_Imām Ibn Qudāmah Al-Maqdisi -rahimahullāh-_
Said:
*BREAKING THE SHAHAWĀT.*
Know verily – may the blessing of Allāh Ta’āla be upon you – that, the desires of the stomach is one of the greatest diseases of the heart that can lead to destruction and misguidance, due to it, Adam ‘alayhissalam was brought out of Jannah.
The desires of the stomach leads to that of the sexual desires and covetousness and some setbacks may arises as a result of satiation.
The Messenger of Allāh sallallāhu Has really warned against over eating. In this regard, it is reported from ‘Úmar radiyallāhu anhumah who said; The Messenger of Allāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam said:
_”ﺇِﻥَّ ﺍﻟْﻤُﺆْﻣِﻦَ ﻳَﺄْﻛُﻞُ ﻓِﻲ ﻣِﻌًﻰ ﻭَﺍﺣِﺪٍ، ﻭَﺇِﻥَّ ﺍﻟْﻜَﺎﻓِﺮَ ـ ﺃَﻭِ ﺍﻟْﻤُﻨَﺎﻓِﻖَ ﻓَﻼَ ﺃَﺩْﺭِﻱ ﺃَﻳَّﻬُﻤَﺎ ﻗَﺎﻝَ ﻋُﺒَﻴْﺪُ ﺍﻟﻠَّﻪِ ـ ﻳَﺄْﻛُﻞُ ﻓِﻲ ﺳَﺒْﻌَﺔِ ﺃَﻣْﻌَﺎﺀٍ_”
_Verily, a believer eats in one intestine (is satisfied with a little food), and a kafir (unbeliever) or a hypocrite eats in seven intestines (eats too much._
Transmitted by Imām Al-Bukhārī#5393.
In another Hadith, the Messenger of Allāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam said:
_”ﻣَﺎ ﻣَﻠَﺄَ ﺁﺩَﻣِﻲٌّ ﻭِﻋَﺎﺀً ﺷَﺮًّﺍ ﻣِﻦْ ﺑَﻄْﻦٍ ﺑِﺤَﺴْﺐِ ﺍﺑْﻦِ ﺁﺩَﻡَ ﺃُﻛُﻠَﺎﺕٌ ﻳُﻘِﻤْﻦَ ﺻُﻠْﺒَﻪُ ﻓَﺈِﻥْ ﻛَﺎﻥَ ﻟَﺎ ﻣَﺤَﺎﻟَﺔَ ﻓَﺜُﻠُﺚٌ ﻟِﻄَﻌَﺎﻣِﻪِ ﻭَﺛُﻠُﺚٌ ﻟِﺸَﺮَﺍﺑِﻪِ ﻭَﺛُﻠُﺚٌ ﻟِﻨَﻔَﺴِﻪِ.”_ ﺭﻭﺍﻩ ﺍﻟﺘﺮﻣﺬﻱ ﻭﺻﺤﺤﻪ ﺍﻷﻟﺒﺎﻧﻲ
_The son of Adam does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach. It is enough for the son of Adam to eat a few morsels to keep him going, but if he must (fill his stomach), then one third for his food, one third for his drink and one third for air._”
Transmitted by Imām At-Tirmidhi. Shaykh Al-Albāni declared it as Sahih.
In addition, ‘Uqubah Ar-rāsibī was reported to have said:
_I visited Al-Hasan and I met him while he was eating, then he said to me: Come let’s eat, I replied that; I have eaten to the extent that I cannot eat again, then he said: Subhānallah! Can a Muslim eat to the extent that he cannot eat again?_
However, some devout worshippers have went extreme in the regard of eating, for they choose to eat little and less of what their body needs and they sometimes starves themselves unnecessarily. Thinking that by so doing, they are moving closer to Allāh Azzawajal.
But, this is against what is recommended by the sharia. For the body needs food and nutrients in order to be able to carryout ibādāt properly. Thus, lack of eating weakens the strength of the body for this fundamental goal.
And what is beloved and recommended is to be moderate regarding eating. And the best way, is for one to divide one’s stomach into three portion in accordance to the hadith we made mentioned above.
Moreover, Eating moderately gives the body sound health and it takes away heaviness, thus, one should only seek for food when one is hungry and is in need, and one should stop eating when one is relatively satisfied without reaching satiation.
*6th Jumādā Al-ūlā, 1438H.*
Allāhu A’alam! Bārakallāhu fīkum!
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