Food security: a maqaṣid-led scriptural investigation into Muslim tradition

Abstract

The term “food security” first entered the lexicon during the 1970s world food crisis (Rayfuse and Weisfelt 2012, 235). However, food as an essential human need has always received sustained attention from all generations over human history as human life depends on food supplies. Although the term “food security” does not appear in early Muslim discussions, references to its “meaning” can be extrapolated from discussions in theological and legal debates. This study investigates this debate, addressing the following questions: What is the relationship between “food security” and Islamic theological doctrines? How does the Qur’an employ “food security” to give exemplary reminders about past nations? How does the Qur’an use food elements in portraying a living image of the pleasures of paradise as well as a painful representation of punishment in hell? How does the Qur’an introduce food elements in an aesthetic manner with a focus on the human natural perception of it? The study also attempts to demarcate the status of food in different areas of Shari‘ah. It raises a number of critical questions: What laws does the Shari‘ah provide to secure food for people? How is “food sharing” crucial for “food security” from an Islamic perspective? How does the Shari‘ah use “food sharing” in the scriptural system and ritual acts of worship and redemption? What are the ultimate objectives of the food regulatory laws in Shari‘ah? How does the Shari‘ah highlight the medical aspects of food, and what is behind the food declared forbidden for Muslims?.