In today’s world, spitting is considered an unclean and unhygienic act. There are laws against spitting in public places in many countries around the world carrying huge fines, especially Singapore, where the monetary fine for spitting can go up to $1000. Especially in the post-Coronavirus world, where spitting can also be a vector for the spread of COVID-19, the act of spitting, especially in public places, is looked down upon throughout the world. However, in Islam, spitting carries a special meaning, especially, to ward off the ‘evil spirit’ or ‘Satan’.

According to various Hadiths, spitting in a particular manner can ward off bad dreams and even the interference of Satan (Shaitaan) himself. According to Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 54, Number 513, spitting to your left is a way to be safe from bad dreams. It says that the Prophet of Islam said that “A good dream is from Allah, and a bad or evil dream is from Satan; so if anyone of you has a bad dream of which he gets afraid, he should spit on his left side and should seek Refuge with Allah from its evil, for then it will not harm him.”

This also gets credence in Sahih Muslim, Book 026, Number 5463 which says that spitting to your left three times stops the interference of Satan.

Uthman b. Abu al-‘As reported that he came to Allah’s Messenger and said: Allah’s Messenger, the Satan intervenes between me and my prayer and my reciting of the Qur’an and he confounds me. Thereupon Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: That is (the doing of the Satan) who is known as Khinzab, and when you perceive its effect, seek refuge with Allah from it and spit three times to your left. I did that and Allah dispelled that from me.

In many cultures around the world, spitting on someone else is seen as the sign of ultimate disrespect. A person spitting on somebody else is usually reason enough for a brawl or physical fistfight to take place. However, in Islam, this is not the case. There are multiple references to Prophet Muhammad spitting on people in order to bless them.

These references are listed below:

1. Narrated Mahmud bin Ar-Rabi’: I remember Allah’s Apostle and also the mouthful of water which he took from a bucket in our house and ejected (on me). … (Sahih Bukhari: Volume 1, Book 12, Number 801)
2. … Urwa returned to his people and said, “O people! By Allah, I have been to the kings and to Caesar, Khosrau and An-Najashi, yet I have never seen any of them respected by his courtiers as much as Muhammad is respected by his companions. By Allah, if he spat, the spittle would fall in the hand of one of them (i.e. the Prophet’s companions) who would rub it on his face and skin; if he ordered them, they would carry out his order immediately; if he performed ablution, they would struggle to take the remaining water …(Sahih al-Bukhari: Volume 3, Book 50, Number 891)
3. Narrated Jabir bin ‘Abdullah: … So I came (to my house) and Allah’s Apostle too, came, proceeding before the people. When I came to my wife, she said, “May Allah do so-and-so to you.” I said, “I have told the Prophet of what you said.” Then she brought out to him (i.e. the Prophet) the dough, and he spat in it and invoked for Allah’s Blessings in it. Then he proceeded towards our earthenware meat-pot and spat in it and invoked for Allah’s Blessings in it. (Sahih al-Bukhari: Volume 5, Book 59, Number 428)
4. In the Islamic hadiths, there is also reference to people using the water Prophet Muhammad used to clean himself on themselves. (According to Sahih al-Bukhari: Volume 1, Book 8, Number 373)
5. Narrated Abu Juhaifa: I saw Allah’s Apostle in a red leather tent and I saw Bilal taking the remaining water with which the Prophet had performed ablution. I saw the people taking the utilized water impatiently and whoever got some of it rubbed it on his body and those who could not get any took the moisture from the others’ hands.

In the last few weeks, there have been an increasing number of instances when cooks have been caught spitting on the dough while preparing rotis. The viral videos of their acts were invariably caught on camera and released on the internet, attracting widespread criticism from people who demanded police to bring to book such vile offenders.

Due to the gross nature of the incidents and the ongoing pandemic situation, the police have initiated deeper investigations into the case to see if these are isolated incidents or if there is a bigger nexus at play that indulge in such activities.

Here are few incidents from the recent past when cooks were arrested by the police after videos of them spitting on rotis had gone viral on social media websites:

Naushad was caught on camera while spitting on roti by a guest

Naushad was hired by a contractor who was managing the catering at the engagement. The contractor identified as Baleshwar has also been detained by the Police for questioning.

The engagement function in which the incident took place happened in Lakshminagar, Ambedkar Road, Kankarkhera, district Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. Naushad was caught on camera while spitting on roti by a guest. He showed the video to the family on next day. Siyanand, the father of the groom, immediately approached Kankarkheda Police to file the case. The Police swung into action and arrested Naushad and the contractor for questioning.

As per reports, Naushad first denied the allegations. However, when the Police showed him the video, he stopped talking. Naushad is a resident of Kaithwadi near Nanglatashi in Meerut. Inspector Subodh Kumar Saxena said that they had received the complaint and arrested the accused. Based on the investigation, strict action would be taken against the accused.

As per Hindi daily Jagran’s report, a friend of Naushad told the Police that he had done a similar thing in a previous wedding around six months ago. No one could record him, but his friends knew he spits on the dough while making roti.

Mohsin, arrested for spitting on rotis, confesses he has been spitting in functions of non-Muslims from the last 5 years

In March 2021, the Ghaziabad police arrested one Mohammad Mohsin after a video of him making rotis while spitting on them at an engagement ceremony went viral on the microblogging site. The incident purportedly took place on March 11 in the Bhojpur area of Ghaziabad district. The cook identified as Mohammad Mohsin in seen making rotis and spitting on them.

According to media reports, the incident happened during the engagement ceremony of the nephew of one Shivkumar on Thursday, in one educational institute premises near Dausa Banjarpur falling under the Bhojpur police station limits. Mohammad Mohsin was making rotis at this engagement ceremony when he was caught red-handed spitting on the dough prepared for the rotis before putting it in the tandoor. He was also secretly filmed doing the same. The video of the incident went viral the next day.

On Friday, when Mohsin realised that the video of the incident has gone viral on social media, he fled from his village along with his family members.

After watching the viral video, Ghaziabad police sprang into action. The police approached Shivkumar to confirm whether the video was genuine. After verifying they spoke to the catering company which had hired Mohsin, to know his whereabouts.

On learning that Mohsin was a resident of Sahbiswa in Muradnagar, Ghaziabad, the police reached his house to arrest him but Mohsin had fled by then. The police immediately launched a manhunt and arrested the accused. Mohsin has been slapped with relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, along with sections under the Epidemic Act.

In his interrogation with the police, the accused Mohsin confessed to committing such acts for the last five years. He informed the police that he moonlighted as a painter, besides preparing rotis/naan at functions and events. However, one of the shocking revelations Mohsin made in his interview was that he spat on the dough only in events organised by non-Muslims. Never for once has he spat on rotis/naan at Muslim festivals.

Mohammad Khalik arrested from Delhi after video of him spitting on rotis goes viral

On the last week of March, another man named Mohammad Khalik was arrested from the national capital after a video of him spitting on the dough while preparing rotis in a tandoor had gone viral on the internet. The Delhi Police took cognisance of the viral video and arrested the cook named Mohammad Khalik.

Investigation revealed that it was from Madeena hotel in North East Delhi’s Bhajanpura area. In the video, the cook was seen spitting on rotis before putting them in the tandoor. The police registered a case against the culprit under sections 269, 270, 272 of the IPC and the Pandemic Act. Khalik had reportedly come to Delhi from his native village about 9-10 years ago in a search for a job. He got a job at the Dhaba in Bhajanpura and has been working there since then.

Delhi Police arrest Mohammad Ibrahim and Anwar after social media was abuzz with a video of them spitting on rotis

In yet another case of a cook spitting on rotis, Delhi Police arrested two persons named Mohammad Ibrahim and Anwar after a video of them spitting on rotis had gone viral on the internet. In the video that had gone viral, one of the two men was seen spitting on the rotis before putting them in a tandoor.  It was then reported that the video was from a hotel in Seelampur in Delhi.

Apparently, the video was shot by a customer who had caught the duo spitting on rotis. The customer had also recorded the video and later uploaded it on the internet. The police took cognisance of the video and arrested the two men. An FIR was filed against the accused under IPC sections 269, 270, 272, 273 and 34 at Khayala Police Station, New Delhi.

Naushad alias Sohail caught spitting on rotis in Meerut in February

On February 20, Meerut Police arrested one Naushad alias Suhail for spitting on the food while working as a cook at a wedding. On February 18, a video started to go viral on social media platforms in which a man was seen spitting on uncooked roti before putting it in tandoor. The video was shared by several netizens.

The location was identified as Aroma Garden, Meerut. Sachin Sirohi of Hindu Jagran Manch registered an FIR against the person who was identified as Naushad.

As per the Meerut Police statement, a case under several sections, including 269, 270, 188 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 3 of Epidemic Disease Act, was registered against Naushad.

During interrogation, it was reportedly revealed that Naushad worked as a cook in wedding ceremonies for the last 15 years. A video had surfaced in which he allegedly confessed to spitting on food for at least ten years.

Similar incident happens in Shamli in Uttar Pradesh, police takes accused into custody

Another video went viral on the internet that shows a man spitting on the dough as he prepares to make Rotis at Shamli in Uttar Pradesh. Shamli Police said on Twitter that the accused has been taken into custody and appropriate action under the ambit of the law will be taken. Although the accused were not named, all the men working in the kitchen can be wearing skullcaps.

In the last one year, multiple cases of cooks belonging to a particular community got caught on camera for spitting on food. Several people in similar cases were detained by the Police, and action was taken. However, irrespective of outrage and multiple arrests, such incidents are regularly being caught on camera, and it is unclear how many such cases get unreported or unrecorded. In a time when the country is looking at another variant of the Covid-19 virus, such anti-social elements need to be curbed that play with the health of the common people.

Few more bonuses 

And of course, spitting is not limited to only food.

References: 

opindia.com - OpIndia Staff