The Inner Dimensions of Food

 One of the famous sayings of the Arabs goes, “The stomach is the home of disease and restraint is the basis of the remedy.” Gluttony is considered one of the cardinal sins that lead to many physical and spiritual diseases. Eating to one's fill increases sexual desire, followed by the desire for status and wealth in order to fulfill the first two desires, which, in turn, generate boastfulness and arrogance. In most cases, the result of giving in to one's desires indiscriminately is evil.

The Prophet, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam, advocated eating in moderation and strongly discouraged a lifestyle of extravagance and indulgence. He, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said: "The son of Aadam does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Aadam to eat a few mouthfuls, to keep him going. If he must do that (fill his stomach), then let him fill one third with food, one third with drink and one third with air.” [Reported by At-Tirmithi]

He, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, used to eat enough to keep him going, but not  so much as to make him fat. Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, related that the Prophet, sallAllahu ’alayhi wa sallam, said: “The believer eats in one stomach whilst the disbeliever eats in seven.”

Thus, the Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, taught his Ummah something to protect them from diseases caused by eating and drinking.

Eating in moderation is part of the etiquette of eating. One should not fill the stomach. The most that a Muslim is permitted to do in this regard is to divide his stomach into three thirds: one-third for food, one-third for drink and one-third for air.

The Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam: “A man does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to eat enough to keep him alive. But if he must do that, then one-third for his food, one-third for his drink and one-third for his air.” [Narrated by At-Tirmithi and Ibn-Maajah, may Allah have mercy upon them both; classed as Saheeh by Al-Albaani, may Allah have mercy upon him, in Saheeh at-Tirmithi]

This keeps the body healthy and light, because eating one’s fill makes the body heavy, which leads to laziness in worship and work. One-third is defined as being one-third of that which would make you feel full. [Al-Mawsoo’ah] Not only is eating one’s fill or overeating bad for the bodily health of an individual, it is equally bad, or rather worse, for his spiritual health and wellbeing, as well as for his Hereafter.

The Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, also followed the same principles of austerity and abstinence. It was narrated that Naafi’, may Allah have mercy upon him, said, "Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, used not to eat until a poor man was brought to eat with him. I brought a man in to eat with him and he ate a great deal. He said, 'O Naafi’, do not let this man enter upon me, for I heard the Messenger of Allah, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, say: ‘The Kaafir eats in seven intestines.’” [Reported by Al-Bukhaari, Muslim]

An-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said, commenting on this Hadeeth, "The scholars said, ‘What the Hadeeth means is to be content with little in this world and encouraging asceticism and contentment, in addition to the fact that eating little is a good characteristic, and eating a great deal is the opposite. As for the words of Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, concerning the poor man who ate a great deal in his presence, ‘Do not let him enter upon me,’ he only said that because he was behaving like a Kaafir, and if a person is behaves like a Kaafir it is Makrooh (disliked) to mix with him unnecessarily. Moreover, the amount that this man ate, could have fed a number of people."

In addition, Abu Juhayfah, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "A man burped in the presence of the Messenger of Allah, sallAllahu 'alayhi wa sallam, and he said: ‘Keep your burps away from us, for the one who eats his fill the most in this world will be hungry for the longest time on the Day of Resurrection.’” [Reported by at-Tabaraani]

After hearing that, Abu Juhayfah, may Allah be pleased with him, did not eat his fill until he departed from this world; if he ate breakfast he would not eat dinner and if he ate dinner he would not eat breakfast, and he said, "I have not filled my stomach for thirty years." Look at how the noble Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, clung fast to the Sunnah and teachings of the Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam!

There are benefits of moderation in food, include attaining purity of heart, mental alertness and deep insight. Satiety generates lethargy, slows the mind and blinds the heart, hence the proverb, that says, “The one whose stomach is hungry will become able to think deeply and his intelligence will honed.”

Moderation in eating fosters humility and lessens arrogance, insolence and false pride, which form the basis of oppression and heedlessness of Allah The Almighty. The scholars enumerate multiple benefits of eating in moderation. Eating less keeps the body healthy and light, keeps the heart soft, increases memory, weakens desires, and disciplines the soul while excessive eating brings about the opposite of these praiseworthy qualities. Haatim at-Taa'iy said, "If you give your stomach and your private part what they ask for, you will end up regretting it." [Reported by Fat-hul-Baari]

By eating in moderation, a person remains cognizant of the wrath and punishment of Allah The Almighty, or the people who are afflicted by calamities, for the one who has his fill forgets the one who is hungry and he forgets hunger. However, the person who is mindful does not see someone else afflicted by a calamity without being reminded of the calamity in the Hereafter.

One of the greatest benefits of moderation in eating is that it puts an end to all sinful desires, and brings control over the self that is inclined towards evil, because the source of all sins is desires and energy, and the fuel for energy and desires is food. Thun-Noon, may Allah have mercy upon him, said, "I never ate my fill except that I sinned or thought of sinning."

Restricting one's food intake helps in warding off sleep and enables a person to make do with fewer hours of sleep. Excessive sleep causes one to miss out on Tahajjud (voluntary night prayer) and Fajr prayers; it also makes one slow and hardens the heart.