Saturday, August 22, 2026

The Spiritual Dangers of Haram Sustenance and Excessive Eating: Hunger, Worship and the Fear of a Bad End

Punishment for consuming a Ḥarām morsel

It is reported that when a person eats a Ḥarām morsel, every angel of the earth and the skies keeps cursing him until that Ḥarām morsel remains in his stomach. If he dies in the same state, Hell will be his abode.

(Mukāshafa-tul-Qulūb, pp. 10)

Chest filled with Nūr

The Beloved and Blessed Rasūl has stated, 'When a person decreases his consumption of food, his chest is filled with Nūr (spiritual light).'

(Al-Jāmi'-uṣ-Ṣaghīr, pp. 35 Ḥadīš 469)

Four pearls of wisdom

Sayyidunā Ibrāĥīm Bin Adĥam has stated: 'I remained in the company of some saints in a mountain of Lebanon; each of them gave me the following pieces of advice to convey to the people.

1.     He who fills his stomach with food will not attain pleasure in worship.

2.     He who sleeps a lot will not have blessing in his age.

3.     He who desires only the pleasure of people, will be despairing of the pleasure of Allah.

4.     He who often backbites and speaks unnecessarily will not die as a Muslim.'

(Minĥāj-ul-'Ābidīn, pp. 107)

Fear of bad end

Dear Islamic brothers! It is a fact that gluttony increases the burden of the stomach and causes lethargy in the body parts, resulting in laziness. This also brings about a lack of concentration in worship. Many people experience this condition during the Tarāwīḥ Ṣalāĥ in Ramadan. It is the age of the so-called food culture. People fondly stuff various foods into their bellies. Further, samosas, kebabs and pakoras also make their contribution to the deterioration of the stomach, and due to excessive use of cold drinks, milkshakes and sour things, the sounds of coughing, belching and throat-clearing echo in the Masājid these days. Furthermore, if any one coughs, others also follow suit and start to cough probably because of the psychological effect, resulting in the increase of the sounds of coughing in the Masjid.

The fourth point mentioned by Sayyidunā Ibrāĥīm Bin Adĥam that the one often backbiting and talking unnecessarily will not die as a Muslim is also very alarming. Alas! These days, you can rarely find a Muslim who refrains from useless speech and backbiting. O Allah! Please protect our faith!

آمِيْن بِجَاهِ النَّبِيِّ الْاَمِيْن ﷺ

Musalmān ĥay 'Aṭṭār Tayrī 'aṭā say
Ĥo Īmān per khātimaĥ Yā Ilāĥī!

By the grace of Allah, 'Aṭṭār is Muslim
May he leave this world with faith, O Allah!

Cover of religion

A person once sought advice from Sayyidunā Ḥāmid Laffāf. He replied, 'Make a cover for the protection of religion like the cover of the Holy Quran.' When asked as to what the cover of religion meant, he replied, 'Refraining from useless speech, unnecessary company of people and excessive eating.' He has further said, 'If you knew how the Holy Prophet , his companions and the Muslims would be treated in Paradise (as special guests), you would never eat food to a full stomach in the transient life of this mortal world.'

(Tażkira-tul-Wā'iẓīn, pp. 234)

Sweetness of worship

Hujjat-ul-Islam Sayyidunā Imām Muhammad Ghazālī has stated, 'Eating food to a stomach full causes the sweetness of worship to be lost.' Amīr-ul-Mūminīn Sayyidunā Abū Bakr Siddīq has stated, 'Ever since I have become a Muslim, I have not eaten food to a full stomach so that I can be blessed with the sweetness of worship. Likewise, since I became a Muslim, I have not had a full drink in the desire of having the drink of the Vision of Almighty Allah.

(Minĥāj-ul-'Ābidīn, pp. 193)

Sayyidunā Sufyān Šaurī has stated, 'Worship is quite an art which is learnt in solitude, and its tool is hunger.'

(ibid)

Who will be hungry on Day of Judgement?

Sayyidunā Abū Bujayr has narrated that the Beloved and Blessed Prophet has stated, 'Many people eat delicious foods and lead a luxurious life in this world, but they will be hungry and naked on the Day of Judgement.'

(Shu'ab-ul-Īmān, vol. 2, pp. 170, Ḥadīš 1461)

Sayyidunā 'Abdullāĥ Ibn 'Umar has narrated that once the Holy Prophet heard someone belching, so he said, 'Reduce your belch, because the one who fills his stomach the most in the world will be the most hungry on the Day of Judgement.'

(Jāmi' Tirmiżī, vol. 4, pp. 217, Ḥadīš 2486)

Sayyidunā Abū Ṭālib Al-Makkī has narrated that the companion who belched on that day was Sayyidunā Abū Juḥayfaĥ . This companion stated, 'By Allah , I have not eaten food to a full stomach ever since the day when the Holy Prophet admonished me and I hope Allah will protect me (from filling my stomach with food) in the future as well.'

(Qūt-ul-Qulūb, vol. 2, pp. 325)

Saint with green skin

Sayyidunā Abū Ṭālib Al-Makkī was a great scholar, a renowned teacher of Ḥadīš, a religious thinker, an eminent saint and an illustrious Imām of Taṣawwuf. Even Sayyidunā Imām Muhammad Ghazālī has taken considerable help in Taṣawwuf from his book 'Qūt-ul-Qulūb.' He had risen to such a high degree of asceticism (Taqwā) that he gave up eating food altogether and would live off grass. His consumption of grass had caused his skin to become green.

Distribution of almonds and sugar at a funeral

In the last moments of his life, Sayyidunā Abū Ṭālib Al-Makkī was requested to make a will. He replied, 'Distribute almonds and sugar during my funeral procession if I pass away with faith.' The person asked as to how he would know about it. He replied, 'Keep sitting beside me and give your hand into mine. If I pass away in the state of Īmān, I will press your hand firmly.' Therefore, the person held the hand of Sayyidunā Abū Ṭālib Al-Makkī. When he was about to depart this life, he pressed that person's hand with force and his soul left his body. When his sacred bier¹ was lifted to be taken to the cemetery, almonds and sugar were distributed among the people. The great saint passed away on the 6th of Jumādal-Ākhiraĥ 386 A.H. His shrine, situated in the Mālikiyyaĥ graveyard of Baghdad city, is the focal point for visitors.

(Al-Muntaẓam fī Tārīkh-ul-Muluk-wal-Umam, vol. 14, pp. 385)

Key to world

Sayyidunā Abū Sulaymān Dārānī has stated, 'The key to the world is to fill the stomach and (the key) to the Hereafter is to remain hungry.'

(Nuzĥa-tul-Majālis, vol. 1, pp. 177)

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