What you take for your wife’s food is Sadaqah on your part. What you take for your servant’s food is Sadaqah on your part.”
This hadith broadens our vision concerning the definition of charity. It is not restricted to the poor and needy; it incorporates the fundamental responsibility of caring for one’s dependents. Every morsel of food that we provide to our relatives, our children, and those who are dependent upon us is worship and charity to which we are deserving from Allah.
Feeding others in Islam is far greater than simple charity. It is a profound act of piety which is the essence of a believer. It is a display of a benevolent heart, an act of faith, and a step into God’s mercy and reward of paradise. Whether by the simple act of inviting a neighbour in for dinner or being involved in some other larger cause to feed the starving, each and every plate of food served in good will and generosity is an investment in ourselves spiritually. It brings us nearer to Allah, reinforces the bonds of ummah, and reflects Islam’s high ideals, reminding us that a full stomach is not a commodity but a shared responsibility.
______________________________
The writer is an Assistant Professor of English at Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology, Dhaka