The Diet of the Prophet [صلى الله عليه وسلم]
Moderate Eating Habits
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَجُلاً كَانَ يَأْكُلُ أَكْلاً كَثِيرًا فَأَسْلَمَ فَكَانَ يَأْكُلُ أَكْلاً قَلِيلاً فَذُكِرَ ذَلِكَ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ يَأْكُلُ فِي مِعًى وَاحِدٍ وَالْكَافِرَ يَأْكُلُ فِي سَبْعَةِ أَمْعَاءٍ.
Abu Hurairah[رضي الله عنه] narrated that a man before becoming Muslim used to
Benefits for this topic:
Ash-Shiekh Abu Bakr Muhammad Al-Kalabathi Al-Bukhari [384H] mentioned some excellent reminders about this hadith in Bahrul Fawa’id[ an ocean of benefits]
- This hadith address overeating and undereating.[consume fewer calories than your body needs to function properly.]
- The Muslims eats when it’s necessary and the disbeliever binges to satisfy his vile desires.
مَا مَلأَ آدَمِىٌّ وِعَاءً شَرًّا مِنْ بَطْنٍ بِحَسْبِ ابْنِ آدَمَ أُكُلاَتٌ يُقِمْنَ صُلْبَهُ فَإِنْ كَانَ لاَ مَحَالَةَ فَثُلُثٌ لِطَعَامِهِ وَثُلُثٌ لِشَرَابِهِ وَثُلُثٌ لِنَفَسِهِ
The Prophet [صلى الله عليه وسلم] said: No man fills a container worse than his stomach. A few morsels that keep his back upright are sufficient for him. If he has to eat, then he should keep 1/3 for food, 1/3 for drink, and 1/3 for breathing.[1]
- This explains the amount of food a person must eat, and it’s a third for the stomach. A person shouldn’t stuff himself and if he’s hungry he should eat moderately. It’s been explained that a third is enough for the stomach, so he mustn’t eat more than this.
- A non-Muslim overeats thus the worse container he fills is his stomach and this is similar to how he’s the worst of creation.
- Binging and overeating is divided between seven parts of the body and among them are ; the body’s craving, the evil desires of the soul, the evil desires of the eyes, the evil desires of the mouth, the evil desires of the ears, and the evil desires of the nose.
- Food is eaten out of necessity and this happens when a person is hungry and needs to eat to maintain his body’s function.
- Sometimes a person eats food and really doesn’t need to. For example, he smells food and wants to eat, his taste buds push him to eat, he hears there is food being served, so he wants to eat. The evil cravings of the soul have no limits.
- The believer doesn’t eat to satisfy the desires of his eyes, his mouth, his soul, his ears, his nose, or his body’s cravings; rather he only eats when he must.[2]
Translated by Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Battle
Doha,Qatar
[1440]©
[1] [ At-Tirmithi 2554- graded Hasan Sahih by Imam At-Tirmithi]
[2] Page 36-38/ Bahrul Fawa’id