بِسْمِ للَّهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
Food is not merely sustenance – it is a Divine trust, a blessing, and a moral responsibility. As Muslims, we are taught to be deeply conscious of the sources of our provisions and the systems that bring food to our plates. In today’s world, food insecurity remains a pressing issue, disproportionately affecting the vulnerable, particularly in marginalized and urban communities. Islam provides us with both spiritual and practical guidance on how to address this crisis and build a future rooted in equity, sustainability, and community resilience.
Allah (swt) shows us the trust (amānah) that He has given us when He put us on this earth. We are from this earth and we are nurtured through it when He says, “Do you not see that Allah has disposed for you whatever there is in the heavens and whatever there is in the earth and He has showered upon you His blessings, the outward, and the inward? Yet among the people are those who dispute concerning Allah without any knowledge or guidance or an illuminating scripture.” (Noble Qurʾān, Sūrah Luqmān (31), Verse 20)
Understanding Food Insecurity Through an Islamic Lens
Food (in)security is defined by the World Food Programme as “Food security exists when people have access to enough safe and nutritious food for normal growth and development, and an active and healthy life. By contrast, food insecurity refers to when the aforementioned conditions don’t exist. Chronic food insecurity is when a person is unable to consume enough food over an extended period to maintain a normal, active, and healthy life. Acute food insecurity is any type that threatens people’s lives or livelihoods. (World Food Programme, March 20, 2025)
Allah (swt) explains the responsibility humans have to ensure we fulfil the rights of the people around us when food is grown as stated in Sūrah al-Anʿām, “It is He who produces gardens trellised and without trellises, and palm-trees and crops of diverse produce, olives and pomegranates, similar and dissimilar. Eat of its fruits when it yields, and give its due on the day of harvest, and do not be wasteful; indeed, He does not like the wasteful.” (Noble Qurʾān, Sūrah al-Anʿām (6), Verse 141)
Understanding the concept of food (in)security can lead us to better understand more nuanced concepts such as food swamps and food deserts.
Much attention is paid to “food deserts”—areas lacking access to grocery stores or markets. This can be due to supply chain issues, rural living, or low-income urban neighbourhoods. However, there is another phenomenon that is just as harmful: the “food swamp.” A food swamp refers to areas inundated with unhealthy, processed, fast food options, often crowding out healthier choices. This is often seen in Western urban cities where consumption of unhealthy food options far outweighs healthy food options, both in terms of cost and volume.
From an Islamic perspective, both of these realities are contrary to the principles of ḥalāl (permissible) and ṭayyib (pure and wholesome) eating. Allah (swt) commands: “O mankind! Eat of what is lawful and pure in the earth, and do not follow in Satan’s steps. Indeed, he is your manifest enemy.” ) (Noble Qurʾān, Sūrah al-Baqarah (2), Verse 168)
Access to food must be about more than just filling stomachs—it must nourish bodies, minds, and souls.
Understanding the prevalence of food (in)security is important, but this cannot be changed until we understand its root causes
Roots of Food (In)Security: A Structural Problem
“Corruption has appeared in land and sea because of the doings of the people’s hands […]” (Noble Qurʾān, Sūrah ar-Rūm (30), Verse 41)
Food insecurity doesn’t occur in a vacuum. Its roots are entangled in systemic poverty, unjust economic policies, environmental degradation, and urban planning that often marginalizes certain communities. In many urban areas, particularly those with large Black, Indigenous, or immigrant populations, access to fresh, wholesome food is limited or deliberately obstructed.
Modern capitalism often places profit over people, creating vast inequalities in access to basic necessities like food. Islam urges us to dismantle these injustices through charity (ṣadaqah), fair trade, and systems that uplift the poor and disenfranchised.
A quote from the “Father of Modern Economics” Adam Smith, an 18th century philosopher, can help us better understand the roots of systemic corruption when he explained, “It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest.” It is due to this care for human self-interest above that of the community and the whole, that we begin to see where profit, corruption, ego, desire for wealth, and power, supersede the genuine growth and wellbeing of society as a whole.
When we begin to identify these root causes of self-interest and personal desire as the reasons for widespread corruption and systemic oppression of the global masses, we can then begin to extract our individual selves and family units from behaving with the same carelessness. This self-awareness can begin with making ethical purchases, understanding how the current food system and structure operate, and regaining control of our own food systems.
The Importance of Food Independence: A Prophetic Tradition
Imām Jaʿfar aṣ-Ṣādiq (ʿa) said, “The farmers are the treasures of mankind, for they plant and harvest the good things that Allah has made grow. On the Day of Resurrection, they will occupy the best and nearest position [to Allah] and will be called the blessed ones.” (Al-Kāfī, V. 5, P. 261, Ḥadīth #7)
One of the core solutions to food insecurity is fostering independence in food production. Growing our own food is not only a way to reclaim control over what we eat, but also a form of spiritual growth, reconnecting us with the earth (al-arḍ) from which we were created. In an age of corporate agriculture and globalized food chains, returning to local and independent food systems is an act of worship, healing, and resistance to a system rooted in Godlessness, greed, and moral and ethical corruption.
Establishing a home and/or community garden is a prophetic practice in our times. These gardens don’t just yield fruits and vegetables; they cultivate dignity, community resilience, and interdependence. In Medina, the Prophet (ṣ) famously established systems of mutual aid and community cooperation—principles we can revive today.
Gardens can become spaces of healing, learning, and social connection. They can reduce reliance on harmful food systems and foster a deeper appreciation for the blessings of Allah (swt).
Catch our next blog in this gardening series where we delve into beginning your own garden at home or in your community!