DAY 14: FOLLOW A HEALTHY DIET
“Miqdam ibn Ma’d reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “The son of Adam cannot fill a vessel worse than his stomach, as it is enough for him to take a few bites to straighten his back. If he cannot do it, then he may fill it with a third of his food, a third of his drink, and a third of his breath.”
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2380
Among us are present many who love to eat food and who often indulge themselves into devouring it beyond limit. While loving and appreciating food isn’t wrong, one must understand and be conscious of the adverse effects of overeating and breaking past the limits assigned. That’s why the Rasool of Allah ﷺ has advised us to divide our intake of food and water into thirds. Besides this, one must also drink up water consistently. To function properly, all the cells and organs of the body need water. Water prevents kidney damage, helps maintain blood pressure, regulates body temperature, delivers oxygen throughout the body, etc. From this we see that our body needs lots of water as it has many works to do. Besides these two points, people tend to very easily leave off the third portion of the hadeeth which is to leave one third of your stomach empty for air. Sometimes we stuff ourselves with food and water to the extent that we can’t breathe or move at all. Such behaviour should be avoided. After all, our stomachs aren’t washing machines that can be stuffed however we like. There needs to be some space for it to work and break down food. Therefore, adhere properly to the Sunnah way of eating to have a healthier body. May Allah سبحانه و تعالى aid us in doing only that’s the best for us and may He guide us in following as many Sunnah of our beloved Prophet ﷺ as possible, اللهم آمين.