Islamic Recipes from Medieval Times: Eggplant Pancakes

Many recipes that come out the Middle East actually date back to the Middle Ages (the 10th through the 15th centuries). Many of them have, of course, changed over times, but there are books out there are offer authentic Islamic recipes, many of those come from Islamic cookbooks that have survived since the Middle Ages.

Here is a sweet eggplant recipe that involves cooking the eggplant and turning it into batter for eggplant pancakes. I would have to make my own version of this recipe as I am not sure if I can locate all the ingredients. I am an eggplant fan, and this should be an interesting twist to pancakes and eggplant.

Recipe of Eggplant Pancakes

1 large eggplant (1 lb 3 oz)

~2 qts water

~2 t salt

1/2 c bread crumbs

2-3 eggs1 T oil

1 1/4 t coriander

1 1/2 t cinnamon

2 T vinegar

2 T oil

2 t murri

2 large clove garlic

about 6 T oil for frying

Directions:

Peel and quarter eggplant, boil 30 minutes. Drain, mash and mix with bread crumbs, eggs, oil, coriander and cinnamon. Crush garlic in a garlic press and mix up sauce. Fry in oil at medium high, about 1-2 minutes a side. Pour sauce over pancakes before serving.

Source: Badinjan Muhassa. Cariadoc's Miscellany, The Miscellany is Copyright (c) by David Friedman and Elizabeth Cook, 1988, 1990, 1992.

Ayat al Kursi #1: The Virtues

Recite Ayat al Kursi before going to sleep to seek Allah’s protect against all evils.

Recite Ayat al Kursi after every required prayer and you will be under Allah’s care and protection until you have completed your next prayer.

Our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings upon Him) is reported to have said that “The one who recites it after each of the obligatory prayers, then death will be the only thing preventing him from entering al-Jannah.”

Abu-Harairah (RadAllhu Annhu) said that: “In Surah al-Baqaraah there is verse which is the best of all the verses of the Quran.” When recited in a home, Shaytan (Satan) leaves. “That verse is Ayat al Kursi.”

Source: Quran Study

Islam and Marriage #3: Rights and Duties of Spouses Part 2: The Husband’s Rights, The Wife’s Obligations

One of the main duties of a wife in Islam is to contribute to the success and happiness of the marriage. She must attend to the comfort and well-being her husband, as prescribed in this verse of the Quran: "Our Lord! Grant unto us wives and offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes and give us (the grace) to lead the righteous." (Quran 25:74)

An Islamic wife must be faithful, honest and trustworthy towards her husband. Moreover, she must not deceive her husband. She must not let strange males in her home without his knowledge or consent, and she must not be alone with strange males. Additionally, she should not accept gifts from other men without his approval.

An Islamic wife should not do anything to make her husband jealous or suspicious of her in any way. Moreover, she may not dispose of any of his belongs with his permission as this would violate the trust between the two.

A wife should try to make herself sexually attractive to her husband and respond to his advances. She must not refuse her husband as this will only lead to marriage problems and cause the husband to look for companionship outside of the home. However, a husband should consider his wife’s health, and more importantly, her needs.

There is much criticism about obedience in the marriage especially amongst western society and the media. Obedience is not meant to oppress but to keep the family unit together in an efficient manner. The husband and father, as the patriarch of the family, has the right to be obeyed, but not in a blind fashion. Obedience is something that must fall within the husband’s rights as well as the wife’s.

As noted in the previous post, wives are entitled to certain rights under Islam. First and foremost, it is the duty of the husband to provide for his wife and second, he must treat her with fairness, respect and kindness. Any rights owed to the husband arise out the duties of the husband. To distinguish between stereotypes and Islamic law, remind yourself that our Prophet’s (PBUH) was reported to have said: “The best Muslim is one who is the best husband.” In essence, the best husband is the one who respects the rights of his wife, and understands and prescribes towards the duties he owes to her first because as the patriarch of the family, his duties stand out.

Islam and Marriage #2: Rights and Duties of Spouses Part 1: The Wife’s Rights, The Husband’s Obligations

There are so many stereotypes that arisen about Islamic marriages and the roles that spouses play. One of the biggest of those stereotypes is that Islamic women are oppressed and treated harshly by their spouses and the other is that women have no rights in the marriage, and are only there to serve the needs of their spouses. These stereotypes come as a result of the actions of a few who call themselves Muslims, as well as the stereotypes presented by the Western media.

In Islam, both spouses have certain rights and duties to one another, and hopefully, these can dispel some of the myths promoted by the media and western society. Moreover, wives have certain rights and husbands have certain duties to their wives.

First, a husband is responsible for his wife’s maintenance. This right comes from the Quran and the Sunnah (the way of Islamic life as given to us by our Prophet – PBUH). It does not matter whether the wife is Muslim, non-Muslim, rich or poor. It is the responsibility of the husband to care for his wife and his family financially. Moreover, this important because it allows the wife the ability to perform her duties as a wife and a mother, and it assures her security. That maintenance involves her right to a home, clothing, food and general care (medication, healthcare, etc.). The right to a home includes privacy, comfort and independence. Additionally, if the wife is unable to attend to her household duties, the husband is, if he can afford it, to provide her with assistance, such as a maid, to assist her.

The wife is entitled to Mahr which is a marriage gift. The marriage contract is not valid without it. Moreover, it does not have to be money or gold. Mahr is a gift from the bride to the groom, and is prescribed under Islamic law. In other cultures, the girl’s family either pays for the wedding or must provide a gift to the husband to marry the daughter. This goes against Islamic law, as it degrades women and is contrary to the character of Islam.
Last, the husband is commanded by Allah to treat his wife with fairness, respect and kindness. Our Prophet (PBUH) stressed the importance of this, and it is reported to have said that “The best Muslim is one who is the best husband.”

As clearly seen by the duties owed to the wife, Islam does not oppress women, and in fact, pushes for respect and responsibility towards women. So the next time you watch something on television or read something in a newspaper that contradicts the requirements of Islamic marriage law, remind yourself that our Prophet’s (PBUH) statement: “The best Muslim is one who is the best husband,” and because of that alone, Islam does not discriminate against or oppress women, and in particular does not allow for husbands to treat their wives badly.
In addition to the rights of the wife and duties of the husband, Islam prescribes that the wife has certain obligations to her husband and the husband has certain rights. We will discuss those in Rights and Duties of Spouses Part 2.

Islam and Marriage #1: The Purpose

As a Muslim woman in corporate America, I sometimes feel lost. I feel like even though I know where I stand in the eyes of Allah and that my faith is strong, I am not doing enough to show that strength in my faith. I, like many people borh into the Muslim faith, and in the western world, have had doubts. The older I get the more those doubts turn into understanding. One of the hardest and difficult things I had to do was divorce. Moreover, I never thought I would remarry, but along my journey of finding myself and understanding my religion a lot better, I realized that Islam is an advocate for marriage.

Islam does not believe in celibacy and it has been reported that our Prophet (Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him) said “there is no celibacy in Islam.” Islam, through our Holy Quran, has taught young Muslims that marriage is a religious duty, a moral safeguard and a social necessity. Because of marriage, sexual relations outside of marriage are prohibited and marriage protects from sinful desires. Social necessity refers to families created as a result of marriage and family is central to society.

There are so many stereotypes that arisen about Islamic marriages and the roles that spouses play. One of the biggest of those stereotypes is that Islamic women are oppressed and treated harshly by their spouses and other males in their lives (such as fathers and brothers) and the other is that women have no rights in the marriage, and are only there to serve the needs of their spouses. These stereotypes come as a result of the actions of a few who call themselves Muslims, as well as the stereotypes presented by the Western media.

The purpose of marriage in Islam is unique. First, the word “zawj” is used in our Holy Quran to meet a “pair” or a “mate.” The term used on a general basis means “marriage,” and the general purpose of marriage in Islam is for spouses to provide company for one another, to create a family, to love each other, and live peacefully within the directives our Holy Quran and our Islamic faith. Moreover, marriage serves as the only way for the sexes to unite, and instead of sinning, by choosing marriage, one is showing their obedience to Allah, our creator. Marriage is an agreement that should be entered into with total commitment and full understanding of the venture being taken. A partner is for life, and one must be mature enough to understand the responsibilities and demands of a marriage.

In Islam, there are certain conditions that make a marriage valid and all must be met: (1) both parties must consent; (2) Mahr must be given-this is a gift from the bride to the groom; (3) two witnesses must be present; and (4) the marriage should be made known, and not kept secret.

The general principle on marital obligation comes from our Prophet (Peace and Blessings Upon Him) who was reported to have said: “when a man marries, he has fulfilled half his religion, so let him fear Allah regarding the remaining half.” (As reported by Iman Malik ibn Anas; Source Jannah.org/sisters/marr.html).

I will discuss marital duties in my next post.

Fasting Six days of the month of Shawwal

Shawwal is the tenth month of the Islamic Lunar calendar. The first day of Shawwal is Eid al Fitr. After Eid, it is recommended for Muslims who are able to observe six additional days of fast.

It is believed that Abu Ayyoub reported that the Messenger of Allah (salla Allahu alaihi was sallam) said that whomever fasts the entire month of Ramdan and then fasts six days in the month of Shawwal will be rewarded as if he or she fasted the entire year (1). You take fast anytime during the month of Shawwal expect for Eid al Fitr. The days do not have to start at the beginning of the month, nor do they have to be consecutive. However, one must make any days prior to fasting the six days in Shawwal.

If you are able to, it is a good idea to take advantage of the reward of fasting six days in Shawwal.

Endnote/Source:
(1) Ibn Shahid, “Fasting Six Days of Shawwal” From The Way of the Salaf us-Saalih. (September 29, 2008) retrieved September 28, 2008 from http://theclearsunnah.wordpress.com/2008/09/29/fasting-six-days-of-shawwal/.

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