How much food to eat?

The Shariah is a complete code of life.  It has rules and guidelines about every aspect of life.  No aspect of life has been left bereft of its guidance. 

 

It is Fardh (obligatory) to eat as much as is necessary to save one’s life and to enable oneself to offer Salaat, fast and perform other acts of worship and the person who eats will be rewarded as well.  It is Mubah (permissible) to eat until satiety to gain more strength.

 

To maintain health, to protect against diseases and to make the digestive system work well, the Shariah commands us to divide our stomach into 3 parts, one for food, another for water and the third for breath, as given in the Hadith in Sunan Tirmidhi, Vol. 2, Pg. No. 63, Hadith No. 2554. 

 

Eating more than what is required, which may upset one’s stomach is Makruh (undesirable) and forbidden.  If eating like this is with the intention of fasting the next day or along with a guest, then there is no problem.  As given in Durre Mukhtaar, Vol. 5, Pg. No. 238. 

 

There is a Hadith in Zujajatul Masabeeh, Vol. 4, Pg. No. 150, 151:

 

Translation of Hadith: It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Abdullah Bin Umar (May Allah be well pleased with them), that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) heard a person burping and said: Control your burping, as on the Day of Judgment, the most hungry will be that person who filled his (or her) stomach the most. 

 

We should eat with these commandments in mind.  We should not ignore the commandments of the Shariah only because of someone’s insistence.  The host should also not force someone. 

 

There is a Hadith:

Translation of Hadith: It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Miqdad Bin Ma’adikarab (May Allah be well pleased with him), he said that he heard the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) saying: No human has ever filled a vessel more foul than the stomach.  Only some morsels that enable one to straighten one’s back are enough for a human being.  If in reality, eating is necessary, then keep 1/3^rd for food, 1/3^rd for water and 1/3^rd for breath. 

And Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) knows best.

 

Mufti Syed Ziauddin Naqshbandi Qadri

[Associate Professor of Islamic Law, Jamia Nizamia,

Founder/Director, Abul Hasanaat Islamic Research Center]