Trial
for those that eat less
Dear Islamic brothers! It is
possible that one will face many trials as a result of applying the Madanī
guard to the stomach, i.e. making a habit of eating less. In the beginning, you
may become weak and peevish. Some 'well-wishers' may well try to talk you out
of it, whereas others may frighten you of the impending weakness; thus
psychologically stressing you out. Moreover, hunger and desire for food may
further increase because of quick digestion of food due to improvement in the
digestive system by the blessing of eating less. Further, the aroma of the food
being cooked anywhere will make your mouth water and you may yield to excessive
eating. Likewise, you may face a tough trial, especially in the month of Ramadan
at the time of Ifṭār due to extreme hunger and thirst, when you will be seeing
different types of delicious aromatic foods prepared at your home. Similarly,
you will find it very difficult to resist the desire of eating on the occasion
of Eid-ul-Aḍḥā when roasted and aromatic meat will be placed before you. But,
despite all these trials and tests, you should never lose your courage and
determination. Always remember the following Ḥadīš of the Beloved and Blessed
Prophet ﷺ, 'The best worship is the one in which
there is more hardship.'
(Kashf-ul-Khifā, vol. 1, pp.
175)
صَلُّوْا عَلَى الْحَبِيْبِ ۞ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ
تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد
Eat
less for forty days consecutively
It is also possible that you will
succeed in applying the Madanī guard to your stomach for a few days, but you
may begin to eat excessively again. You should not give up hope if it happens.
You should continue to persevere with the Madanī guard on your stomach. If your
habit of less-eating ever breaks, resume it with new spirit. For example, make
the intention of applying the Madanī guard to your stomach for seven days in
relation to the seven letters of بِسْمِ اللّٰه.
In the same manner, apply the Madanī guard to the stomach for twelve days in
relation to 12th Rabī'-ul-Awwal, 15 days in relation to the month of Sha'bān
and thirty days in Ramadan.
Make an effort to eat less for forty
consecutive days. اِنْ شَآءَاللّٰه عَزَّوَجَلَّ,
by doing this, you would be blessed with attaining steadfastness in this deed,
as Sayyidunā Wahb Bin Munabbeĥ has stated, 'If a person makes a habit of doing
something for forty days, Allah makes that habit a part of his nature.'
(Risāla-tul-Qushayriyyaĥ, pp.
243)
صَلُّوْا عَلَى الْحَبِيْبِ ۞ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ
تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد
Steadfastness
in less-eating
At times, offer two Rak'āt Nafl
Ṣalāĥ with the intention of Ṣalāt-ul-Ḥājāt and make Du'ā to attain
steadfastness in applying the Madanī guard to the stomach and to get rid of the
greed for food. Study this chapter of 'Faizān-e-Sunnaĥ', 'Excellence of Hunger'
every month or when you have the desire of eating in excess. Also go through
the third volume of Iḥyā-ul-'Ulūm which deals with the troubles of
filling the stomach with food. It would be very beneficial. It should also be
kept in mind that applying the Madanī guard to the stomach will seem difficult
only for the few initial days, especially when food is present on the
dining-mat. When the dining-mat is removed, desire for food will also vanish.
Once you have persistently applied the Madanī guard to your stomach and have
experienced its benefits, you will not like to eat in excess. (Remember) After
difficulty, there is ease. Allah says in Sūraĥ Alam Nashraĥ, verses 5 and 6:
فَاِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا اِنَّ مَعَ
الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا
So,
without doubt, there is ease with hardship. Without doubt, there is ease with
hardship.
[Kanz-ul-Īmān (Translation of Quran)] (Part
30, Sūraĥ Alam Nashraĥ, verse 5, 6)
۞ ۞ ۞
Bitter
advice
Those who have a Madanī mindset will
make sincere efforts to apply the Madanī guard to their stomach, اِنْ شَآءَاللّٰه عَزَّوَجَلَّ. If they are
determined, they will come up with appropriate and practicable ways to succeed.
As for those who suffer from the disease of 'Jū'ul Kalb¹' or have greed for
food, even dozens of books and numerous speeches are insufficient for them.
Advice in the form of this written material would skim over their heads; they
would turn a deaf ear to it and would not bother to ponder with a calm mind.
Further, there is a great possibility that they might even criticize the very
idea of applying the Madanī guard of the stomach. For such people, a saint has
rightly said, 'When the person whose stomach is full is advised, his mind
refuses to accept it.'
(Nuzĥa-tul-Majālis, vol. 1, pp.
178)
¹ An Arabic expression used for
those who are always hungry and look for things to chomp on. Its literal
meaning is 'hungry as a dog'.
Such a person is paving the way for
Satan and Nafs to tempt him with new tastes and flavours. Such people purchase
books of various recipes to learn how to prepare delicious and extravagant
cuisine. They repeatedly munch on food and then have to use the lavatory. They
become fat and overweight. Such people also waste a lot of money in doctors'
fees and medicine whereas they themselves possess the cure for their illnesses.
If they apply the Madanī guard to their stomach they could get rid of
illnesses, medications and doctors' fees. However, the unwise people who 'live
to eat' instead of 'eating to live' will never be able to live a healthy life.
O Allah ! For the sake of the
blessed stones tied to the blessed stomach of Your Beloved Prophet ﷺ due to extreme hunger, bless us with the
gifts of less-eating, less-sleeping and less-speaking. For the sake of the
hunger of the companions and the Auliyā , bless all of us with graceful hunger
and Madanī guard for our stomach.
Ilāĥī
! Payi kā Qufl-e-Madīnaĥ kar 'aṭā ĥam ko
Karam say istiqāmat kā khazīnaĥ kar 'aṭā ĥam ko
Enable
us to apply Madanī guard to our stomach, O Allah!
Bless us with the treasure of steadfastness, O Allah!
آمِيْن بِجَاهِ النَّبِيِّ الْاَمِيْن ﷺ
صَلُّوْا عَلَى الْحَبِيْبِ ۞ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ
تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد
تُوْبُوْا اِلَى الله ۞ اَسْتَغْفِرُ الله
صَلُّوْا عَلَى الْحَبِيْبِ ۞ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد
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