A Deeper Look at "How to Eat to Live"

In the Name of Allah(God), the Beneficent, the Merciful...the Best Knower.


What would we think of a King or Ruler over millions or billions of people, who deliberately or carelessly poisoned his subjects?

Would we not seek to have that person prosecuted in an international court for Genocide, or at the very least, Criminal Negligence?

That would certainly be a fitting reaction, but it occurred to me the other day, while conducting a group discussion with some of my students, that most of us who would cry out against such an injustice are guilty of the very same thing, yet there is no outcry.

Each one of us is the King, Queen or Ruler over billions upon billions of subjects, called "cells", that make up the kingdom of our Bodies. How do we treat our subjects? Do we care for them? Do we seek out the knowledge of HOW to care for them? Or do we simply take them for granted, forcing to perform the miraculous task of supporting our existence with fuel that is more "poison" than "nutrition"?

The Body is made up of Systems - digestive, circulatory, nervous, skeletal, etc. - and each System is made up of Organs. The Organs are comprised of Tissues, and the Tissues are made of Cells.

The cells, according to biologists, are the smallest living units in our bodies and are the basic building blocks of our existence, in terms of living organisms. These cells have intelligence, and each one has its own specific function which it must carry out in order contribute to the Survival of the Larger community - the Body. This means that each cell has very specific nutritional needs which must be met in order to effectively carry out its Natural function.

These “servants” of ours work constantly, selflessly, to perform their functions to keep us alive. They "love" to Serve us, for that is what they exist for; but...how do we reward them? How do we reward these, our most humble and faithful servants who give their all that we may live? Do we make our best effort to give them the nourishment they need so they may continue to serve us; or, do we, like Pharoah, require them to "make bricks without straw"? Do we give them poison for fuel, which distorts their function and often their form and expect them, in return, to keep us healthy?

How hypocritical it is for us to cry out against the injustices of tyrants in the world, while ignoring or justifying the tyranny that we impose upon our own servants on a daily basis! Do we think we will escape the fate of any other ruler who oppresses and abuses his subjects? Do we think that our kingdoms (bodies) will not fall into anarchy (disease) and collapse (die) under our unjust rule of those entrusted to our care?

Just as any other tyrant would likely be found guilty of “genocide” and be tried for crimes against humanity, and likely be sentenced to death; so we deserve, and indeed should receive, no less, unless and until we begin making a serious effort to be a Just Ruler over our Subjects.

Remember, family...when we eat, we are not just feeding our appetites; we are not just feeding our stomachs; we are feeding those subjects who look to us to care for them, and whom we depend on for our very lives.

Let us not "live to eat". Let us "eat to Live". Let us look again and deeper into the Hon. Elijah Muhammad’s teaching on “How to Eat to Live”.

Treat your servants well, for they love to serve you.

RM