Diseases Caused by Overeating and Islamic Guidance for Healthy Eating

Diseases caused by excessive eating

Dear Islamic brothers! Not applying the Madanī guard to the stomach and engaging in excessive eating often result in indigestion and constipation. A very famous proverb goes, 'Constipation is the mother of diseases.' According to doctors, most diseases are caused by an ill stomach. There are twelve types of diseases caused by an upset stomach:

1.     Brain diseases.

2.     Eye diseases.

3.     Throat and tongue diseases.

4.     Chest and lung diseases.

5.     Paralysis of the face and other parts of the body.

6.     Numbness in the lower part of the body.

7.     Diabetes.

8.     High blood pressure.

9.     Brain haemorrhage.

10. Psychological diseases like insanity etc.

11. Liver and gall bladder diseases.

12. Depression.

Remedy to stay healthy

Sayyidunā Ibn Sālim has stated, 'If a person eats dry wheat bread in a proper manner, he will not suffer from any disease except death.' When asked as to what was meant by 'manner', he replied, 'One should eat only when hungry and stop eating while still hungry.'

(Iḥyā-ul-'Ulūm, vol. 3, pp. 95)

Signs of hunger

It is a Sunnaĥ not to eat if you are not hungry. Eating food without hunger at a fixed time or just due to the desire for food is not beneficial at all. Defining hunger, Ḥujjat-ul-Islam, Imām Muhammad Ghazālī has stated, 'The sign of hunger is that if one has a piece of bread in his hand, he should eagerly eat the bread without any accompaniment (gravy etc.). If the Nafs desires to eat only bread or desires gravy with bread, it indicates that one is only a little hungry.'

(Iḥyā-ul-'Ulūm, vol. 3, pp. 97)

Eating more than one's appetite

To eat more than one's appetite is Ḥarām. Here, 'more' refers to eating to such an extent that would cause indigestion or diarrhoea etc.

(Baĥār-e-Sharī'at, vol. 16, pp. 30)

Not everyone's appetite is same

Looking down on someone who eats excessively or forming an ill opinion about him is not permissible as eating to a full stomach is not a sin. Further, the amount of his (required) daily food intake may be more than others. As the sleep of a person may be different to another, i.e. one person becomes fresh and active by sleeping for only two hours, whereas another person may remain lazy and inactive even after sleeping for ten hours, similarly, one person may become full by eating just one piece of bread while another person may remain hungry even after eating four or five pieces of bread. Therefore, if a person who normally eats five pieces of bread reduces his meal to three pieces of bread, obviously, he will be eating less than his hunger and would be considered to have outdone the person whose stomach becomes full by eating only a single piece of bread.

One should look at his own deeds rather than looking at someone else, as this is certainly better for him in the world and the Hereafter. If we point one finger at someone, three fingers are automatically pointed at us. This indicates that we should reform ourselves instead of finding faults with others.

Hurting feelings of one who eats in excess is Ḥarām

Without the permission of Sharī'aĥ, hurting the feelings of the one who eats in excess is a grave sin and a Ḥarām act that leads to Hell. Sometimes, a person eats excessively because of some compulsion; for instance, the patient suffering from the disease called 'Jū'ul Baqar' (i.e. cow's hunger) remains hungry even after eating a lot of food. Such a patient has to repeatedly eat even unwillingly as his hunger is not satisfied. Likewise, the one who suffers from stomach ulcers has to eat something repeatedly because his pain intensifies on an empty stomach. Anyway, if we see someone eat in excess, we must still have a positive opinion about him because eating less is preferable, but having an ill opinion about a Muslim is Ḥarām.

To drink a lot of water

In extremely hot weather, if a person is very thirsty due to fasting and, at the time of Ifṭār, when cold water and sweet drinks are placed before him, leaving sweet drinks and drinking water in a small quantity so that even the thirst is not completely quenched for the pleasure of Allah is a good deed and an attribute of the pious. However, it is not a sin if a person drinks enough water so that his thirst is quenched. At times, excessive water is drunk for the cure of some diseases like kidney stones.

Normally, it is extremely hard for Nafs to drink water after the thirst has been quenched. There is, however, a difference when it comes to Zamzam water. To look at this water with the intention of worship is equivalent to attaining the reward of one year's worship. Whoever drinks this blessed water and makes Du'ā, his Du'ā is accepted.

(Al-Maslak-ul-Mutaqassiṭ Al-Ma'rūf Manāsik Al-Mullā 'Alī Qārī, pp. 495)

We should drink as much Zamzam water as possible with the intention of attaining reward. Ṣadr-ush-Sharī'aĥ, Badr-uṭ-Ṭarīqaĥ, Shaykh Muftī Muhammad Amjad 'Alī A'ẓamī has stated, 'When you drink Zamzam, you should drink it in large amount (so that the stomach is full). It is stated in a Ḥadīš that the difference between us and the hypocrites is that the hypocrites do not fill their stomach with Zamzam.'

(Baĥār-e-Sharī'at, vol. 6, pp. 47) (Al-Mustadrak lil-Ḥākim, vol. 1, pp. 646, Ḥadīš 1738)

Walk a little

After consulting a physiotherapist, everyone should do some light exercise every day according to his age. Doctors say that one should walk at least 150 steps after having dinner. It is my Madanī suggestion to make a habit of reciting the Ṣalāt (Durūd) (صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد) at least 40 times while walking. اِنْ شَآءَاللّٰه, you will have walked more than 150 steps by the time you complete the recitation of Ṣalāt 40 times.

Everyone should walk for at least an hour every day. Those who do not have a habit of walking should initially walk for about 12 minutes daily reciting the above-mentioned Ṣalāt 313 times. At the end, they should add وَعَلٰی اٰلِه وَاَصْحَابِه وَبَارَکَ وَسَلَّم one time. They would be able to cover a kilometre if they recite the Ṣalāt rather slowly. In this manner, they should develop the habit of walking five kilometres daily within thirty days. Islamic sisters should walk within their homes. Instead of sitting, they should also make it a habit to recite their Wazāif (i.e. invocations) while walking. Please act upon my suggestion and start walking or else, on the advice of your doctor, you may have to run carrying the burden of stress and depression.

صَلُّوْا عَلَى الْحَبِيْبِ ۞ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد