Mumtaz Moosa | mumtazs@icloud.com
17 October 2023 | 11:00 CAT
2 min read

PHOTO CREDIT: Poultry World

In the last few years, I can safely say we have seen it all, and recently, like something from a drama series, we see people searching for eggs on the black market.  Who would have thought? 

Reading the comments on groups and seeing people planning to stockpile, even if it meant purchasing from disreputable retailers, made me question how something like eggs could bring out the dark side in people! Importantly, it made me ask if we were paying attention to our nafs.

If we cannot give up our staple breakfast for a short period, would giving up that which takes us away from our Creator be more difficult? We live in an age where our nafs are tested between social media, gluttony, and how our mind plays the most critical role in temptation.

As Muslims, we understand that there is goodness in every delay, but have we looked at the life lessons that we could be learning not just about society but about ourselves when it comes to things like a shortage of eggs?  I questioned myself, and I had to ask if one shortage of a daily item has been taken away from us and are willing to go to the ends of the world for it.  It’s one thing if your business and livelihood rely on it, but it’s another thing when it’s for individual consumption, and I’m sure that many kitabs do speak about it. 

Let us consider that buying eggs may seem harmless, and you can afford the price, but we also need to question whether it is from a healthy chicken and whether the farm it is coming from had any contamination. We cannot consume that which would make us sick. 

A beautiful article on the Jamiat Ulama KZN website states, “Food is a gift from Allah SWT, and there’s no doubt that it is beautiful in taste and appearance. It is a means of energy, vitality, nutrition, bringing people together, and a form of charity. But Food is also another means of losing our way, taking us away from our purpose of worshipping Allah SWT. Besides the fact that Food can cause sickness to the body, showing little restraint in eating strengthens the nafs (desires), allowing it to rebel and ultimately affecting the spiritual faculties.”

Something to boil an egg over – but if you can’t find one, check out these links for egg alternatives.

https://www.food24.com/the-jurys-out-on-egg-alternatives-try-these-good-egg-substitutes-for-every-occasion/

https://www.food24.com/egg-alternatives-and-how-they-affect-vanilla-cupcakes/