A reminder to our eating habits (In Ramadaan and other times)
Breaking the Fast
Salman bin `Amir [Radi Allahu anhu : May Allah be pleased with him] reported: I heard the Prophet [Salla Allahu Alaihi Wassalam] saying,
"When one of you breaks his Saum (fasting), let him break it on dates; if he does not have any, break his fast with water for it is pure.'' [Abu Dawood].
Anas [Radi Allahu anhu : May Allah be pleased with him] reported:
The Messenger of Allah [Salla Allahu Aleihi Wassalam] used to break his Saum (fast) before offering Maghrib (sunset) prayer with three fresh dates; if there were no fresh dates, he will eat three dry dates; and if there were no dry dates; he would take three draughts of water. [Abu Dawood and others, graded authentic by Shaikh Al-Albani in Sahih Al-Jami' AS-Saghir, No.4995].
"But those who disbelieve, they enjoy themselves and eat as the cattle eat. And the Hellfire will be their abode."
[Quran, Surah Muhammad: 12]
To the above verse the reference to the following hadith is given in Tafsir Ibn Kathir:
Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said,
"The believer eats in one stomach whilst the disbeliever eats in seven." [1]
Prophet (sallallaahu '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." [2]
Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said,
"The more people eat their fill in this world, the hungrier they will be on the Day of Resurrection." [3]
Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said,
"The best among you are those whose coexist with me, then those who follow them immediately, then (the third generation) which comes immediately after them ( he said this sentence twice to thrice), then these persons will be followed by those who will testify but they will not be asked to testify (that is their testimony will not be accepted) they will misappropriate and will not be trustworthy; will take vows, but will not fulfill them, will suffer from fatness." [4]
Narrated Nafi':
Ibn 'Umar never used to take his meal unless a poor man was called to eat with him. One day I brought a poor man to eat with him, the man ate too much, whereupon Ibn 'Umar said,
"O Nafi'! Don't let this man enter my house, for I heard the Prophet saying, "A believer eats in one intestine (is satisfied with a little food), and a kafir (unbeliever) eats in seven intestines (eats much food)." [5]
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Related by al-Bukhaaree (no. 5081) and Muslim (no. 2060).
[2] Saheeh: Related by at- Tirmidhee (no. 1381) and Ibn Maajah (no. 3349). It was authenticated by Shaykh Muhammad Naasirud -Deen al-Albaanee in Silsilatul-Ahaadeethus-Saheehah (No. 2265)
[3] Silsilah al-Saheehah 342
[4] Riyadh-us-Saliheen Hadith No. 509. Hadhrat Imran Bin Husain (raa) relates (Bukhari and Muslim)
[5] Sahih Bukhari - Volume 7, Book 65, Number 305: Ref: Riyadh-us-saleheen Chapter 56 "The Excellence of Hunger and Leading a Life of Abstinence" [Darus Salaam Translation]
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