A lot of people in the Muslim world today have poor eating habits and unhealthy diets. Many are just becoming fatter month by month due to overeating or eating the wrong things. But, as Muslims, we shouldn’t be like this, should we? Islam is a way of life, and the prophet (ﷺ), who is our role model, had a healthy diet and perfect eating habits. We should adopt his eating habits, to earn great rewards from Allah, which serves as a great motivation to be persistent. This article will present reasons behind having bad eating habits, the Islamic point of view on such habits, and, finally, the prophet’s eating habits that we should adopt.
Eating too much or eating unhealthy foods can have negative effects on your health and well-being. Some of the consequences are obesity (which increases the risk of heart disease and other problems), stomach problems, sleepiness, and sickness. Even though most of us are aware of this, we are still reluctant to change our eating habits. This is because of our laziness, because we don’t have self-control, or just because we think we are too busy to change. On the other hand, many of us who do try to change are unsuccessful because we crave unhealthy foods, or our environment makes it difficult for us to change.
For example, think about the kids whose parents bring junk food weekly. Also, think about a person who regularly spends his breaks eating with friends who overeat and eat so fast. In both these cases, the observer will be influenced by the behaviour of others and will likely adopt their unhealthy eating habits as a result.
Islam greatly encourages moderation in eating and criticizes those who overeat. For those of us who cannot control ourselves while eating, let’s assimilate the following inspiring points before adding a lot of food to our plates or going for more when we are already full:
Aisha RA said: “Verily, the first trial to occur in this nation after the passing of its prophet (ﷺ), was people eating to their fill. For when people fill their stomachs, their bodies are fattened, their hearts are hardened, and their desires are uncontrollable.” [al-Jū’ li-Ibn Abī Dunyā: 22]
o The quantity of eating you choose will affect your fate on the Day of Judgement. The prophet (ﷺ) said: “The people who most eat their fill in this world will be the hungriest on the Day of Resurrection.” [Sunan Ibn Majah: 3351]
o Compromising on eating in this world is temporary, and these desires will be excessively fulfilled if we reach Jannah. Allah said in the Quran, referring to the people of Jannah:
“There they will recline, calling for abundant fruit and drink. “(Quran, 38:51).
“And We will continuously provide them with whatever fruit or meat they desire.” (Quran, 52:22).
“…In it are rivers of fresh water, rivers of milk that never changes in taste, rivers of wine delicious to drink, and rivers of pure honey. There they will also have all kinds of fruit…” (Quran, 47:15).
o Allah said: “And eat and drink but waste not by extravagance, certainly He (Allah) likes not those who waste by extravagance.”[Quran 7:31]
The Prophet (ﷺ) is our leader and he said: “The son of Adam does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam 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.” [al-Tirmidhi: 2380]
He also said: “The kaafir eats in seven intestines.” [al-Bukhari: 5393] Would he be happy to see the amount we are eating?
o The caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab RA criticized being fat when he saw a man with a large belly and he said, “What is this?” The man said, “It is a blessing from Allah.” Umar said, “No, rather it is a punishment.” [Ḥadīth Muḥammad ibn ‘Abd Allāh al-Anṣārī 42]
o It is important to be aware of the social factors that affect our food choices. Said differently, try to stay with people who influence you to eat appropriately. In the Quran, Allah describes the situation of a negatively influenced person on the day of Judgement: “Woe to me! I wish I had never taken so-and-so as a close friend.” [Quran, 25:28]
There are a lot of things we can derive from these points that will help us eat more mindfully. But to help us apply all the possible aspects of Islamic teachings related to eating, let’s look at some of the prophet’s eating habits as well.
The prophet (ﷺ) started eating by saying Bismillah, and he said that if someone forgot to say it in the beginning, he should say Bismillaahi fi awwalihi wa aakhirihi (in the name of Allah at its beginning and its end) when he remembers. [Abu Dawood: 3767] He also ordered people to eat with their right hand and he used to eat with the first three fingers.
The prophet (ﷺ) knew what he was eating, and he ate things that were good for him. He ate slowly in small quantities and stressed on suppressing greed whilst eating. Moreover, he encouraged eating together, and he repeatedly urged his guests to eat.
He (ﷺ) said: “Eat together and do not eat separately, for the blessing is in being together.” [Sunan Ibn Majah: 3287] After finishing a meal, he would pray for the ones he ate with, and say Alhamdulillah.
He (ﷺ) said: “Verily, Allah is pleased with a servant who praises Him when he eats or praises Him when he drinks.”[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 2734]
In conclusion, whichever bad eating habits we possess, we can easily change them by equipping ourselves with such Islamic knowledge and applying it in our own lives. After reading these facts, in sha Allah, we shall try our best to be mindful whilst eating, choose nutritious foods, and enjoy them in moderation. Furthermore, we will follow the sunnah of eating and resist the temptation of following the crowd because, in the end, we are all individually accountable.
