Keep Your Backs Straight

Every Muslim should be on a mission to live the best life, get as close to Allah, and establish Islam as much as possible in this life.  With that in mind, your body is more than a temple- more than a way to worship your Lord, it is a machine, which must be maintained to keep it in top condition.

The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said:

No human ever filled a vessel worse than the stomach. Sufficient for any son of Aadam are some morsels to keep his back straight. But if it must be, then one third for his food, one third for his drink and one third for his breath.

[Reported in Ahmad, At-Tirmidhee, An-Nasaa’ee, Ibn Maajah - Hadith Sahih]

Notice how the oft-quoted hadith of the Prophet is not- eat 1/3 and drink 1/3 and give yourself room to breathe- rather it is that a few bites will do you!  After that, if you can’t handle it, go on to the 1/3 plan.

Compare this with our typical lifestyles- 3 heavy meals a day, not to mention numerous “snacks” when we “get the munchies” or just feel bored and have run out of good work to do.  I mean if one of us skips lunch or something, we feel so sorry for ourselves!  “Oh, I’m so hungry- I didn’t eat lunch today!” (big tear drops)

A Sign of the Times

The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said:

The best generation is my generation, followed by the one after them then the one after them. Then will come a people who bear witness but are not asked to bear witness, who swear oaths but do not fulfill them and fatness will appear among them.

[Reported in Bukhari and Muslim]

So in this hadith the prevalence of being overweight is actually linked to the last days, a mark of people who are not trustworthy and upright.  I need not enumerate the many studies and documentaries that tell us that while in the East starvation is an epidemic, the West is plagued by overeating.  This trend not only leads to physical problems (the obvious ones being obesity, sedimentary lifestyles, lack of strength/stamina, and overwhelming fatigue) but more importantly spiritual ones. 

Mark of the Believers

The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said:

My greatest fear for you is the appetites of transgression with regard to your stomachs and your privates and the inclinations which lead astray.

[Reported in Ahmad]

A key difference between Islam and other ideologies is that actions DO matter- it’s not enough for you to feel “good” in your heart.  In order to be a pure person spiritually Allah instructs you on living a pure life.  And this is defined by Islam, not the fads of society, where they swear the best way to self-esteem is a makeover. 

Islam teaches us that being controlled by our desires is the worst thing a person can do for then he/she becomes meaningless- just another animal passing time on the planet eating, drinking, mating, sleeping, until death wipes us out.  A Muslim is a spiritual being who is conscious of the connection between his/her thoughts, beliefs, speech, actions and his/her heart.  Opposite to this is the person who is not conscious of her/his actions or life, who is led by feelings and physical desires. 

That is why the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam also said:

The believer eats with one stomach while the disbeliever eats with seven stomachs.

[Reported in Bukhari and Muslim]

Change Your Life(style)

So you want enlightenment?  Go on a diet.

Allah says in the Quran:

O mankind! Eat of that which is lawful and good on the earth, and follow not the footsteps of Shaitan (Satan). Verily, he is to you an open enemy. [2:168]

Try this: when you eat, take a few bites of super nutritious food to still the pains of hunger and when you drink, drink pure water to quench your thirst. I don’t need to tell you what’s nutritious, you already know.  It’s just a matter of doing it.  Also encourage others (and hang around with people who encourage you) as that makes things easier.

They say you are what you eat, so eat what’s whole, what’s natural, what’s fresh, what’s balanced, what’s strong.