Bism Illah
The lifestyle changes we have made over the years to facilitate sustainability, earth consciousness, and the materials and things we will need for the long-term, have been gradual. However, they have always been based on modern research on environmental safety & preservation and the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet, salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam. I considered for many years the dangers of using teflon, non-stick, cookware but still ended up sticking with it for things like eggs, pancakes, etc. But then, as I became more and more health conscious, I wanted to get healthier pots to cook in. About 10 years ago, I bought a stainless steel set, which I'm very happy with masha'Allah, but still hadn't found a non-stick solution. Then the whole "back to the Salaf" brainwave washed over me and, mashaa Allah, my mind became clear!
What did they use back then for cooking? I checked with hubby about materials available then and he confirmed that cast iron (just think of Surah Al Hadeed), steel, copper, brass, pottery (clay), wood, stone, and glass would have been the things available. Well, then it all started to come together. I looked on the eco-friendly websites to see what they recommended as healthy cookware and what did I find? Cast iron, glass, stainless steel.
Oh, and before I go on with my pot and pan discoveries... the most dangerous things to cook with are non-stick and aluminum. Check out this link... it is just one in MANY you will find on the web if you research cookware materials to avoid: care2
So, me being me, I couldn't just talk the talk, I had to walk the walk. I researched about cast iron, its care, its durability, and its health benefits. You actually get some iron in your diet naturally from cooking with the pots. They are simply wiped with a good vegetable oil or animal fat and baked for an hour or two in the oven and that seasons them so that they become naturally non-stick. They even come pre-seasoned now so that you start out with a non-stick surface and simply have to maintain it. They last forever, unless you do something really drastic with them. You simply scrub them with a bristle brush and hot water while they are still warm and let them dry... no detergents, no chemicals, nothing! My mother-in-law used them for years and told me that she doesn't know why she ever gave them away because they were better than anything she ever cooked with.
Initially, I purchased a cast iron skillet, griddle, and two 3 quart deep pots with lids and used them along with my stainless steel. The best deals I found for them were on Amazon.com, although I am not advertising for them, LOL. They are not very expensive, especially considering I will be able to pass these down to serve generations of our family, inshaa'Allah. I keep thinking they'll be useful if I have to fight off an intruder too. A bonk on the head with an 8lb frying pan should be a decent deterrent, don't you think?
Here is a site all about cast iron cookware: Learn about Cast-Iron Pans
We also phased out our plastic utensils, replacing with stainless steel and/or wood. We have all stainless steel plates, bowls, cups, and mugs, glass measuring jugs and baking dishes, bamboo steamers, and an oven stone to cook pizza and breads on. Rather than use plastic containers for food storage, we use the stackable stainless steel tiffin containers and a variety of large and small jars. We even have a few small clay pots for storage and serving, mashaa Allah. Let the ever sustainable Sunnah go forth... in our kitchen - ameen!
The lifestyle changes we have made over the years to facilitate sustainability, earth consciousness, and the materials and things we will need for the long-term, have been gradual. However, they have always been based on modern research on environmental safety & preservation and the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet, salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam. I considered for many years the dangers of using teflon, non-stick, cookware but still ended up sticking with it for things like eggs, pancakes, etc. But then, as I became more and more health conscious, I wanted to get healthier pots to cook in. About 10 years ago, I bought a stainless steel set, which I'm very happy with masha'Allah, but still hadn't found a non-stick solution. Then the whole "back to the Salaf" brainwave washed over me and, mashaa Allah, my mind became clear!
What did they use back then for cooking? I checked with hubby about materials available then and he confirmed that cast iron (just think of Surah Al Hadeed), steel, copper, brass, pottery (clay), wood, stone, and glass would have been the things available. Well, then it all started to come together. I looked on the eco-friendly websites to see what they recommended as healthy cookware and what did I find? Cast iron, glass, stainless steel.
Oh, and before I go on with my pot and pan discoveries... the most dangerous things to cook with are non-stick and aluminum. Check out this link... it is just one in MANY you will find on the web if you research cookware materials to avoid: care2
So, me being me, I couldn't just talk the talk, I had to walk the walk. I researched about cast iron, its care, its durability, and its health benefits. You actually get some iron in your diet naturally from cooking with the pots. They are simply wiped with a good vegetable oil or animal fat and baked for an hour or two in the oven and that seasons them so that they become naturally non-stick. They even come pre-seasoned now so that you start out with a non-stick surface and simply have to maintain it. They last forever, unless you do something really drastic with them. You simply scrub them with a bristle brush and hot water while they are still warm and let them dry... no detergents, no chemicals, nothing! My mother-in-law used them for years and told me that she doesn't know why she ever gave them away because they were better than anything she ever cooked with.
Initially, I purchased a cast iron skillet, griddle, and two 3 quart deep pots with lids and used them along with my stainless steel. The best deals I found for them were on Amazon.com, although I am not advertising for them, LOL. They are not very expensive, especially considering I will be able to pass these down to serve generations of our family, inshaa'Allah. I keep thinking they'll be useful if I have to fight off an intruder too. A bonk on the head with an 8lb frying pan should be a decent deterrent, don't you think?
Here is a site all about cast iron cookware: Learn about Cast-Iron Pans
We also phased out our plastic utensils, replacing with stainless steel and/or wood. We have all stainless steel plates, bowls, cups, and mugs, glass measuring jugs and baking dishes, bamboo steamers, and an oven stone to cook pizza and breads on. Rather than use plastic containers for food storage, we use the stackable stainless steel tiffin containers and a variety of large and small jars. We even have a few small clay pots for storage and serving, mashaa Allah. Let the ever sustainable Sunnah go forth... in our kitchen - ameen!
BismillaahirRahmaanirRaheem
ReplyDeleteFrom Adnaan to ‘Healing Earth’
asSalaamu’alaikumwarahmatullaahiwabarakaatuhu
I hope this finds you in the best of health and eemaan.
I have been reading your other blog on Madeenah for some time, and found it to be very informative maashaaAllaah. JazaakAllaahukhairan for all the work which you must have put into it. More recently I also came across your ‘Healing Earth’ blog, and have found it quite interesting. It seems quite a big project to think about setting up a farm in the US, particularly when you are as far away as Madeenah.
Looking at some of the posts (Pots, Pans and all things Kitchen & Non-Muslim Sunnah), I felt concerned that you may be mixing up ordinary customs of the Arabs which were present at the time of the Prophet, with actual sunnahs of the Prophet which are part of the Deen and which are rewarded.
Sh al-Albaanee explains this point beautifully here:
http://thebeneficialword.com/?p=99
wasSalaam,
Adnaan
Part 1:
DeleteWa alaykum us salaam wa RahmatUllahi wa Barakatuh brother Adnaan.
Jazaak Allahu khayr for your comment and concern. We appreciate it greatly as it strengthens the ties of brotherhood and supporting in all that is good.
In fact, we are aware of the difference between the Sunnah of ibaadah and the Sunnah of adaat, al hamdul'Illah. You will find that on our Simply Sunnah blog in February 2011, the first post was:
http://simplysunnah.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-to-distinguish-between-sunnah-and.html
That is the same one you have sent to us, mashaa Allah.
There are key points that were included in the Non-Muslim Sunnah post to ensure that the two weren't confused. To quote,"When looking at how we would focus our lifestyle and consider the changes and improvements we needed to make in our lives, we looked firstly at the Qur'an and the Sunnah. In this case, not the Sunnah of manners and worship, but the Sunnah of lifestyle of our Prophet Muhammad, salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam. The reason we looked at this is because our Prophet, salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam, was sent down at a specific time and lived a specific lifestyle, which was in harmony with the earth (a focal part of our Islam). We then looked at what environmentalists and sustainable living veterans were doing - the crunchy movement."
We also made the point on this post by saying, "The lifestyle changes we have made over the years to facilitate sustainability, earth consciousness, and the materials and things we will need for the long-term, have been gradual. However, they have always been based on modern research on environmental safety & preservation and the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet, salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam...Then the whole "back to the Salaf" brainwave washed over me and, mashaa Allah, my mind became clear!
What did they use back then for cooking? I checked with hubby about materials available then and he confirmed that cast iron (just think of Surah Al Hadeed), steel, copper, brass, pottery (clay), wood, stone, and glass would have been the things available. Well, then it all started to come together. I looked on the eco-friendly websites to see what they recommended as healthy cookware and what did I find? Cast iron, glass, stainless steel."
continued...
Part2:
DeleteIn other writings on the Sunnah in Mai to the Extreme, you will find that in each case, the differentiation between the Sunnah of worship and adaat has been pointed out before embarking on the topic.
You see, all the research we have done regarding upholding the Amanah given to us by Allah to take care of the Earth and ourselves, leads right back to the lifestyle practices of the Salaf, subhaan Allah. As we continue on the path of making responsible decisions, we find that many choices we make are not really mubah, but rather are mustahhab or makhrooh. When we look at choosing teflon or cast iron, teflon is most harmful to us and the earth, therefore it becomes a makrooh choice, whereas cast iron is both beneficial to our health and harmonious with the earth, therefore becoming mustahhab. These choices are an integral part of our covenant with Allah, and when made in such a context, are a part of our worship. This can apply, as noted in the non-Muslim Sunnah post, to almost every area.
Most certainly, however, we are not talking about whether the Prophet, sal Allahu alayhi wa salaam, braided his hair or liked particular foods. We simply look at the simple and clean lifestyle and those things that are also Sunnah but included in lifestyle, such as using siwak, olive oil, honey, and dates.
In the hadith by the Prophet, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, from Ibnu Maajah 1910, (( لا ضرر و لا ضرار )), and also the quote from Allah, subhaana wa taala, in the Qur'an commanding, "Do not destroy yourselves," we have found that the actual time the Prophet lived in, in regard to daily life, clothing, foods, housing, etc., complied with those statements and are now considered the best way to live. This becomes even more notable when we consider that the best examples we have of Az-Zuhd are those of Rasool Allah, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, and his companions (radhi Allahu anhum), as stated by Ibn al Qayyim (raheemahUllah).
In seeking knowledge and discussing this with students of knowledge, we have learned and confirmed that Allah, in His Infinite Wisdom, not only sent us the ideal example in the Prophet, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, but also in the time period he was sent when viewed in terms of Islam, community, a lifestyle conducive to worship, and nurturing ourselves and the earth.
Inshaa Allah this has clarified the matter more and will benefit many.
Barak Allahu feek wa as salaamu alaykum wa RahmatUllahi wa Barakatuh.